Everything is just making more sense in the Asian world as an entirety and Saudi Pro League to be precise since they had that laudable decision to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the league. Seems like a planned idea to shift the world's football attention to the country. FIFA has also taken another laudable decision in support of the Saudi Arabia which makes them the hosts of the next 2034 FIFA World Cup after the recent 22 FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar.

Looks like a well executed plan to have subsequently opened its windows to other star players like Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Neymar Jr amongst other big names that have made it to the Ballon D'or ranking. By the time you factor in all these efforts, you will acknowledge the effort the country is putting to their league. After the transfer windows were closed, we had a total sum of 800 million dollars spent on transfer of players by the clubs in the league. Incredible.


Well I am finding it difficult to distinguish between the name and the quality. I suppose it is the quality of the players that determines the name they have made and it is something that have been gotten over time. The truth is that, it is not going to be easy for the league to get that performance and credibility like the European leagues. It is a gradual process though. If the league can consistently bring in more star players and upcoming young players, it will grow their fan base.

Lastly, I believe the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup will add more spices to the cake since that will be another avenue for them to promote the country.

Football is gradually getting it's worldwide recognition and interest across all countries including countries we thought won't pick interest in this game. Interesting, Saudi Arabia is working seriously hard to improve their league with the new trend of signing top performing star players to the league. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane and Neymar are a testimony of this trend that will land Saudi Pro League into the UEFA and world limelight.

I equally have the same opinion as to what you opined. What maked the English leagues remains at the top in terms of watch and attention is simply because of their topnotch media hypes and promotions of their activities. This has gone to alsp affect positively on how the players in the English league and respected and valued.

When you have a good look at the trend out there, you will find out that most young and upcoming players are yearning to play a part of their career in the Premier League or UEFA championship league in general.

This is because it is one of the most talked about in the world right now and you want to have that validity as a player that you are at the top of your career performance and what not. La Liga would have done better too but there's little more competition to be added despite the El-Classico rivals which have great world attention too.

In the English teams, we have the likes of the London Derby, Manchester Derby and so on. I also see Saudi Pro League coming up with the amount of efforts those clubs are putting into recruiting reputable players lately.

Both Real Madrid and Mbappe have the ability and opportunities to end this highly speculated transfer saga in football history. I also had of the news that Real Madrid is ready to pay the player a huge amount of money that could make him one of the most valued players in the world but I think this is also as a result of the fact that Mbappe have turned down the Real Madrid's offer for three occasions. Hence the reason why Madrid wants to put in more efforts to the contract terms to secure this contract in no time.

One thing that I want Real Madrid to take note of is that they should always go into a contract that will favor the club and not that which will give Mbappe a wielding power over the activities of the club. For instance, allowing him to take a part of the decision making such as the first XI of the team. That will surely distabilise the club.

Mate, I agree with your submission on this matter but I am more of the opinion that Ten Hag should actually go. Let the club relief him of that duty as the manager if they can't right the wrongs in the several decisions he had made that have negatively affected Manchester United overall.

I see Ten Hag as a great coach but an overbearing manager who sees the possibility to match everyone within his toes and won't mind if they were emotionally downcasted as a result. All he is after is a result which i will say he probably see that more in the physical ability of the player and not the emotional and psychological support they require from the club.

My advise is for the club to change Ten Hag for the material time and replace him with a more experienced manager but more importantly, compassionate and teamwork. It is better to quench the fire regardless of the heat than to allow it to continue.

.

I think this should be a thing of worry to short term investors, that is, those who invest for the purpose of making profit then exit. Most long-term investors must have been familiar with this trend and won't expect any magic to happen in the Bitcoin market that will trigger something unfounded.

Maybe newcomers too. Since they have a shallow understanding of how these things work and may end up too excited and carried away by the current market trends. It is also an advice that you should not put all the resources you have into the Bitcoin market as the bull or bear run will end up giving you a high blood pressure, although it is something pretty much expected by experts.

It was an impressive performance from them to have win this match despite their minus one player. I was scared of the game for Al Nassr, since I saw that red card on Talisca at the first half of the game and it was stil 0-0. In the second half, I was more impressed by the way they performed although they didn't meet my expectations, anyways.

It became more interesting when Hazazi of Al-Ettifaq got another red card by second half and the match was balanced with 10 to 10 squad instead of the 11. Ronaldo and Otavio got yellow cards too in the forward. But Al-Nassr got more possessions than Al-Ettifaq in the game.

Sadio Mane came on with the winning goal for Al-Nassr at the tail end of the game when he scored during the injury time. This is what it means to strive for Round of 16 in the King Cup of Champions. I like to watch teams challenge each other like this and all the fans had faith in God.

Until Ten Hag is ready to improve his managerial skills, the club will hardly win top challenging matches. Every other club has taken up the challenge to work hard and improve themselves over time, I don't see enough efforts from Ten Hag yet. Newcastle is in good shape like you mentioned above so they will put a whole lot of efforts to win this match. The last match both clubs played, Newcastle boys scored over the Manchester united. Yesterday's Manchester derby was not in isolation. Manchester United can do better when they wish to.

And I am sure they can do exceptionally well without Mbappe. It is better for Real Madrid to concentrate on those boys than bringing in any star player especially if it will require them to sign any weird contracts. There's one habit I like with a club which Barcelona exhibited earlier and it was their apologies to Gungodan and his wife over their complain of not being properly welcomed as rhe case may be.

How I wish Ten Hag can learn from that. It is not all about bossing around with your players but they also need emotional support some of which are gotten when you overlook somethings or encourage them in their worst periods. I don't see much of that courtesy with Ten Hag and I think that has contributed heavily on the underperformance of the club in this season.

Although the who news about the impeachment and other incidents surrounding it like the bombing of the state assembly complex and the shooting of the governor's envoy in an attempt to either shoot the governor or scare him off the power are still allegations pointing direct fingers at the former governor Wike who is now the minister of FCT.

What further makes the pointing of these accusing fingers fixated on Wike is not far from the reasons below.

1. It is a trajectory in the political history of River State where Godfatherism has always been a case between the predecessors and successors. Although, it is not Rivers state in isolation, it is a case that has been plaquing our democracy since from inception. As a foundation, before I come to Rivers, it has happened in Lagos in the case of Ambode who was to return to office for a second tenure but was truncated and given to another person, who seems to be more loyal to the godfather.

Another case was that of Adams Oshiomole and Godwin Obaseki, who was the voluntary Chairman of the Edo State Economic and Strategic Team and handled closely all the economic activities of the government. Because of how delicate that position was and the his performance in policies and other reforms, he became very close to his boss and was to later succeed him as the next Governor. Obaseki became the first Governor to be elected under the APC in the state through the Anointment of Oshiomole. Afterwards, he was to be controlled and micromanaged by the predecessor which caused them into chaos and the rift led the predecessor to be suspended in the party and subsequently, reduced popularity. This gave birth to the popular slogan "Edo no be Lagos".

Another one was in Ebonyi State between the governor and deputy governor. The governor, Elechi in Labour party never endorsed his deputy but the deputy, who later succeeded him as the governor, David Umahi ensured that the predecessor retired back to his farmland.

Similarly, it happened in Imo state when Rochas Okorocha anointed his son-in-law and tried to bring him to power but failed too. The same thing happened in Rivers state between the then Governor Rotimi Amaechi who brought his boy but failed ony for Wike to become his successor. And the list goes on.

So, ordinarily, when you see these incidents happen, a tussle and fight with an incumbent Governor, it is not far fetched to point accusing fingers to the predecessor.

2. Since the Rivers state crisis unfolded, with the case of the bombed state assembly complex and other cases, the past Governor, who is now the Minister of FCT, Wike, have not responded to calls from journalists and other media platforms to react to the incidents. Although he claimed in an interview with Channels that he would not interfere with the new government but there have been several news reading to his overbearing powers to install cabinets of the new Governor with or without his personal input. It is only natural to resolve that he is the masterplanner of the crisis since he has made himself unavailable to respond to these allegations leveled against him at this material time.

3. Another thing is that, the elder statesmen of Rivers state have traveled down to Abuja to meet with the Minister to iron out the differences they must have had with the incumbent Governor so that the rift can end amicably without further chaotic incidents. It is obvious that he is a key player in this, hence their move to meet and discuss with him.

4. The utterances coming from the governor further validates the notion that it's another incident of Godfatherism between him and his former boss. Wike single-handedly brought Fubara to power by campaigning for him across all the local government areas of the state as well as using the resources at his disposal to ensure Fubara emerged at the polls, so it is presumed to be a case of 'rub my back and I rub yours'. Now that Fubara have tasted the sweetness of power, he wants to be left alone to work for his people or run his government.

Will This Crisis Last-long or Be Short-lived?

The longevity of this Crisis will be dependent on the major actors in the resolution of this dispute.The Followers, The Elder Statesmen, The Incumbent Governor and The Minister of FCT.

The role of the followers is simply for them to stand with what is right and make their voices heard on it. Their clear interest and outcry to justice will speedy up the resolution of this dispute most especially as it will persuade the godfather to sheath his sword and let peace reign. Culminated in the followers include the Civil Society Organizations who should also put their words out there and ensure that they put pressure on the godfather to let peace reign.

The role of the Elder Statesmen is for them to hold on to the truth, gather the right information and approach the godfather with their stance in the case. Wike may be stubborn to follow their instructions but their level of composure and compulsion will help to pressurize Wike to let go of this fight. They also need to approach the president should their visit to Wike isn't honored as supposed, to mske sure Wike allows Fubara reign in his kingdom.

The role of the incumbent Governor is to stand for what is right and inform the negotiators or mediators of whatever commitments he had made to his boss before taking this seat. I am pretty sure there would be some covenants or commitments he must have made in terms of promises to follow his commands, he should let the negotiators eg. elder statesmen, know about it so they can find lasting solution to this problem.

Lastly, the role of the minister, Nyesom Wike, is to give a listening hear to whatever arrangements the negotiators come with and allow peace to reign. He should also realize that the development of the state is at stake and it is practically not possible to impeach the governor as he now commands some powers and respect. Wike must also learn to give in to the decision of the negotiators and agree to whatever solutions they intend to proffer especially as it positively impart on the people of the state.

Exciting news for Real Madrid fans to announce the extension of Vinicius Jr contract in the Real Madrid until 30th of June, 2027. Vinicius Jr was brought into the club in 2018 at the age of 18 from his former club, Flamengo and ever since, he has won couple of titles including 1 UEFA Champions League and Super Cup, 1 Copa Del Rey, 2 Spanish Super Cup, and 2 La Liga titles for the club. He was able to make all of these achievements in 6 seasons having made a total of 235 appearances, scoring 63 goals and winning 9 trophies.

After he scored the goal that made the club the 14th European cup and was awarded the Golden Ball at the 2022 club world cup,Vinicius Jr have been highly praised and identified as one of the most influential players of Real Madrid in the recent years. He was equally pronounced as the Best Young Player of the 2021/2022 champions league.

https://en.as.com/soccer/vinicius-jr-signs-contract-extension-with-real-madrid-until-2027-all-the-details-n/?outputType

As we celebrate Lionel Messi, I also want to celebrate two Nigerian players who made it to the Ballon D'or ranking of this year. They are Victor Osimhen of Napoli who ranked number 8 in the list of rankings and Bukayo Saka of Arsenal who made it to the ranking too coming as the number 24th of the 30 total number of rankings.

Victor Osimhen has performed very well in the Serie A, Napoli club. In this season alone, he had appeared 8 times, started 7 games and scored 6 goals for the club. In last season, his appearance totaled 32 where he started 30 matches and scored 26 goals as well as making 4 assists of goals. Although he's weak in terms of offside awareness but he's very good in finishing. I think those are the reasons he had to appear at the first 10 of that list.

Bukayo Saka on the other hand, has played greatly well in the Premier league for the Arsenal club of London derby. Although Saka plays for England at the international games, Saka is a Nigerian by origin and will have the right to switch back to Nigeria national team if he wishes. In this season, Saka has appeared in 12 matches and started in all of the 12 matches with 5 goals and 5 assists. In the last season, he had made a total of 48 appearance and started in 42 of the those matches but scored 15 goals and assisted in 11 of the club's goals. Saka is good in crossing, holding on the ball, finishing and making key passes but a bit weak at tackling and concentration.

Ten Hag for me has done more worse to the club than more good his had made to the club. Imagine when he came in, he started having issues with Cristiano Ronaldo, an issue thar escalated to a transfer out of the club to the Saudi Pro League. Similarly, Jado Sancho have been put out of thr pitch including their match against Arsenal that led them to another defeat because Ten Hag claimed he performed poorly in the training and in a response, Sancho said he's been made a scapegoat for long time.

His reactions and utterances to the club have also affected the performance of the club where he acts like a king with the team without putting into consideration many things that should be left under the carpet. Many clubs are facing more internal troubles and wranglings more than the Manchester United but we're able to resolve the issues without making headlines.

To make a great team is to be able to settle your internal affairs, internally without screaming it out to the world. That will not only affect the club but the morale of the fans and other people factored in. I am not really happy with the performance of the club so far. With the squad Manchester United currently have, they can do better.

I am most excited about the achievements of Lionel Messi right now including the most recent one which is the 8th 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐝’𝐎r. Messi is invariably the best player in the history of football right now as he has won almost the highest football competitions in his career.

From 10 La Liga, 7 Copa Del Rey, 1 Trophee Des Champions, 8 Spanish Super Cup, 3 Club World Cup, 3 UEFA Super Cup, 2 League 1, 1 Copa America, Finalissima and World Cup each, 6 Golden Boots, 8 Ballon d'Or amongst others.

Congratulations to Messi on the great mark achieved. Congratulations to Barcelona. Congratulations to Argentina and other major teams he had played in.

I don't know why Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo are finding it difficult to score more goals than before but at the same time, I would not say Madrid is solely depending on Bellingham per say. I will say, other players inability to make more goals and Bellingham's ability to overshadow them has made him a champion in the club.

Else, we would not say Bellingham is spectacular actually, since he doesn't have same speed as Vinicius Jr but one aspect you cannot take from him is his ability to score goal when he had the opportunity to do so. I also feel that Madrid needs to play few matches with out Bellingham to see how the first XI will perform without Bellingham.

I agree with you, especially in the case of Dembele and Ansu Fati. Barcelona would have performed better with those guys if they were around. even though I won't easily discredit the efforts of the players that played yesterday match. But Barcelona should have envisaged the big match and could have add more efforts.

It was more of let's start hard and finish softly, yesterday. Like a case of we are in a hurry in the first half but have all the time to relax in the second half. If Barcelona had applied the same efforts they used in the first half, they would have performed more incredibly.

In contrast with OP's opinion, Nigerian youths are super hardworking, especially amongst our peers in other developing countries. One could say it is because of our resilience, consistency and our ability to survive in harsh and tight conditions.

It could be as a result of our system of governance where the young people are availed with little or no opportunities and further downgraded by their efforts tomake their contributions to the government of the day. Yet, we are the largest workforce in the nation. The older guys in their septuagenarian and octogenarian, have beclouded the space with their influences and will only allow you to perform as a drudge.


The system have already been designed in an aristocratic manner in the sense that you are denied the very basic rights and privileges you should enjoy as a countryperson. You are being denied the very basic amenities and access to the resources of the state for good use like grants, softloans and the enabling environment for the small and medium sized enterprises to thrive.

Why won't they remain under their parents when there's no reward to hardwork and no opportunity for good works. You will work a whole day just to have little food on your table whereas in more sane and developed worlds, those are some of the high paying jobs as a foreigner.

I love every aspect of this game and how Barcelona played Madrid in the first half. I was almost losing my patience on Madrid since Barcelona seemed to be more confidence in the game. One thing I was not okay with for Barcelona was that after the first goal scored by Gungodan, they became more relaxed with scoring more goals and was more of just playing with the Read Madrid at the midfield. Barcelona was absolutely much better in the first half.


The second half was more of a twist of fate for the Barcelona club as Real Madrid went harder with the striving for more goals. Today, I respected Bellingham for so many things, but to mention a few was the courage to score the first goal. It was a very powerful shoot out of the 18 yard down to the net. It was more of a sudden planed decision taken to score that goal.

Bellingham made himself available for the second goal when he pushed the ball to the net after Luka Modric bounced it to him in an assist. I think Carvajal targeted both players but more of Bellingham where Modric touched it up to scale through the reach of the defender to make a goal for Bellingham. Indeed, it was a great effort made by Real Madrid and the strikers.

Chelsea is really bad. And I will take that discredit to Pochettino as well as I will take the credit to him if the club did well.  I watched the match live and my overall expression to what happened is a failure. I can not imagine that Chelsea have had 4 defeats so far since the beginning of this season.

I have analyzed that Brentford under Frank Thomas, has scored more goals and won more match in the Stamford Bridge than Pochettino and Frank Lampard combined. I suggest that Chelsea employs Thomas as their next manager. I am not comfortable with the way Chelsea have been inconsistent. Chelsea have been struggling since the start of this season. One player gets into form whereas another one gets injured. Pochettino needs to do better.

Haaland want to pull surprises this season. I thought Bellingham will succeed Cristiano Ronaldo in this season but it doesn't seem to be working right now that is why I don't want Bellingham to be overwhelmed with the clout which can make him carried away.

With the way Manchester City is pushing hard this season, it is possible to predict them taking this trophy. This competition will be between Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.