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Russia 2018: Check out the official 23-man squads

With the 2018 FIFA World Cup starting in 9 days time, the qualified 32 teams have released their final squads for the tournament. 736 players will feature at the finals, 65 matches will be played at 12 venues and only 1 winner will emerge at the end of the event. Some of the players left out of their teams include Morata, Benzema, Javi Martinez, Dimitri Payet, Marcos Alonso, Martial, Cesc Fabregas, Mauro Icardi, Alexandre Lacazette, Leroy Sane, Hector Bellerin and many more.
Hosts, Russia face Saudi Arabia in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday 14 June. Take a look at the final squads of the participating teams.
 

Group A

Egypt

Egypt have named a 29-man preliminary squad, which is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Essam El Hadary, Mohamed El-Shennawy, Sherif Ekramy
Defenders: Ahmed Fathi, Saad Samir, Ayman Ashraf, Mahmoud Hamdy, Mohamed Abdel-Shafy, Ahmed Hegazi, Ali Gabr, Ahmed Elmohamady, Omar Gaber
Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Abdallah Said, Shikabala, Sam Morsy, Mahmoud Kahraba, Mahmoud Hassan, Ramadan Sobhi, Amr Warda
Forwards: Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen
 

Russia

Russia has named their final 23-man squad, which is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Club Brugge), Andrey Lunev (Zenit St Petersburg).
Defenders: Vladimir Granat, Fedor Kudryashov (both Rubin Kazan), Ilya Kutepov (Spartak Moscow), Andrey Semenov (Akhmat Grozny), Sergei Ignashevich, Mario Fernandes (both CSKA Moscow), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St Petersburg).
Midfielders: Yuri Gazinskiy (Krasnodar), Alexsandr Golovin, Alan Dzagoev (both CSKA Moscow), Aleksandr Erokhin, Yuri Zhirkov, Daler Kuzyaev (all Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Zobnin, Alexsandr Samedov (both Spartak Moscow), Anton Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal).
Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Arsenal Tula), Aleksey Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Fedor Smolov (Krasnodar).
 

Saudi Arabia

Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al Owais, Yasser Al Mosailem, Abdullah Al Mayouf
Defenders: Mansoor Al Harbi, Mohammed Al Breik, Yasser Al Shahrani, Motaz Hawsawi, Osama Hawsawi, Omar Hawsawi, Ali Al Bulaihi
Midfielders: Abdullah Al Khaibari, Abdulmalek Al Khaibri, Salman Al Faraj, Mohamed Kanno, Abdullah Otayf, Taiseer Al Jassim, Houssain Al Mogahwi, Hattan Bahebri, Salem Al Dawsari, Yahya Al Shehri, Fahad Al Muwallad
Forwards: Mohammad Al Sahlawi, Muhannad Assiri

Uruguay

Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera, Martin Silva, Martin Campana
Defenders: Diego Godin, Guillermo Varela, Jose Maria Gimenez, Martin Caceres, Maximiliano Pereira, Sebastian Coates, Gaston Silva
Midfielders: Nahitan Nandez, Matias Vecino, Lucas Torreira, Rodrigo Bentancur, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Carlos Sanchez, Diego Laxalt, Jonathan Urretaviscaya, Cristian Rodriguez
Forwards: Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Maximiliano Gomez, Cristhian Stuani
 

Group B

Iran

Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand, Rashid Mazaheri, Amir Abedzadeh
Defenders: Majid Hosseini, Ramin Rezaeian, Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh, Morteza Pouraliganji, Pejman Montazeri, Milad Mohammadi, Roozbeh Cheshmi
Midfielders: Saeid Ezatolahi, Masoud Shojaei, Mehdi Torabi, Omid Ebrahimi, Ehsan Haji Safi, Karim Ansarifard, Vahid Amiri
Forwards: Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Taremi, Sardar Azmoun, Reza Ghoochannejhad, Saman Ghoddos, Ashkan Dejagah
 

Morocco

Goalkeepers: Mounir El Kajoui, Yassine Bounou, Ahmad Reda Tagnaouti
Defenders: Medhi Benatia, Romain Saiss, Manuel Da Costa, Badr Benoun, Nabil Dirar, Achraf Hakimi, Hamza Mendyl
Midfielders: M’barek Boussoufa, Karim El Ahmadi, Youssef Ait Bennasser, Sofyan Amrabat, Younes Belhanda, Faycal Fajr, Amine Harit
Forwards: Khalid Boutaib, Aziz Bouhaddouz, Ayoub El Kaabi, Nordin Amrabat, Mehdi Carcela, Hakim Ziyech
Standby: Youssef En-Nesyri, Noussair Mazraoui, Oualid El Hajjam
 

Portugal

Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes, Beto, Rui Patricio
Defenders: Bruno Alves, Cedric Soares, Jose Fonte, Mario Rui, Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, Ricardo Pereira, Ruben Dias
Midfielders: Adrien Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Mario, Joao Moutinho, Manuel Fernandes, William Carvalho
Forwards: Andre Silva, Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gelson Martins, Goncalo Guedes, Ricardo Quaresma

Spain

Goalkeepers: Pepe Reina, David De Gea, Kepa Arrizabalaga
Defenders: Nacho Fernandez, Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Alvaro Odriozola, Nacho Monreal, Cesar Azpilicueta
Midfielders: Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Saul Niguez, Koke, Isco, Marco Asensio, Thiago Alcantara, David Silva
Forwards:Iago Aspas, Rodrigo, Diego Costa, Lucas Vazquez
 

Group C

Australia

Goalkeepers: Brad Jones, Mat Ryan, Danny Vukovic
Defenders: Aziz Behich, Milos Degenek, Matthew Jurman, James Meredith Josh Risdon, Trent Sainsbury
Midfielders: Jackson Irvine, Mile Jedinak, Robbie Kruse, Massimo Luongo, Mark Milligan, Aaron Mooy, Tom Rogic
Forwards: Tim Cahill, Daniel Arzani, Tomi Juric, Mathew Leckie, Andrew Nabbout, Dimitri Petratos, Jamie Maclaren
 

Denmark

Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel, Frederik Ronnow, Jonas Lossl
Defenders: Simon Kjaer, Mathias Jorgensen, Andreas Christensen, Henrik Dalsgaard, Jannik Vestergaard, Jens Stryger Larsen, Jonas Knudsen
Midfielders: Christian Eriksen, Lasse Schone, Michael Krohn-Dehli, Thomas Delaney, William Kvist, Lukas Lerager
Forwards: Andreas Cornelius, Kasper Dolberg, Martin Braithwaite, Nicolai Jorgensen, Pione Sisto, Viktor Fischer, Yussuf Poulsen

France

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Alphonse Areola
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, Benjamin Mendy, Benjamin Pavard, Adil Rami, Djibril Sidibe, Samuel Umtiti, Raphael Varane
Midfielders: N’Golo Kante, Blaise Matuidi, Steven N’Zonzi, Paul Pogba, Corentin Tolisso
Forwards: Ousmane Dembele, Nabil Fekir, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Thomas Lemar, Kylian Mbappe, Florian Thauvin
Standby: Wissam Ben Yedder, Kingsley Coman, Benoît Costil, Mathieu Debuchy, Lucas Digne, Alexandre Lacazette, Anthony Martial, Adrien Rabiot, Mamadou Sakho, Moussa Sissoko, Kurt Zouma

Peru

Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese, Carlos Caceda, Jose Carvallo
Defenders: Luis Advincula, Aldo Corzo, Miguel Araujo, Christian Ramos, Anderson Santamaria, Alberto Rodriguez, Nilson Loyola, Miguel Trauco
Midfielders: Pedro Aquino, Renato Tapia, Paolo Hurtado, Yoshimar Yotun, Christian Cueva, Edison Flores, Wilder Cartagena, Andy Polo
Forwards: Paolo Guerrero, Jefferson Farfan, Andre Carrillo, Raul Ruidiaz
 

Group D

Argentina

Goalkeepers: Willy Caballero, Franco Armani, Nahuel Guzman
Defenders: Gabriel Mercado, Federico Fazio, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Rojo, Nicolas Taglafico, Javier Mascherano, Marcos Acuna, Cristian Ansaldi
Midfielders: Ever Banega, Lucas Biglia, Angel Di Maria, Giovani Lo Celso, Manuel Lanzini, Cristian Pavon, Maximiliano Meza, Eduardo Salvio
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Sergio Aguero
 

Croatia

Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic, Lovre Kalinic, Dominik Livakovic
Defenders: Vedran Corluka, Ivan Strinic, Dejan Lovren, Sime Vrsaljko, Domagoj Vida, Josip Pivaric, Tin Jedvaj, Duje Caleta-Car
Midfielders: Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, Milan Badelj, Filip Bradaric
Forwards: Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Perisic, Marko Pjaca, Andrej Kramaric, Nikola Kalinic, Ante Rebic

 

Iceland

Goalkeepers: Hannes Thor Halldorsson, Runar Alex Runarsson, Frederik Schram
Defenders: Kari Arnason, Ari Freyr Skulason, Birkir Mar Saevarsson, Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Hordur Magnusson, Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson, Ragnar Sigurdsson
Midfielders: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Aron Gunnarsson, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Birkir Bjarnason, Arnor Ingvi Traustason, Emil Hallfredsson, Olafur Ingi Skulason, Rurik Gislason, Samuel Fridjonsson
Forwards: Alfred Finnbogason, Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Albert Gudmundsson
 

Nigeria

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi.
Defenders: William Troost-Ekong, Abdullahi Shehu, Tyronne Ebuehi, Elderson Echiejile, Bryan Idowu, Chidozie Awaziem, Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo.
Midfielders: Mikel John Obi, Ogenyi Onazi, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu, Joel Obi
Forwards: Ahmed Musa , Kelechi Iheanacho,  Victor Moses , Odion Ighalo , Alex Iwobi , Simeon Nwankwo.
 

Group E

Brazil

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Ederson, Cassio
Defenders: Danilo, Fagner, Marcelo, Filipe Luis, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Miranda, Pedro Geromel
Midfielders: Casemiro, Fernandinho, Paulinho, Fred, Renato Augusto, Philippe Coutinho, Willian, Douglas Costa
Forwards: Neymar Jr, Taison, Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino
 

Costa Rica

Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas, Patrick Pemberton, Leonel Moreira
Defenders: Cristian Gamboa, Ian Smith, Ronald Matarrita, Bryan Oviedo, Oscar Duarte, Giancarlo Gonzalez, Francisco Calvo, Kendall Waston, Johnny Acosta
Midfielders: David Guzman, Yeltsin Tejeda, Celso Borges, Randall Azofeifa, Rodney Wallace, Bryan Ruiz, Daniel Colindres, Christian Bolanos
Forwards: Joel Campbell, Johan Venegas, Marco Urena
 

Serbia

Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic, Predrag Rajkovic, Marko Dmitrovic
Defenders: Aleksandar Kolarov, Branislav Ivanovic, Dusko Tosic, Antonio Rukavina, Milos Veljkovic, Milan Rodic, Uros Spajic, Nikola Milenkovic
Midfielders: Nemanja Matic, Luka Milivojevic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Marko Grujic, Adem Ljajic, Dusan Tadic, Filip Kostic, Andrija Zivkovic, Nemanja Radonjic
Forwards: Aleksandar Mitrovic, Aleksandar Prijovic, Luka Jovic
 

Switzerland

Goalkeepers: Roman Buerki, Yvon Mvogo, Yann Sommer
Defenders: Stephan Lichtsteiner, Ricardo Rodriguez, Johan Djourou, Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Michael Lang, Jacques-Francois Moubandje, Fabian Schaer
Midfielders: Valon Behrami, Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri, Blerim Dzemaili, Gelson Fernandes, Remo Freuler, Denis Zakaria, Steven Zuber
Forwards: Breel Embolo, Josip Drmic, Haris Seferovic, Mario Gavranovic
 

Group F

Germany

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Kevin Trapp
Defenders: Jerome Boateng, Matthias Ginter, Jonas Hector, Mats Hummels, Joshua Kimmich, Marvin Plattenhardt, Antonio Rudiger, Niklas Sule
Midfielders: Julian Brandt, Julian Draxler, Leon Goretzka, Ilkay Gundogan, Sami Khedira, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil, Sebastian Rudy
Forwards: Mario Gomez, Thomas Muller, Marco Reus, Timo Werner

Mexico

Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa, Alfredo Talavera, Jesus Corona
Defenders: Carlos Salcedo, Diego Reyes, Hector Moreno, Hugo Ayala, Edson Alvarez, Jesus Gallardo, Miguel Layun
Midfielders: Rafael Marquez, Andres Guardado, Hector Herrera, Jonathan Dos Santos, Giovani Dos Santos, Marco Fabian
Forwards: Javier Hernandez, Raul Jimenez, Oribe Peralta, Jesus Manuel Corona, Carlos Vela, Javier Aquino, Hirving Lozano
 

South Korea

Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu, Kim Jin-hyeon, Cho Hyun-woo
Defenders: Kim young-gwon, Jang Hyun-soo, Jung Seung-hyun, Yun Yong-sun, Oh Ban-suk, Kim Min-woo, Park Joo-ho, Hong Chul, Go Yo-han, Lee Yong
Midfielders: Ki Sung-yueng, Jung Woo-young, Ju Se-jong, Koo Ja-cheol, Lee Jae-sung, Lee Seung-woo, Moon Seon-min
Forwards: Son Heung-min, Kim Shin-wook, Hwang Hee-chan
 

Sweden

Goalkeepers: Robin Olsen, Karl-Johan Johnsson, Kristoffer Nordfeldt
Defenders: Mikael Lustig, Victor Lindelof, Andreas Granqvist, Martin Olsson, Ludwig Augustinsson, Filip Helander, Emil Krafth, Pontus Jansson
Midfielders: Sebastian Larsson, Albin Ekdal, Emil Forsberg, Gustav Svensson, Oscar Hiljemark, Viktor Claesson, Marcus Rohden, Jimmy Durmaz
Forwards: Marcus Berg, John Guidetti, Ola Toivonen, Isaac Kiese Thelin
 

Group G

Belgium

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Koen Casteels, Simon Mignolet
Defenders: Vincent Kompany, Thomas Meunier, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Dedryck Boyata, Thomas Vermaelen
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne, Marouane Fellaini, Yannick Carrasco, Mousa Dembele, Thorgan Hazard, Leander Dendoncker, Adnan Januzaj, Youri Tielemans, Axel Witsel
Forwards: Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens, Michy Batshuayi, Romelu Lukaku, Nacer Chadli
Standby: Laurent Ciman
 

England

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Fabian Delph, Phil Jones, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Ashley Young
Midfielders: Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Forwards: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck
Standby: Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook, Jake Livermore and Adam Lallana
 

Panama

Goalkeepers: Jose Calderon, Jaime Penedo, Alex Rodriguez
Defenders: Felipe Baloy, Harold Cummings, Erick Davis, Fidel Escobar, Michael Murillo, Adolfo Machado, Luis Ovalle, Roman Torres
Midfielders: Jose Luis Rodriguez, Edgar Barcenas, Armando Cooper, Anibal Godoy, Gabriel Gomez, Valentin Pimentel, Alberto Quintero
Forwards: Abdiel Arroyo, Ismael Diaz, Blas Perez, Luis Tejada, Gabriel Torres
 

Tunisia

Goalkeepers: Farouk Ben Mustapha, Moez Hassen, Aymen Mathlouthi
Defenders: Rami Bedoui, Yohan Benalouane, Syam Ben Youssef, Dylan Bronn, Oussama Haddadi, Ali Maaloul, Yassine Meriah, Hamdi Nagguez
Midfielders: Anice Badri, Mohamed Amine Ben Amor, Ghaylene Chaalali, Ahmed Khalil, Saifeddine Khaoui, Ferjani Sassi, Ellyes Skhiri, Naim Sliti, Bassem Srarfi
Forwards: Wahbi Khazri, Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, Saber Khalifa

Group H

Colombia

Goalkeepers: David Ospina, Camilo Vargas, Jose Fernando Cuadrado
Defenders: Davinson Sanchez, Yerry Mina, Cristian Zapata, Oscar Murillo, Santiago Arias, Johan Mojica, Frank Fabra
Midfielders: James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, Carlos Sanchez, Wilmar Barrios, Jose Izquierdo, Jefferson Lerma, Abel Aguilar, Mateus Uribe, Juan Fernando Quintero
Forwards: Radamel Falcao, Carlos Bacca, Miguel Borja, Luis Fernando Muriel
 

Japan

Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima, Masaaki Higashiguchi, Kosuke Nakamura
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Wataru Endo, Maya Yoshida, Hiroki Sakai, Gotoku Sakai; Gen Shoji, Naomichi Ueda
Midfielders: Shinji Kagawa, Makoto Hasebe, Keisuke Honda, Takashi Inui, Hotaru Yamaguchi, Genki Haraguchi, Takashi Usami, Gaku Shibasaki, Ryota Oshima
Forwards: Shinji Okazaki, Yuya Osako, Yoshinori Muto
 

Poland

Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczęsny, Lukasz Fabianski, Bartosz Bialkowski
Defenders: Lukasz Piszczek, Kamil Glik, Maciej Rybus, Michal Pazdan, Bartosz Bereszynski, Artur Jędrzejczyk, Thiago Cionek, Jan Bednarek
Midfielders: Jakub Blaszczykowski, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Kamil Grosicki, Piotr Zielinski, Karol Linetty, Rafal Kurzawa, Jacek Goralski, Slawomir Peszko
Forwards: Robert Lewandowski, Arkadiusz Milik, Lukasz Teodorczyk, Dawid Kownacki
 

Senegal

Goalkeepers: Khadim Ndiaye, Abdoulaye Diallo, Alfred Gomis
Defenders: Kara Mbodji, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Wague, Saliou Ciss, Youssouf Sabaly, Lamine Gassama, Armand Traore, Salif Sane
Midfielders: Pape Alioune Ndiaye, Idrissa Gueye, Cheikhou Kouyate, Cheikh N’Doye
Forwards: Sadio Mane, Diao Balde Keita, Ismaila Sarr, Diafra Sakho, Moussa Konate, Mame Biram Diouf, Mbaye Niang

Opinion: Curbing the menace of the marauding Fulani herdsmen | By: Tony Ogunlowo

I’ve been asked to write about the marauding Fulani herdsmen who have been causing havoc and mayhem where ever they go. This is a very sensitive and volatile topic that nobody will write about unless it’s about their murderous antics. But nevertheless let’s see what I have to say. Surprisingly I’ll sit on the fence here: a lot of blood has been shed on both sides; there are no winners or losers here, everybody is suffering.
What you have going on here is the equivalent of opening up the floodgates to Hell: on the one hand you have a bunch of illiterate herdsmen protecting their livestock with everything they’ve got and on the other hand you got those protecting their lands from the trespassing herdsmen. And unless steps are made to keep them apart –
permanently – there will be pandemonium for years to come. The proliferation of weapons in Nigeria and the inability of the security forces to control it means these otherwise ‘bow-and-arrow’ herdsmen now have access to a wide range of advance weapons – handguns, AK47s and god knows what else – to go on the rampage with.
I don’t believe the killings are politically or religiously motivated since the herdsmen haven’t declared any allegiance to any political cause or party and they intend to kill anyone indiscriminately which rules out religion as a cause. That they were trained in Libya to come and wreak havoc in Nigeria seems to be a far-fetched  unsubstantiated claim: without a political or religious agenda this doesn’t make sense.
For those old enough to remember the Fulani herdsmen have always brought their herds down from the North to graze in the South before selling them. In the past they have done this in a peaceful manner without becoming a nuisance or danger to anyone. Then something happened , recently, that would turn them into rag-tag militant murderers burning down towns and villages and killing people. The thing that happened is called ‘progress’: whilst the rest of the country has moved on into the 21st century the mentality of the herders is still stuck in the 19th century – or even less!
As we know, the Fulani herdsmen are nomadic and highly illiterate: they don’t stay still in one place to get a decent education or learn about the world around them. Their loyalty is only to each other and their herds – anybody else is their enemy. They also believe it is their God-given right to graze their herds where ever they see a green patch. The people in the South and Middle Belt have progressed further and the once open and vast green belts are now somebody’s front garden, farm, playing field or park – definitely not for grazing without permission from the owner. The illiterate herdsmen don’t know this (- or don’t care!) and continue grazing their ‘beloved’ animals and before you know it trouble erupts and escalates to big time wahala and people are killed.
Now instead of the herdsmen to see this as a deterrent to them grazing on somebody’s land without permission they see it as a declaration of war. So next time they come down from the North with their herds they are ready to battle with anybody who gets in their way: and armed with AK47s, machetes etc they can inflict a lot of damage on a small community within a few hours. What is wrong here is their mind-set and with no one to talk to them
or educate them about the dos and don’ts of the 21st century they will carry on. And in a country where there is a breakdown in law and order, where 80% of the active police force are assigned non-police duties such as guarding dignitaries and banks, anarchy is bound to prevail; so it’s no surprise Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, cultists and
other miscreants are running amok.
In the United Kingdom the government had a similar problem with a nomadic group of people called ‘travellers’ or ‘gypsies’. They would turn up out of nowhere with all their old vehicles and caravans and set-up camp where ever it suited them – be it a public park, school field or somebody’s front garden. Without a doubt this lead to incessant conflicts between them and the local residents. It got so bad that just like the Fulani herdsmen they came ready to do battle with anyone who got in their way until the government stepped in. The government’s solution to the problem was a very simple one: they established traveller’s parks outside of every major town so these people can go there whenever they’re on the move and passed laws forbidding them from going anywhere else. Problem solved! The travelers were happy and the local residents were happy. No more ugly confrontations and no more wahala.
Sometimes the solution to a big problem can be something very small. There’s enough land in Nigeria for every major town to have a ranch or ranches outside the city boundaries to accommodate these Fulani herdsmen and their cows. Once you have these ranches up and running (- hopefully!) you make them go there and stay there, enforcing it with whatever means possible: enforcing their movement there is the key here; somebody needs to get it into their thick skulls that they can’t graze their cattle anywhere else. By the time you arrest and lock-up a few of them and seize their ‘beloved’ herds the rest will get the message. By doing this a lot of the bloodshed, happening on a daily basis, will be avoided. Branding them as terrorists or engaging them in running battles will only escalate the problem.

Lampard, Gerrard pick up managerial roles.

From the studio to the dug out, Chelsea and Liverpool legends, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have picked up managerial roles.
While Lampard, who announced his retirement from professional football in February 2017 following spells with Manchester City and MLS club New York City FC was confirmed as new manager of Derby County on a three-year-deal at Pride Park, Gerrard will join Ranger this summer, as coach penning a four-year deal.

Lampard who was told the club website: “I’ve always wanted to manage a club with a big tradition and history like Derby County, so this is a huge opportunity. I have spent considerable time discussing the role and the club’s objectives with the Chairman and board members.”

On his new role, Gerrard said: “I am honoured to become the next manager of Rangers. I have enormous respect for this football club, and its history and tradition. I can’t wait to start this new journey at Rangers as we look to build on the many successes that this club has achieved.”

Zinedine Zidane steps down as Real Madrid manager

Talk about leaving when the ovation is loudest!
Less than a week after guiding Los Blancos to three straight Champions League titles, Zinedine Zidane is stepping down as Real Madrid manager. Announcing his decision in Madrid on Thursday morning, the former French footballer said, “I have taken the decision to not continue into the next season. For me and for everybody, I think the moment to change has arrived. It was not an easy decision.

He continued, “This is my decision. Maybe it’s a mistake. But I feel it’s time. If I don’t think that we can keep winning then it’s time. How can I ask more from the players? Big players need a change. If I was the manager here next season, it would have been tough for us to win trophies. You saw in the Copa this season and I can’t forget our domestic campaign that easily.”

Zidane, who in January 2016 after the dismissal of Rafa Benítez added that, “I will be close to this club for the rest of my life. I want to thank the fans, who always supported me both as a coach and a player. There were tough moments during the season and although I was sometimes whistled at, I want to thank the fans. This is a beautiful moment as we have just won a third straight Champions League and I have now reflected and made this decision.”

Real Madrid President, Florentino Pérez added that “This was a totally unexpected decision, Zidane informed me of his choice yesterday. I thank him for the work he has done.”
Zinedine Zidane won nine trophies in his two years and four months with Real Madrid, the most titles by a manager with the club since Miguel Muñoz won 14 trophies in 14 years (1960 – 1974). The 9 titles include 1 La Liga, 3 Champions League,  2 Club World Cup, 2 UEFA Super Cup, 1 Supercopa de España
 
All the best Zidane.
 

Egyptian lawyer files €1 billion lawsuit against Sergio Ramos for challenge on Mohamed Salah

The things you read online!
An Egyptian Lawyer, Bassem Wahba has sued Sergio Ramos for €1 billion for “the physical and psychological pain he caused Mohamed Salah and Egyptians”, by hurting his shoulder during the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool in Kiev last Saturday. Salah left the pitch in tears after less than half an hour having suffered a n injury on the shoulder. His team later lost 3-1.

Lawyer Bassem Wahba confirmed his intention on Egyptian television.
“Ramos intentionally injured Mo Salah and should be punished about his actions. I’ve filed a lawsuit and a complaint to Fifa. I’ll ask for compensation, which could exceed €1 billion (£873 million), for the physical and psychological harm that Ramos gave Salah and the Egyptian people.”
Meanwhile, a petition urging UEFA and FIFA to punish Sergio Ramos for intentionally inflicting injury on Mohamed Salah has garnered 400,000 signatures. Salah will travel to Spain on Tuesday along with Liverpool medical staff for treatment on the injured shoulder.

 

Andres Iniesta signs for J.League side Vissel Kobe

Barcelona legend, Andrés Iniesta has signed for the Japanese side Vissel Kobe after ending his 22 year-old Barcelona career. He will reportedly earn $30m (£22.5m) annually on a three-year deal.
The 34-year-old midfielder who played his last match for the La Liga champions last Saturday against Real Sociedad appeared at a news conference at a central Tokyo hotel on Thursday along with Kobe’s billionaire owner, Hiroshi Mikitani.
“I’m pleased to announce, that Andrés Iniesta will be signing up play with Vissel Kobe after his historic career at Barcelona.” Mikitani said.
For me this is a very special day. This is an important challenge for me. My family is excited to come to Japan and we are very pleased. There were many offers. Other clubs showed interest. But I decided to sign with Vissel Kobe because the project presented to me was impressive.” The Spaniard said.
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Reactions trail the appointment of Unai Emery as new Arsenal head coach

Arsenal today announced their decision to appoint 46-year-old Unai Emery as their new head coach. The three-year deal is reportedly worth £5m a season. He takes over from Arsene Wenger who stepped down last month after a 22 year-old spell.
According to Arsenal, the former Sevilla coach has an outstanding track record of success throughout his career, has developed some of the best young talent in Europe and plays an exciting, progressive style of football that fits Arsenal perfectly. His hard-working and passionate approach and his sense of values on and off the pitch make him the ideal person to take us forward.

Arsenal Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis, added that “We conducted a confidential, wide-ranging and rigorous search involving extensive background references, data and video analysis, and personal meetings with all the candidates we shortlisted. All were interested in the position and we were unanimous in our choice of Unai to drive the next chapter of our history.”
Reacting to his appointment, Emery said, “I am thrilled to be joining one of the great clubs in the game. Arsenal is known and loved throughout the world. I’m excited about what we can do together and I look forward to giving everyone some special moments and memories.”
So here’s how the footballing world reacted to the news on twitter.


https://twitter.com/dejazimako007/status/999220359869222912


https://twitter.com/SirWoley/status/999248468165177344


https://twitter.com/t_riumphant/status/999251769157996544
https://twitter.com/Bhadoosky/status/999243581872320512


 
 
 
 

Andres Iniesta says goodbye to Barcelona in the most heart-melting way.

Permit me to pour out my feelings in this post.
I am a Barca fan and this week has been intensely emotional for me.
So, one of our legends at Nou Camp, Andres Iniesta left the club this week after a 22 year-spell and tributes from colleagues, friends and footballers all over the world have left most of us teary-eyed. Of course, Barcelona gave him a befitting farewell party.




Shortly after his last game for the club, Iniesta stayed on the pitch bare footed, relieving his moments as a player.
The images are heart-melting.


 

 



 
And then the video of him emptying his locker. Another heart-breaking moment


Iniesta and his trophies:

La Liga – 9🏆
Copa del Rey – 6🏆
Spanish Super Cup – 7🏆
Champions League – 4🏆
Club World Cup – 3🏆
UEFA Super Cup – 3🏆
Euro Cup – 2🏆
FIFA World Cup – 1🏆
Thank you for the wonderful memories Andres Iniesta. You will be sorely missed.

Unai Emery is the new Arsenal boss in-waiting

According to reports, Arsenal will appoint Unai Emery as their new manager and successor to Arsene Wenger. This development is coming days after the club made a decision not to offer Mikel Arteta the role at the Emirates Stadium.
The 46 year-old led Almería into La Liga for the first time, finishing 8th the following season. He also took Valencia to three consecutive 3rd place finishes in La Liga and is a three-time consecutive Europa League winner with Sevilla. PSG won the domestic treble under him this season. He is to be announced as Arsenal’s new manager within the next 48 hours.

Reacting to Wenger’s retirement in April, Emery said, “It is impossible to talk about Arsenal, the Premier League and the coaching profession without mentioning Arsene Wenger, one of the references without doubt. Thanks Arsene!”

Blogger's Diary: My First Coca-Cola Bottling Plant Tour!

I arrived at their Nigerian Bottling Company Ikeja plant, at about 11am on March 22nd, 2018 for the NBC Bloggers Conference scheduled to hold at the Glass House section of the plant. At the reception, I watched a video which was basically on safety and precaution measures in the factory, understandably, it was part of visitors’ policy and procedures. Upon answering series of questions based on the video, I got an Identification card and went in for the business of the day.
The conference kicked off with an introduction by Bolaji Abimbola, CEO, Integrated Indigo Limited. A welcome address was read by Sade Morgan, Legal, Public Affairs and Communication Director of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC). A presentation on the proposed plant for NBC was made by Soni Alok, Ikeja Plant Operations Manager and other projects by the company. It was interesting to know that the Ikeja plant, touted as the biggest in Africa is rebranding soon.

In her presentation, Public Affairs Manager, Ifeoma Okoye talked briefly about the history of the company, how it evolved from a Single Line to a NARTD (Non Alcoholic Ready to Drink) Industry and the CSR projects it has delivered. Some of the programmes include business training for over 25,000 women entrepreneurs, water access to 10,000 households in 15 communities, waste recovery initiatives with Government agencies and regulators, Community Infrastructural support (Schools and other public places), Back to School Program in 28 schools across 28 Commercial territories, Youth empowerment initiatives, Skills Acquisition programs for over 1,000 youths in Niger Delta region to mention a few.

Kevin Igbodo, Communication Channels Manager at NBC spoke about the company’s digital footprints; their different activations and events across states of the federation. One of them is the Youth Empowered programme, a skills acquisition scheme for Nigerian youths to showcase their business skills through training, mentorship and access to information that would help them in their various fields of endeavour.
Before going on tour of the plant, we were given safety gear, comprising of a jacket, earplugs and a hair net, we were then led by a supervisor. It was thrilling to see the production processes. I caught a glimpse of the cleaning unit. The bottles get cleaned, steamed and sanitized to rid them of any dirt. After cleaning, the bottles are picked up by what looked like an overhead conveyor belt. The bottles are picked up by clamps, and transported from one station to another. I saw how they are being filled up, corked, labelled and traveling down the filling line until the final product is sealed for delivery. And the process is repeated over and over again. We moved from the coke section to the juice and wine and then back to the conference room.

While fielding questions from bloggers and influencers after the tour, Okoye assured us of the company’s commitment to standard practices. She also debunked claims by some sections of the public that a can of coke contains 10 sugar cubes which are injurious to health. Images of different sizes of Coca Cola drinks and the number of sugar cubes they contain have been circulating on the internet for a while and the conference presented a perfect opportunity to know the true picture of things.
Kevin maintained that Coca Cola does not use cubes of sugar rather, sugar from processed sugarcane. While reiterating the company’s commitment to customer satisfaction, Okoye added that the company believes in the power of choice and that’s why it introduced variants -the regular Coca Cola, the Coca Cola with zero sugar and many more. My experience at the Coca Cola Ikeja plant was worthwhile and I can’t wait to see the new look in the coming months.

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