Ronaldo out of Nigeria friendly

Portuguese Player Christiano Ronaldo

Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo is suffering a stomach bug and will be left out of the team’s World Cup warm-up friendly against Nigeria on Thursday, according to his coach Fernando Santos.

Ronaldo gave an explosive interview to Piers Morgan’s show on TalkTV this week in which he criticised Manchester United and said he had no respect for the coach Erik ten Hag, who has not relied on him much this season.

The striker, 37, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, will not train on Wednesday because of the illness, which has started amid the controversy caused by his interview.

“He is suffering from gastroenteritis and will not train today for this reason,” Santos told a press conference in Lisbon.He won’t be ready (to face Nigeria), he’s resting, as you know, gastritis takes a lot out of players.”

The coach said Ronaldo’s interview was not sanctioned by Portugal but did not need to be either, and that it had nothing to do with the national team.

Once recovered, Ronaldo is set to feature in his fifth and potentially final World Cup, with Portugal opening their campaign against Ghana on November 24, before games against Uruguay and South Korea.The talismanic striker and his country have never won the competition but did triumph at Euro 2016 and won the Nations League in 2019.

 

El-Rufai commends military for killing terrorist leader

 Troops have killed a notorious terrorists’ commander, Dogo Maikasuwa, in a forest at the Gengere-Kaso general area, around the Chikun and Kajuru boundaries in Kaduna State. Dogo Maikasuwa, it was gathered, led series of deadly operations in Chikun and Kajuru local government areas of the state, worst hit by terrorist activities over the years.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who disclosed this on Friday, said the notorious terrorists’ commander and his foot soldiers ran into an ambush laid by the troops where he met his end.

According to the commissioner, scores of ‘Dogo Maikasuwa’s foot soldiers escaped into the forest with gunshot injuries.

“The other bandits escaped with gun wounds. It was further gathered that one of them died from injuries sustained in the fierce battle, with his remains carried away by other fleeing elements,” he said.

Items recovered from the terrorists, according to the commissioner, were one AK-47 rifle, one magazine, five rounds of ammunition, two motorcycles and one set of camouflage military fatigues.

The development, the commissioner said, excited the state governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, who praised the gallantry of the troops.

The commissioner said, “After an era of terrorising citizens and evading security forces, the Kaduna State Government can authoritatively report that the notorious bandit commander known as Dogo Maikasuwa has met his end.

 “The development was made known in an operational feedback from security agencies. Painstaking investigations revealed atrocities he carried out with impunity in hard-to-reach locations.

“Dogo Maikasuwa, also known as ‘Dogo Maimillion’ led series of attacks and kidnappings of citizens plying the Kaduna-Kachia Road, and in communities within Chikun and Kajuru LGAs. He was one of the deadliest bandits leading other elements in terrorising citizens of these general areas.”

Etebo, Aribo set to return

 

Midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo is poised to be recalled back to the Super Eagles squad for the forthcoming friendly against Portugal in Lisbon, our correspondent has reliably gathered.

Etebo last played and scored in the Eagles record 10-0 win over Sao Tome & Principe in June but missed the friendly against Algeria in September due to his inactiveness at club level.

However, the 26-year-old has since sorted out his club career as he is now playing regular first-team football at Greek club Aris Saloniki, after a difficult time in England with Stoke City and Watford.

The Olympic bronze medalist, who has been capped 44 times and has three goals at international level, is expected to be joined by Southampton midfielder Joe Aribo, who asked to be excused from the Eagles 2-1 loss to Algeria in September.

It was also learnt that Rivers United left-back Ebube Duru and goalkeeper Victor Sochima also made the team for the high-profile friendly.

In-form Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, will lead the Eagles attack in the encounter barring any last-minute injury, while the likes of Alex Iwobi, captain Ahmed Musa, William Troost-Ekong, Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman and Wilfred Ndidi are expected to feature as well.

Meanwhile, The General Secretary of the Nigerian Football Federation, Mohammed Sanusi, said Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has compiled his list of players for the upcoming international friendly against Portugal.

“We have a friendly match against Portugal coming up in Lisbon on November 17,” he said.

“Peseiro has compiled a provisional list and is only waiting for this weekend’s matches to submit his list of 23 players. We have a cordial relationship with the coach. He is doing his job and focused on his objectives.”

The Portuguese coach has recorded only two wins since he took charge of the team in May.

Unilorin bags WorldBest in subject ranking

 

Jare Tiamiyu

The University of Ilorin (Unilorin) has been listed among the world’s best universities in 11 subjects/disciplines, as contained in the Time Higher Education 2023 Subject Rankings released on Oct. 25.Prof. Peter Okebukola, the Chairman of, the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC), confirmed this according to the Unilorin Bulletin issued on Monday.

Okebukola is the Chairman of, Governing Council, of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

According to the Bulletin, four distinguished academic staff members of Unilorin were listed among two per cent of top scientists from Nigeria ranked among top-notch researchers worldwide.

“The institution was ranked best among the 48 Nigerian universities captured in the latest evaluation exercise, known as the World Universities Rankings, based on universal and meticulous yardsticks of measuring services offered in ivory towers.

“Five Faculties of the University of Ilorin were rated highly through the evaluation of the quality of services obtainable in each of them.

“The Faculties are Social Sciences, Engineering, Law, Clinical and Health Sciences, Life Sciences as well as Physical Sciences,” it said.

According to the publication, Okebukola also commended the Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Adamu Rasheed, for his consistent efforts in ensuring that the nation’s university system regained its credibility.

Similarly, the publication stated that four distinguished academic staff of Unilorin have been listed among two per cent of top scientists from Nigeria ranked among top-notch researchers worldwide.

It said the award-winning scholars, who made the list based on the rating of the Stanford University publication for the year 2022, are Prof. Kayode Oyewumi, the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences.

The other persons are Prof. Musa Yakubu, the Dean of Student Affairs, the 2021 Unilorin Researchers of the Year; Dr George Adeniyi, and Dr Kazeem Adeyemi of the Faculty of Agriculture.

Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, the Vice Chancellor of Unilorin in his reaction to the development, said he was pleased with the news.

Egbewole said the global ranking has confirmed that Unilorin is doing very well in teaching and learning as well as in research and community services.

He added that his administration was committed to ensuring that the institution secures better ratings whenever similar reports are presented.

He restated his determination to “make the University of Ilorin the best in Nigeria, one of the 10 frontline universities in Africa and among the best 500 across the world”.