David Silva has bid farewell to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium after 10 years of loyal service to the club, as Pep Guardiola’s side capped off their star man’s goodbye with a landmark victory over Real Madrid.
The 34-year-old will leave the club once their Champions League campaign reaches its conclusion, having won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five EFL Cups during his spell in Manchester.
Guardiola couldn’t find a starting place for Silva in tonight’s mammoth Round of 16 tie with Madrid, but the Spaniard was involved in the second half, replacing Raheem Sterling in the 81st minute.
His thirteen minutes were his final moments on the Etihad Stadium turf, and he went close to capping a fairytale farewell as he saw a free kick whistle just wide of Thibaut Courtois’ post.
The diminutive midfielder helped his side see out a 2-1 win that booked City’s place in the quarter finals against Lyon in Lisbon. After the game, he was seen waving goodbye at the camera as he left the pitch.
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And Silva took to Twitter with a poignant image showing the Spaniard spending a moment to himself looking out on the pitch, reflecting on what has been a decorated spell with the club.
City team-mate and England international Kyle Walker replied to the tweet with a blue heart emoji.
Silva’s next move remains unknown, with recent reports suggesting the midfielder could be on his way to Italy, with Lazio frontrunners to secure the services of the 34-year-old.
Fernando Silva, David’s father, has said that his son likes the Italian league and would enjoy playing in Serie A, amid rumours that Lazio have offered Silva a two-year deal as well as a luxurious mansion and a private jet’ for good measure.
Zinedine Zidane experienced something new at the Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
With a 2-1 loss against Manchester City, Real Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League and Zidane, for the first time in his coaching career, lost a knockout tie in the competition.
Prior to their trip to Manchester, Zidane’s Real Madrid had won nine knockout rounds and three finals.
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Roma, Wolfsburg, Man City themselves, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern again have all fallen at the hands of Zidane’s Real Madrid.
The three final wins came over Atleti, Juve and Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola, then, has become the first coach capable of bettering Zidane in Europe.
Lyon again proved Cristiano Ronaldo’s nemesis in the last 16 of the Champions League as Juventus were knocked out on Friday.
Cristiano Ronaldo had been an ever-present in the Champions League quarter-finals for 10 years, but Friday’s exit to Lyon might have felt a little too familiar.
Ronaldo’s Juventus crashed out on away goals – despite a 2-1 second-leg victory – as their number seven could only score twice after Memphis Depay’s penalty doubled Lyon’s aggregate advantage.
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The result brought an end to the Portuguese’s streak of appearances in the last eight of the competition, yet the tie was surprisingly similar to his previous round-of-16 exit.
When Ronaldo last fell at this hurdle in 2009-10, Real Madrid – then enjoying his first season in Spain – were also dumped out by Lyon.
The French side, as this season, built on their 1-0 advantage from the first leg at home and a Ronaldo goal proved only enough for a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ronaldo has now scored against Lyon for three clubs, but he might well be keen to see the back of this particular opponent.
Manchester City capitalised on two Raphael Varane errors as they made it through to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over Real Madrid (Agg: 4-2).
Match Events
9′ GOOOOOAAAAALLL!!! CITY 1-0 MADRID!! The visitors have been a little too keen to pass out from the back early on and have paid the ultimate price. Courtois rolls the ball to Varane to his right and the centre-back is caught in possession by Jesus, who squares for Sterling to guide it into an empty net.
28′ GOOOOAAAAALLLL!!! CITY 1-1 MADRID!! GAME ON! Benzema plays the ball to Rodrygo and continues his run into the middle. Rodrygo, having knocked the ball down the line to himself, crosses towards the edge of the six-yard box and Benzema gets to it ahead of Fernandinho to head in.
68′ GOOOOOAAAALLL!!! CITY 2-1 MADRID!! ANOTHER VARANE HOWLER! Or should that be double howler?! Varane misses the initial header and is then short with his attempted headed pass back to Courtois. Jesus intercepts and beats Courtois from the angle with a fine finish to surely seal a quarter-final spot for City.
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Line-ups
Man City XI: Fernandinho, Walker, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Sterling, Cancelo, Laporte, Ederson, Jesus, Rodri, Foden
Subs: David Silva, Bravo, Otamendi, Mahrez, Stones, Zinchenko, Bernardo, Eric Garcia, Harwood-Bellis, C. Palmer, Bernabe, Doyle
Real Madrid XI: Modric, Benzema, Kroos, Hazard, Courtois, Casemiro, Carvajal, Varane, F Mendy, Militao, Rodrygo
Lyon advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals in Lisbon after beating Juventus on away goals despite defeat in the second leg.
Match Events
12′ DEPAY SCORES! It’s a confident spot-kick from the captain as he gets his side an important away goal. Szczesny dives to his right but Depay goes straight down the middle with a panenka. 1-0 Lyon! (2-0 on aggregate).
43′ RONALDO SCORES! It’s a confident run up from Ronaldo and he sends Lopes the wrong way as he sidefoots his shot into the bottom-right corner to pull one back for Juventus. 1-1! (2-1 Lyon on aggregate).
60′ RONALDO SCORES! It’s a brilliant finish from Ronaldo as he gets the ball on the edge of the box and he curls his shot around the Lyon defender. Lopes gets a hand to it, but there’s nothing he can do to stop it finding the back of the net. 2-1 Juventus! (2-2 on aggregate).
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Line-ups
Juventus XI: Ronaldo, Bonucci, Higuain, Szczesny, Pjanic, Cuadrado, Sandro, Rabiot, Bernardeschi, Bentancur, De Ligt
President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on the occasion of his 68th birthday.
The President’s congratulatory message was contained in a statement issued on Friday by his media aide, Femi Adesina.
According to the statement, President Buhari wished Ngige sound health of mind, body and soul.
“The President joins the medical community, labour fraternity, the legislature, where the celebrant served as Senator, and people of Anambra State, whom he served as Governor, to salute Dr Ngige for his meritorious stewardship to community, state, country and humanity, wishing him greater health, strength and sound mind,” the statement partly read.
While wishing the minister well in all his endeavours, President Buhari acknowledged Ngige’s role as “conciliator-general between government and organized labour.”
The First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari is reported to have travelled out of the country to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirate for undisclosed reasons.
Although the office of the First Lady could not confirm the reason for her trip, there are strong indications that Mrs Buhari may be receiving medical attention in the Arab country.
The First Lady who was last seen in public during the Eid-el-Kabir prayers with her family at the villa reportedly left the country after the celebration.
She was said to have gone on 14 days isolation after visiting the Lagos home of Mrs Florence Ajimobi, the wife of former Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi who died of COVID-19 complications.
However, after the isolation, the president’s wife reportedly continued to experience the pains, prompting the Dubai trip.
A Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna has fixed September 29, 2020, to rule on the no-case-submission filed by the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
The IMN leader is asking the court to quash the state government’s case against him for lack of evidence.
Counsel to the defendant, Abubakar Marshall who held briefs for the lead Counsel, Mr Femi Falana, asked the court to quash the charges preferred against El-Zakzaky by the government for not “disclosing an offence known to law contrary to section 36 sub (8) and (12) of the 1999 constitution as amended”.
The prosecution counsel, Dari Bayero adopted his final arguments in the matter.
The IMN leader and his wife, Zinat are standing trial on allegations of culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of the public peace, among other charges.
The United States Mission in Nigeria on Friday said it was concerned over the “reports of the deteriorating political climate in Edo State.”
In a tweet via its verified page, the diplomatic envoy added that it was disappointed with the role played by some political actors in the state.
Edo State Governorship Election is scheduled to hold on September 19 but preparations have been marred with violent rhetoric and dramatic scenes.
“The United States supports a democratic process where the will of the Nigerian people is reflected in the results, and does not favour any party or candidate,” the US Embassy said, in a comment over the Edo and Ondo state Governorship Elections.
The Ondo election is scheduled for October 10.
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“We are especially concerned with allegations of interference by security forces in political matters, which we will continue to monitor closely in the run-up to gubernatorial elections in the state in September,” the Embassy continued.
Insignia of the US Mission in Nigeria as published on August 7, 2020. (Noble Reporters Media / Oyeyemi Gafar)
Urging a free, fair, transparent and peaceful process, the US envoy encouraged all stakeholders, including the election umpire, INEC, political parties and the security services, to “continue to improve the electoral process.”
“We look to Nigeria as an important leader on the African continent,” the Embassy added.
“As a democratic partner of Nigeria, the United States remains committed to working together to achieve our mutual goals of peace and prosperity for the citizens of both our countries.”
U.S. Embassy Statement on 2020 Off-Cycle Elections in Edo and Ondo States (Thread)
As long-time friends of Nigeria, we continue to follow political developments ahead of off-cycle elections in the country. 1/7 pic.twitter.com/PHHicVJo90
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council for Edo State Governorship Election has condemned the illegal invasion of Edo State House of Assembly by political thugs of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt today, the Chairman of the Campaign Council and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, also described the purported impeachment of the legitimately elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly as null and void.
“An invalid assemblage of absentee Lawmakers-elect with no legitimate claims to the membership of the House of Assembly cannot lawfully convene in the Ugbowu private residence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC Governorship candidate, to effect a change of leadership in the Edo State House of Assembly.
“Consequently, the purported impeachment of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is a mere charade, completely a futile act that exists only in the imagination of the evil perpetrators and their co-travelers.
“It is now clear to all discerning minds that what is playing out in Edo State is an orchestrated script by the sinking opposition APC to intimidate the PDP and illegally impeach its candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki, having seen clearly that they cannot win the September 19, 2020 election without any miracle.
“We, therefore, call on President Muhammadu Buhari and the International Community to prevail on the APC to stop the needless violence, play the game by the rules and allow the people of Edo State to freely elect their Governor,” he stated.
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Governor Wike said PDP had raised the alarm that the APC is not ready for a free and fair contest and would use violence with the backing of federal might to rig and claim unmerited victory.
He warned that ours is a fragile democracy and the warlike approach of the APC to the Edo election poses a very serious threat to the survival of democracy in Nigeria.
According to him, Nigerians should, therefore, hold the APC and its candidate responsible if there is a breakdown of law and order in Edo State.
Governor Wike added that the PDP would resist every attempt to unlawfully remove Governor Obaseki from office or rig the September 19, 2020, Governorship Election.
Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of Kwara State High Court, Ilorin on Thursday, August 7, 2020 convicted and sentenced the duo of Akinola Opeyemi and Owolabi Olajide to three months of community service for internet fraud.
They are to sweep the Physics Department of the University of Ilorin and the premises of Saint Anthony Secondary School, Ilorin for three months or pay N50,000 option of fine each.
The convicts were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin Zonal Office on separate one-count charge of cheating and impersonation to which they pleaded guilty.
An operative of the Commission, Olarewaju Lamidi, who reviewed the fact of the case disclosed that trouble started for the convicts when in March 2020, the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Commission placed some areas of the city on surveillance, following intelligence on the activities of internet fraudsters in the municipality, and arrested the defendants and others as a result.
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Analysis of iPhones and laptops recovered from the convicts, yielded fraudulent email addresses and messages, which the convicts confessed to be theirs.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Oyinloye said, “I have carefully considered the evidence before the court, the exhibits tendered and the uncontroverted testimony of the prosecution witness. This honourable court holds that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, the defendants are hereby convicted as charged.”
In sentencing them to community service, the judge directed the Head of Physics Department, the University of Ilorin and the Principal, Saint Anthony Secondary to issue an assessment letter on the convicts’ compliance with the judgment to the Chief registrar of the Kwara State High Court, at the completion of their community service. Poor level of compliance, the judge stated, would earn the convicts a direct six months imprisonment.
The national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has ordered petroleum tanker drivers to withdraw their services from Lagos from Monday, August 10.
According to a communique by NUPENG on Friday, the directive comes on the heels of a failure to address three major issues causing tanker drivers pains in the state for months.
The statement titled “NUPENG leadership directs withdrawal of services by petroleum tanker drivers in Lagos State with effect from Monday, August 10, 2020”, was signed by National President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Olawale Afolabi.
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“The entire rank and file members of the union are deeply pained, frustrated and agonized by the barrage of these challenges being consistently faced by petroleum tanker drivers in Lagos State and are left with no other option but to direct the withdrawal of their services in Lagos State until the Lagos State Government and other relevant stakeholders address these critical challenges.
“It is sad and disheartening to note here that we had made several appeals and reports to the Lagos State Government and the Presidential Task Force for the decongestion of Apapa on these challenges but all to no avail.
“We resolved to embark on an indefinite strike beginning from 12 am, Monday, August 10, 2020, if there are no decisive and convincing actions from the Lagos State Government to address these concerns and challenges,” the statement partly read
President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abuja assented to the Companies and Allied Matters Bill, 2020 recently passed by the National Assembly.
The President’s action on this important piece of legislation, therefore, repealed and replaced the extant Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990, introducing after 30 years, several corporate legal innovations geared toward enhancing the ease of doing business in the country.
Such innovations include: Filing fee reductions and other reforms to make it easier and cheaper for small and medium-sized enterprises to register and reform their businesses in Nigeria;
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Allowing corporate promoters of companies to establish private companies with a single member or shareholder, and creating limited liability partnerships and limited partnerships to give investors and business people alternative forms of carrying out their business in an efficient and flexible way;
Innovating processes and procedures to ease the operations of companies, such as introducing Statements of Compliance; replacing “authorised share capital” with minimum share capital to reduce costs of incorporating companies; and providing for electronic filing, electronic share transfers, e-meetings as well as remote general meetings for private companies in response to the disruptions to close contact physical meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
Requiring the disclosure of persons with significant control of companies in a register of beneficial owners to enhance corporate accountability and transparency; and
Enhancing the minority shareholder protection and engagement; introducing enhanced business rescue reforms for insolvent companies; and permitting the merger of Incorporated Trustees for associations that share similar aims and objectives.
At least 14 people were killed and 15 others were seriously injured Friday when an Indian passenger jet skidded off the runway after landing in heavy rain, officials said.
Air India Express said more than 190 passengers and crew were on board the plane, which left from Dubai and landed at Kozhikode airport in the southern state of Kerala.
Television pictures showed part of the fuselage of the jet ripped apart, although there was no sign of any fire.
“I can confirm at least 14 deaths overall. Another 15 passengers have critical injuries. It is still a developing situation,” senior local policeman Abdul Karim told AFP.
“We have at least 89 people, many of them with serious injuries, admitted at different Kozhikode hospitals. The ambulances are still coming in,” said Sujith Das, another senior police official.
“We have been told that all those who have survived the crash also have some form of injuries.”
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One of those killed was one of the two pilots, a Kerala state deputy said.
Aviation regulator DGCA said the plane skidded off the end of the runway and “fell down in the valley and broke down in two pieces”.
An Air India Express spokesperson said the aircraft appeared to have overshot the runway.
One television channel reported there had been a problem with the jet’s landing gear.
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Air India Express said in a statement that there was “no fire reported at the time of landing.”
It said there were 174 passengers, 10 infants, two pilots and five cabin crew on board the aircraft.
In this file photo taken on March 2, 2020 Air India planes are seen parked at the Indira Gandhi International airport, in New Delhi. Money SHARMA / AFP
“As per the initial reports, rescue operations are on and passengers are being taken to hospital for medical care,” it said.
An emergency services official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP: “Rescue operations are on but the rains are making it difficult.”
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Television pictures showed emergency services personnel working in the dark and spraying the wreckage with water.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences.
“My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest… Authorities are at the spot, providing all assistance to the affected,” Modi said.
The last major plane crash in India was in 2010 when an Air India Express Boeing 737-800 from Dubai to Mangalore overshot the runway and burst into flames.
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The crash killed 158 people and left eight survivors.
Kerala has been battered by heavy rains in recent days.
At least 15 people were killed on Friday after a landslide triggered by heavy rains flattened a row of huts elsewhere in the state.
Around 50 other people were feared trapped in the debris. The dead included two children.
The United States slapped sanctions Friday on Hong Kong’s top leader, a new salvo in a major escalation against Beijing after ordering sweeping restrictions on Chinese-owned social media giants TikTok and WeChat.
In the most significant US action on Hong Kong since Beijing imposed a tough security law, the Treasury Department said it was freezing US assets of Chief Executive Carrie Lam and 10 other senior officials.
The move also criminalizes any US financial transactions with the 11 officials, who include Hong Kong’s police commissioner, its security secretary and China’s top official in the international financial hub.
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“Today’s actions send a clear message that the Hong Kong authorities’ actions are unacceptable,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
Pompeo said the law — which bans subversion and other perceived offenses — violated promises made by China before Britain handed back the territory in 1997.
“The United States stands with the Hong Kong people,” Pompeo said.
The Treasury Department said Lam “is directly responsible for implementing Beijing’s policies of suppression of freedom and democratic processes.”
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The security law imposed in late June has sent a chill through Hong Kong, which saw massive and sometimes destructive pro-democracy protests last year.
Authorities have since delayed elections, citing the coronavirus pandemic and, according to Beijing, issued arrest warrants for six pro-democracy activists living in exile.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a press conference at the government headquarters in Hong Kong on July 31, 2020. Anthony WALLACE / AFP
Clock ticks for TikTok The tough new measures come three months ahead of US elections, in which President Donald Trump is trailing in the polls.
Critics say that his hardening turn on China is meant to deflect blame from his own handling of COVID-19, from which the United States has suffered the deadliest toll of any country.
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Late Thursday, Trump made good on threats against WeChat and TikTok — two apps with major audiences.
In an executive order, Trump gave Americans 45 days to stop doing business with the Chinese platforms, effectively setting a deadline for a potential, under-pressure sale of TikTok to Microsoft.
The president cited national security concerns for the moves, which also threw into doubt the American operations of WeChat’s parent firm, Tencent, a powerful player in the video gaming industry and one of the world’s richest companies.
China voiced outrage at the move, which comes as Trump also steps up pressure on the trade and security fronts.
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“At the expense of the rights and interests of US users and companies, the US… is carrying out arbitrary political manipulation and suppression,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
A man walks past a sign for Tencent, the parent company of Chinese social media giant WeChat, outside the Tencent headquarters in Beijing on August 7, 2020. GREG BAKER / AFP
Tencent dives The new restrictions sent Tencent shares into a spin, with the issue tanking as much as 10 percent at one point in Hong Kong trade, wiping almost $50 billion off its market capitalization.
Trump’s order claims TikTok — whose kaleidoscopic feeds of short video clips feature everything from hair-dye tutorials to dance routines and jokes about daily life — could be used by China to track the locations of federal employees, build dossiers on people for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage.
TikTok, which has repeatedly denied sharing data with Beijing, said it was “shocked” by the order “issued without any due process.”
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The app owned by Chinese-based ByteDance vowed to “pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure… our company and our users are treated fairly.”
WeChat is a messaging, social media and electronic payment platform and is reported to have more than a billion users, with many preferring it to email.
Repercussions for US? Daniel Castro of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said the US actions were likely to be counterproductive.
“There is no security justification for banning an app merely because it is owned by a Chinese company,” Castro said.
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“Allegations of security risks should be backed by hard evidence, not unsubstantiated innuendo. American tech companies stand to lose significant global market share if other countries follow a similar standard and block US tech companies from their markets because of concerns about US government surveillance.”
Trump has effectively set a deadline of mid-September for TikTok to be acquired by a US firm or be banned in the United States, leading Microsoft to accelerate its talks to buy it.
The TikTok mobile app has been downloaded about 175 million times in the US and more than a billion times around the world.
The latest US actions follow a protracted battle over Huawei, the Chinese network and smartphone giant accused by the Trump administration of being a tool for espionage.
President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, have backed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.
Both leaders endorsed the APC candidate on Friday when he visited the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
President Buhari presented the symbolic party flag to Ize-Iyamu at a closed-door meeting attended by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, and the governors.
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They include the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State; Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, and Chairman of the APC National Campaign Council for the Edo State election, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.
After the meeting with the governor, Ize-Iyamu later visited the Vice President at his office where he presented the flag to Professor Osinbajo.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had fixed September 19 to conduct the election.
Michael Ojo, a Nigerian basketball player who previously played for Red Star Belgrade, died at the age of 27 during a training session in the Serbian capital on Friday, the club said.
“We are deeply saddened by the news”, Red Star’s spokesperson Igor Vujicin told Media (known to Noble Reporters Media).
The club couldn’t confirm the cause of death, but local media reported that Ojo suffered a heart attack.
Born in Lagos, the 2.16 metre (7ft 1in) centre played for Florida State University in the United States before coming to Europe to start his professional career.
After a stint with the Belgrade team FMP Zeleznik, he moved to European giants Red Star, where he spent two seasons, quickly becoming a fan favourite.
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Ojo had been without a club since June 30 but was training in Belgrade.
This file photograph taken on March 16, 2017, shows Michael Ojo #50, then of the Florida State Seminoles, as he shoots for the basket in the second half against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Mike Ehrmann / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP
His former team released a statement mourning the loss of the “cheerful giant”.
“The sudden and shocking death of Michael Ojo has deeply affected everyone — players, coaches and the management of a club that accepted him from the first day, and that he considered his own,” Red Star said.
EuroLeague also extended condolences to Ojo’s family, teammates, coaches, “and many fans who enjoyed his performances”.
Three hundred and thirty-one Nigerians have arrived in Abuja, the nation’s capital from the United Arab Emirates.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (UAE) disclosed this on Friday via Twitter.
According to the agency, the flight conveying the returnees landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 1424hours.
“Emirates flight conveying 331 Evacuees landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Int’l Airport, Abuja at about 1424HRS from the United Arab Emirates UAE, today Friday, 7th of August, 2020,” said NIDCOM.
The aircraft carrying Nigerian returnees from UAE land at the Nnamdi International Airport, Abuja on August 7, 2020. (Noble Reporters Media / Adigun Michael Olamide)
The returnees are to undergo mandatory self-isolation in line with guidelines from the Presidential Task Force and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Following their return today, the number of evacuees from the UAE has risen 2,042.
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This comes two days after 306 Nigerians were repatriated from the UAE.
According to the agency, although the evacuees had tested negative to COVID-19, they will be undergoing mandatory self-isolation in line with PTF and NCDC guidelines.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travels across the world, thousands of Nigerians have been evacuated back home.
In early June, the Federal Government said it had spent N169 million on the evacuation of Nigerians returning from overseas.
BREAKING: EVACUATION UPDATE@emirates flight conveying 331 Evacuees arrive Nnamdi Azikiwe Int’l Airport, Abuja at about 1424HRS from the United Arab Emirates UEA, today Friday, 7th of August, 2020.
![[Nigeria] 331 evacuees arrives Abuja from UAE](https://newsworthy3news.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/psx_20200807_172223.jpg?w=611&h=344&crop=1)
