Benzema sets sights on World Cup after leading France to Nations League triumph

Karim Benzema waited more than five years to make his France comeback and now the Real Madrid striker is in a hurry to win his first major trophy with Les Bleus. Benzema helped France clinch the Nations League with goals in both the semifinal and in Sunday's final, but unlike his striking partners Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe, he was not in the squad that won the 2018 World Cup. Playing his second competition after more than five years out of the team following a blackmail scandal, over which he faces trial later this month, the 33-year-old showed he was in the form of his life. "We are going to enjoy this trophy and then go get the World Cup (next year)," Benzema said following France's 2-1 victory over Spain at the San Siro after he netted the equaliser with a superb curling effort. While France came under pressure against a possession-obsessed Spain team, they did not panic and Benzema and Mbappe's clinical finishing made the difference. Coach Didier Deschamps said that Benzema's contribution to the team extended beyond his goals. "Karim is an essential player, he's proved it over the last two games," said Deschamps. "He's in line with what he's been doing with his club. He's extremely fit, way more than he was before, and he's more mature. He's got this rage to win that he communicates to the other players." Deschamps is clearly counting on Benzema to lead France's attack at the World Cup finals in Qatar next year. "He is an important player for the future. Beyond his obvious talent, he has the character and the mental strength that are key at the highest level," he said after Les Bleus avoided defeat for the seventh time this year having conceded the opening goal. "I'm very proud of my work for a long time. Coming back to this team and winning makes me happy, yes," said Benzema, who has now scored six goals for France since his return, with only Antoine Griezmann matching that tally. "This title gives me even more ambition for the future with this team. Because this team has great potential." France need one victory against either Kazakhstan at home or away to Finland next month to qualify for the World Cup finals.

Man Utd to increase security around Woodward

Manchester United are set to increase security around club chief Ed Woodward due to fears he could once again be targeted by fans, claims the Mirror. Woodward's home was attacked by vandals at the end of the last January transfer window

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'I can bring winning mentality to Stoke City' – Ex-Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi

The African champion will be playing in England for the third time in his career

Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi has stated he can impact a winning mentality onto Stoke City after joining the club on Monday.

The 33-year-old Nigerian has been a free agent since his contract with Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor was terminated in March which is believed to be due to speaking out against the club for going on with league fixtures in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mikel is looking to get down to immediate business in Staffordshire and wants the Potters to win on a consistent basis. Stoke finished the 2019-20 Championship season in 15th place, eight points clear of the relegation zone.

 

“I can bring that winning mentality into this team,” he said on the official Stoke City YouTube Channel.

“There is always a way to win, we need to find that way. That mentality needs to come into the team, it’s all about winning week in, week out, and that’s something I’ve done all my life at Chelsea and if I can bring that experience and winning mentality here, I’d be very happy.”

 

Mikel also admits he shares the same ambition as Stoke which is a return to the Premier League which they last played in during the 2017-18 season when they went down with Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion.

“I’m excited. I’ve been talking with the club for a week, talking to the manager trying to know exactly what the ambition of the club is and also my ambition what I want to do as a player. My ambition and the club’s ambition seem to be pretty much the same,” he continued.

“I’m excited to see where we can go with this partnership, I’m here to help the club, get promoted, I think this club belongs to the Premier League, that’s where it should be.

“I’ve spoken to a few clubs, but after speaking to the manager, he told me what he wants and the ambition is something I want, I still want to win, achieve something and after talking to the manager I decided this is the right place for me to continue my career.”

Stoke makes it the second Championship club Mikel would play for having been with Middlesbrough between January and May 2019 and was dubbed the “African Zidane” by the supporters. He believes his experience at the Riverside and his understanding of the Championship will make him prepared at Stoke.

“It was good, it was a lovely time at Middlesbrough. It was a good place for me to go and experience the Championship and that experience is what I’ll bring here. Now I know the game a little bit more, now I kind of know what to expect which is something I’m looking forward to,” Mikel said.

“I’ve always known it’s a difficult game [against Championship teams] it’s never an easy game, they are very physical, they never stop running and that’s something I knew before going to Boro and that’s exactly what I experienced and what I’m quite ready for.”

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Mikel - who has also previously played for Lyn Oslo and Tianjin TEDA, asserts he can get his fitness up to speed having not played a competitive game in nearly five months.

“I’ve got like three to four weeks before the season starts, you don’t quite know where you will be, but I’ve been doing things right for the past five to six months at home trying to train, go to the gym, do bits here and there,” he said.

“It’s going to take a while but with my ambition and my goal of knowing where I want to be before the season starts, I should be there.”

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STAY AWAY FROM INDIAN GARRI,NAFDAC WARNED NIGERIANS

The National Agency for Food and drug Administration, NAFDAC, has begun investigations into the alleged importation of “Indian garri” in the country, even as Nigerians have been cautioned against consumption of the product. Indian gari Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, who spoke on the development in a statement on his twitter handle, entitled On imported garri, Pt 1 – NAFDAC, said 26 of the 500 mg packets of the product, were seized after regulatory officials visited the supermarket at Ikoyi on Monday, February 20, 2017. Also alerting Nigerians about the development, the Acting Director General of NAFDAC, Mrs Yetunde Oni, urged Nigerians to stay away from the product because its consumption portended health hazards, as the agency was yet to certify it fit for consumption. Oni, who spoke in Ilorin at a one-day zonal campaign on current regulatory issues in the safe use of drugs, animal feeds, pesticides and chemicals, said preliminary investigation had revealed that the product was actually made in Ghana, and not India as some reports earlier claimed, adding that it was packaged in the UK.

NNPC Driver Takes Company's Vehicle To Show Off At Lover's House, Gets it Stolen

A bus driver of NNPC in Lagos state has ran into trouble after he took company bus to his lovers house to flex and the bus got stolen by robbers.
The driver, Wasiu Aliyu was arraigned on Monday on two counts of stealing in an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court.

The father of two who hails from Ilorin, Kwara state woke up at his lover’s house on Assfood Street, Oriola, Alapere, Lagos only to discover that a Toyota Hiace which is worth N23m had been stolen.

Aliyu informed the police that he had been driving the stolen bus for over three years, and had no hand in the stealing.

He said, “ At about 8pm on January 21, I went to my girlfriend’s house in Oriola to pass the night. A man came to wake me up around 4am that he saw some boys inside the bus.

“Before I got to where the bus was, they had left with it. It was a mistake that I parked the bus on the street because there is no security there.”

A police prosecutor, Inspector Benedict Aigbokhan, who brought Mr. Aliyu before the court, said he had allegedly committed an offence, which contravenes sections 285 (1) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Mr Aliyu pleaded not guilty and elected summary trial.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Akokhia, admitted him to bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum while the case was adjourned till April 18, 2017 for mention.