Draxler names best player in the world following PSG’s 3-2 win over Bayern Munich

 

Julian Draxler has said that his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Kylian Mbappe has ‘quality like no-one else in the world.’

Draxler said this after Mbappe netted twice to help the French champions to a memorable 3-2 win over Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night.

Mbappe opened the scoring for the visitors and Marquinhos made it 2-0, but Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Thomas Muller had equalised for Bayern before Mbappe netted again.

PSG now have a huge advantage going into the second leg in France with three away goals and Draxler had no doubts who they had to thank for the fine win.

He said the prolific Frenchman possesses quality that no other player in the world can match.

“That’s what [Mbappé] is there for because he has quality like no-one else in the world,” Draxler told reporters after the game.

“We need his speed. At the moment, he has chances and he scores. That’s really important for us, especially against this Bayern side.”

The Germans had 31 shots at goal and Draxler praised the efforts of the entire team as they miraculously kept Bayern down to just two goals.

Why I’m scared of checking my phone – Arsenal’s Willian

 

Arsenal forward, Willian has said that he is too scared to look at his phone at times for fear of racial abuse on social media.

The Brazilian said this following the racial attacks on Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, Naby Keita and Sadio Mane..

The Liverpool stars were sent racist emojis on Instagram ahead of their Champions League quarter-finals first leg clash with the Real Madrid game on Tuesday.

Willian is calling for the handlers of the social media platforms to take more responsibility for their output.

“Does it frighten me to look at my phone? Yes, sometimes, to be honest,” Willian said, according to Express.

“We are human. I want to understand who these people think they are to come to speak like that to us.

“It really affects me when they talk about my family. If they want to criticise me, it’s no problem, I always accept that.

“But when they come to attack your family with those words that I cannot say here, that hurts.

“I think we have to find a way to change the profile of social media. I think people want to have Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, they need to put their ID, passport or whatever.”

Willian will file out with his Arsenal side on Thursday as they face Slavia Prague in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-finals.

And Slavia Prague will be without their Finnish midfielder Ondrej Kudela after being suspended for one match by UEFA for racially abusing Rangers’ Glen Kamara in the last 16.

Joe Cole hails one Chelsea player after 2-0 win at Porto

 

Former England midfielder, Joe Cole, was full of praise for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, after his superb performance during their 2-0 Champions League win away at Porto on Wednesday.

Mount scored his first goal in the competition, with a fantastic piece of skill and finish from Jorginho’s pass.

Ben Chilwell made it 2-0 in the second half, giving the Blues a big advantage ahead of the second leg at home.

But Cole was most impressed by Mount and said on BT Sport: “He’s a manager’s dream, he has the natural ability to impact a game.

“He does the tactics to a ‘T’ off the ball, in the difficult spell just before Tuchel came in, he stood up, he is a leader.”

Arteta identifies Arsenal players he will drop

 

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has vowed to drop players in his squad, who act like they are on holiday.

This follows Emmanuel Petit’s brutal review of his former club. 

Petit, who won the Premier League and FA Cup during his time with the Gunners, criticized the club’s recent recruitment and said too many players treat it like a “holiday retreat”.

Arteta, speaking ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash with Slavia Prague, says he has taken Petit’s assessment on board and vowed to change his mind about Arsenal.

“He [Petit] knows the club well. He was here in their most successful years and has that opinion. I’m here to change that opinion.

“I am here to give my evaluation of what I see every day and where we are and I know where we are and where we want to go. We have to respect that.

“Showing passion goes with the character. People who are much more extroverted than introverted show more emotion with their body language than others.

“But it doesn’t mean it does not hurt as much. For sure, players who don’t have that passion, that emotion and that commitment, won’t be in this football club,” Arteta said.

Tuchel explains why he substituted Havertz, Werner against Porto

 

Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, has given reasons he took off Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, during their 2-0 win at FC Porto in the Champions League quarter-final.

The Blues returned home with a commanding lead from the first leg of the game.

Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell got the goals, while it was another miserable outing for Werner and Havertz.

Werner was replaced by Olivier Giroud and Havertz by Christian Pulisic.

“At the time I accepted that it was a tough match for Timo and Kai today, they didn’t have their best day.

“We did not deliver so good, so the connection between the seven and the front three wasn’t there. The balls we delivered weren’t the best balls.

“Also, I could feel that our two German players, Kai and Timo, didn’t play at their highest level so I wanted to have an impact from the bench.”

Entertainment : Burna Boy, Davido, Funke Akindele, Wizkid make Forbes Africa icons’ list

 

Top Nigerian celebrities have been listed on Forbes ‘100 Icons from Africa.’

Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Omotola Ekeinde, Genevieve Nnaji, Funke Akindele-Bello, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Mr Eazi, among other Nigerians made the list.

Also, the Director General of the World Trade Organization, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala featured on the list.

According to Forbes, the list was curated from Hollywood exports and Grammy artists to award-winning ideas that can save the world.

It also stated that the list is a way of “celebrating those whose ideas, inventions, and influential role models have aided Africa’s growth over the last decade.”

Forbes on its official Twitter handle, @Forbesafrica, alongside the list wrote, “This is a way of celebrating those also with the award-winning ideas that had defined the African continent and influential role models that have spelt Africa’s growth over the last decade.”

Forbes described Burna Boy in the publication as one of the biggest and most successful African artists on this continent.

While Genevieve was described as the trailblazer of Nollywood.

unknown persons hack three farmers to death in their farms

 

Barely a day after the gruesome murder of two policemen by unknown gunmen in Taraba State, the state has again been thrown into mourning following the killings of three farmers.

The farmers who were tilling their farmlands in preparation for the rainy season, were on Wednesday hacked to death in the farms by unknown persons.

The incident, as gathered by  happened in Assa village of Wukari local government council of the state.

Confirming the incident to our correspondent, the Wukari council chairman, Dr. Daniel Adi expressed sadness at the way and manner innocent persons were being sent to their graves by hoodlums.

Wondering why the spate of insecurity has been on the increase, he called on both the state and federal government to do the needful by deploying more security operatives to the area.

Though  can confirm if the attackers were Tiv as is speculated, Hon Adi expressed conviction that the attackers were Tiv militiamen, whom he alleged have been terrorizing the area.

He said, “From the information we got from a survivor who took cover when the farms were invaded, the attackers came from Ijandeikyura through Ikaior and are suspected to be Tiv militia.”

Appealing to the people of the council to remain calm and not to take laws into their hands, Adi promised that the leadership of the council, will work with the security operatives to track down the perpetrators

A family member of one of the deceased who spoke to  urged the government to leave no stone unturned in fishing out the killers of the three farmers whom he described as law-abiding citizens of the country.

Should the government fail to do the needful, the family and the community would be left with no option other than to launch a reprisal attack.

When reached for further confirmation, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), David Misal, said the command is still waiting for an official report of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO)of the council.

Aside from the spate of kidnappings and armed bandits activities that have enveloped the state, especially the southern geopolitical zone, which comprises of Wukari, Takum, Ussa, Donga and Ibi councils, the ongoing cold war between the Tiv and Jukun, has continued to give indigenes course or concern.