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Aribo, Bassey, Balogun: Three Nigerian stars on the verge of Europa League history as Rangers battle Frankfurt

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The trio of Nigerian soccer stars, Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun, all of Rangers of Scotland, are on the verge of history when the ‘Gers battle German Bundesliga side, Eintracht Frankfurt, in the Europa League final at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium in Seville, Spain, on Wednesday night.

The Nigerian internationals are just 90 minutes, or maybe 120 minutes, away from history on the European continent as they will become the first three players from the same country to lift Europe’s second continental trophy.

The value of the Nigerian stars to Rangers cannot be downplayed as they have proven time and time again to be indispensables for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

Aribo may be about the most important player of the trio as his involvement in open play demonstrates the 25-year-old’s effect on van Bronckhorst’s men who need him to deliver a strong performance in Wednesday’s decider.

Calvin Bassey may not have scored as many as Leon Balogun’s two goals in their Europa League campaign, yet the versatile left sided defender has arguably played a more significant role in their run to the final.

The 22-year-old has started all but two of Rangers’ games, fulfilling dual roles and becoming a reliable head at the heart of the defence.

Only captain and fellow defender James Tavernier has outdone Bassey’s 30 interceptions, although that comes with the caveat that the Englishman has played more than the Nigeria international who edges every teammate for tackles plus interceptions in their run to the final.

On and off the ball, Bassey is blessed with an underrated passing range which he showcased in their quarter-final turnaround against Sporting Braga where his sensational pin-point pass from deep inside his half found Kemar Roofe on the edge of the area, forcing Vítor Tormena to bring down the frontman inside the area.

Balogun may not be a regular starter in the team but the versatile defender always gives the team a calmness in the heart of defence whenever he is called upon. And he always delivers and steals forward once in a while to nick in the odd goal here and there.

The Nigerian trio has contributed to six of Rangers 22 goals in the run up to the final, which is 27 percent of the Scottish outfit’s strikes in the competition.

For all their rich history, only a European Cup Winners Cup success in 1972 accounts for Rangers’ sole continental triumph in their 150-year history but victory against Frankfurt will banish the hurt of losing the Premiership title to Celtic and see them match their fierce rivals for European titles won.

 

And most importantly, victory will place the three Nigerian soccer stars in the history books of the Scottish giants.

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Nigeria’s 4x400m mixed relay, 4×400 teams qualify for Olympics

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Team Nigeria on Sunday morning booked two places at the upcoming Paris Olympics Games in the Mixed 4x400m relay and 4X400m men’s events with automatic qualification spots at the ongoing World Relays in the Bahamas.

The mixed 4x400m relay team which had the quartet of Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Chidi Okezie, and Esther Elo Joseph, picked the slot after finishing second behind the USA in their heat with a time of 3:13.79, to ensured Nigeria’s presence on the Olympic stage.

Both Nigeria and the US were a distance ahead of other in the heat and it was obvious as at the third leg that the race was between the two countries.

According to reports on the race, Okezie ran an impressive third leg in 44.78 to handover his baton first, but a US Olympics gold-medalist, Kendall Ellis, was too much for Esther Elo Joseph in the anchor leg as she led the United States to the finish line first.

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Kenyan footballer arrested over brutal robbery, murder case

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A Kenyan footballer, Byron Billy Owuor, has been arrested in connection with a violent robbery that led to the murder of a businesswoman in the Kondele area of Kisumu County of the country.

Owuor, a former Kisumu All-Stars player, was arrested after an AK47 rifle linked to violent robbery and murder was recovered and linked to him.

According to media reports, the 26-year-old midfielder was arrested along with another suspect for their alleged roles in a crime that has shocked the local community.

Police authorities confirmed that they seized the AK47 and 36 rounds of live ammunition linked to the robbery which took place on January 27th.

In a statement by the country’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the weapon was used to fatally shoot the business woman, Grace Awino Adero, who operated an M-Pesa shop with her husband.

“The assailants attacked the couple, making off with the day’s earnings and killing Mrs. Adero, while her husband narrowly survived the encounter,” the DCI said.

“The cold-blooded killers, believed to be part of a larger gang, fled the scene on an unmarked motorcycle, retreating to a hideout in Kasagam.

“Hours later, a suspicious saloon car was located by the Kasagam police during a routine patrol. Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered a homemade pistol and four mobile phones, alongside an AK47 rifle without its magazine.

“The investigation revealed that the rifle had been obtained illegally from Uganda,” the DCI noted.

A media report stated that the case took a significant turn when detectives identified Robert Wakolo Okoth, also known as Michael Osama, as the alleged mastermind behind the syndicate’s criminal activities.

“Following this lead, a coordinated sting operation was conducted at Osama’s residence near Rai Primary School in Kasagam. During the raid, Osama’s 17-year-old brother, also believed to be a gang member, was arrested.

“The items recovered from the house include an AK47 magazine loaded with ammunition, six rounds of .38 special ammunition typically used in pistols, and five ID cards from different individuals.

“A green camouflage bag and a Kenya Armed Forces Comrades Association card were also found, pointing to the serious nature of the gang’s operations.

“With the arraignment at the Winam Senior Principal Magistrate’s Court, detectives have been granted an additional 14 days to wrap up their investigation.

“The focus now turns to capturing the remaining gang members whose identities have been uncovered but remain at large,” the statement said.

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