₦airaland Forum

In line with my love & passion for education, I would like to celebrate my birthday this year by assisting some students with N10,000 each for their university fees / exams / registration etc.

Check the poster for full details and visit my website to submit your application.

Here are the 10 recipients from the first round of the RASH Scholarship Fund.

We will try to help more people throughout the year, as is within my power.

Happy New Year

Sayfact:
What should we do with this info?

Perpetua Ijeoma Nkwocha (born 3 January 1976) is a Nigerian female professional footballer, who is the coach of Clemensnäs IF from Swedish Women's Football Division 2, she previously played for Swedish club Sunnanå SK. She was also a member and formerly the captain of the Nigeria women's national football team.

International career

With the Nigeria national team Nkwocha has participated in seven CAF Women's Championship editions (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014), winning five of them (2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2014). At the 2004 African Women's Championship, she scored four goals in the final against Cameroon to help her country win the title. She also set a record by scoring nine overall goals during the tournament, and was named the best player of the tournament. Nkwocha was voted African Women's Footballer of the Year in 2004, 2005, 2010 and 2011 by Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Nkwocha has also participated in four FIFA Women's World Cup (2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015), as well as the Olympic tournaments of Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008.

Club career

She played for Swedish side Sunnanå SK in both the top division (Damallsvenskan) and the second division (Elitettan) leagues from 2007 until 2014.

In June 2008, the BBC reported that Nkwocha had announced her plans to retire in two years, and that after doing so she wants to continue to be involved in football by becoming a coach. As of 2012 she was still playing in Sweden's second-tier league.

Ahead of the 2015 season, 39-year-old Nkwocha left Sunnanå to join lower division (4th tier) Clemensnäs IF in a player-coach role.[6] She spent part of the previous season coaching boys' football in Nigeria, but wanted to settle in Sweden after taking Swedish citizenship.

naptu2:
This is the Pele Did It First video. It shows tricks and dribbles by Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Maradona, Van Basten, Romario, Zidane, Neymar, Ronaldo, Messi and other stars and it shows that Pele did them first.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAMoivPkN3w

3seriez:
Didn't know mobolaji Johnson was that tall. See him like proper Iroko tree.

naptu2:
Someone has just reminded me of this old gem.

Maradona: "A dream of mine is to do a couple of headers with you".

Pele: "Let's do it"



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVXijyKg1iI

BLACK & WHITE STORIES | FAREWELL TO PELÉ

The news that everyone hoped never to read: Edson Arantes Do Nascimento passed away on December 29th.

The Brazilian champion won three World Cups and with his immense greatness represented the charm of football at all latitudes.

A fantastic story that intersected that of Juventus', whose Magazine Hurrà dedicated a cover to him, next to the Argentine black and white star, Omar Sivori.

SIVORI AND PELÉ

Edson Arantes do Nascimento and Juventus met for the first time in 1961. Italy turned 100 and in the celebrations scheduled in Turin the Bianconeri faced O'Rei's club, Santos. The Brazilians won 2-0 and he scored a goal in front of his alter-ego, Juve's hero, Omar Sivori.

Two years later, again at the Comunale, they had their revenge: that time Juve won 5-3, the Argentine scored a hat-trick and Pelé scored one goal.

ALTAFINI & PELÉ

Pelé won the 1958 World Cup in Sweden when he was still 18. He did it by taking the place of José Altafini, who is still called Mazzola at home due to an alleged resemblance to Valentino Mazzola, the Grande Torino champion.

There has always been a relationship of great esteem and affection between the two legends, as can be seen in this photo taken at the "Combi" Pitch in Turin.

PELÉ AT THE COMBI

In 1974 Pelé visited Juventus at the Combi, the Juventus training ground. He met the team, with many players ready to play in the World Cup in Germany. The Brazilian at that moment had already won three times: after 1958, a triumph marked by a dazzling debut, he participated in the 1962 campaign, even if he was injured, and then wrote history in 1970. In Mexico he scored one of the best goals of his career in the final, against Italy.

BLACK AND WHITE PELÉ

Pelé himself admitted in 1987 that he could have worn another black and white shirt, other than that of Santos, because Juventus wanted him to play in Turin: "Yes, Juventus wanted me but Santos didn't want to let me go: the city risked a revolution. It wasn't like today: leaving Brazil could have been a kind of betrayal. I've always been a fan of Juve, I love champions like Boniperti and Sivori. Anyway, we can't regret what didn't happen, it's pointless."

The contractors handling the #secondNigerbridge in the early hours of today, Monday the 2nd of January closed the Asaba axis of the bridge to stop the traffic flow of vehicles passing thru the bridge.

The closure carried out by the Engineers is for the removal of crash barriers from the road to open up the Obosi axis under the bridge's walls for the free flow of traffic for vehicles returning from the South East to the West.

Recall that the FG had on Dec 15, 2022, opened the second Niger Bridge for temporary use.Motorists travelling from the West to the East were allowed to use the bridge from Dec 15, 2022,while motorists returning from the East to the West would be allowed from Jan.2nd to 15th 2023.

Chinyere Okoli who witnessed the removal of the barricades reports that the site workers under the supervision of Engr Yetunde Oluwatosin were seen deploying heavy-duty equipment to remove crash barriers and another diversion point in preparation for the re-opening of the bridge

The contractors handling the #secondNigerbridge in the early hours of today, Monday the 2nd of January closed the Asaba axis of the bridge to stop the traffic flow of vehicles passing thru the bridge.
THREAD pic.twitter.com/PUDL9D2DTC

— NTANetwork (@NTANewsNow) January 2, 2023

FG opens East-West lane on Second Niger Bridge

2nd January 2023

The Federal Road Safety Corps has said that the second phase of the use of the second Niger Bridge would commence on January 2, 2023.

The Federal Government had on December 15, 2022, opened the second Niger Bridge for temporary use.

It was announced that motorists travelling from the West to the East would be allowed to use the bridge from December 15, 2022, while motorists returning from the East to the West would be allowed from January 2, 2023.

However, the Sector Commander FRSC, Delta State, Mr Udeme Eshiet, urged road users to adhere to the directive.

Eshiet said, “We thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for endorsing the temporary opening of the Second Niger Bridge since December 15, 2022, that will last till January 15, 2023.

“We want to remind you about the notice that the second phase on the use of the bridge is commencing from January 2, 2023.

“The use of the Second Niger Bridge as directed by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, will be from the East to the West making use of the Obosi interchange.”

He noted that the opening of the bridge has made the journey of Nigerians seamless, reminding the road users to continue to be obedient to all road traffic managers.

naptu2:
This is a phenomenal thread that everybody must read. Read it til the very end.


https://twitter.com/avisualgame/status/1608551387176259585

On 31st of October 1990 50 years old Pelé celebrated his birthday by playing against the greatest stars of his time — the opposition included Marco van Basten, Hristo Stoichkov, Enzo Francescoli, Gheorghe Hagi, Oscar Ruggeri, Rene Higuita and many more. Originally Diego Maradona himself was supposed to captain the World Stars XI, but unfortunately he had to miss the game due to an injury.

O Rei was in an incredible physical form for his age and produced a decent performance against world's best players at their career peak. By the way, check out young Cafu on the right — the 20 years old was lucky enough to get the chance to play alongside one of his childhood idols.

naptu2:
I think I've finally found it! I think this is the match that Sir Bobby was referring to. England had great stars like Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Gordon Banks, but Pele destroyed them. Afterwards Jimmy Greaves said, "Pele is on another bloody planet".

The Brazilian football confederation hosted a tournament in 1964 to mark its 50th anniversary. The tournament (just like the Tournoi de France in 1997) was also designed to showcase the favourites for the next World Cup (hosted by England in 1966). The participants were Brazil, Argentina, England and Portugal.


[quote author=naptu2 post=95310975]

Sir Bobby Charlton once told the BBC World Service why he hated Pele (he didn't really hate him, but you'll soon understand what he meant).

He was one on one with Pele during a match and Pele said, "Goal" and then feinted one way, went in the other direction around Sir Bobby and scored.

That is, he said "Goal" before dribbling Sir Bobby.