France

By Muhammadu Sabiu
 
In a stunning turn of events, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has announced that they have made the decision to put star forward Kylian Mbappé on the transfer market, starting today.
 
The news comes amid growing speculation about Mbappé’s future and his supposed agreement to join Real Madrid in 2024 on a free transfer.
 
Sources close to PSG have revealed that the club believes Kylian Mbappé has already reached a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid, set to take effect in 2024.
 
This has been a point of contention for PSG’s board, as they sought clarity from the player regarding his commitment to the club.
 
Despite the board’s request for Mbappé to make a decision on whether to sign a new contract or seek a transfer, the French superstar remained non-committal, failing to provide an answer by the deadline of July 15.
 
As a result of Mbappé’s silence and the apparent uncertainty surrounding his future, PSG has taken a decisive step by excluding him from the pre-season tour.
 
This move indicates the club’s willingness to engage in negotiations for the player’s sale with interested parties.

By Ibrahim Suleiman Ibrahim

On 9th July 2006, legendary footballer, Zinedine Zidane, was sent off the pitch in the 110th minute of a fierce World Cup final match in Berlin, Germany, after he infamously headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi.

Zizou, as he’s fondly called, was very phenomenal during his time and is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. He was renowned for his unique playmaking and elegance. His exploits at the 1998 world cup and other competitive tournaments a few years after cannot be overemphasized. It’s just sad he ended his football career in such an infamous way.

During the world cup final match, France was on the advantaged side, with a higher tendency to win the game. Zidane, who was the French captain, had earlier netted a penalty against legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon in an audacious ‘panenka’ style to give France the lead. The Italian team later equalized through a header from Materazzi during a corner kick.

Thereafter, there was a fierce battle, and both teams were on the offensive until the match went to extra time. All eyes were on Zidane to see the French team regain the lead, but Zidane couldn’t control his temper against provocative Materazzi during the 110th minute of the game, hence the costly mistake of headbutting Materazzi.

He was sent off by the referee after some reviews, and the game did not remain the same after that. Italy went on to win the game with 5-3 on penalties after the end of the extra time.

Although Materazzi was reported to have trash-talked Zidane’s family during a supposed harmless encounter, which was what triggered the physical assault from Zidane, such a reaction, if necessary, was ill-timed, owing to the importance of the game to his football career.

That violent reaction not only cost him the opportunity to win what would have been his second world cup trophy but was also popularly believed to have thwarted his chances of winning what would have been his second Balon D’or award in 2006.

Some emotional speculators, however, hailed Zidane for standing up for his family, but many others, like myself, saw it as a costly overreaction from his side. 

And that was the last time we would ever see Zidane play football.

Meanwhile, Zidane didn’t let that unforgettable event weigh him down, as he went ahead to become one of the most successful managers in history. He won 3 consecutive champions league titles in his first stint as Read Madrid’s Manager.

Nonetheless, despite the huge successes both as a player and as a manager, you can’t mention Zidane’s name today without picturing the infamous moment at the 2006 World Cup final. That is how injurious reactions triggered by uncontrolled anger can be.

___________

Morals: “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured”. –Mark Twain

By Muhammadu Sabiu
 
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) President Nasser Al Khelaifi has once again expressed his firm stance on the future of star player Kylian Mbappé, stating that the young forward must make his decision within the next week or two. 
 
In an interview with Le Parisien, Al Khelaifi emphasised that this deadline marks the limit for Mbappé to make his final decision regarding a new contract with the club.
 
Al Khelaifi made it clear that if Mbappé does not wish to sign a new deal, the door is open for a potential departure. 
 
The PSG president asserted that no individual, not even a player of Mbappé’s stature, is bigger than the club itself, highlighting the importance of the collective over any individual.
 
The PSG president expressed his disappointment and shock at the situation, revealing that there had been a verbal agreement between the club and Mbappé. Al Khelaifi stated that Mbappé had confirmed this agreement, which is why the recent turn of events has left him disillusioned.

By Muhammadu Buhari
 
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu held his presidential diaspora engagement in Paris, France, today, meeting with Nigerians residing in the country. 
 
This is contained in a short statement released by the President’s aide, Dada Olusegun, via his Facebook handle.
 
He said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hold[s] his first presidential diaspora engagement in Paris, France with Nigerians Living in France today.”
 
The event, marked by a spirit of unity and dialogue, provided an opportunity for President Tinubu to engage with the Nigerian community abroad and discuss their concerns, aspirations, and ideas.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigerian President Bola Ahmad Tinubu is set to make his first international trip to France. 

The Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, disclosed the maiden trip of the President in a statement on Monday. 

According to Mr Alake, the President will join other world leaders to review and sign a New Global Financial Pact that places vulnerable countries on the priority list for support and investment, sequel to the devastating aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The two-day summit also aims at mobilizing innovative financing for countries prone to climate disruptions, fostering development in developing nations and addressing other diplomatic concerns.

The Summit will be hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France and will be held at Palais Brongniat.

The Special Adviser also disclosed that the President will return on Saturday.

By Muhammadu Sabiu
 
In a stunning turn of events, Kylian Mbappé, the star forward for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has issued an official statement through the AFP agency confirming that he will not be signing a new contract with the club.
 
The announcement comes as a shock to fans and the football world alike, as negotiations had been ongoing for some time.
 
Mbappé’s statement unequivocally states, “I have NEVER discussed any contract renewal with PSG.” 
 
This statement contradicts the narrative that had been portrayed in recent months, suggesting that talks were underway regarding a potential extension of his contract.

By Aliyu Yakubu Yusuf 

Racism in football has been a problem that refuses to go away. Football is often rightly described as the beautiful game. However, the persistent problem of racism has been a blight on this enduring beauty. Despite the fact that numerous campaigns (such as “Say No To Racism” and “Black Lives Matter” etc.) sponsored by FIFA and other regional football associations, racism has seemingly been kryptonite for the footballing establishments. 

I firmly believe that FIFA, UEFA, the media and most fans in Europe and America are not sincere about fighting racism. All these campaigns against racism are merely lip service that will never bring an end to this menace. Vinicius Junior is just the latest case that opens a fresh can of worms in a long list of racism storms that rocked the football world. 

When the trio of Saka, Sancho and Rashford missed crucial penalties in England’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy, they were racially abused online by their own fans. Even Real Madrid fans are also guilty of racism towards black players from other clubs and their players. When FIFA released the votes for the last Ballon d’Or, and it appeared that Real Madrid’s Austria captain, David Alaba, had voted for Lionel Messi as his first pick ahead of his teammate Karim Benzema, Real Madrid fans racially abused him online. And he was forced to apologise. And these are the same people that are up in arms “protecting” Vinicius. If this is not hypocrisy, I don’t know what is. 

Heck! Even fans at various French clubs were reported to have racially abused black players. And this is a country whose national team is simply an amalgam of players from their former African colonies. Imagine! 

Racism is here to stay as long as the powers that be are not serious about tackling it. FIFA has a three-step process for dealing with racism during matches. First, the referee should stop the game and announces that racist chants are going on and should stop. Then, if the chants continue, the referee should apply the second stage, which is to instruct the players to go back to the dressing room and wait. After a while, the referee should ask the players to resume on the pitch and restart the game. Finally, if the chants continue, the referee should apply the third process, which is to stop the game entirely and award the three points to the opponents. 

However, instead of making it mandatory for all regional football unions to adopt this process, FIFA only “recommend” it. Everyone knows that the only way to stop racism once and for all is to enforce this law. When clubs realise that some unscrupulous elements within their fanbase are making them lose points unnecessarily, they will fish out these “fans” and give them lifetime bans from stadiums. 

The question is, ‘Do black lives really matter’?

Aliyu Yakubu Yusuf wrote from Bayero University, Kano. He can be reached via aliyuyy@gmail.com.

By Musa Touray

When I saw France’s penalty squad entirely constituting black players at the final of the recently concluded World Cup, I was not happy with the composition even though I was rooting for Argentina, itself a country infamous for Black antipathy. I not only expressed my discontent at this decision but also prophesied the barbaric racism it could instigate among disgruntled fans if France lost to Argentina, as it eventually turned out.

The sole reason a legion of black football enthusiasts supported Argentina against France is their desire to see their football idol Lionel Messi win the World Cup and nothing else. The country has not done anything to deserve the symbolic outpouring of support from its African (black) fan base.

If anything, it’s the memories of affliction that Argentina meted out on their progenitors which continue to linger in their minds. History has it that the country is an inveterate anti-Black establishment that was said to have at least once led a crusade to exterminate its black residents. 

In a December 19, 2022 article titled “Messi’s emilokan – In Touch,” Sam Omatseye, a renowned Nigerian columnist for The Nation newspaper, wrote, following Argentina’s World Cup victory against France, that he “wanted France to beat Messi’s country, if I had a heartbeat for Messi’s game. It is a nation that never liked blacks. While Brazil is content to place its dark people in its ghettoes and salve its conscience by cultivating its Peles, their southern cousins decided to wipe them out. In a whitewashing sweep, they removed every trace of black people from their soils.” 

“They did not only cleanse the blacks out of their lands, they whitewashed its telling. They do not want even their forbears to know what happened. Today’s Argentines do not learn that aspect of their butchery. They were the ancestors of Hitler. But no one can deny the story. Some of their leaders are even proud of it. One of their former presidents, Carlos Menem, once quipped: ‘In Argentina, blacks do not exist; that is a Brazilian problem.’” He added.

Now that black fans—and of course, other fans—have their aim fulfilled in wanting to see Messi win the World Cup over his stiff competitor Ronaldo, most of them will not be rooting for Argentina ever again in light of the foregoing narrative.

Following England’s Euro defeat in 2020, its trio of black players, in the persons of Marcus Rashford, Jardon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, were cursed with excruciatingly racist invectives laden with all sorts of disgusting stereotypes. They were called monkeys, as if not humans. They were asked to return to their ancestral countries as if England was not where they proverbially had their umbilical cords interred. 

When Saka, Rashford and Bellingham made a name for themselves by performing excitingly and scoring goals at the recently concluded World Cup, they were lionised and extolled to the skies. Their identity and colour did not matter. They were more English than their colour could conspire to deny. Hence the caption of this article cannot be more befitting.

England progressed into the tournament—thanks to the awe-inspiring performance of their goalscoring black players—until everyone thought they would have the trophy. At last, Harry Kane’s missed penalty shoot defied people’s expectations. France knocked England out. Unlike Rashford, Sancho and Saka, Harry Kane was not subjected to any racial abuse. He survived the not-so-extreme heat of the moment.

The story would be different if a Rashford kind of player missed that penalty if the wont of English fans is anything to go by. His colour, although innocent, would have risen the anger and agitation to an unimaginable frenzy. It would invite the verbal causticity of the ungrateful trolls of a fan and pique the online devil in them. But since Harry Kane is one of their kind, his penalty miss was understood to mean nothing but destiny.

French fans have also unfailingly shown the world their racial bigotry, prompting a black French player to disable his Instagram account after having had enough of their online enormity. They blatantly disregarded black players’ overwhelming contributions and numerical significance throughout the tournament. 

Had they a pretence of gratitude, they wouldn’t resort to demonising their black players; yet, they would be busy trying to figure a way to canonise black players like Kylian Mbappé, who was literally the lifeblood of France in this World Cup.

Black players are, in other words, recognised and embraced when they pull stunning performances, ostracised and vilified when they do the contrary. It is nothing, as absurd as it sounds, other than the melanin that puts them at the receiving end of this insulting inconsistency of fans welled up in racism.

Musa Touray wrote from Sandu Kuwonku, The Gambia, via musatouray970@gmail.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

By defeating Morocco 2-0 in the Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday, defending champion France put an end to Morocco’s hopes of winning the 2022 World Cup.

In barely four years since winning the World Cup in Russia, France has advanced to its fourth final game thanks to goals from Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani.

However, Morocco, the first African team to advance past the quarterfinals of the World Cup, should be proud of itself for keeping France at bay before Kolo Muani’s game-winning goal.

The last time a defending World Cup champion made it to the championship game was France in 1998.

By Musa Abdullahi Kaga

“I try to do my job. When I’m in the area, I always try to be in the right place at the right time,” – Giroud

When Olivier Giroud’s rumoured move to Milan – from Chelsea – surfaced on the Internet, many Milan faithful were unhappy. Already battling with 39-year-old Zlatan’s fitness, most fans thought a 35-year-old wasn’t an ideal transfer target.

A token was paid to Chelsea for the transfer of the world cup winner, which has been paying off since then. His elegance and goal-scoring finesse were never in doubt. Olivier seamlessly settled into the team, as you’d expect of any experienced player of such calibre.

Everyone expected a rivalry between the former Arsenal star and Zlatan for the starting spot. However, it eventually proved to be a complementary role. He stood ably while the Lion (Zlatan) was nursing his injuries. When asked about the possibility of playing as a deputy to Ibrahimovic, he responded, “I don’t want to think about who will play; my job is also to be a big brother for the young players”.

After a seven-year absence from the Champions League, Milan desperately looked towards Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a solution. He eventually helped them to a second-place finish in the Italian Serie A. However, with the acquisition of Giroud the following year, the target was to build upon the success. He did that by contributing 11 goals and winning his second career league title, the first with Montpellier in 2012.

Naturally, big game players tend to be fan favourites, and Giroud was able to cement that status immediately with his super performances against the big guns. Most notably against Inter earlier in February, his brace assured the 3 points despite the defending champions taking the lead first. He followed that up with a star performance against Napoli, scoring the game’s only goal. Then, in the recent Derby win against Inter, he scored one of the three goals to claim the maximum points.

On the final day of last year’s league campaign, Milan only needed a draw to be crowned champions of Italy. Giroud showed up with pride and contributed two goals in the 0-3 triumph in the Magpie stadium. Last night, in the last game of the UCL group stage, Milan needed a draw to grace the knockout stage after a nine-year break. Their hero, Olivier Giroud, is at it again, with four goals contribution (two assists and two goals) in a commanding 4-0 win in front of a packed San Siro. He never gets old. At 36, he graced the game with a spectacular performance.

Grande Olivier!

Musa Abdullahi Kaga wrote via musaakaga@gmail.com.