SJ BLOG

Cristiano Ronaldo has won his FIFTH Ballon d'Or. The Portuguese superstar was voted the best player in the world once again - edging out Lionel Messi and Neymar. Ronaldo won his first prize in 2008 before successes in 2013, 2014 and 2016. He received the award at a glitzy ceremony up the Eiffel Tower on Thursday evening. Tottenham striker Harry Kane was the highest-placed Premier League player as he came in 10th. We will bring you all the reaction from the star-studded event and pictures of Ronaldo with his latest trophy. Cristiano Ronaldo has won the fifth Ballon d’Or of his career, equalling his arch-rival Lionel Messi’s record after a phenomenal season that saw him lead Real Madrid to the Champions League and the LaLiga title. The 32-year-old, who is the all-time record goalscorer in the Champions League, was presented with the award, which recognises the best footballer in the world in a calendar year, in Paris on Thursday. Gianluigi Buffon was placed fourth...

The club are currently seventh in Serie A following a 0-0 draw with Torino, and sit 18 points behind league leaders Napoli, prompting a change AC Milan have confirmed that they have sacked head coach Vincenzo Montella, with Gennaro Gattuso entrusted to lead the Serie A club in his stead. Milan drew 0-0 with Torino on Sunday, leaving the club seventh in the league table, a mammoth 18 points behind leaders Napoli. The club's domestic woes come after a massive summer of investment which saw the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Andre Silva and Hakan Calhanoglu recruited at an expense of over £150 million. Milan have won just six of their 14 games in 2017-18, and have fallen to defeats to the likes of Roma, Juventus and city rivals Inter. The Rossoneri have not endured such a difficult start to the season since 1941/42, when they fell to seven defeats from 14 games. Gattuso, a former midfield general at San Siro, will step up from managing the club's you...

Former Minister of State for Defence, Sen.Musiliu Obanikoro, on Saturday in Lagos finally dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Obanikoro’s defection at his Lagos Island constituency ended months of speculations about the status of his political allegiance. There were earlier reports that he had settled his differences with the national leader of APC, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu , as a step to joining the ruling party. Though Obanikoro acknowledged reconciliation with Tinubu, he had neither denied nor confirmed plans to join his political mentor in APC. He, however, finally gave the hint of his defection during a television interview on Thursday. NAN reports that Obanikoro defected to the APC along with other PDP bigwigs in the state, including a former aide of former president Good luck Jonathan, Mrs Modupe Sasore. Others are a national officer of the PDP, Mr Jide Damazio, and another PDP chieftain, Chief Kola Bal...

RnB singer Banky W and his actress wife Adesua Etomi held their white wedding in Cape Town, South Africa today with their loved ones with them to give them all the support they need on their big day. The traditional wedding held last week sunday in Lagos and was one of the most searched topics on Google. Almost everyone in Lagos attended the event as it was the talk of the day wherever people gathered for discussions. We are hopeful for more breathtaking weddings like this to keep coming, because writing about them is our delight as they make our day. The couple look amazing and we are loving these pictures. The couple – Banky W and Adesua Also Read: Olamide, Lil Kesh, Others Set To Light Up Lagos Carnival

The 25-year-old scored the opener and could've wrapped up maximum points against his former club in another decisive performance It was the story of what was for Chelsea and what could have been. When the breakthrough eventually arrived on a glacial Saturday night at Anfield, the goal belonged to Liverpool and a player once on their books, while the assist materialised from one they had been desperate to sign in the summer. Mohamed Salah became the first player to break double figures in front of the sticks in the Premier League after converting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s toe-poke into his path. In September, Antonio Conte had wondered just what possessed Chelsea to sanction the sale of Kevin De Bruyne after his winner for Manchester City in south-west London, and here, he would’ve been just as perplexed by his club's decision to let the Egypt international depart. “Salah is a good player and is very dangerous,” the Italian said pre-match. “He's a tec...

Top rated artistes like Olamide, Small Doctor, Lil Kesh, 9ce and Ycee other A-listers are billed to perform at the Lagos Street Carnival, scheduled for Sunday, 3rd December 2017. The carnival, which will begin with several entertainment activities in Lagos will be held on the long stretch of Oba Akran road, Ikeja. The colourful carnival, which was formerly called the Lagos Street Party in 2016, was revamped to serve a wider purpose, and it is expected to launch this year with several activities for the Yuletide season. Also expected to perform at the event are; top Fuji acts, Alhaji Sule Alao Malaika and Waka Queen, Alhaja Salawa Abeni. There will also be top DJs and a robust line-up of top Nigerian singers, to entertain carnival attendees. On Friday the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said the event will feature activities like colourful carnival processions, outdoor games, kiddies’ play zone, food stalls and a star-studded ...

The Sevilla attacker made reference to the Reds' famous Champions League comeback after his side pulled off a similar feat Tuesday      It wasn’t the Champions League final, but Wissam Ben Yedder could not help but draw comparisons Tuesday to a famous finale after a stunning three-goal comeback by Sevilla against Liverpool. Ben Yedder scored a second-half brace to help bring his side back into the contest against the Reds, after Liverpool took a 3-0 lead into the half. Also Read: Zidane: We knew Ronaldo, Benzema goals would come Guido Pizzaro’s equaliser in stoppage-time completed the epic comeback and earned Sevilla a crucial 3-3 draw in the Champions League Group E clash. It also might have reminded fans of another Champions League classic involving Liverpool — the "Miracle of Istanbul," when the Reds stormed back from a 3-0 deficit of their own to level the game and eventually stun AC Milan on penalties in the 2005 final. ...

The under-fire duo scored two each in Real Madrid's thrashing of APOEL, much to their head coach's delight Zinedine Zidane insists it was always a matter of time until Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema rediscovered their goalscoring form, after the duo scored two each in Real Madrid's 6-0 win over APOEL. Ronaldo, who has just one La Liga goal all season and had gone four games in a row without finding the net, scored the final two for his side as they cruised to a win in Cyprus and booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League. The 32-year-old's goals took him to 98 for Madrid in the competition – one more than Lionel Messi has managed for Barcelona – and saw him set a new record of 18 in the tournament in a calendar year. Benzema has likewise come under fire for his form this term, with only two goals to his name in all competitions before the trip to Nicosia, but he netted twice in between a strike from Nacho Fernandez after...

The Reds boss felt his side "stopped playing football" as they let slip a 3-0 half-time lead against Sevilla Jurgen Klopp felt Liverpool paid the price for being too passive as they surrendered a 3-0 half-time lead to draw 3-3 with Sevilla in a Champions League thriller. The Premier League side looked set to qualify for the knockout stages when they cruised into a commanding advantage, Roberto Firmino's brace of goals sandwiching a diving header from Sadio Mane. However, Liverpool collapsed after the break at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Wissam Ben Yedder scoring twice before Guido Pizarro grabbed an injury-time equaliser for the hosts. Alberto Moreno endured a nightmare return to his old club, giving away a free-kick and a penalty that led to goals, though Klopp refused to lay the blame entirely at the feet of the Spanish left-back. "It's obvious, we played a very good first half and we stopped playing football in the second half," he told BT S...

The two under-fire forwards have been struggling for goals of late, but usually save their best for the Champions League and scored two each at APOEL It has been a complicated campaign so far for Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. The two Real Madrid forwards have only scored one goal apiece in La Liga, and that came in the same game, a 2-1 win away to Getafe. But at APOEL on Tuesday, they were both back to doing what they do best. Benzema had only netted twice in the entire season up until the trip to Cyprus - once in the Spanish Supercopa win over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu and again in that victory against Getafe. Ronaldo, meanwhile, led the scoring charts in the Champions League prior to this fixture, but has been notably frustrated in the Primera Division and trails Barcelona rival Lionel Messi by 11 goals already - albeit after missing four Liga games through suspension. "He [Benzema] is the first one who knows he can give more," Zidane said...

Besiktas' midfielder Talisca (R) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match between Besiktas JK and FC Porto on November 21, 2017 at the Vodafone Park in Istanbul. OZAN KOSE / AFP Turkish champions Besiktas reached the Champions League last 16 for the first time in 31 years on Tuesday, as a 1-1 draw with Porto in Istanbul wrapped up top spot in Group G. Porto silenced the vociferous home crowd with the opening goal through defender Felipe, but Besiktas midfielder Talisca equalised before half-time to secure a place in the knockout stage. Also Read: Pogba marks return with goal as Man Utd rout Newcastle 4-1

At least 50 people have been killed in a suicide bombing in the eastern Nigerian state of Adamawa, police say. A bomber struck inside a mosque packed with worshippers during morning prayers in the town of Mubi. Witness Abubakar Sule told AFP news agency that it appeared the bomber was part of the congregation. No-one has said they were behind the bombing but the Islamist militants Boko Haram typically target crowded places in northern Nigeria. Some 20,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram's eight-year insurgency. The BBC's Ishaq Khalid reports that Boko Haram militants have recently stepped up suicide bombings in Nigeria's north-east after the military recaptured territories previously controlled by the group. Read Also: Obaze rejects Obiano’s victory in Anambra governorship poll At least 45 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack in the same state last December. In that attack two female suicide bombers detonated their explosives in a busy mar...

The incumbent Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance coasted home with a landslide victory in Saturday’s Anambra governorship election. Obiano, who won in all the 21 local government areas of the state, floored his arch rivals, Tony Nwoye of the All Progressives Congress (Anambra East) and Oseloka Obaze of the Peoples Democratic Party (Ogbaru) in their hometowns. The Independent National Electoral Commission through the Returning Officer, Prof. Zanna Akpago, had declared Obiano the winner of the November 18, 2017 governorship election at the commission’s office in Awka on Sunday.A native of Uga in the Aguata Local Government Area, Obiano polled 234,071 votes to beat Nwoye (APC), who came a distant second with 98,752 votes. The PDP governorship candidate (Obaze), who lost in Ogbaru, his local government area to Obiano, came third in the November 18 contest with 70,293 votes. The candidate of the United...

- Adesua Etomi and Banky W’s wedding is taking place today November 19, 2017 - Many had been waiting to see what Adesua would wear on her special day - She did not disappoint NAIJ has been covering the ongoing traditional wedding ceremony of popular musician Banky W and actress Adesua Etomi. We had brought you photos from their hen night and bachelor’s party, first photos of Banky W and other male guests, and Banky’s special message to Adesua. Many had been waiting to see how actress Adesua Etomi would look on her traditional wedding day. And she did not disappoint.' Also Read: Anambra Election Governor Obiano wins second term bid in landslide See her photos below:

Governor Willie Obiano has won himself a second term in office after contesting under the APGA against 35 other candidates on Saturday, November 18, 2017. According the results announced by the INEC office in Awka, Anambra state on Sunday, November 19, 2017, Obiano won the election in a landslide victory. The governor had earlier boasted of winning the election and earning himself a second tenure after he voted at the Eri Primary School, Otuocha. “I’m happy with the turnout and I’m sure I will win by a landslide,” Obiano said. In the same vein, Bianca Ojukwu, the widow of late Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, had celebrated the victory of APGA in her ward while congratulating Governor Obaino of the overall victory at the election. APGA has won 18 out of 18 so far announced by INEC.

Paul Pogba marked his comeback with a goal and an assist as Manchester United fought back to beat Newcastle United 4-1 on Saturday and stay on Manchester City’s tail. Sidelined since mid-September with a hamstring injury, France midfielder Pogba made a decisive return as Jose Mourinho’s side restored the eight-point gap that separates them from Premier League leaders City. Pep Guardiola’s City had earlier prevailed 2-0 at Leicester City and there were also wins for champions Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, who beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the north London derby. United remain second, a point above Chelsea, who climbed above Tottenham into third place courtesy of a 4-0 success at West Bromwich Albion.In addition to Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic received a rapturous reception when he came on as a substitute following his recovery from a serious knee injury. A slip by Victor Lindelof enabled Dwight Gayle to put Newcastle ahead in the 14th minute with the first league goal United...

Manchester City retained control of the Premier League title race after fine goals by Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne secured a 2-0 win at Leicester City on Saturday. Jesus and De Bruyne struck either side of half-time at the King Power Stadium as Pep Guardiola’s ruthless side registered a 16th successive victory in all competitions. Champions Chelsea climbed to second place with a 4-0 win at West Bromwich Albion in which Eden Hazard scored twice, while Arsenal engineered an impressive 2-0 win over derby rivals Tottenham Hotspur. City provisionally moved nine points clear at the top of the table, although Manchester United can trim their lead back to eight points if they beat Newcastle United in the day’s late game.City captain Vincent Kompany made his first league start since August following his latest calf injury, but fellow centre-back John Stones was forced off in the first half with an apparent hamstring problem. Jesus tapped in David Silva’s pass on the stroke of half-time a...

Chelsea cruised to a 4-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday with two-goal Eden Hazard leading the way. The Belgian played a key role in Alvaro Morata’s 17th-minute opener before scoring the champions’ second and fourth goals as they won without needing to reach top gear at The Hawthorns. Marcos Alonso also found the net for Antonio Conte’s side, who left West Brom head coach Tony Pulis fighting to save his job after a display of lethargic defending. Chelsea’s fourth successive league win arrived despite reported unrest involving defender David Luiz, who was back in the squad as an unused substitute after being omitted for the 1-0 victory over Manchester United.The visitors provisionally moved into second place above United, and remained nine points adrift of leaders Manchester City. For Pulis, a run of just two wins in 21 league games leaves him fighting to save his job, with fans calling for his head. West Brom started brightly and troubled C...

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid slipped 10 points behind Barcelona at the top of La Liga as a Madrid derby short on chances finished 0-0 at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday. Earlier, Barca also weren’t at their best but Luis Suarez’s double ended a five-game goal drought for the Uruguayan and Paulinho’s late strike helped see off a determined Leganes 3-0. Both Madrid sides suffered a familiar lack of cutting edge in front of goal this season, but it was Atletico who passed up the best chance when Angel Correa fired wide after just three minutes. “We lacked a goal, but apart from that I feel for the players because they deserved more,” said Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane. “10 points is a lot but that will change for sure because Barca will not always win and we will be in the running.” After a bright start from Atletico, Real’s first chance came on the counter-attack but Juanfran outpaced Cristiano Ronaldo when the Portuguese was put clean through by Luka Modr...

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said he did not receive any money from the controversial pension fund. He said there was no iota of truth in reports that he was paid N5b monthly from the money. His media adviser, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, gave the  explanation in Abuja on Saturday while reacting to a statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), published in a national newspaper last week. The chief legal officer of the federation was said to have told a Senate ad-hoc committee that an “ex-president was taking N5bn monthly from the Pension Fund.” Eze dismissed the claim as “a blatant lie hurriedly cooked up to divert the attention of the general public from the raging ‘Mainagate’ and other embarrassing scandals.” He added, “We believe that the story was concocted as part of the unfolding grand design (by the Buhari administration) to always dodge responsibility and blame every evil act taking p...

Mugabe’s 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the “criminals” around him. Shortly after the sources revealed the meeting, a motorcade left Mugabe’s official residence in the capital Harare to boos and jeers from onlookers, although a security said Mugabe was not inside. Hundreds of thousands of people had flooded the streets of Harare singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mugabe’s demise, while others marched towards his residence. In scenes reminiscent of the downfall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, men, women and children ran alongside the armored cars and the troops who stepped in this week to oust the only ruler Zimbabwe has known since independence in 1980. Under house arrest in his lavish ‘Blue Roof’ compound, he has watched support from his ZANU-PF party, security services and people evaporate in less t...