Sports

Gov Makinde Counters President Tinubu, Says States Didn’t Receive N570bn

Published

1 month ago

August 9, 2024

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has denied a statement by President Bola Tinubu that the federal government gave N570 billion to all the States in the country.

Makinde said this while addressing Nigerians in a broadcast during the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests against hunger and hardship.

President Bola Tinubu had said his administration had disbursed ₦570bn to the 36 states, Makinde in a newsletter shared on his X handle on Thursday, said the state was not in the know of such a grant.

He said, “I responded to a question from a concerned citizen of Oyo State regarding the claim that the Federal Government ‘gave’ States over N570 billion as some kind of ‘hardship fund’ for citizens.

“Let me state categorically that this is yet another case of misrepresentation of facts. The said funds were part of the World Bank-assisted NG-CARES project—a Programme for Results intervention.

“The World Bank facilitated an intervention to help States in Nigeria with COVID-19 Recovery. CARES means COVID-19 Action Recovery Economic Stimulus.

“It was called the Programme for Results because States had to use their money in advance to implement the programme.

“After the World Bank verified the amount spent by the State, it reimbursed the States through the platform provided at the Federal level. The Federal Government did not give any State money; they were simply the conduit through which the reimbursements were made to States for money already spent.

“It is important to note that the World Bank fund is a loan to States, not a grant. So, States will need to repay this loan. Note also that NG-CARES, which we christened Oyo-CARES in our State, predates the present federal administration.”

He further explained that the loan came in two tranches to states, saying Oyo State got ₦5.98 billion in the first tranche and ₦822 million in the second tranche.

“So, in direct response to the message, the Federal Government did not give Oyo State any money. We were reimbursed funds (₦5.98 billion in the first instance and ₦822 million in the second instance).

“We invested in the three result areas of NG-CARES, which includes inputs distribution to smallholder farmers within our State. In fact, when the World Bank saw our model for the distribution of inputs preceded by biometric capturing of beneficiary farmers, they adopted it as the NG-CARES model,” governor Makinde added.

Sports

Top 10 Coaches With Most Trophies In Football

Published

6 days ago

September 14, 2024

Editor

A team’s success in terms of winning a trophy does not hinge on the players alone; there’s also a coaching factor. Football coaches determine what tactics and formations a team will play and also what players can perfectly play them.

In light of the foregoing, some coaches have enjoyed significant club successes. They have thus amassed a plethora of trophies, thus making them rank as successful gaffers, as it is the biggest measure of good coaches.

Let’s take a look at them.

10. Giovanni Trapattoni – 23 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
The Italian managed Juventus under separate stints but won every trophy possible, except the Super Italia Cup. With 23 titles to his name, Trapattoni’s trophy successes included six Serie A titles, the European Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

9. Ottmar Hitzfeld – 25 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Hitzfield was coach at clubs such as Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, where he enjoyed most of his managerial successes, despite starring for a while in Switzerland. The German won seven (7) Bundesliga titles and two (2) UEFA Champions Leagues with both Bayern Munchen and Borussia Dortmund.

8. Jock Stein – 26 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Jock Stein passed away in 1985, but as a fulfilled coach and manager in the history of football. The Scottish man won all titles available for Celtic within 13 years.

7. Luiz Felipe Scolari – 26 titles

Scolari’s successes happened during his stints at clubs like Palmeira, Gremio, ,and the Brazil national team. The Brazilian has a total of 26 trophies, which include a World Cup triumph with Brazil in

The 70-year-old is currently coaching Athletico Mineiro after coming out of retirement.

6. Jose Mourinho – 26 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
The Special One, as he called him, Jose Mourinho’s name on this list is no surprise. He has enjoyed successful spells at Porto, Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan, and recently at Roma, where he won the maiden UEFA Conference League, making him the only coach to have won all European cups. Jose Mourinho currently manages Turkish side Fenerbahce.

5. Carlo Ancelotti – 28 trophies

Only a few modern coaches can boast of the profile of Ancelotti in terms of the number of trophies he has won. The Italian has a big record—he is the only coach to have won a league title or more in Europe’s top five leagues. He has also won European Championships, including a record 5 Champions League titles.

4. Valeriy Lobanovskyi – 29 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
The Ukrainian talisman managed Dynamo Kyiv and won the league title thirteen (13) times. He orchestrated a lot of tactical innovation during his stint there, including the ‘Total Football’, and made Kiev one of the best teams on the continent where they always reached the last eight (8) or further.

3. Mircea Lucescu – 32 titles

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Lucescu currently coaches Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine. He was coach for clubs like Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Zenit St. Petersburg, and even Brescia, which he guided to a Serie B title in 1991/1992. He has also enjoyed significant successes in continental competitions, including a 2000 Super Cup trophy, which was wrestled from Real Madrid.

2. Pep Guardiola – 40 trophies

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Who else but Pep Guardiola in the second position? The Spaniard has won 40 trophies, which included three UEFA Champions League and numerous league titles across Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, where he transformed the team into a trophy-possessed entity.

Last season, Guardiola’s Manchester City won a record four consecutive league titles, surpassing Alex Ferguson’s three between 1998/99, 1999/00, and 2000/01.

1. Alex Ferguson

Top 10 coaches with most trophies in football
Alex Ferguson is a legend of the job. He is also a leading figure who every coach looks up to. The Scottish manager was in charge of Manchester United for 27 years, winning 37 titles, including 13 Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies.

Before this stint, Ferguson had won five Scottish league titles with Aberdeen.

VANGUARD

Sports

Mikel Arteta Agrees New Arsenal Deal

Published

1 week ago

September 12, 2024

Tari Ayesinghan

Mikel Arteta has agreed to commit his long-term future to Arsenal and is about to sign a new contract that runs until 2027.

Arteta’s previous deal was set to expire at the end of the current season but the Gunners have secured the Spaniard’s future until 2027.

Since taking over at Arsenal during a turbulent period, Arteta has overseen an impressive transformation.

Over the last two seasons, the north London club has consistently challenged Manchester City for the Premier League title, falling short both times, but earning widespread recognition for their progress.

Arteta, who previously served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Man City and played a key role in their success, is now aiming to guide Arsenal to their first league title in over two decades, hoping to outpace his former mentor.

The 42-year-old manager brought immediate success to Arsenal by winning the FA Cup in his debut season, but he is still chasing more silverware. With a young, dynamic squad now in place, Arteta’s team is poised to be a serious contender for major trophies in the coming years.