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Lionel Messi’s Panenka wins it for PSG after RB Leipzig threaten upset

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi’s Panenka wins it for PSG after RB Leipzig threaten upset

It might sound strange, but despite scoring two goals and winning the game for Paris Saint-Germain with an outrageous Panenka, Lionel Messi did not really have a very good game. Still, nobody at a festive Parc des Princes seemed to mind too much. After looking wooden and curiously passive for an hour, Paris came to life in the last 25 minutes, beating an impressive Leipzig side despite having little cohesion and not much in the way of a tactical plan, but two of the most irresistible attackers on the planet.

With three defeats out of three, Leipzig are now virtually eliminated, and for all their spirit and running, the spotlight will now fall on their new coach Jesse Marsch.

By contrast, you suspect even Mauricio Pochettino does not really know how good this Paris side is. The attacking combinations are still being drilled, the midfield looks overstretched and occasionally the defence gives the impression it wants to run and hide.

In the meantime just savour the entertainment, and the burgeoning bromance between Messi and Kylian Mbappé, who for all their differences, for all the operatic, highly strung drama of recent months, look like they are beginning to enjoy each other’s company.

It was Mbappé who laid on Messi’s first goal and created his second, winning a penalty and allowing Messi a free run at it. In stoppage time Messi returned the favour, spurning the chance of a hat-trick to let Mbappé take the spot-kick, which the France forward duly blazed over the bar. No matter. PSG are back on top of Group A, although not without a few scares.

Even from the early stages you could sense that both teams were there to be got at, and both knew it too. Leipzig pushed high and got the ball forward quickly, trying to create space for their attacking wing-backs. Paris, meanwhile, would look to the spaces in behind, trying to release Mbappé into the open channels. And it was from just such an opening that he got his early goal.

It came via a smart low finish at the end of one of those terrifying, prowling dribbles in which the defender – Willi Orban this time – is almost paralysed with indecision and so ends up being led into a sort of doomed dance. The goal itself was greeted with the imperial assent of a crowd that – without wanting to put too fine a point on it – is used to going 1-0 up an awful lot.

Perhaps the only consolation for Leipzig was that chasing the game required little change in style. Actually, there was another: PSG will generally always give you a chance.

This is, after all, a team that have kept just four clean sheets in 14 games this season. And even as several good opportunities came and went to Konrad Laimer and André Silva (twice), there simply was not the same sort of jeopardy you get when you miss a chance against, say, Chelsea.

Slowly Leipzig were beginning to feel their way into the game, find the spaces. And shortly before the half-hour they were able to stroll the ball up the pitch and work it unfussily from right to left, where Angeliño put in one of his trademark early crosses for Silva to finish from a tight angle. It had been coming.

After a short truce at the end of the first half, Leipzig made their move at the start of the second. Again it came on the counter, the ball spread left to Angeliño, the penalty area packed with white-shirted runners. Nordi Mukiele, the Parisian native, volleyed in Angeliño’s delicious cross, and all of a sudden the heat was on Pochettino, who with precious few attacking alternatives on the bench could change personnel but not the system.

What of Messi? These hectic hard-running games no longer really suit his style: it’s worth remembering that his last game against Bundesliga opposition ended in an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich. He had just one touch in the Leipzig penalty area in the first half.

Still, all genius needs is a glimpse. And after bundling the ball in from close range from Mbappé’s unselfish pass he added the coup de grace seven minutes later: an irreverent dink after Mohamed Simakan had pushed the speeding Mbappé over in the area.

In a way, Mbappé’s late missed penalty – awarded after a foul on Achraf Hakimi – felt strangely apt: the comedy bassoon that brought the curtain down on another riotous Parisian farce.

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AGF, Fagbemi takes over casefile of #Endbadgovernance protesters from police

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi has asked the Nigeria Police to transfer the casefile of the 76 Endbadgovernance protesters who were arraigned for treason.

Fagbemi disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

This comes after the #Endbadgovernance protesters, described as minors, were arraigned and later granted N10 million bail each, while the matter was adjourned till January 2025.

Reacting, the AGF said the case would be taken over by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) under the Office of AGF from today, Saturday, 2nd November, 2024.

He said he has directed that the DPPF commence the process for the consideration of the court to bring the adjournment date forward than the January next date.

Fagbemi added that his move on the matter was necessary to make him make an informed decision.

“It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the Endbadgovernance violent protest in court for various offences, including treason.

“There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me to take an informed decision.

“I am aware that the court has remanded the defendants in detention centres and adjourned the case to January.

“It is not within my power to vary the order of the court remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January.

“I have, however, directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the casefile to my office and hand over the same to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) tomorrow, Saturday, 2nd November, 2024.

“I have further directed the DPPF to immediately put machinery in motion for consideration of the court to bring the adjournment date forward (an earlier date),” he stated.

Recall that one of the 76 minors fainted in court on Friday.

Later, it was reported that the court granted the suspects N10 million bail each.

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“Most of them are married men, none of them is a minor” – Legal counsel to the Federal Government speaks on the arraignment of 76 minors

Legal counsel to the Federal government in the arraignment of 67 minors accused of participating in the End Bad Governance protest, Rimazonte Ezekiel, has come out to dismiss claims that the accused persons are minors and should not have been arraigned.

While speaking to newsmen after their arraignment, Rimazonte said contrary to public opinion, the 67 accused are not minors but “adults and that most of them are married.”

“These boys that we brought to court today, all of them are adults. Most of them are married men, None of them is a minor, Some of them are university graduates.
” The small small kids you are seeing here, they came with some of their parents to greet their loved ones.

“They are not the real suspects standing trial in his case. These boys were arrested in Kaduna and Zaria, Imagine the level we have found ourselves now.

” Do you know how much it cost us to be at this level of democracy in this country? These young boys are trying to destabilize Nigeria using the Russian flags and other countries, calling on the military to remove our President. Is it fair?”

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Oyebanji attributes leadership style to Mother’s lessons in humility, love

….as mother’s foundation donates multipurpose hall to church

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has attributed his approach to leadership to the virtues of humility, contentment, and love that his late Mother instilled in him, stressing that her emphasis on simplicity and service has been a major influence in his life and career.

Governor Oyebanji, who disclosed this on Friday at Ikogosi Ekiti, while commissioning an ultra-modern multipurpose hall donated to the First Baptist Church, Ikogosi, by the Abiyamo Esther Oyebanji Foundation, a foundation in memory of the Governor’s mother.
He said the lessons learned at home have guided his approach to governance, helping him maintain perspective and empathy in his service to humanity.

According to him, his late mother was an example of true motherhood who used all she had to assist the less privileged and trained her children the right way to success.

While calling on parents to inculcate the virtues of honesty, love and empathy in their children, the Governor charged the Church and the community to make the best use of the hall as well as cultivate good maintenance culture towards ensuring the durability of the facility.

He assured the community that more development projects would be executed within the town and other towns in the state, calling for a more united front in achieving collective growth and shared prosperity.

“We are here today to give glory to God and celebrate our late Mother who lived for us. Mummy is no more, the greatest legacy to her is what we are doing today, walking the talk, the way he brought us up in humility, contentment, and in love for everybody around us.”

“We were brought up to show love to everybody, to respect people, fear God and serve him. So I am happy today that between myself and my siblings, we are able to bring this together in her memory”, the Governor said.

Also speaking at the event, the wife of the Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji who described the late Esther Abosede Oyebanji as a disciplinarian and philanthropist, said the Governor’s leadership attributes of empathy and love for the people, as well as commitment to just causes were product of his upbringing, adding that they have been part of him long before he embraced public service.

Other dignitaries and community leaders at the event included the regent of Ikogosi Ekiti, Princess Omobola Adepoju, the President of the Ekiti Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Aribasoye, Prof. (Mrs) Ojo and Dr Temiola eulogized the late matriarch of the Oyebanji dynasty and commended the initiative of the children at immortalizing her.

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