BREAKING; Former legendary football Coach dies after protracted illness
Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson has died at the age of 76.
A statement on his official website confirmed he died on Monday morning, surrounded by his family.
The Swede, who had been battling cancer, was the first foreign manager of the English national side, taking charge of 67 matches from 2001 to 2006.
He led England to the quarter-finals of three major tournaments in succession, including the World Cups of 2002 and 2006.
He was appointed after a successful career in club management, notably in Italy with Lazio.
Eriksson returned to the World Cup with Ivory Coast in 2010 and also had spells in charge of Manchester City and Leicester, among stints in several other countries.
Eriksson won the Serie A title with Lazio in 1999-2000 to add to the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup the previous season, also twice winning the Coppa Italia which he had previously lifted with Roma and Samp.
His time at Benfica brought three league titles, a domestic cup and two European finals and he led Gothenburg to UEFA Cup glory in 1982.
Eriksson’s life and career is the subject of a new Amazon Prime documentary which was released on Friday.
In it, the Swede talked about how he hoped to be remembered.
“I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do,” he said.
“Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it.”
The England fans’ group Free Lions were among the first to pay tribute, posting on X: “RIP Sven. For the night in Munich, amongst everything else, thank you for the memories.”
That was a reference to England’s incredible 5-1 victory over Germany in Munich in a World Cup qualifier back in September 2001.
Eriksson had succeeded Kevin Keegan as national team boss and inherited a talented squad featuring the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard.
Current Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham paid tribute to Eriksson on behalf of the governing body.
“This is a very sad day. He gave all England fans such special memories. No one can ever forget the 5-1 victory in Munich against Germany under Sven’s guidance,” Bullingham said.
“Sven will be rightly recognised and forever remembered for his significant work with the England team, and for his wider contribution to the game.
“On behalf of my colleagues at the FA, past and present, our thoughts are with his friends and family today.
He will be much missed, and we will pay tribute to him when we play Finland at Wembley next month.”
Eriksson revealed in January he had been told he had “best case” a year to live after being diagnosed with cancer.
There was a huge outpouring of support and love towards the Swede from former players and fans.
In March he was given the opportunity to coach his beloved Liverpool in a ‘Legends’ match at Anfield.
Eriksson said after the match: “To sit on the bench for Liverpool, that’s been my dream my whole life. Now it happened, and it was a beautiful day in all meanings.” (dpa/NAN)
JPE
In an interview on Arise News on Friday, Kingibe addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent altercation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The incident, which took place on February 20 during a plenary session, involved a heated exchange over a change in seating arrangements. Akpoti-Uduaghan later accused Akpabio of retaliating against her after she allegedly rejected his sexual advances.
Kingibe, however, countered Akpoti-Uduaghan’s accusations, emphasizing that she was not the only senator whose seat had been moved.
The FCT senator also criticised Akpoti-Uduaghan for failing to adhere to Senate rules, stating that such issues should be handled within the framework of parliamentary procedures.
“Silence is golden, especially when one of us is not following the rules. And as women, we did not want to come out publicly to say anything negative about her; and we were hoping all of this will blow over, as a lot of things do,” Kingibe said.
“The senate is not a place where we are supposed to fight over trivialities like seating arrangements.
“This is about the rules of the senate. So if I can point out that other women have been moved several times on that day, I wasn’t there, but I gathered that several men were also moved.”
Kingibe said although the senate is “not gender friendly”, it has been improving.
“And the truth of the matter is, when we make a fuss and draw the attention of the Senate president, he corrects it,” she said.
“Truly, the senate can do better than it’s doing, but there’s hardly anything that’s been done to us that’s not done to other men.
“The truth is, Senator Natasha has gotten the most privileges among all four of us (female senators). The seat I sit on now has been moved four times.
“I want women to know we have to follow the rules of the institution we choose to enter, and that is mostly the point of this visit here.”
Regarding the allegations of sexual harassment, Kingibe stated that she is not personally close to Akpabio and therefore could not comment on such matters.
“I collected some documents for Senator Natasha, informed her and went to her house. She told me that she was supposed to discuss something with Akpabio but he said to meet him at a hotel,” Kingibe added.
News
Governor Fubara breaks silence as Wike’s canp wins big at the Supreme Court
Governor Fubara breaks silence as Wike’s canp wins big at the Supreme Court
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed his acknowledgement for the Supreme Court’s decision to recognize Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule and 26 other individuals as legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The ruling marks a key development in the ongoing political turbulence within the state.
In an official statement issued by Joe Johnson, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Governor Fubara acknowledged the Supreme Court’s judgment, which also covers the management of state funds and local government administration in Rivers.
“We are currently awaiting a detailed briefing on the full implications of the judgment. We will carefully assess the situation and decide on the appropriate steps to safeguard the interests of Rivers State and its people,” the statement read.
While admitting that the ruling reinstates the 27 lawmakers, Fubara pointed out that the critical issue of their defection, which initially led to their disputed status, was not addressed by the Court. He explained that this matter remains unresolved, as it is still pending before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
“Since the issue of defection was not part of the case before the Justices, they consider Amaewhule and the 26 others as duly serving lawmakers until the matter is brought before them,” the statement added.
Governor Fubara reassured Rivers State residents that his administration is committed to upholding the rule of law and working in the best interest of the state. He urged the public to remain calm and law-abiding as the government seeks clarity on the ruling and its broader consequences.
News
JUST IN: Akpabio’s Wife drags Natasha to court, demands N250 billion over allegations against Husband
JUST IN: Akpabio’s Wife drags Natasha to court, demands N250 billion over allegations against Husband
Wife of the President of the Senate, Mrs. Unoma Godswill Akpabio, has instituted multiple lawsuits against Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan following her sexual harassment allegations against her husband.
She filed a fundamental rights and defamation suits against Natasha-Akpoti at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, following sexual harassment claims against her husband.
In the suits, Anoma sought N250 billion as general damages.
Natasha-Akpoti had claimed that Akpabio was victimizing her in the Senate because she refused to sleep with him.
She recounted how the Senate President made several sexual overtures at her, even in the presence of her husband.
But, Anioma had dismissed her claims, saying she was lying and creating contents for her personal gains.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Anioma threatened legal actions against Natasha.
The fundamental rights suit (Suit No: CV/814/25), was brought under Section 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 4 & 5 of The African Charter on Human And Peoples Rights (Ratification And Enforcement Act) Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Mrs. Akpabio sought the following, “A DECLARATION that the allegations made by the Respondent on the floor of the Senate on the 20th of February 2025 and subsequent scandalous and salacious allegations on Arise News TV by the Respondent, constitute a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights of the Applicant guaranteed under Section 34(1) (A) of The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), Article 4 & 5 of The African Charter on Human And Peoples Rights (Ratification And Enforcement Act) Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Section 14 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
“AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Respondent from making further inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful statements that have caused the Applicant and her children emotional and psychological abuse and living under constant threat and fear of their lives.
“AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Respondent, whether by themselves, their agents, privies, or whosoever from further inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful statements that have caused the Applicant and her children emotional and psychological abuse and living under constant threat and fear of their lives or in any other manner infringing on their fundamental rights.
“AN ORDER awarding the sum of N250,000,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Billion Naira only) as exemplary, punitive, aggravated and general damages against the Respondent for her infringement of the fundamental rights of the Applicant alongside such further or other Orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.”
Additionally, in a separate defamation lawsuit (Suit No: CV/816/25), Mrs. Akpabio seeks: “A DECLARATION that the Defendant’s act of claiming on national television, that the Claimant’s husband, who is the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria made sexual advances at her, without any proof of same, has damaged the reputation of the Claimant and indeed her entire family, bringing them into disrepute and opprobrium.
“AN ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT mandating the Defendant to issue a formal written retraction of the defamatory words and tender an unconditional apology to the Claimant and her family, to be published in 2 (two) nationally-read newspapers to wit: The Guardian and This Day Newspapers.
“AN ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT compelling the Defendant to pay to the Claimant the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira only) as punitive and exemplary damages for the ruinous effect of the Defendant’s defamatory words on the Claimant’s family’s reputation.
“AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Defendant from further uttering any defamatory words or causing to be uttered or spread, any defamatory words against the reputation of the Claimant’s family.”