Photo of the Week: Emmanuel Macron Inside Fela's Afrika Shrine

Mr Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has visited Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s iconic Afrika Shrine in Ikeja Lagos.

 

Macron on stage at the Shrine

The President arrived the night club in a casual white shirt, with sleeves rolled up and was seen at the balcony, acknowledging cheers from a large crowd of Nollywood actors, actresses and entertainers. Macron after his discussions with Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, headed to Lagos.

He arrived at the Presidential Lounge of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) exactly 9:05 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

 

Lagos State Gov., Akinwunmi Ambode, also got to the lounge at exactly 8:10 p.m. to receive the French president.

Also on ground to receive Macron were the top echelons of the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service.

He left the airport in a long convoy at about 9.30 p.m. for the visit to the Afrika Shrine of the late Afrobeat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

The French president is also expected to inaugurate the headquarters of Alliance Francaise, a French Language and Cultural Centre in Ikoyi on July 4.

 

Macron with a young Nigerian hyperrealistic artist 

Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama told newsmen in Abuja that the visit would enhance ties and trade relations between France and Nigeria.

He added that it would also be the first formal meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the French President since assumption of Office.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Set for Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo has "already signed" for Juventus according to the club's former CEO Luciano Moggi, who claimed he tried to bring the Real Madrid star to Italy when he was a teenager.

Serie A champions Juventus are reported to have made a bid of €100 million (£88m/$116m) for Ronaldo, who is Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer after nine seasons at Santiago Bernabeu.

Moggi, who headed up Juve's board from 1994 until 2006 when he was a central figure in the Italian football scandal that saw him given a life ban from football, was initially sceptical of the deal going through, but has since claimed the transfer was already at an advanced stage.

The 80-year-old told Italian TV network Tele7Gold : "In my opinion, he has already signed and passed the medical examination with Juventus in Munich.

"This is what I think after talking to important people."

Moggi recalled his attempts to make Ronaldo a Juventus player in 2002, when he was emerging from the Sporting CP youth ranks and becoming one of the Primeira Liga's hottest talents.

A proposed transfer involving Chilean striker Marcelo Salas moving in the opposite direction never transpired, according to Moggi, and Ronaldo joined Manchester United in 2003.

"I received an alert," said the former Juve chief. "I sent an observer to look at him, he was an 18-year-old boy, but he impressed me with his maturity and his choices.

"In the middle of the day I made the contract. Unfortunately, Marcelo Salas refused to sign for Sporting Lisbon because he wanted to return to River Plate.

"I offered five million more for an 18-year-old player, but it could not be done at that time."

The prospect of the Portugal star joining up with the Turin giants has been talked up by potential team-mate Blaise Matuidi , who said: "It would be great to have one of the best players in the world with Juventus in the same club that I am."

And the idea of the 33-year-old reuniting with former Madrid colleague Gonzalo Higuain has the latter's brother and agent excited, as he believes they would be "fantastic" together

 



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FIFA Rebukes Maradona

 The governing body responded to the criticism of officials, describing the Argentine's comments as "entirely inappropriate and completely unfounded".

 

Diego Maradona

FIFA issued a statement that "strongly rebukes" Diego Maradona's criticism of referee Mark Geiger following England's World Cup penalty shoot-out win over Colombia on Tuesday.

The Argentina icon – who has rarely been out of the headlines during Russia 2018 – believes Colombia were victims of a "monumental theft"  and laid into the performance of the officials.

FIFA responded and described the 57-year-old's comments as "entirely inappropriate and completely unfounded".

A statement read: "Following comments made by Diego Armando Maradona in relation to Tuesday's round of 16 game, Colombia v England, FIFA strongly rebukes the criticism of the performance of the match officials which it considers to have been positive in a tough and highly emotional match.

"Furthermore, it also considers the additional comments and insinuations made as being entirely inappropriate and completely unfounded.

"At a time when FIFA is doing everything within its power to ensure principles of fair play, integrity and respect are at the forefront of this World Cup and how the organisation is now run, FIFA is extremely sorry to read such declarations from a player who has written the history of our game."

Jose Pekerman's side received six bookings in a tempestuous match, but Maradona had said Colombia could feel robbed and questioned the decision of FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina to appoint American official Geiger.

Speaking to teleSUR , he said: "I saw a monumental theft on the pitch. I apologise to all the Colombian people, but the players are not to blame for this.

"Here is a gentleman [Collina] who is the one who decides to choose a referee by just Googling him. He cannot be put in to referee a match of this magnitude."

 



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