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THE STORY BEHIND ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC’S TATTOOS
Most fans may not have known that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has 14 tattoos on his upper body even though he once said he could not stand the thought of one. Now they give him a ‘boost’.
His shirts cover the tattoo which he could not reveal during official matches as football regulations forbid any message whatsoever being displayed.
It was for that reason that Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo got booked when he revealed the message: “Thank You Jesus” written on his under shirt in last September 4-0 defeat of Cameroon.
Ibrahimovic also got cautioned when he went against his coach’s instruction at Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League last 16 clash with Chelsea last year. He was booked.
According to UK tabloid, The Sun, Ibrahimović once said he could not stand the thought of having tattoo. Now they give him a ‘boost’.
“I was against them in the beginning. Thought they were in bad taste. But I got tempted anyway.” Here are the tattoo he carries and the meaning of them.
1 Right wrist: These numbers are known as the ‘Ibrahimovic code’ and refer to the birthdates of the males in his family. They feature his father Sefik, late brother Sapko, other brother Aleksander and the days on which his two sons Maximilian, nine, and Vince, eight, were born.
2 Right arm: On the top of his right arm, Ibrahimovic has the names of his two sons in Arabic fonts.
3 Right bicep: Below them lies ‘Sefik’. Zlatan and his father had little money and in his book, the striker tells of when they had to carry home a bed from Ikea because they could not afford the delivery charges.
4 Right oblique: Two playing cards. The ace of hearts features a letter ‘H’ inside it and this is thought to be in honour of his wife Helena Seger. The ace of clubs is apparently a good luck symbol.
5 Right side: This red dragon is to show off his warrior personality and comes from Japanese culture.
6 Left wrist: Ibrahimovic has the birthdates of his mother Jurka and sister Sanela here. Unlike the men, the women of Zlatan’s life go on the left side because they are closer to his heart. The men are on the right because the superstar believes that represents
strength.
7 Left bicep: Jurka, the name of his mother, in Arabic font.
8 Stomach: This is the tattoo Ibrahimovic says comes out only when he is tanned – and was his first. He said: “The first tattoo I got was my name across my waist in white ink. You can only see it when I have a tan. It was mainly a test.”
To the side of this he has the message: “Only God can judge me.”
Of this tat, Ibra said: “They could write whatever they wanted in the
papers. Scream anything at all from the stands.
“They still couldn’t get at me. Only God could judge me! I liked that. You have to go your own way, so I got those words tattooed on me.”
9 Left shoulder blade: A grey koi fish. The colour is thought to be
significant as grey koi are wild, as opposed to orange ones bred in ponds. Koi can swim upstream and in his book, Ibrahimovic said he chose the fish because it “went against the grain”.
10 Lower back: A recent addition, this is Leonardo da Vinci’s
‘Vitruvian Man’. It shows ideal human proportions and the original drawing dates to around 1490.
11 Right shoulder blade: This feather is said to come from an eagle and represent strength and courage. It’s ancrestry appears to be Native American.
12 Right arm: Maori tribal symbol to protect him, his family and bring good luck.
13 Right shoulder blade: A Buddhist monk image called Yant Prajao Khao Nirote, this protects from suffering.
14 Back: Another Buddhist feature, this represents the five elements of wind, water, fire, space and creative perception and is called Five Deva Faces Yantra.
African teams will battle for the remaining qualification spots for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup this weekend as the final round of qualifiers reaches its climax across the continent.
In Kampala, Ghana will attempt to protect a slender 2-1 first-leg advantage when they face Uganda’s U20 girls away from home.
Cameroon are also in a strong position ahead of their return-leg clash against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam after securing a 3-1 victory in the first meeting.
Meanwhile, Benin will fancy their chances of advancing when they host Côte d’Ivoire following a 1-1 draw in Abidjan.
Nigeria’s Falconets are equally close to qualification after earning a 2-0 first-leg victory over Malawi ahead of Saturday’s decisive encounter in Lilongwe.
The successful teams will join the global field for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next year.
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The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year’s New York City event.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.
“To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record,” said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.
In the women’s race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women ‘s-only world record
-Reuters
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By George Akpayen
The finish line is now in sight in this season’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), and much of the talk has centred on the title race and those at the other end of the table, which surprisingly include last season’s champions Remo Stars.
However, there is another race shaping up among the leading top scorers this season, and this could see as many as six or more players going head-to-head in the final six matchdays.
Top contenders in the race for the battle for the golden boot are Enugu Rangers’ striker, Godwin Obaje and Ikorodu City winger Joseph Arumala, who have scored 11 goals apiece.
On the tails of the top-two scoring individuals are Victor Mbaoma (Remo Stars), El-Kanemi Warriors midfielder Daddy Abdulrahman, Katsina United’s Uche Collins and Emeka Obioma of Abia Warriors, all on 10 goals each.
THE PERFORMANCE BREAKDOWN
Out of the top-six leading scorers, Obaje, Arumala and Mbaoma have more direct goal involvement. Obaje and Arumala have 11 goals and two assists each, while Mbaoma has 10 goals and assists from 23 appearances, which is the least number of matches featured in among the leading scorers. Mbaoma missed most of the early parts of the season due to bruised ribs.
El-Kanemi Warriors midfielder Abdulrahman has made the most appearances among the top-six scorers and has a 12-goal direct involvement (10 goals + two assists).
Obioma is however, the only top-six scorer who is yet to register an assist this season after 26 appearances for Abia Warriors.
Interestingly, Collins is the only top-six scorer who has netted a hat-trick this season so far.
THE CHASING PACK
There is also the chasing pack in the race for the Golden Boot. One of them is Plateau United winger Temitope Vincent Adebayo, who has scored nine goals. Sodiq Ibrahim (3SC), Enyimba striker Chidera Michael, and Igbunu Evwierhurhoma of Warri Wolves.
The variety of players in the chasing pack also makes the race intriguing as they have been consistent goal scorers in recent matchweeks. They are definitely breathing down the necks of the frontrunners.
There are also the outsiders in the race. Jonathan Mairiga of Wikki Tourists, Chidozie Iwundu (Rangers) and Bendel Insurance duo of Kayode Oke, 3SC’s Qamar Adegoke and Alex Oweilayefa – all on eight goals. On seven goals is Kano Pillars legend Rabiu Ali.
WORTHY MENTION
However, Iwundu deserves a big mention among the top scorers as he is the top-scoring defender. He has made 29 appearances for Rangers and has been booked three times and sent off once.
Iwundu’s goalscoring form from his centre-back role has also been important for his club in their title aspirations this season, and his team will hope his form can continue into the final six matchdays.
No doubt, there will be twists and turns for individual glory in a race that is still wide open. Fixture difficulty, favourable run-in, struggling defences and hunger in front of goal are surely going to be among the factors that would decide who wins this race in an unpredictable league. At this point, nothing is guaranteed as all top marksmen are odds-on to claim the top individual prize.
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