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Ikenne, Osibajo’s hometown, showcases football talents at the English Premiership

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Dire Mebude – Manchester City

BY KUNLE SOLAJA

When the English Premiership kicks off for the 2021/22 football season on 13 August, at least three players from Ikenne, the home town of Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osibajo, will be in action.

From hardcore politics to sports, the narrative is changing for the town which is the melting pot for South West politics having produced the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

The geographical urban village is noted for producing the highest number per square metre of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN). Till date, there have been over 20 SANs to have emerged from the town.

The town boasts of eminent jurists. Apart from Awolowo, Vice President Osibajo, a professor, is one of the SANs including a former  Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Kehinde Sofola and the town also simultaneously had the Attorney General of Lagos and Ogun states when two brothers – Yemi and Akin were on the saddle from 2003 to 2007.

Social commentator, Tai Solarin was also one of the illustrious sons of Ikenne. From politics and legal practice, the town is now edging into producing football stars.

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With a fast rising football club, Remo Stars owned by Kunle Soname who is also the first Nigerian to acquire a foreign club as the owner of Clube Desportivo Feirenses, in the Liga Portugal 2club in the Portuguese league, Ikenne will in the next English Football Season line out three of its products.

Michael Obafemi, a Nigerian-born Irish player is of Ikenne parentage and will be featuring for Southampton.

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Micheal Obafemi – Southampton

Last season, he dealt a devastating blow on Manchester United’s initial attempt at top four when he scored a last minute goal that made United to tumble from third position to the fifth.

Next is another Ikenne son, Dapo Mebude has just completed a move from Scottish side, Glasgow Rangers to English Premiership side, Watford.

The 19 year old was one of the six players of Nigerian roots that the NFF president, Amaju Pinnick met at the weekend during Oghenekaro Etebo’s first training session with the Vicarage Road side.

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NFF President, Amaju Pinnick flanked to the left by Dapo Mebude among the quintet of Nigerian players at Watford FC

The other Nigerians at Watford are William Ekong, Emmanuel Dennis and former junior internationals, Isaac Success and Tom Dele-Bashiru.

Dapo Mebude, whose father, Babtunde Awokoya-Mebude has sports running in the family. He was a striker during his secondary school days at United High School in Ikenne in the 1980s.

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Dapo Mebude

His first son, Adedoyin is into athletics and had a stint in sprint. He set up an outfit called Totalsocceplus which now manages his siblings.

Both Adedoyin and Dapo have a younger brother, Dire Mebude who has just signed a professional contract with Premiership champions, Manchester City.

Dire Mebude was initially with Manchester City youth side, but the pacy striker has now graduated to the main squad.

Both Dapo and Dire were born in London before their parents moved to Scotland and after attending an open soccer school event organised by Glasgow Rangers rose from youth side into the club’s main squad.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

German Thomas Tuchel becomes 3rd foreign manager for England

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 - Bayern Munich v VfL Wolfsburg - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 12, 2024 Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel looks on before the match REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo

Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.

The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.

“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.

Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.

-Reuters

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Factbox on England head coach Thomas Tuchel

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Champions League - Bayern Munich Training - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - May 7, 2024 Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel on the pitch during a walk around REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo

German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.

Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.

PLAYING CAREER

* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.

* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.

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* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.

* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.

COACHING CAREER

* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.

* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.

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* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.

* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.

* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.

* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.

* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.

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* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.

* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.

* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.

* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.

* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.

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* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.

* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.

* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.

* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

-Reuters

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Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad

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Mateus Mane in England's colour

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.

Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.

Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.

He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.

With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.

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Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.

While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.

-Reuters

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