Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season

Real Madrid's Keylor Navas has been voted UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season.

©UEFA.com

Keylor Navas has been named UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season for 2017/18.

The Real Madrid keeper picked up the award on stage in Monaco during the 2018/19 group stage draw. The accolade capped a memorable campaign for the 31-year-old, who played all but two games of Madrid's third straight UEFA Champions League triumph. He had started the season with wins in the UEFA Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup, and ended it between the posts with Costa Rica at the FIFA World Cup.

Goalkeeper of the Season top ten

1 Keylor Navas (Real Madrid) – 222 points

2 Alisson Becker (Liverpool/Roma) – 197 points
3 Gianluigi Buffon (Paris/Juventus) – 92 points
4 Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona) – 47 points
5 Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea, now Real Madrid) – 28 points
6 Ederson (Manchester City) – 26 points
7 Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) – 18 points
8 Jan Oblak (Atlético) – 16 points
9 David de Gea (Manchester United) – 7 points
10 Sven Ulreich (Bayern) – 5 points

Navas' season in numbers

Honours: UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup

Individual accolades: UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season, UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season

Navas is entering his fifth season at Madrid©AFP/Getty Images

Champions League
Appearances: 11
Minutes: 990
Clean sheets: 2
Goals conceded: 13

Navas testimonials

"Keepers stand up to be counted in big games like these. It was a difficult second leg and he gave us so much; he gave us life."
Former coach Zinédine Zidane after Madrid beat Bayern in last season's semi-finals

"He's a keeper that I love. He's won three consecutive Champions League titles, earned us lots of points and ensured we win games – but above all I'd praise him as a person."
Team-mate Dani Carvajal

How Navas was chosen

Navas lifts the trophy in Kyiv in May©AFP/Getty Images

These awards were introduced last year to recognise the season's best player in each position in Europe's premier club competition. The jury comprised the coaches of the 32 clubs in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage, together with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group, representing each of UEFA's member associations. Coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own teams.

Jury members chose their top three players per position, with the first receiving five points, the second three and the third one. The three players who got the most points in each category made up the final shortlist. Buffon was named Goalkeeper of the Season for 2016/17.

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Lagos-Ibadan rail: Amaechi gives update, confirms 90 percent completion

Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transport, has said construction work at the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge has reached about 90 per cent completion.

Amaechi disclosed this while inspecting the project at Ewekoro-Papalanto axis of the project on Monday.

“We are progressing but there is no way they can fast-track the project during the raining season, but 90 per cent of the construction works has been done”, NAN quoted him as saying.

“I have told them to work day and night, to ensure the project keeps moving as expected, especially on the bridges and construction of modern station at Ebuta-Meta Lagos.

“I also told them that two weeks after the rain mush have stopped, they have to complete the remaining 10 per cent to allow them focus on laying of tracks”.

According to him, by the end of October they, should have finished all the bridges from Iju to Abeokuta.

The minister said that laying of tracks would be an easy task after all the earthworks must have been completed.

Amaechi called on the contractor – China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) – to expedite action on the pace of work to ensure timely delivery of the project.

The minister said that the major challenge facing the project now was where to site the railway stations at various towns and communities along the corridor.

“Where to locate the railway stations has posed a great challenge as many communities find it difficult to release their land for such.

“We have such challenges in Abeokuta, Agege and other vital areas, where we needed to site the stations.

“It won’t be ideal after finishing the construction work and there is no rail station for people to board their train, but we are talking to the communities.

“Let them know the benefit of the stations to their communities,” he said.

According to him, the challenges of pipelines and cables in Lagos state have been resolved by casing the underground pipes for more protections against the vibrations of the train.

He said that shifting the pipelines from the present locations to other places would cost more and prolong the project more than the slated delivery time.

Amaechi said that efforts had been put in place by the contractor to safeguard the pipelines by fixing casing on it to ensure proper protection from the rail vibrations.

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EPL: Manchester United vs Tottenham: Mourinho’s men thrashed 3-0

Jose Mourinho’s position as Manchester United manager, will come under more scrutiny, after they were defeated 3-0 by Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night.

United came into the game, having won 2-1 at home against Leicester City and lost 3-2 to Brighton last weekend.

Mourinho demanded a reaction from his players and in the first half, they overpowered Spurs, but failed to score.

However, after the break, the visitors took over.

Harry Kane opened the scoring with a deft header, before Lucas Moura added a fine brace.

The result takes Spurs to nine points, six more than United.

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EPL: What Unai Emery told Ramsey about his future at Arsenal

Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, has told Aaron Ramsey to forget about his contract stand-off and focus on getting back in the team.

Multiple reports claim Ramsey went to see Emery last week, after becoming concerned over whether he is in the new manager’s plans.

The Wales star was substituted early against Manchester City, then dropped against Chelsea last Saturday.

With Ramsey having one year left on his current deal, it has further cast doubt about his future at the Emirates.

“I spoke with him last week. I said, ‘I want you to focus only on training and only on the match, you show us the capacity to help the team’.

“The contract is another thing for his agent and the club, but we want – and I need – his focus only on training, on the match and his performance each day.

“I want the player to be focused only on Saturday. So that our players give our supporters quality and energy,” Emery told the media on Friday, during his press conference ahead of the West Ham match.

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Salisu out over bribe allegations

The super Eagles coach Gernort Rohr has confirm that the chief coach will not be part of the team technical crew set up against Seychelles after his bribery scandal spent g to press men after the release of the 24 man list.

Salisu Yusuf

“We have to wait for the outcome of investigation from the Ethics committee. It is not in my position to answer weather he will be back or not, it is the duty of my employers. Only the NFF can determine whether he will be in the team next match . Mine is to coach the team and not the administrative point of view.”

Rohr said Salisu was set up. “They set him up. The players they are talking about were already in the team. I know them. They set him up because I know him. He is honest

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Rohr Names Onazi, Musa, 22 Others For Seychelles

File Photo: Nigeria’s German manager Gernot Rohr. Ben STANSALL / AFP

Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr has released a list of 24 Nigerian senior players who will battle for the three points in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Seychelles in Victoria on September 7, 2018.

At a world press conference in Lagos on Friday, Rohr, flanked by the first Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Seyi Akinwunmi and Executive Board Member, Aisha Falode, unveiled a list of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders and seven forwards.

He also put four other players, including former U17 World Cup –winning captain Musa Muhammed, on standby.

The three goalkeepers are those who made the final cut for the FIFA World Cup finals in Russia in the summer, but the defence has two new boys. England – based Semi Ajayi and Germany – based Jamilu Collins, while Olaoluwa Aina, overlooked for the World Cup, has been recalled.

Another former U17 World Cup – winning captain, Kelechi Nwakali, is the new face in the middle, just as France – based Samuel Kalu is the new man up front.

Henry Onyekuru, who got injured before the World Cup, has also been recalled.

Team Administrator Dayo Enebi Achor told the NFF on Friday that the invited players are expected to fly directly to Seychelles, arriving on Monday, September 3, while the one player (goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa) and team officials travelling from Nigeria will fly into Victoria on Sunday, September 2.

All three points in the Matchday 2 encounter are important for the Super Eagles, having lost their opener to the qualifying campaign at home to South Africa 14 months ago.

SEE THE FULL LIST BELOW

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba FC); Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United, South Africa)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Semi Ajayi (Rotherham United, England); Bryan Idowu (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Porto, Portugal); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Leon Balogun (Brighton & Hove Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany)

Midfielders: Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England); John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel); Kelechi Nwakali (FC Porto, Portugal); Joel Obi (AC Chievo Verona, Italy)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Al Nassar FC, Saudi Arabia); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Simeon Nwankwo (Crotone FC, Italy); Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray SK, Turkey); Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai, China); Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England); Samuel Kalu (Bordeaux FC, France)

Standby: Uche Agbo (Standard Liege, Belgium), Stephen Eze (Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Bulgaria); Musa Muhammed (HNK Gorica, Croatia); Blessing Eleke (FC Luzern, Switzerland)

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President Buhari Reveals Why He Trekked 800 Metres In Daura

President Muhammadu Buhari on  Friday said his decision to trek some distance after observing Eid prayers at Kofar Arewa Eid Ground to his residence in Daura, Katsina State was not about proving his fitness level, Punch Metro reports.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke while receiving representatives of the five local governments in Daura Emirate at his private residence.

Garba had told journalists shortly after Buhari embarked on the trek on Tuesday that it was a confirmation that the President was fit for second term.

But Buhari explained that the walk was not about proving his fitness level or scoring cheap political capital.

He said he did not need to convince anybody about his state of health.

He said, ‘‘This is my constituency, the people came out in their large numbers to see me and the car in which I was being driven had tinted windows.

‘‘They were not seeing me so I came down so they could see me.  I didn’t need to convince anyone about my health and the decision to contest for a second term that I made public in April this year.”

The President seized the opportunity of his meeting with his kinsmen to inform them that he has directed the Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank of Nigeria to review the processes on the issuance of loans to smallholder farmers.

‘‘We want to make it easier for them to assess the loans, particularly the underprivileged people in the society.  It has become necessary for the government to do this because banks will insist on collaterals which majority of farmers do not have.

‘‘For our agriculture policy to succeed, we must be able to reach small farm holders with loans without collaterals.  Collaterals are always a problem with smallholder farmers,’’ he said.

The President also highlighted the achievements of the administration on local rice productions which he said had led to the reduction of imports by over 90 per cent.

He expressed delight that young people were returning to the farms and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to implementing policies to promote agriculture.

Speaking on behalf for the civil society groups in Daura Emirate, the spokesman of the group, Yusuf  Maiadua, applauded the President on his numerous achievements.

‘‘You have made us proud, the economy is back on the path of growth and you have laid a solid foundation for the development of the country,” he said.

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