Sports
Pogba accused of paying witch doctor to ‘neutralise’ Mbappe
Paul Pogba’s brother, Mathias, has accused the midfielder of paying at least €4 million (£3.5m) to a witch doctor who “neutralised” Kylian Mbappe during Manchester United’s Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
Mathias Pogba is currently in custody in Paris, France as he is under investigation for his alleged role in the blackmail plot involving the former Manchester United midfielder.
Paul Pogba has accused a group of demanding €13 million (£11.2m) from him in “protection money”, essentially worth €1 million (£860,000) a year from the age of 16 when he first became a professional footballer.
Pogba, who returned to Juventus on a free transfer from United in the summer, handed over €100,000 (£85,000) to the group after being escorted at gunpoint to a flat in Roissy-en-Brie, in the eastern suburb of Paris in March.
Mathias Pogba, 32, has denied his part in the attempted blackmail but has been accused of “extortion in an organised gang” and “participation in a criminal association with a view to preparing a crime”.
On Friday, several pre-recorded video messages from Mathias Pogba surfaced online, one of which accused his brother of paying for a witch doctor to put a spell on Mbappe for United’s Champions League tie against PSG in 2019.
United lost the first leg 2-0 at Old Trafford and Pogba was sent off, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side staged a remarkable comeback in Paris as they secured a 3-1 win in the return leg to progress to the quarter-finals.
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“The turning point came with the World Cup in 2018, where Paul had more faith in the witch doctor than in God, entrusting the witch with a big task in order to help the French team win,” Mathias Pogba said in his video.
“The witch doctor would go on to tell Mam’s [an intermediary] that the job had already been done, and that was when Mam’s would start to be scared. After that, Paul continued with his witch doctor, notably in the Champions League to ensure that Manchester United would go through against PSG.
“At the request of Paul, the witch was told to neutralise Kylian Mbappe, who back then was on a rapid rise, far outstripping Paul’s fame.
“It was strange to see that during that match Kylian was a shadow of himself against a reserve side.
“The issue is that at the same time Paul was doing everything he could to get closer to Kylian, as we could see in the media, supposedly liking him and calling him his friend, he would often call him, we would see them arm-in-arm.
“It went so far that Kylian almost made it a condition for his PSG contract extension that the club would have to sign Paul, without knowing that behind his back Paul was engaging in witchcraft to sabotage his matches.
“That same witch doctor would go on to [say] that he had to stop the ongoing curse, at risk of destroying [Mbappe’s] career, keeping in mind that he was paid by the task, knowing that my brother, always close to his money, had not paid enough for a long-term job, and that the witch wanted to make him pay as much as possible.”
Sports
BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025
BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured their qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, following Libya’s 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali.
This result leaves Rwanda with five points from five matches, rendering them unable to surpass Nigeria in the standings, even if they win their upcoming match against the Super Eagles in Uyo.
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Currently, Nigeria leads Group D with 10 points, followed by Benin with six points, Rwanda with five, and Libya at the bottom with four points.
Benin remains in contention for the second qualification spot and will face Nigeria in a crucial match tonight.
Libya is set to host Benin in the final Group D game on Monday.
BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025
Sports
Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul
Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul
Nearly 40 years after making his professional debut, and 19 years after being battered into retirement, a 58-year-old Mike Tyson will climb back into the ring on Friday for a Netflix-backed bout that has drawn widespread condemnation across the boxing world.
Tyson, who terrorised the heavyweight division during an imperious reign in the late 1980s, is lacing up the gloves once more to take on Youtuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.
The fight, which will be comprised of eight two-minute rounds, was initially due to take place in July but was postponed in May after Tyson required medical treatment on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles after vomiting blood due to a bleeding ulcer.
That gory mid-air emergency has provided another piece of ammunition for the numerous critics who have condemned Friday’s contest as a macabre circus act that poses an unacceptable level of risk for Tyson, who last graced a professional ring in 2005, when he was beaten via a technical knockout after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.
– ‘It shouldn’t be happening’ –
“Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot,” the prominent British fight promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.
“If anyone thinks that Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no emotional feelings toward the man, or you’re an idiot. It shouldn’t be happening.”
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Hearn’s rival promoter Frank Warren echoed those sentiments.
“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said after the bout was announced. “It’s as simple as that.
“Anyone with an ounce of brains knows that it is ridiculous. You can be on a motorway stuck in a traffic jam and you get to the end of it and all it is is people who have stopped to look at a crash — and that’s what this is.”
Tyson, who US reports say is being paid around $20 million for Friday’s contest, has brushed off the concerns for his wellbeing, insisting when critics from the boxing world are motivated by jealousy.
“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he said earlier this year. “The people who said that wish they were up here. No-one else can do this.”
Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul
Sports
Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested
Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested
South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan was arrested on Wednesday amid allegations that he misused the organization’s funds for personal purposes, as reported by local media.
Jordaan, renowned for his pivotal role in securing South Africa as the host for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, sought to block his arrest on Tuesday by filing an urgent application.
However, the Johannesburg High Court is scheduled to hear his case only on Thursday, leaving him vulnerable to arrest.
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The arrest stems from a raid by police on the SAFA offices in March, after which police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the allegations are that “between 2014 and 2018, the president of SAFA used the organisation’s resources for his personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his personal protection and a public relations company, without authorisation from the SAFA board.”
Jordaan, 73, and his reported co-accused, SAFA chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling, are due to appear in court later on Wednesday.
Neither Jordaan nor SAFA responded to a request for comment from Reuters, but in his affidavit to court seeking to block his arrest, he denies any wrongdoing.
Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested
(Reuters)
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