WHALEXTRA

Enzo Maresca refused to plead for the backing of Chelsea's frustrated fans after his spluttering team were booed off during their 2-2 draw against Ipswich on Sunday. Blues boss  Maresca  and his players were jeered at half-time with Chelsea trailing 2-0 against third-bottom Ipswich. Chelsea dominated the opening 20 minutes, but fell behind when Julio Enciso tapped in Ben Johnson's cutback against the run of play. Johnson headed in Enciso's cross to double Ipswich's lead and turn the atmosphere toxic  at Stamford Bridge . That goal saw Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez ignore Maresca's preferred method of building the play from the back, choosing instead to punt the ball long, which led to Ipswich mounting their attack. Although Chelsea fought back through an Axel Tuanzebe own goal and a stunning late effort from Jadon Sancho, the point did little to bolster their bid to qualify for the Champions League. Chelsea sit in sixt...

A violent clash between rival bandit factions in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Tuesday, has left at least 10 bandits dead, according to intelligence sources. The confrontation, which occurred around 5:30 p.m. between the villages of Toroko and Awala, was marked by intense fighting.  While the exact cause of the conflict remains unclear, eyewitnesses have suggested that the battle was likely over control of territory or resources between the opposing groups. Security analyst , Zagazola Makama posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, confirming the deadly encounter and detailing how the violent clash escalated in the region. “The aftermath of the violent exchange has left the area on edge, with local communities now dealing with the repercussions of such deadly outbreaks,” Zagazola Makama wrote. Authorities are yet to provide an official statement.

  Nigeria  must achieve an annual economic growth rate of at least 40% to cushion the potential adverse effects of the recent tariff hike by the United States, according to economist Dr. Yemi Kale. Speaking at the 2025 Vanguard Economic Discourse in Lagos, Kale, the Group Chief Economist and Managing Director, Research and Trade Intelligence at Afreximbank, emphasized that this level of growth is crucial for Nigeria to realize its $1 trillion economic vision. “The path to economic resilience, inclusive prosperity and reducing economic hardship is neither quick nor easy, but it is clear. We know what must be done. “Stabilise the  macro-economy , restore credibility in fiscal and monetary policy, curb inflation and rebuild investor confidence,” Kale said. He urged the government to adopt forward-looking policies to mitigate the impact of U.S. tariffs on Nigerian exports, while stressing the importance of sustainable reforms across the real, monetary, fiscal, and external se...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced a Balance of Payments (BOP) surplus of $6.83 billion for the 2024 financial year, signaling a strong recovery from deficits of $3.34 billion in 2023 and $3.32 billion in 2022. The announcement was made in a statement signed by the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Sidi-Ali Hakama. According to the apex bank, “This improvement reflects the impact of wide-ranging macroeconomic reforms, stronger trade performance, and renewed investor confidence in Nigeria’s economy.” In 2024, the current and capital account recorded a surplus of $17.22 billion, supported by a goods trade surplus of $13.17 billion. Petroleum imports declined by 23.2% to $14.06 billion, while non-oil imports fell by 12.6% to $25.74 billion. On the export side, gas exports surged by 48.3% to $8.66 billion, and non-oil exports rose by 24.6% to $7.46 billion. Remittance inflows remained resilient, with personal remittances growing by 8.9% to $20.93 billion. Inflows t...

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed that progress has been made on a new contract with the club ahead of the summer transfer window. The Dutchman has revealed there has been "progress" on contract talks with Liverpool this week after their 3-2 loss to Fulham on Saturday afternoon. Van Dijk  turns 34 in July and opened up about his future which reports have suggested is uncertain at the club.  "There is progress, yeah. I don’t know, we’ll see. Listen, these are internal discussions and we’ll see.  "I love the club, I love the fans and they were there for us again and we wanted to reward them at Fulham. But want I them to be there against West Ham on Sunday again and make the stadium an amazing venue like always for us." Van Dijk’s teammates, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, are set to leave at the end of the season as manager Arne Slot desperately looks for replacements. However, with progress being made with...

Arguably the biggest game of Arsenal's season takes place on Tuesday evening as reigning Champions League holders Real Madrid pitch up at the Emirates Stadium for the first leg of their quarter-final. It's a mouth-watering prospect for anyone connected with either club, and given the way that both managers like their football to be played, the two legs could really be matches for the purist. Mikel Arteta  called on Gunners supporters to "raise the roof" in his pre-match press conference. “I hope, I encourage them (Arsenal fans) to come very early to the warm-up and create (one of) those nights…we haven’t lived many of those at the Emirates, so that’s an opportunity again. When we build history, we have to build moments, and a moment is being built with our people. We have to create that energy, that belief, that enthusiasm.” Losing  Gabriel  to a season-ending injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Gunners, given that the Brazilian powerhous...

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned all international airlines operating in Nigeria that it will no longer tolerate denied boarding and deportation of Nigerians. The warning came following complaints about airlines selling tickets to passengers, airlifting them halfway to their destinations and deporting them to Nigeria. The NCAA, in a statement by the Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs , Michael Achimugu, declared effective immediately, any airline found to be engaged in such practices will be subject to regulatory action, including but not limited to fines, suspension of flight operations, or other measures deemed appropriate. The statement read: “The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has received several complaints about airlines selling tickets to passengers, only to airlift them halfway to their destinations and deport them back to Nigeria. “These actions which involve the refusal of boarding/entry at intermediate/transit stops to some Nige...

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has assured that corps members who recently completed their service will receive arrears of the newly approved N77,000 allowance. Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the Batch A 2025 Pre-Mobilisation Workshop for heads of corps-producing institutions and other stakeholders, the DG noted that the payment of the new allowance began in March, eight months after President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage law. “The government is conscious of its promise, and within the budgetary provision, it will handle the arrears. Once funds are released to us, we will pay them,” Nafiu said. He assured that corps members who recently passed out would not be left out of the arrear payment. “Even those who have completed their service will benefit. Once we receive the necessary funds, we will credit them-we have their bank details. Nigerians should not worry; the government is responsible and responsive to t...