The first-ever EURO final golden goal, Arjen Robben’s last-minute European Cup final winner, Geoff Hurst’s World Cup final hat-trick, Paul Gascoigne’s EURO ‘96 magic, the Mighty Magyars of 1953 – just a handful of the vivid moments football fans associate with the stadium that many consider the home of the sport: Wembley.

In a tournament being played throughout Europe, it feels fitting that the outcome will be decided on Sunday in this corner of north-west London. It is one of those few venues whose mystique crosses borders and conjures dreams of lifting a trophy there among players from all over the world.

A natural home for the final

Wembley’s iconic arch dominates the local skylineGetty Images

Wembley has played its own memorable part in European Championship history, and especially a quarter of a century ago, when it was at the heart of a tournament still remembered fondly in England. The stadium has been completely renovated since then – the twin towers swapped for the arch. It has lost none of its magic, though, and it is ready for another major final.

That London is one of the world’s great cities is not in question, but it also has a close connection with football. The Laws of the Game were first drawn up in a Covent Garden pub in 1863, it is the home to the FA Cup final and there are 12 professional clubs from the English capital playing in the country’s top four tiers.

While the tournament has unfolded across the continent, Wembley has been the most in use, staging eight games, including both semi-finals and the final. It is, of course, no stranger to big matches. Wembley has hosted a record seven European Cup finals. It was also where England’s national team – the Three Lions – lifted the World Cup’s Jules Rimet trophy in 1966, and there was, of course, that wonderful summer of EURO ’96.

Preparing for action

It has been no mean feat to ensure the return of the finals – after a delay of 12 months following the onset of COVID-19.

As is the case across Europe, the pandemic has had, and continues to have an enormous financial impact in England, with significant revenue streams lost across broadcasting, sponsorship, events and hospitality.

UEFA’s HatTrick programme has helped to fund Wembley’s ongoing operational costs, contributing to upgrades thatensured it met UEFA EURO 2020 final tournament criteria and requirements.

“To get this tournament away in the first place is a phenomenal achievement by all those involved,” says Chris Bryant, head of tournament delivery at The Football Association (FA).

“From an operational point of view, we of course hope for a smooth and safe delivery in the face of a number of challenges. On top of that, we want to support UEFA in putting on a show befitting of the occasion.

“We have to thank our local authorities, partners and government for all their efforts in ensuring Wembley can remain the focal point of such a huge global tournament,” Bryant adds. “It has been a massive stakeholder effort, with each and every one of them playing their part. The fact that their commitment hasn’t wavered throughout speaks volumes for how important the tournament is to us all.”

The Three Lions reached both the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and 2019 UEFA Nations League, and have a young squad intent on making their own mark at football’s most famous venue.

However, just the celebration of helping to hold this tournament is victory enough for now. “Wembley Stadium was built to host major events,” says Chris Bryant, “and to host the EURO final after what has been such a challenging year for all will be a very special moment indeed.”

LAFIA – The Federal Government in collaboration with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on Monday began distribution of farm inputs to 1, 050 Cassava and Rice farmers in Nasarawa State.

The distribution of the inputs to the farmers for the 2021 wet season was under the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP).

Mrs Eunice Adgidi the State Coordinator of the programme who spoke at the distribution exercise, said the farmers were from 64 farmers’ organisations from Lafia, Doma, Wamba, Nasarawa and Karu Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Items distributed include 15, 050 kgs of improved rice seeds, 4, 650 bundles of cassava cuttings, 788 liters of selective and non-selective herbicides, 78,800kg of NPK fertilizer, and 30,100 kg of urea fertilizer.

Mrs Eunice explained that the VCDP programme started in July 2020 in Nasarawa State with the mandate of improving the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava.

She added that this is the second time they were distributing inputs to farmers in the state since the programme commenced in July 2020.

“We distributed similar inputs last year to nine farmers organisations in Lafia and Doma LGAs to support dry season farming.

“That supports yielded positive result following massive yield from the dry season farmers in the benefiting LGAs,” she added.

On his remarked the Nasarawa State commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources Prof. Alanana Otaki, commended FG and IFAD for the programme which aimed at ensuring food sufficiency in the state.

The commissioner said that the Governor Abdullahi Sule-led administration had given agriculture a strategic placement in order to transform the state.

Also on his keynote addressed Mr Emmanuel Alanana, Programme Manager, Nasarawa Agricultural Development Programme, called on the farmers to take advantage of the initiative to maximise their potential in food production.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Gini Yahana, a farmer, expressed gratitude to the FG and IFAD for the gesture which he said would go a long way in boosting food production in the state.

The farmers also appealed to Nasarawa State Government to support farmers organisations with tractors and other farm inputs.

Nollywood actress, Sonia Ogiri recently bought her third car in the space of seven months.  The actress who recently bought two cars shared the good news on her Instagram page. She wrote, “Baby no 3 in seven months. God what are you doing to me. 4&5 will be Bentley and G wagon. So help me God.”

Some of her colleagues on social media have congratulated her on the purchase of her new car. Also, some Nigerians have shared their views on her new SUV.

Read what some of them wrote below,

@chizzyalichi wrote, “Baby girl, how far naa. Congrats darling.” (sic)

@callistaokoronkwo wrote, “We are here for all of it, boo. Congratulations to you, darling.”

@ajiacop wrote, “Continue to take care of your mum like you are doing so your story will be thanks giving always . “

@hes__black wrote, “What an actress cannot do, does not exist, congrats to you.”

@pamela.stephen.73 wrote, “Congratulations Aunty Sonia.”

@osezechiogbe wrote, “Acting is so lucrative these days.”

@joewhite4u wrote, “What an actress cannot purchase does not exist.

@bellebydee wrote, “Zicsaloma bought house and car under 6 months and you guys congratulated him, you guys should better return the energy now oo.”

@kcnaija wrote, “Acting is really the most lucrative career in Nigeria nowadays. The bad economy isn’t affecting them at all.”

@biancaorchids wrote, “You mean her third sugar daddy bought her the third car.”

More than 1,000 Afghan soldiers have fled to neighbouring Tajikistan after clashing with Taliban militants, officials have said.

The troops retreated over the border to “save their own lives”, according to a statement by Tajikistan’s border guard.

Violence has risen in Afghanistan, with the Taliban launching attacks and taking more territory in recent weeks.

The surge coincides with the end of Nato’s 20-year military mission in the country.

The vast majority of remaining foreign forces in Afghanistan have been withdrawn ahead of a September deadline, and there are concerns that the Afghan military will collapse.

Under a deal with the Taliban, the US and its Nato allies agreed to withdraw all troops in return for a commitment by the militants not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control.

Tajikistan’s National Security Committee, which runs the border security, said that the Afghan troops sought refuge early on Monday morning after fighting with militants during the night, according to the Tajik state-run news agency Khovar.

“Tajik border guards are currently controlling the situation on the state border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan,” it said.

The Taliban now controls about a third of Afghanistan, and continues to capture more territory on a daily basis.

Badakhshan and Takhar provinces, which border Tajikistan, have seen a rapid Taliban advance, and the militants have now captured most of the territory.

This is the third time Afghan soldiers have fled into Tajikistan over the past three days and the fifth case over the past fortnight. It has brought the total number of soldiers who retreated to Tajikistan to nearly 1,600.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani insists that the country’s security forces are fully capable of keeping insurgents at bay, however there have also been reports of more soldiers seeking refuge in Pakistan and Uzbekistan to escape the fighting.

Neighbouring countries, including those in central Asia, are bracing themselves for a potential influx of refugees if the fighting continues to intensify.

Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s chief international correspondent, says uncertainty is dominating the lives of people in Afghanistan.

“They are uncertain about where their country is heading, uncertain about their own village or town or city, and uncertain about their own lives and the futures of their families,” she said.

However Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told the BBC the Taliban is not responsible for the recent increase in violence.

He insisted that many districts had fallen to the Taliban through mediation after Afghan soldiers refused to fight.