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Futbol

Howe's History Men To Go Down In Newcastle Folklore

The tears flowed and the joy was unconfined as Newcastle United finally exorcised the ghosts of 56 years of failure on a Wembley stage that has haunted them most. When referee John Brooks sounded the final whistle to confirm their 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Liverpool, a giant black-and-white wave of celebration swept around the stadium that had delivered nine successive defeats since Newcastle won the 1955 FA Cup. Finally, they had ended the long wait. It was 56 years since a major trophy landed on Tyneside in the shape of the long-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the ensuing years an era when the club has become a punchline and punchbag for other fans to feast on. Now - after a fully deserved victory engineered by a manager in Eddie Howe who has transformed the club in a time of riches under Saudi Arabian owners - the curse has been cast aside. Wembley was barely big enough to contain the noise and emotion that fuelled a magnificent performance, some fans in tears even before the end, many covering their eyes unable to watch as the clock stretched towards 100 minutes and the glorious release of victory. The black-and-white backdrop Newcastle's followers provided delivered a wall of sound as their celebrations were played out to the north-east anthem "Blaydon Races". Dan Burn and Alexander Isak scored either side of half-time to give Newcastle the control they deserved, but when Federico Chiesa replied four minutes into added time to give Liverpool unlikely, undeserved hope, those painful memories of past years were revisited for a few moments. The tension was unbearable at the Newcastle end, but Howe's team managed those final seconds as skilfully as they had everything else, and Liverpool were unable to respond. Howe and his players have secured their place in Tyneside history. The Carabao Cup may not be top of trophy priorities elsewhere, but this is a triumph that will mean everything for a giant of a club and fanbase. And the manager may find himself given a statue of St James' Park, near those of Sir Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer, with the latter living through every Wembley moment with the rest of the Toon Army. Howe is the first English manager to win either the FA Cup or League Cup since Harry Redknapp won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008. He is also the first English manager to win this trophy since Steve McClaren at Middlesbrough in 2004. Newcastle looked to have learned every lesson from their loss to Manchester United in this final two years ago. This time they were ready. This time they rose to the occasion. The Toon Army was also ready. The simple message of "Get Into Them" emblazoned on a flag unfurled before kick-off was carried out to the letter. And it was all accompanied by the endless, deafening sound of a support who have craved this day. Newcastle stories were scattered all over Wembley along with the ticker tape of celebration. Burn completed the finest few days of his career when he followed up his first England call-up at 32 with a thunderous header from Kieran Trippier's corner to open the scoring in first-half stoppage time. He took advantage of Liverpool's inexplicable ploy of marking him with a player in Alexis Mac Allister, who is not far off a foot smaller than him - something that carried on in the second half. As the theme from the film Local Hero - a permanent part of the soundtrack at St James' Park - rang out at Wembley amid joyous scenes, it could have been in honour of Blyth-born Burn, the boyhood fan whose name will be etched in Newcastle folklore forever. Isak was touted as Newcastle's potential match-winner before the game. And so it proved as he reacted swiftly and to deadly effect to sweep home Jacob Murphy's knockdown. And then there was Joelinton. The Brazilian was the best player on the pitch, running powerfully and tearing into tackles throughout, usually followed by clenched fists in the direction of Newcastle's support. Howe, however, must take most of the credit for another super piece of management and strategy. He succeeded Steve Bruce in November 2021 with Newcastle 19th in the Premier League, five points from safety after 11 matches. Howe guided Newcastle into the Champions League last season but this is the crowning glory. There have been 31 managers of at least one game for Newcastle since their last trophy success. The 47-year-old has crossed the barrier that had proved insurmountable for so many. The fierce defensive discipline of Howe's side saw Liverpool dangerman Mohamed Salah reduced to a peripheral figure. He failed to record a shot or create a chance for Liverpool in a game he started for only the third time, after a League Cup tie against Arsenal when he played for 61 minutes, and the first leg of the Champions League last-16 game with Paris St-Germain, when he was substituted with four minutes left. Newcastle could, and should, have added more as they simply over-powered a Liverpool team who looked like they were running in quicksand, this loss compounding the midweek Champions League exit against PSG on penalties. Howe, the leader and hero of this triumph, who is usually ice cool, admitted even he had been sucked into what this occasion meant - not just to a football club but to a city. He said: "I am very, very emotional and have been all day, which is very unlike me. We knew what was at stake for all of our fans. We wanted to do them proud and win the trophy. "I am so, so pleased with the result and performance. We deserved to win but it was tough when Liverpool scored. I was thinking about extra time. We always make it difficult for ourselves. It was never going to be 2-0." Howe added: "We were well aware of history. We wanted to do the club proud. We wanted to score. We wanted to perform, we wanted to win. We are breaking new ground. I thought we were magnificent." Even Howe admitted surprise at Burn the goalscorer, adding: "We worked consistently for two weeks on set-plays just for this game and if you'd seen us in practice you would have said we had no chance. "We couldn't believe Dan Burn scored. He hasn't been training like that." This was not simply a victory for a football club and its fanbase. It was a victory for a city that has waited 56 years to enjoy such an occasion. And the long-overdue party will make its way all the way from Tyneside to Wembley after a day that will live in Geordie memories forever.

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News_Naija

Roche, Oncopadi Tech To Support 5,000 Breast Cancer Patients

A multinational healthcare company, Roche and a provider of digital integrated healthcare services, Oncopadi Technologies have launched a Breast Cancer Access Navigation and Testing Programme targeted at supporting breast cancer patients across the country. The programme will also help to improve early detection and provide timely, accurate diagnosis of breast
cancer by providing free immunohistochemistry tests, multidisciplinary care and navigation services for 5,000 Nigerian women. Meanwhile, the Global Cancer Observatory has projected that 32,000 new breast cancer cases will be recorded in Nigeria in 2025. Speaking at the launch of the programme in Abuja on Thursday, a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Chief Executive Officer of Oncopadi Technologies, Omolola Salako, observed that the statistics imply that approximately 2,700 cases would be detected each month and 88 cases each day. Salako said, “For five seconds, I want you to imagine what it feels like for the 88 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer today. Now imagine, if you will, the mental, physical and financial barriers breast cancer raises, when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, a ton of emotions consume her, fear, anger and confusion. “In a matter of weeks, she would realise the direct cost of her treatment would cost between N2-30m or maybe more. In fact her indirect cost of care may even cost her more if her source of livelihood (her job or business) is threatened. For example, multiple hospital visits for diagnosis, treatment and management of side effects may consume her time and prevent her from her earning potential.” Salako noted that the situation can be overwhelming, frightening and distressing for any woman diagnosed with breast cancer and pointed out that in such a state of mind, many women may make uninformed decisions regarding their healthcare. She stated that Nigeria has the highest age-standardised breast cancer mortality rate in the world. The oncologist observed that delays in accessing care, missing life-saving treatments and the aggressive nature of breast cancer in Nigerian women particularly those with triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer, contribute to poor survival outcomes. Salako observed that in a 2014 study that compared the three-year survival rates, Nigeria ranks lowest among five African countries, with 59 per cent for Black women in South Africa, 56 per cent for Black women in Namibia, 47 per cent in Zambia, 44 per cent in Uganda, and only 36 per cent in Nigeria. She emphasised that while the statistics may seem grim, the current 50 per cent mortality rate is an improvement from the previous rate of 80 per cent a few decades ago. Salako explained that the BRANT journey began in 2022 when Oncopadi and Roche engaged in numerous co-creation sessions to develop a novel program to digitally enhance breast cancer diagnosis and care. She observed that the BRANT programme was birthed by leveraging Roche’s expertise as a global leader in oncology diagnostics and treatment whilst utilising Oncopadi’s digital oncology capabilities and community mobilisation strategies in Nigeria, adding that a strategic agreement was signed by both parties in 2024. According to her, Oncopadi has mobilised many cancer patients over the years, especially women to access care and educational resources online. “To this end, a strategic agreement was signed by Roche and Oncopadi in 2024 and we have worked tremendously hard to fulfill our shared vision, which is to support 5,000 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.” She explained that BRANT was birthed by leveraging Roche’s expertise as a global leader in oncology diagnostics and treatment while utilising Oncopadi’s digital oncology capabilities. General Manager, Roche Nigeria, Ladi Hameed said the BRANT programme is a transformative initiative to reshape breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Nigeria. Hameed who was represented by the Medical Director, Roche Products Limited, Dr Bola Oyedeji said 5-in-10 women diagnosed with breast cancer will not be here in five years time hence the need to reduce the time to diagnosis of breast cancer in order to improve survival. He stated that in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, half of the women diagnosed with breast cancer do not survive beyond five years due to factors such as lack of awareness, insufficient funds, and limited access to testing and treatment adding that the average diagnostic timeline extends to six months, compared to less than 60 days elsewhere. Hameed, however, said that even though the programme would run for the next 18 months, there was a need to collectively think about sustainability. The Director- General, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, Usman Aliyu highlighted that BRANT was a milestone in the nation’s continuous effort to enhance patient care, streamline support systems, and empower individuals battling the disease. Represented by the Director of Cancer Prevention and Control, Waziri Usman, he emphasised that the BRANT programme was designed to make patient navigation which is a complex landscape of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, much easier. The Deputy Country Representative of the World Health Organisation to Nigeria, Alexander Chimbaru, commended the organisations for coming up with a homegrown solution to reducing the burden of breast cancer. “This is a very valuable and informative initiative to make breast cancer screening, navigation, and testing more accessible for women. However, what is remaining now is action.”

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P7as2

13 Tweets To Read Before Streaming Black Warrant On Netflix

After a not-so-great year for the Indian OTT space in 2024, the new year starts with a promising new show. Created by Vikramaditya Motwane and Satyanshu Singh, Black Warrant has dropped on Netflix and the internet can’t stop raving about it. The show tells the stories from arguably the best-known prison in the country – Tihar jail. It is based on the book Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer, co-written by the former jailer of Tihar, Sunil Gupta. In its bold and harrowing revelations, Black Warrant presents the controversial procedural lapses and the corruption that existed in the legal and judicial system. In telling the stories of real-life infamous criminals like Charles Sobhraj and Ranga-Billa, the show eerily reminded me of the show Mindhunter (of course, if it was set inside an Indian jail with all its travesty and corruption). Here’s a glimpse into what Twitter has to say about the show starring Zahan Kapoor as Sunil Gupta, Rahul Bhat, Paramvir Singh Cheema, Anurag Thakur among others. After the peak era of web shows 4-5 years ago, Black Warrant is easily one of the best I've seen in a long time. pic.twitter.com/f841dB2buX Black Warrant On Netflix Is Highly Recommended. pic.twitter.com/xIoUSEXLfn Black Warrant is @NetflixIndia ‘s best original series since Sacred Games season 1. Wow!!

Vikramaditya Motwane is a genius who simply never misses. pic.twitter.com/Oe1bxG2Bsj Two years ago, the book hooked me instantly. Now on Netflix, Black Warrant is immersive, detailed, and brilliantly acted. pleased to announce that black warrant fkin slaps. a long format victory we haven't seen in ages

god bless vikram motwane & team. pic.twitter.com/xTNNDMgrNp Shashi Kapoor would have been immensely proud. A star is born! #ZahanKapoor pic.twitter.com/Tq70yj4NPX 6 min into #BlackWarrant and bbgorl Siddhant Gupta shows up as Charles Sobhraj?? So many unholy thoughts in my head istg 🫦 pic.twitter.com/gEhqMggbCr Black warrant was fantastic.. thoroughly enjoyed it. Stories so fascinating i went and searched more about all the people hanged lol. Do watch the series!

Zahan makes impressive debut, Rahul as usual owns every scene he is in. Terrific performer. #BlackWarrant pic.twitter.com/uhjUIf6YMB #BlackWarrant was good. Liked Motwane's adaption. The visuals are so good, one of those shows where not a single performance is off. Zahan Kapoor, smashing debut this. pic.twitter.com/buDgKTnwV9 Black warrant is a must watch. Return of Bingeable Indian content on Netflix finally and that too by Motwane. the ranga billa episode of Black Warrant is harrowing..masterful Netflix finally has a winner in #BlackWarrant. The 2nd episode directed by Vikram Motwane is the one to watch out for & how I wish he directed it all not just 3 eps but probably as creator you have to give chance to other directors too.

Little dark,gripping & fantastically done. pic.twitter.com/sD4e3sOYXq black warrant had me shocked to figure out zahaan is from the Kapoor family — so unassuming and what a fantastic actor After so long, an Indian OTT show has garnered universal acclaim and love. With shows like Black Warrant, we hope this year becomes a great one for us, the viewers, and the filmmakers.