Blog

By Enitan Abdultawab

Male managers are often the first pick for male football teams. However, there have been a few female managers who have headed male football clubs.

Below are the top five (5) female coaches to have managed clubs in Europe’s top-flight clubs.

Marie-Louise Eta (Germany)
Eta was named interim head coach of Union Berlin’s men’s team on Sunday, April 12, following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart after a disappointing defeat to FC Heidenheim. Her appointment is a landmark moment, as she becomes the first woman to manage a men’s side in the history of the Bundesliga.

Having spent years working within Union Berlin’s youth system and later integrating into the senior coaching setup, Eta’s rise reflects both continuity and trust within the club. She now takes charge for the remainder of the season, with Union Berlin sitting mid-table and still navigating an uncertain finish to their campaign.

Carolina Morace (Italy)
One of the earliest trailblazers was Carolina Morace, who took charge of Italian side Viterbese in 1999, becoming one of the first women to manage a professional men’s team in Europe. Beyond club football, Morace built a distinguished coaching career with women’s national teams, including Canada and Italy, and has remained a vocal advocate for greater female representation in coaching.

Helena Costa (France)
In France, Helena Costa made headlines in 2014 when she was appointed manager of Clermont Foot, marking the first time a woman led a professional men’s team in the country. However, her tenure was short-lived, as she resigned within weeks, citing a lack of support and recognition from within the club.

Corinne Diacre (France)
Costa’s departure opened the door for Corinne Diacre, who stepped in to lead Clermont Foot. Diacre later went on to manage the French women’s national team, though her time there ended in 2023 following internal disputes that highlighted the pressures often faced by women in leadership roles.

Sabrina Wittmann (Germany)
More recently, Sabrina Wittmann has also taken on a prominent role in men’s football, serving as interim head coach at German club Ingolstadt. Wittmann has spoken about the challenge of balancing expectations as a representative of women in the sport while striving to be judged purely on her coaching abilities.

The post Marie-Louise Eta, Carolina, others – Five female coaches of male football teams appeared first on Vanguard News.

Several travelers have been abducted after suspected bandits blocked and attacked major roads in Maradun and Bukkuyum Local Government Areas of Zamfara State.

The incident was contained in a post shared on X by security analyst, Bakatsine.

According to the post, the attackers first blocked the Janbako-Maradun road in Maradun LGA, where they killed one person and abducted several passengers traveling along the route.

In a separate attack, the bandits were also said to have intercepted vehicles along the Gurusu-Anka road.

The victims included phone vendors who were reportedly returning from Nasarawar Bukkuyyum market in Bukkuyum LGA.

“Bandits yesterday afternoon blocked Janbako–Maradun way in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State, killing one person and abducting several travelers. In a separate incident, they also intercepted vehicles along the Gurusu–Anka route, kidnapping phone vendors returning from Nasarawar Bukkuyyum market in Bukkuyum LGA.

“How long will these roads remain killing fields without sustained security presence or accountability?,” Bakatsine asked.

Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the latest incident.

Travelers abducted as suspected bandits block roads in Zamfara

Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, SAN, has told students that possessing a university degree is no longer enough to secure employment, stressing that innovation is now the key driver of job opportunities.

Udeh made this known over the weekend during a Cosmopolitan University matriculation ceremony in Abuja, where he addressed newly admitted students on the realities of today’s evolving global job market.

According to him, relying solely on academic qualifications is no longer sufficient, as graduates must embrace creativity and technological innovation to remain competitive.

“A graduate degree doesn’t translate to a job anymore. What translates to ‘job’ is innovation,” the minister said.

He was represented at the event by the Director-General of the National Centre for Technology Management, Olushola Odusanya.

Udeh urged the students to take advantage of innovation and technology to shape a better future for themselves and the country.

Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of Cosmopolitan University, Prof. Carl Adams, described the matriculation ceremony as a significant milestone for the new intakes joining the institution.

In his remarks, the Registrar, Mani Ibrahim Ahmad, revealed that the university had received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to introduce additional academic programmes.

University degrees alone won’t guarantee jobs – Minister Udeh tells students

French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that France and the United Kingdom will jointly host an international conference in the coming days to explore the creation of a “peaceful multinational mission” aimed at restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement posted on X, Macron outlined the initiative: “In the coming days, together with the United Kingdom, we will organise a conference with those countries prepared to contribute alongside us to a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait.”

He emphasized that the proposed mission would be “strictly defensive” and “separate from the warring parties to the conflict,” with deployment planned “as soon as circumstances permit.”

The announcement comes amid heightened tensions in the strategically vital waterway, which handles roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments.

Recent developments, including reported U.S. actions toward a blockade of Iranian ports and ongoing Iran-related conflicts, have raised concerns about disruptions to maritime traffic and global energy security.

Macron’s post underscores a European-led effort independent of direct involvement in broader hostilities.

The conference will invite willing nations to contribute to what is described as a non-aggressive operation focused solely on safeguarding commercial shipping lanes.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, serves as a critical chokepoint for energy exports from the Middle East.

Any sustained closure or threat to navigation there could trigger sharp spikes in oil prices and broader economic ripple effects worldwide.

No specific timeline for the conference or list of potential participating countries has been released yet, but the joint Franco-British initiative signals growing European interest in securing key maritime routes without escalating into active combat roles.

Further details are expected as France and the UK move forward with invitations to potential partners.

France, UK To Host Conference On Hormuz Defensive Mission is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Southeast Asian nations have added their voices to growing international pressure on the United States and Iran, calling on both powers to build on their fragile two-week truce and negotiate a permanent end to a conflict that has rattled global energy markets and disrupted shipping lanes critical to the region’s economies.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations welcomed the ceasefire announced on April 8 between Washington and Tehran, while pressing both sides to go further.

The ministers urged the two nations to continue negotiations toward a permanent settlement and called specifically for the full restoration of safe, unimpeded maritime and air passage through the Strait of Hormuz in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The statement also stressed the safety of seafarers and vessels under international maritime conventions.

The ASEAN appeal carries particular weight given how directly the bloc’s economies are exposed to the crisis. Roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and disruptions caused Brent crude prices to jump sharply, with analysts warning they could reach $100 per barrel or higher if the situation persists.

For energy-dependent Southeast Asian economies, prolonged instability in the Gulf is not an abstract concern but a direct threat to fuel supplies, manufacturing costs, and trade flows.

The ceasefire the ministers welcomed was itself the product of intense diplomatic effort. The two-week truce, brokered by Pakistan, followed fierce exchanges of air strikes, missile attacks and threats that saw unprecedented strikes on Gulf nations and disrupted global shipping routes.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described both parties as having displayed “remarkable wisdom and understanding” in reaching the agreement.

However, the truce has shown serious signs of strain even before ASEAN issued its statement.

Peace talks in Islamabad between Vice President JD Vance and an Iranian delegation collapsed on Sunday after Iran declined to meet several U.S. red lines, including a complete halt to uranium enrichment and the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz without charging transit tolls.

Following the breakdown, President Trump announced a naval blockade of Iranian ports, with U.S. Central Command saying the blockade would commence at 10 a.m. ET on Monday.

Iran said the two sides had reached an understanding on a number of issues but that talks ultimately did not produce an agreement.

Tehran has maintained that its nuclear programme is civilian in nature and that it has the right to continue uranium enrichment for that purpose.

The ceasefire window, which was set for two weeks from April 8, had already been tested almost immediately, with ships once again being prevented from moving through the strait by April 9 as Iran restricted and conditioned traffic while Israeli strikes on Lebanon continued.

The ASEAN statement commended mediation efforts, including those by Pakistan, and called on all parties to uphold international law on freedom of navigation and overflight.

The group’s intervention reflects a broader wave of international appeals, coming alongside similar calls from European nations and Pope Leo XIV, who has repeatedly urged both sides toward dialogue and an off-ramp from escalation.

With the two-week ceasefire window set to expire around April 22 and the U.S. naval blockade now taking effect, the pressure on both Washington and Tehran to return to the negotiating table is mounting rapidly.

How both sides respond in the coming days will determine whether the truce holds or the conflict enters a dangerous new phase.

ASEAN Urges U.S., Iran To Convert Ceasefire Into Permanent Peace is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

A Ghanaian Premier League footballer, Dominic Frimpong, has been killed after armed robbers attacked his team on the way back from an away fixture on Sunday, the Ghana Football Association said Monday.

Berekum Chelsea FC  said in a statement that “masked men wielding guns and assault rifles” fired on the team bus and forced the players to take cover in the bushes.

The robbery, according to Ghana police, occurred around 10:30 pm local time (2230 GMT) along the Ahyiresu-Kwame Dwumor Sreso road in the Nyinahin District in the southern region of Ashanti.

Police said Frimpong sustained gunshot wounds and died in hospital while receiving treatment.

“Another victim, George Owusu Afriyie, 52, was also robbed of 4,500.00 cedis ($408),” the police said in a statement.

The Ghana Football Association described the incident as “tragic” and a “huge loss to Berekum Chelsea but also to Ghana football as a whole.”

“Dominic was a promising young talent whose dedication and passion for the game embodied the spirit of our league,” it said in a statement.

The 20-year-old forward joined Berekum Chelsea FC on loan from Aduana Stars FC at the beginning of the year.

He played 13 games and scored two goals for the club, according to local media.

Vanguard News

The post Ghana footballer dies after robbery attack on team bus appeared first on Vanguard News.

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has arrived at the Kaduna State High Court as hearing on his case with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

DAILY POST reports that the court had adjourned the hearing of the bail application filed by him to April 14.

The former governor is facing a 10-count charge bordering on alleged financial misappropriation and money laundering.

El-Rufai was first detained by the Department of State Services before he was handed over to the ICPC.

He was recently released for the burial of his mother, who passed away in March.

Alleged fraud: El-Rufai arrives court as hearing continues

A 45-year-old man, identified as Emereze Okoro, has been arrested by the police for the alleged murder of a resident in Igbo Imabana Village, Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The incident, which occurred on Friday, at about 10:30 p.m., was reported to the police in the early hours of April 11 by Egbe Enya, 48, who alleged that his younger brother, Egbegi Enya, 45, was attacked and killed with a machete.

Confirming the incident on Monday, the Police Spokesman of Cross River state, ASP Sunday Akata, said that Police operatives from the Abi Division promptly swung into action, visiting the scene of the crime where photographs were taken and the victim’s body was evacuated and deposited at the Eja Memorial Joint Hospital Mortuary in Itigidi.

He said, “Police operatives from the Abi Division promptly swung into action. We visited the scene of the crime where Photographs were taken, and the victim’s body was evacuated and deposited at the Eja Memorial Joint Hospital Mortuary in Itigidi.”

He further added that the suspect was subsequently apprehended and transferred to the state criminal investigation department as investigations continue.

Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other individuals who may be connected to the crime.

“The uspect was subsequently apprehended, and to be transferred to the state criminal investigation department (SCID)as investigations continue. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other individuals who may be connected to the crime,” he added.

Recall that on Friday, the Ogun State Police Command arrested three suspects in connection with the alleged murder and attempted secret burial of a 38-year-old man in Akute, Ifo Local Government Area.

The deceased, Stanley Okirie, was reportedly attacked with a pestle.

His family members were allegedly in the process of burying him secretly when police operatives, acting on intelligence, swooped in and made the arrests.

The three suspects, Maureen Okirie, 35; Salia Karikari, 15; and Jubril Karikari, 12, are now in custody as investigations continue.

Man Arrested For Alleged Murder Of Brother In Cross River is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSLAW) has warned against the diversion of officially procured weapons.

The National Coordinator of the centre, retired DIG Johnson Kokumo, gave the warning at the inauguration of a capacity development programme on Arms Physical Security and Stockpile Management for arms-bearing security agencies in Abuja on Monday.

Kokumo said lapses in weapons management continued to undermine national security efforts, stressing that weak control systems had created dangerous vulnerabilities in armoury oversight.

He said assessments indicated that a significant proportion of illegal arms in circulation may have originated from official stockpiles over time, raising concerns over internal leakage points.

“A significant portion of illegal arms in circulation today passed through official channels at some point,” he said.

Kokumo noted that while security agencies had intensified efforts against illicit arms proliferation, weaknesses in stockpile management remained a persistent challenge requiring urgent reform.

According to him, weapons in official custody must be properly secured, documented and strictly monitored to prevent diversion to criminal and armed groups.

He warned that any leakage from official inventories not only fueled criminality but also complicated counter-terrorism and internal security operations nationwide.

According to him, weapons issued to official armouries must be prevented from slipping into the hands of enemies of the state.

“If we fail to properly account for these weapons, we are indirectly empowering criminal networks and terrorist groups operating within and outside our borders.

“There must be deliberate efforts to secure and account for all official weapons inventories across the services,” he stressed.

Kokumo identified poor record-keeping, weak oversight and inadequate storage systems as key gaps that must be urgently addressed.

He said the centre was collaborating with national and international partners to strengthen audit systems, enhance stockpile security and improve compliance frameworks across security agencies.

“Our goal is to ensure accountability, transparency and effective control of weapons within government custody.

“Securing official weapons is not optional; it is a critical component of national security architecture,” he said.

He reaffirmed the centre’s commitment to curbing illicit arms flow and strengthening institutional control mechanisms to reduce diversion risks.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Nyaga, Operations Manager, Halo Trust, said the programme was organised in collaboration with NCCSLAW and funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Nyaga said the initiative was aimed at equipping personnel with modern skills for effective armoury management and prevention of weapon diversion.

He said the training would run in three phases, beginning with armoury stock keepers across participating security agencies.

According to him, the first phase will focus on practical skills in handling, documentation and accountability of weapons and ammunition.

“The second phase will address leadership-level stockpile management, including risk assessment and identification of operational gaps.”

Nyaga added that the final phase would adopt a train-the-trainer model to sustain institutional capacity within security agencies.

“In this phase, participants will learn how to develop training curricula, instructional materials and training management plans,” he said.

He noted that the programme was not an indication of capacity gaps, but an effort to strengthen and optimise existing systems.

He expressed optimism that the initiative would enable agencies sustain internal capacity-building without external dependence.

FG Govt. Warns Against Diversion Of Arms is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed reports of a planned cult-related clash in parts of the state, describing the claims as false while assuring residents of adequate security presence.

The development was disclosed in a statement shared on April 13, 2026, on the official page of the command.

According to the statement, the message circulating online had raised concerns about possible unrest in areas including Shitta, Akerele, Itire/Aguda, and Ishaga.

However, the police said proactive steps had already been taken to prevent any breakdown of law and order in the affected locations and surrounding communities.

“The Command wishes to categorically state that it has taken proactive and decisive measures to forestall any breakdown of law and order,” the statement read.

The Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, was quoted as directing intensified patrols and increased deployment of officers across identified flashpoints to strengthen security.

According to the command, personnel have been strategically positioned, with enhanced visibility aimed at deterring any unlawful gatherings or activities.

“The areas are well secured, and adequate security coverage has been emplaced to deter any unlawful gatherings or activities,” the statement added.

The police, however, urged residents to remain calm and continue with their daily activities, noting that there was no cause for alarm.

It also advised members of the public to disregard unverified information capable of causing panic, while encouraging them to report any suspicious movements to security agencies.

The command maintained that it remains committed to ensuring the safety of lives and property across the state.

Police dismiss cult clash rumours in Lagos, boost security in affected areas