Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has congratulated the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on their victory in Saturday’s bye-elections held in two state constituencies.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted the polls to fill vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Ukalikpe Napoleon emerged winner in Ahoada East State Constituency II, while Bulabari Henrietta Loolo secured victory in Khana State Constituency II, defeating candidates of other political parties.
Governor Fubara, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi, described the victories as well-deserved, citing the candidates’ popularity in their respective constituencies.
He said the results reflected the beauty of democracy, noting that when people believe in a candidate’s capacity, they express it through their votes.
READ ALSO: APC, PDP Trade Words Over 2026 FCT LG Election Results
The governor expressed readiness to work with the newly elected lawmakers and their colleagues in the Assembly.
“It is the beauty of democracy. When the people believe in your capacity, they will give you their votes. I look forward to working with them and their colleagues in the State House of Assembly,” the governor said.
The governor also commended residents of the two constituencies for conducting themselves peacefully before, during, and after the elections.
Fubara Lists Achievements in healthcare
Meanwhile, Fubara has declared that his administration has made significant strides in the health sector in the past two and a half years.
He listed some of his achievements, including the employment of over 2,000 health workers, which was in order to boost the manpower and efficiency of the sector.
The statement disclosed that the administration has revived and expanded several abandoned health facilities, including the Zonal Hospitals in Bori, Omoku, Ahoada, and Degema.
“As an administration, we are very passionate about the health of every citizen and resident of Rivers State. When we realised that many people have been under stress as a result of economic hardship, we decided to introduce mental health services at the primary healthcare level,” Nzeshi said in another statement.
Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye caught the eye again when he wore a pair of bright white leggings for Monday’s Premier League match against Manchester United.
It’s certainly not the first time a player has stood out because of their kit choice.
Some of those decisions are because of warmth and comfort – and some are for marginal gains.
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Undershorts and leggings
Undershorts and undershirts are a familiar sight, but full-length leggings like those worn by Gueye are much more unusual.
The leggings, which must match the colour of the shorts on top, are primarily worn for an additional layer of warmth and – in some cases – comfort.
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs once wore black support leggings as he returned from hamstring injury.
Gloves
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In principle, the idea of outfield players wearing gloves is fine. But there are certain circumstances when it has been questionable.
In 1999, Nicolas Anelka scored twice for France during a match against England… while wearing a pair of goalkeeper gloves.
Further back, in the 1980s former Nottingham Forest defender John Metgod wore brown gloves that looked more suited to gardening than the football pitch.
For purists, the jury is out on whether wearing gloves with short sleeves is acceptable…
Holes cut in socks
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One of football’s more recent fashion trends has been players cutting holes in the back of their socks.
Players are doing it to relieve pressure on their calf muscles when running in tight socks.
Tracksuit bottoms
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One of the rarer football fashion choices is that of tracksuit bottoms, which goalkeepers are allowed to wear.
They are among the game’s more retro fashion choices, though former Crystal Palace No 1 Gabor Kiraly famously wore them throughout his career.
“I’m a goalie, not a model,” he once said. “I’ve played on clay or grass that’s been frozen in winter; it makes your legs hurt when you fall so jogging bottoms seemed obvious.”
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Massimo Taibi wore tracksuit bottoms during his short stint at Old Trafford, while former Colombia keeper Rene Higuita was wearing them while making his famous scorpion-kick save against England in 1995.
Goalkeeper cap
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Caps are a more traditional piece of attire for goalkeepers, who tend to wear them to aid visibility when there is a chance the sun will get in their eyes.
In recent seasons, Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson and Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario have both sported club-branded caps during matches.
Headbands and Alice bands
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Headbands and Alice bands are becoming increasingly popular sights in men’s football.
England internationals Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke are regular headband-wearers, while Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma wore one during Sunday’s north London derby against Arsenal.
They are largely worn by players with longer hair to stop it falling over their eyes.
Footballers are not allowed to wear branded headbands, though, and in 2022 former Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin was fined by the Football Association for wearing one with a designer branding.
Snoods
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Players have been banned from wearing snoods during matches since 2011, but prior to that Carlos Tevez, Samir Nasri and Ashley Young were among those who donned them during fixtures.
Players and coaches still wear them frequently during pre-match warm-ups and training for an added layer of warmth.
Undershirts
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Another accessory more commonly worn during colder months, skin-tight undershirts give players an added layer of warmth.
Players did used to be able to wear a different coloured undershirt to their kit, but that was outlawed to prevent clashes.
With a number of shirt manufacturers opting not to make long-sleeved shirts that can be worn in Premier League matches, players often wear either short-sleeved shirts over undershirts or replica long-sleeved shirts that are made for commercial sales to supporters.
Wrist and finger tape
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Players commonly wear wrist tape in matches in order to stabilise their joints and limit the risk of sprains or injuries sustained in collisions or tackles.
At times, players also wear tape around their fingers for similar reasons.
The International Football Association Board – the body responsible for making the laws of the game – no longer allows players to wear tape over jewellery, which is not permitted to be worn.
Small shinpads
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Shinpads are very much a necessity – and an Ifab requirement for players – but the size of some has become a talking point.
Burnley winger Marcus Edwards was among those pictured sporting particularly small shinpads during their Premier League defeat by West Ham.
Jack Grealish has also previously worn smaller shinpads – designed for increased mobility, comfort and ankle flexibility.
Footless socks
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Another recent trend is for players to wear football socks that do not have ‘feet’ on them – usually known is footless socks.
Players commonly cut the bottom of socks off themselves or buy them pre-made.
Instead, players wear separate ankle socks for comfort and more flexibility in football boots compared to wearing a traditional one-piece sock.
Holes in the back of boots
Similarly to socks, some players have been cutting holes at the back of their football boots to make them more comfortable.
Some footballers have Haglund’s deformity – a condition in which people get an enlarged bony bump on the back of their heels which can rub against the inside of football boots.
Other players cut their boots to put less pressure on their feet, with former Brazil internationals Neymar and Philippe Coutinho among those to do this.
Who: Real Madrid vs Benfica What: Champions League playoff, second leg Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain When: Wednesday at 9pm (20:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Real Madrid carry a slender 1-0 lead over Benfica going into the second leg of a Champions League playoff tie that has been overshadowed by allegations of racism.
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UEFA has suspended Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni from the second leg on Wednesday after he was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, who scored the only goal in the first game in Lisbon last week.
Meanwhile, Benfica coach Jose Mourinho, who is also suspended for the second leg, has come under fire for criticising Vinicius for his effusive goal celebration.
So the Portuguese side will be expecting an especially hostile welcome at the Bernabeu as they try to overturn their one-goal deficit and reach the last 16.
Vinicius Jr confronts Prestianni during the first leg at the Estadio Da Luz in Lisbon on February 17, 2026 [Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images]
Courtois ‘disappointed’ in Mourinho’s response
Vinicius wrote that “racists are above all cowards” on social media after the game while Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe backed his teammate and said he had heard Prestianni calling the winger a “monkey”.
The 20-year-old Benfica midfielder, who hid his mouth with his shirt during the confrontation with Vinicius, insisted he did not racially abuse the Brazilian forward after his stunning goal at the Estadio da Luz.
Prestianni could miss at least 10 games if European football’s governing body finds he racially abused Vinicius.
Mourinho waded into the controversy by saying Vinicius’s goal celebration was disrespectful and insisting Benfica was not a racist club because their biggest icon, Eusebio, was Black.
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he disagreed with Mourinho’s words.
“At the end of the day, Mourinho is Mourinho. As a coach, you’re always, I think, going to defend your club and what your player has told you,” Courtois said.
“The only thing that disappoints me a bit is using Vini’s celebration. I don’t think Vini did anything wrong there,” he added.
“I don’t think we can justify alleged racism because of a celebration.”
Mourinho’s Bernabeu homecoming upended by suspension
Benfica’s boss has not set foot in the Santiago Bernabeu since leaving Real Madrid in 2013, and he cannot sit in the dugout for the playoff’s second leg after being sent off during his team’s 1-0 first-leg defeat in Lisbon last week for making vituperative complaints about the officials from the touchline.
Mourinho said referee Francois Letexier was avoiding booking Madrid players who were at risk of suspension for the second leg.
“I’ve had my butt on the bench for 1,400 games and [I could see that] he knew perfectly well who he could book and who he couldn’t,” Mourinho complained bitterly.
“I [won’t be] sitting on the bench. I can’t go to the dressing room. I can’t communicate with the team,” he added. “It’s hard for me, but my teammates and my assistants are there. They’ll do their job.”
Benfica also said Mourinho was not going to attend the pregame news conference on Tuesday and his assistant would take over.
Mourinho is shown a red card by Letexier during the first leg [Angel Martinez/Getty Images]
Arbeloa says UEFA have chance for ‘turning point’ against racism
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa called on UEFA to make their fight against racism into more than just a slogan after the alleged abuse of Vinicius Jr.
“We have a great opportunity to mark a turning point in the fight against racism,” Arbeloa told reporters on Tuesday.
“UEFA, which has always been and has led this fight against racism, now has the chance not to leave it at just a slogan, at just a nice banner before matches, and I hope that they seize this opportunity.”
Arbeloa said he believed Vinicius will thrive on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu as the record 15-time champions bid to reach the last 16.
“Vinicius Jr has always shown a lot of bravery and a lot of character,” Arbeloa said. “That is always his response. It always has been, and I think it always will be.
“He is a fighter, and I’m sure tomorrow he will go out to fight and have a great game and keep showing he’s one of the best players on the planet.”
Head-to-head
This is only the sixth meeting between two of the biggest clubs from Spain and Portugal. Benfica have won three of the games while Real Madrid have won two.
The two clubs also faced each other in a league stage match in January when Mourinho’s team stunned his former club in a 4-2 win that allowed Benfica to qualify and prevented Madrid from automatically reaching the round of 16.
How many times have Madrid and Benfica won the Champions League?
Madrid are the record winners of Europe’s premier club competition with 15 titles to their name, the last coming in 2024.
Benfica have lifted the trophy on two occasions, and both of those came in consecutive years.
In what was regarded as Benfica’s golden era, Portuguese legend Eusebio helped the team to wins against Barcelona in 1961 and Real Madrid in 1962.
A hat-trick from Hungary’s finest export, Ferenc Puskas, could not save Madrid as Benfica earned a 5-3 win that included a double from Eusebio.
Vinicius Jr scores a brilliant goal in the first leg against Benfica [Pedro Nunes/Reuters]
Real Madrid’s team news
Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos and Eder Militao have all been ruled out through injuries while centre back Dean Huijsen, who missed the 2-1 defeat at Osasuna over the weekend with a muscular problem, is a major doubt.
Winger Rodrygo will be unavailable due to a suspension but would anyway be a doubt as he struggles to recover from a hamstring issue.
Raul Asencio is available again after returning from suspension.
Vinicius Jr will be looking to score for the fifth game in a row as he is set to start up front alongside Mbappe.
The remains of traders attacked and killed while travelling from Jos to Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State have been recovered and buried in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
Relatives of the victims, who were known to travel weekly to Pankshin for shoe trading, said the burial took place on Monday evening at the Sabon Anguwa cemetery in Barkin Ladi town.
Channels Television learnt from government sources that the decision to bury the victims outside their home communities was taken to avert tension that had begun to build following reports of the killings.
The victims were residents of the Yandoya community in Jos North Local Government Area.
They were killed following the attack on two communities, where 10 people were killed in the Dorowa Babuje and Jol communities of Barkin Ladi and Riyom local governments of the state.
READ ALSO: Four Killed, Two Soldiers Missing In Plateau Attack
A community leader, Danjuma Ibrahim, told Channels Television that youths had gathered after news of the attack broke, demanding the release of the bodies of their relatives, a situation that prompted security agencies to deploy personnel to restore calm.
Ibrahim, leader of the Muslim community in Barkin Ladi, said the bodies were brought into the area earlier on Monday.
“We were contacted in the afternoon that the corpses of the traders would be brought to Barkin Ladi for burial. They were later received, and the funeral rites were performed here to douse tension in Jos,” he said.
He disclosed that six traders were involved in the attack, but two managed to escape, while four were killed and buried.
Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl has confirmed he has held talks with Benetton about a return to Treviso – but stresses he would like to stay at the Arms Park.
The South African has been calling the shots for Cardiff in 2025-26 after Matt Sherratt left on the eve of the season for a job with Wales.
United Rugby Championship (URC) rivals Benetton are in the market for a new head coach for next season because Calum MacRae is leaving for family reasons.
It is reported Van Zyl, who played for the Italians, has been interviewed for the top job along with former Springboks boss Jake White.
“It’s probably not true that I have had an interview with them but I have had conversations with people at the club,” said Van Zyl, who is under contract for another season in his official Cardiff role as forwards coach.
“It’s not my decision to stay on in the future and ultimately you need to look after yourself and your family.
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Van Zyl spent eight seasons as a player at Benetton and won eight caps for Italy after qualifying on residency, featuring at the 2011 World Cup.
He went on to cut his coaching teeth with South African side Cheetahs before moving to Ealing Trailfinders and then to the Arms Park in 2024.
Van Zyl – who has never publicly been given the official title of interim head coach – has led the Blue and Blacks to fifth in the URC.
Along with being in a strong position to make the play-offs, Cardiff also qualified for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup – and will travel to Benetton in the last 16 on 4 April.
They have enjoyed a strong campaign despite the uncertainty in Welsh rugby, with the prospect of the four professional clubs being cut to three.
Cardiff are at the centre of that after being taken over by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) after going into administration in April 2025.
Cardiff boosted by Wales trio for Leinster
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Cardiff play one of their three remaining home fixtures of the regular season when hosting Leinster on Friday (19:00 GMT).
They are boosted by the availability of wing Mason Grady, centre Ben Thomas and captain and hooker Liam Belcher after they were released by Wales for game time ahead of the Six Nations fixtures with Ireland and Italy.
Grady came off the bench against England and France while Thomas and Belcher featured as replacements at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
Cardiff also have a large contingent with Wales Under-20s and may call on the services of wing Tom Bowen, due to the absence of Josh Adams because of Test duty and Iwan Stephens through injury.
Bowen, who has scored seven tries for his club this season, started in the first three rounds of the junior Six Nations.
Nigeria’s gross external reserves climbed to $50.45 billion as of 16 February 2026, marking the highest level in 13 years, according to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso.
Cardoso disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the end of the 304th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held in Abuja.
He said the increase reflects stronger macroeconomic conditions and improved confidence in the country’s policy direction.
“Gross external reserves rose significantly to 50.45 billion dollars as of February 16, 2026, the highest in 13 years. This provides an import cover of 9.68 months for goods and services,” Cardoso stated.
Drivers
Providing further insight, the governor attributed the rise to favourable trade dynamics, a surplus current account position, and growth in non-oil exports.
Cardoso noted that market confidence played a central role.
“The gross reserves are the largest that we have had in the last 13 years. We have seen very positive signals with respect to the way the macro is developing, favourable trade developments, the current account is in healthy surplus, and non-oil exports have also gone up.
“Underpinning all these, quite frankly, is market confidence. Without market confidence, no matter what you do, you will find significantly sub-optimised outcomes.
“Over time, we have embarked on a number of international fora where we told our story, made promises, and ensured we stuck to those promises. We have been as open and transparent as possible to engender positive market sentiment, and I believe that has paid off,” he stated.
Sustainability, Risks
On the sustainability of the reserves, Cardoso cautioned that external and domestic risks remain, including global shocks, oil price volatility, and fiscal pressures.
“On how sustainable, there will always be risks to any outlook. We cannot underestimate potential global shocks that could come our way. Nobody has a crystal ball; we can only project into the future. Oil prices and how they play out are factors we can only forecast.
“Importantly, pre-election spending, if not properly contained, could destabilise the stability we have accomplished, as well as fiscal deficits. We are in a new year, and that is being looked at carefully. On our side, we must ensure consistency in policy formulation and avoid policy somersaults,” he said.
FILES: CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso
The apex bank had earlier projected that reserves could rise to about $51.04 billion by the end of 2026.
This is the strongest balance since May 2013, when reserves stood at approximately $48.51 billion.
The reserves ended 2025 at roughly $45.5 billion (up from $40.8 billion at the start of that year) and have maintained a steady upward trajectory throughout early 2026.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has projected that reserves could reach $51 billion by the end of 2026.
Interest Rate
At the event, Cardoso announced that the MPC reduced the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 50 basis points to 26.50 per cent from 27 per cent, with all committee members voting unanimously.
“The committee decided to reduce the monetary policy rate by 50 basis points to 26.50 per cent,” he said.
The MPC also “retained the liquidity ratio at 30 per cent, adjusted the standing facilities corridor to +50/-450 basis points around the MPR, maintained the Cash Reserve Ratio at 45 per cent for commercial banks and 16 per cent for merchant banks, kept the 75 per cent CRR on non-TSA public sector deposits.”
Cardoso explained that the policy decision followed a balanced assessment of risks, with inflation continuing on a downward path.
“The decision was premised on a balanced evaluation of risks to the outlook, which suggests that the ongoing disinflation trajectory would continue, supported by the lagged transmission of previous tightening, sustained exchange rate stability, and improved food supply.
The committee noted the sustained deceleration in year-on-year headline inflation in January 2026, marking the 11th consecutive month of decline,” he added.
