West Ham will have to come from behind in Germany next week if they are to reach their first European final in 46 years after Eintracht Frankfurt secured a deserved first-leg advantage at London Stadium.
Jarrod Bowen came agonisingly close to snatching a draw for the hosts in stoppage time when his overhead kick from a Declan Rice cross bounced down off the crossbar.
But that would have been harsh on Frankfurt, who were a constant threat on the counter-attack and showed why they had won away at Real Betis and Barcelona already in the knockout stages.
The visitors had the perfect start when Ansgar Knauff scored inside the opening minute.
The Hammers did recover through Michail Antonio's 11th goal of the season - and his first in the Europa League since September - as he bundled home Kurt Zouma's nod down at the far post.
It was Frankfurt who got the winner when Daichi Kamada tapped home after Djibril Sow's low shot was turned into his path.
Until the dramatic finale, a Bowen shot that flicked off the outside of a post and Said Benrahma's dipping second-half effort that flashed narrowly wide were West Ham's most dangerous efforts.
It was a disappointing outcome for David Moyes' men, although having performed brilliantly in Lyon to reach the last four, they do have hope when they travel to Frankfurt for the return.
From time immemorial, humans have been known to bet on the outcome of different sports – some for the thrill and blood rush, while others for the economic gains.
However, there is an increasing number of people that have taken to sports betting over the last few years.
With the increasing economical struggles in several countries, sports betting has been seen as a viable option to make money.
In Nigeria especially, online sports betting has become so popular, with over 60 million people estimated to have placed a bet at some point. An estimated 730 billion naira goes into sports betting annually across the country.
The reason for the increased popularity of betting in Nigeria is not far-fetched. The appeal of making fast and easy money is not the easiest to resist.
This raises a huge question. Is sports betting really profitable as people imagine it to be?
The basic truth is that in sports betting, people lose more money than they win.
It is for this reason that betting companies exist. They are set up to make money, just like any other business, and the money we deposit on their sites is their main source of revenue.
You need a lot of luck and good fortune to be a successful gambler.
Having said that, earning profits through sports betting is not impossible, but you need to follow certain guidelines, have a lot of discipline and gamble responsibly.
tablet pc with app for sport bets, stacks of banknotes and a basketball ball, concept of online bets
You must conduct extensive study on the teams you choose to wager on. Don’t just place bets blindly or out of emotions. Because you support Manchester United does not mean you should always bet on the team to win.
Obviously, research cannot guarantee absolute success, but it can help you create more accurate forecasts and reduce the level of risk you have to take.
Bonuses and incentives offered by betting sites should also be taken into consideration. Sports betting does consume a lot of money, therefore any opportunity to gain free bets and bonuses from your bookie should be taken advantage of.
It's critical to pick a betting site that gives a variety of bonuses so you can always get some free money to play with.
Another thing you can do is to identify tipsters and websites that have a good track record of making accurate predictions. It is more advisable to use sites that give free betting tips, and not the ones that demand money before giving you access to their tips.
You must have complete control over your betting finances if you want to profit from betting. You can't afford to take chances. You should set a betting budget and stick to it. And don’t forget to know when to pause if you have a run of losses.
Creating a separate bank account for sports betting is the best approach to keep track of your betting business. You'll have a better understanding of how much money you're spending and the level of profit made if you do it this way.
If you're losing a lot of money, it's time to pause and review your strategy.
It is not easy to make money from betting, but having a set of principles that guide you and being accountable will help you make profit.
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Orji Kalu says he may withdraw from contesting to be the president of Nigeria if major political parties don’t zone their tickets to the South-East.
Kalu in a statement he issued on Tuesday in Abuja, however, said that it was his desire and intention to run for the Presidency.
According to him, I am committed to this pursuit, but I can’t make an official declaration to this regard without the full support of other regions.
“Everywhere in the world, politics is situational and that of Nigeria is exceptionally situational.
“The situation in Nigeria is that without the support of other regions, it would amount to a shadow chase for a South Easterner to be President.
“This is the reason I have been in the frontline of the call that the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should zone their presidential tickets to the South- East as they did for the South-West in 1999.
“In the absence of this zoning, I shall return to the senate and stay away from the presidential contest,’’ Kalu said.
He said that the North was more advantageous to win elections in the democratic setting.
“I am even shocked with the number of aspirants coming from the South-West and the South-South.
“It is embarrassing that these aspirants (APC and PDP) have no single respect and concern for the South-East.
“I had thought they would think about the South-East; I thought they would support us. The amount of money being spent by these aspirants is alarming and they have forgotten that money alone cannot buy the Presidency.
“It has become a joke to an ordinary Nigerian who hears Southern commentators and aspirants rooting for a Southern President on the premise of fairness, equity and justice,’’ Kalu said.
He further said that if there was anything like “fairness”, “equity” and “justice”, it should be the entire South pushing for a president of South-East extraction.
According to him, anything less than that is “hypocritical”, “unjustifiable”and “inordinate.”
“Some ‘persons’ are even claiming God’s anointed choice in 2023. Unfortunately, it is not all prayers that God answers; at least not inordinate ones.
“What moral justification does a Southerner who refused to be fair to his brothers have against a Northerner running for president?
“It will be very insensitive, unreasonable and disrespectful for any Southern man to criticise a presidential aspirant from the North on the ground that the North has done eight years and power should return to the South,’’ he said.
Kalu also said that while the South-West and the South-South successfully completed their tenures as ‘President and Vice President’, they should have the courage to support the South-East.
“If the next president after President Muhammadu Buhari does not come from the South-East , there would be nothing unfair and unjust if he/she comes from Daura,’’ Kalu said.
He said that the two regions that are yet to produce a President are South-East and North-East.
“If this means anything to Nigerians, the APC and PDP should be fair enough to prioritise these regions. If power should come to the South and not the South- East or North and not the North-East, the essence for which the six geopolitical zones were created is long dead.
“This country belongs to all of us and the unity of the country should be paramount.
“If not for selfishness and greed, how can you say that where a president comes from does not matter simply because you don’t want to support a president of Nigeria from the South- East, but turn around to clamour for a power shift to the South?
“How do we explain this to the younger generation? Let the wise and courageous stay firm on their convictions and not swing on the two sides of the Atlantic,’’ Kalu said.
“To Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clark , Deji Adeyanju and a host of others who have stood firm in their support for their brothers in the South-East, posterity will be kind to you,’’ Kalu said.
Diet usually have an effect on one's eye health as well.
A well-balanced diet in necessary nutrients may be beneficial to one's eyes.
A diet high in antioxidant-rich citrus fruits and Omega-3-rich fatty fish can help maintain good vision.
Diets heavy in fat and processed foods might increase the risk of getting eye problems.
Here are a few foods that are good for your eyes:
1. Fish:
Some fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are effective for visual development and retinal health. Fish like oily fish and salmon have oil in their body tissue, and the oil from these fish can prevent dry eyes. It is recommended that you eat two-three servings per week. The fish that are most beneficial to the eyes include:
salmon
trout
mackerel
tuna
sardines
2. Carrots:
Carrots are very beneficial for eyesight. It is rich in both vitamin A and beta carotene. Beta carotene gives carrots their orange color. It also helps protect the eye and prevents eye infections and other serious eye conditions. The vitamin A in carrots is a component of a protein called rhodopsin, which helps the retina absorb light. It plays an essential role in the production of cone cells, which are important for low light vision and colour vision.
3. Eggs: Egg yolks are rich in lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin A, and vitamin E, which are important for eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin, which are the two antioxidants present in egg yolk, help to protect the eye against diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration. It can also reduce the risk of age-related diseases. The vitamin A in the egg yolk helps protect the cornea, and zinc is also healthy for the retina. It helps improve eyesight at night. Eggs can be fried, scrambled, or hard-boiled. It can be eaten as breakfast, dinner, or lunch.
4. Citrus fruits:
Citrus fruits like lemons, grapefruits, and lemons are rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps reduce the rate of cataracts and other eye related problems. It contributes to healthy blood vessels to the eye.
5. Dairy products: Dairy products like milk and yogurt are beneficial for the eyes. They contain vitamin A and the mineral zinc. Zinc is an important mineral found in the eye that helps with night vision and also prevents the eye from developing cataracts. Vitamin A helps protect the cornea and retina from infections.
