Virgil van Dijk received his first-ever red card for the Netherlands during their Nations League match against Hungary, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Dutch captain was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession, the first for dissent and the second for a foul on Kevin Csoboth on the wing.
Hungary initially took the lead with a first-half volley from Roland Sallai, but Van Dijk’s dismissal late in the game, during his 77th international appearance, put the Netherlands at a disadvantage.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Denzel Dumfries leveled the score shortly after Van Dijk’s exit, heading in a free-kick delivered by Cody Gakpo.
Before his sending off, Van Dijk was instrumental in maintaining the Netherlands’ possession, completing 145 out of 152 passes, almost matching Hungary’s total of 173 passes.
Following the red card, it was announced that Van Dijk would leave the Netherlands camp, as the suspension rules him out of their upcoming match against Germany in Munich.
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman expressed strong disapproval of the video assistant referees (VAR) system, accusing it of “breaking football” after a controversial penalty decision in England’s favor during the Euro 2024 semi-final on Wednesday.
The Dutch team initially led with a powerful goal from Xavi Simons. However, England was given a chance to equalize when Harry Kane was fouled by Denzel Dumfries after missing a shot.
Initially, no penalty was awarded, but referee Felix Zwayer, upon advice from the VAR, reviewed the incident on the monitor and subsequently pointed to the spot.
Kane successfully converted the penalty, and substitute Ollie Watkins scored a decisive goal in the 90th minute, securing England’s spot in Sunday’s final against Spain.
“In my opinion, it should not have been a penalty,” said Koeman.
“He kicked the ball and the boots touched. I think that we cannot play properly and this is due to VAR. It really breaks football.”
Former England defender and ITV pundit Gary Neville felt the Netherlands had every right to feel aggrieved.
“As a defender, I think it’s an absolutely disgraceful decision,” he said.
“There’s no way that was a penalty. He just goes in naturally to block the shot. It’s not a penalty for me.”
Ex-England striker Alan Shearer said on BBC Radio 5 live: “There is no doubt that there is contact, but the defender [Dumfries] is trying to block the ball.
“The follow-through from Harry Kane makes the connection and I didn’t think it was a howler to be turned over.”
Netherlands and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also felt the penalty decision was the turning point in the game.
“I think the penalty moment is a big moment, England had some confidence out of it,” he added.
The Netherlands staged a comeback to defeat Turkey and secure a spot in the Euro 2024 semi-finals against England.
Turkey initially took the lead with Samet Akaydin heading in Arda Guler’s cross, celebrating fervently with the Turkish fans.
However, an own goal by Mert Muldur under pressure from Cody Gakpo helped the Dutch level the score.
The Netherlands, who had struggled in the first half, improved significantly after the break. Stefan de Vrij equalized with a header, and substitute Wout Weghorst’s defensive efforts and offensive presence were pivotal.
Weghorst’s influence was immediate, as he bolstered the Dutch attack and provided crucial defensive support.
Despite Turkey nearly doubling their lead when Guler’s free-kick hit the post, they failed to capitalize on their chances.
As the Netherlands held on, goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made a crucial save, and De Vrij blocked several attempts. Turkey’s substitute Bertug Yildirim was sent off for dissent, adding to their woes.
The match ended with Dutch players celebrating their hard-fought victory, while Turkey reflected on their missed opportunity to advance. The Netherlands will now face England in Dortmund, with the winner set to play either France or Spain in the final.
The goalless draw between France and the Netherlands on Friday ended an extraordinary Euros streak that had lasted since the previous tournament.
As noted by StatMuse, the match at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig was the first 0-0 game since England and Scotland’s stalemate at Euro 2020.
Prior to this, 50 consecutive games had seen at least one goal.
Despite the draw, it wasn’t a setback for either team as both had secured wins in their opening matches.
Now, France and the Netherlands will vie for the top spot in Group D, with France set to play Poland and the Netherlands gearing up to face Austria.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JMpk-bM3YY
England’s Euro 2024 campaign has mirrored their previous tournament performance so far.
The draw against Scotland in Euro 2020 followed a narrow win over Croatia, leading to criticism of Gareth Southgate’s tactics.
England then beat the Czech Republic in their final group game and eventually made it to the final of Euro 2020.
The next round of fixtures kicks off on Saturday, June 22, with three games on the schedule: Georgia vs. Czech Republic, Portugal vs. Turkey, and Belgium looking for their first tournament win against Romania.
Members of the Ghana Netherlands Business Culture Council (GNBCC) have urged the government to streamline its regulatory compliance processes to improve efficiency.
Additionally, they called for a deeper integration of digitalization in public services to mitigate exposure to corrupt practices in the sector.
During a research-sponsored session by the GNBCC, findings from a study conducted by the IMANI Centre for Policy Education (CPE) were shared.
Titled “Reviewing current economic and investment challenges and opportunities for shared benefits and growth – a focus on the members of the Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC),” the report highlighted key recommendations.
According to the Senior Research Fellow at IMANI CPE, Dennis Asare, respondents recommended a review of the existing tax regime to minimize the incidence of duplicating taxes, which significantly raise the cost of doing business in Ghana.
“High regulatory and compliance cost is identified as one of the key cost components for the firms, and the synchronisation of regulatory and permit processes leads to firms paying extra costs through unofficial channels.
Thus, the government must deepen the existing e-government services to ensure that the services are delivered efficiently and reduce the cost of compliance. This will help to reduce the bureaucratic interference of public agencies in the activities of investors,” they recommended during research sponsored by the GNBCC.
“Given that the existing macroeconomic challenges have already increased the cost of doing business for firms, the government must review and align the tax frameworks to minimise the incidence of “duplicating taxes”
“The findings indicate that most of the businesses heard the investment opportunities through GNBCC, which also suggests that the GNBCC will be their first point of contact when they face challenges,” the Research Consultant said.
“The government can work collaboratively with the chambers of businesses to consistently provide regular information on government support in the form of tax reliefs, exemptions and financing opportunities to investors.”
This reduction in the tax burden was deemed crucial for enhancing the competitiveness of firms and attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).
Furthermore, the government was advised to collaborate closely with business chambers to gain regular insights into the challenges faced by investors.
It was suggested that providing consistent information on government support, such as tax reliefs, exemptions, and financing opportunities, would address the limited access to information reported by investors.
As Ghana continues to attract significant FDI, particularly from the Netherlands, stakeholders emphasized the importance of addressing the challenges faced by businesses. Engaging with government agencies to advocate for these issues and ensuring they are reflected in political party manifestoes were highlighted as crucial steps.
The General Manager of GNBCC, Mr. Tjalling Yme Wiarda, stressed the need for government collaboration with the council to continue attracting investors from the Netherlands. He reiterated the commitment of the council to maintaining thriving businesses through effective government relations strategies.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and other economic challenges, enhancing investor relations becomes increasingly vital for understanding and addressing the needs of foreign investors. This, in turn, can facilitate the acceleration of FDI flows and the creation of a supportive investment environment conducive to economic growth.
The National Holocaust Museum in the Netherlands had its grand opening on Sunday. The ceremony was attended by the Dutch king and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Some people protested because of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The people leading the protest said they didn’t want Herzog to be there, but they didn’t have a problem with the museum and what it stands for.
The museum in Amsterdam exhibits the histories of 102,000 Jews who were deported from the Netherlands and murdered in Nazi camps.It also tells about how they were persecuted by the German soldiers during World War II.
The museum helps people remember and understand the Jewish people who were treated badly in the Netherlands, the Dutch King Willem-Alexander said at the opening ceremony on Sunday. He also said it “teaches us about the serious results of hating Jews. “
The king said we need to keep remembering how things started and got even worse. Before, the king and the president of Israel went to the well-known Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam.
Herzog praised the Netherlands for starting a new Holocaust museum because he thinks there is more antisemitism in the world.
“At this very important moment, this institution is making a strong statement,” Herzog said. “Don’t forget the terrible things that happen when people hate others because of their religion or race. We should never let that happen again. “
The ceremony on Sunday happened while Israel was attacking Gaza after Hamas attacked southern Israel in October. “
Thousands of people who support Palestine came together at Waterloo Square in Amsterdam. They were waving Palestinian flags, shouting “Never again is now,” and asking for the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands to stop and for the fighting in Gaza to end right away.
Joana Cavaco, who is against war,spoke to the crowd before the ceremony and said that these museums are important to the history of Jewish people. She said: “How is it possible that people are using such a holy place to make genocide seem normal today. “
Ninety percent of Dutch Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War II.
The United Nations court told Israel to stop any killing,destruction, and genocide in Gaza. Herzog, an Israeli leader, was mentioned in the order. He said the International Court of Justice didn’t understand what he meant in the decision. Israel said no to accusations from South Africa in court that their military actions in Gaza are breaking the Genocide Convention.
“I felt really upset because they changed my words and only used small parts of what I said to support their case without any evidence,” Herzog said a few days after the decision.
A Dutch group, The Rights Forum, who support the Palestinians, said that Herzog’s visit is hurtful to the Palestinians who are unable to do anything while Israel hurts them and damages their land.
Before the museum opens on Sunday, the Jewish Cultural Quarter is worried about the war and its effects on the people in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
It is worrying that the National Holocaust Museum is opening while the war is still going on. Our mission becomes even more urgent.
The museum is in a building that used to be a school for teachers. It was also used as a secret way for around 600 Jewish children to escape from the Nazis.
The exhibit has a big picture of a boy walking past dead bodies at Bergen-Belsen after the camp was freed, and things that remind us of the people who died there: a doll, a dress made from parachute material, and 10 buttons found at the Sobibor camp.
In one room, the walls are covered with lots of laws that were unfair to Jews. These laws were made by the German rulers of the Netherlands. They wanted to show how the Nazis, with help from Dutch workers,treated Jews as less than human before they were rounded up.
The museum tells the stories of people who were taken away from society, had no rights, were not protected by the law, were put in prison, separated from their families, and killed, said the king of the Netherlands.
The National Holocaust Museum in the Netherlands was opened on Sunday. The Dutch king and Israeli President Isaac Herzog were at the ceremony. Some people protested because of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The museum in Amsterdam shows the stories of 102,000 Jews who were taken from the Netherlands and killed in Nazi camps. It also tells about how they were persecuted by the German soldiers during World War II.
The museum helps people remember and understand the Jewish people who were treated badly in the Netherlands, the Dutch King Willem-Alexander said at the opening ceremony on Sunday. He also said it “teaches us about the serious results of hating Jews. ”
The king said we need to keep remembering how things started and got even worse. Before, the king and the president of Israel went to the well-known Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam.
Herzog praised the Netherlands for starting a new Holocaust museum because he thinks there is more antisemitism in the world.
“At this very important moment, this institution is making a strong statement,” Herzog said. “Don’t forget the terrible things that happen when people hate others because of their religion or race. We should never let that happen again. ”
Thousands of people who support Palestine came together at Waterloo Square in Amsterdam. They were waving Palestinian flags, shouting “Never again is now,” and asking for the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands to stop and for the fighting in Gaza to end right away.
The people leading the protest said they didn’t want Herzog to be there, but they didn’t have a problem with the museum and what it stands for.
Joana Cavaco, who is against war, spoke to the crowd before the ceremony and said that these museums are important to the history of Jewish people. She said: “How is it possible that people are using such a holy place to make genocide seem normal today. ”
Ninety percent of Dutch Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War II.
The United Nations court told Israel to stop any killing, destruction, and genocide in Gaza. Herzog, an Israeli leader, was mentioned in the order. He said the International Court of Justice didn’t understand what he meant in the decision. Israel said no to accusations from South Africa in court that their military actions in Gaza are breaking the Genocide Convention.
“I felt really upset because they changed my words and only used small parts of what I said to support their case without any evidence,” Herzog said a few days after the decision.
A Dutch group, The Rights Forum, who support the Palestinians, said that Herzog’s visit is hurtful to the Palestinians who are unable to do anything while Israel hurts them and damages their land.
Before the museum opens on Sunday, the Jewish Cultural Quarter is worried about the war and its effects on the people in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
It is worrying that the National Holocaust Museum is opening while the war is still going on. Our mission becomes even more urgent.
The museum is in a building that used to be a school for teachers. It was also used as a secret way for around 600 Jewish children to escape from the Nazis.
The exhibit has a big picture of a boy walking past dead bodies at Bergen-Belsen after the camp was freed, and things that remind us of the people who died there: a doll, a dress made from parachute material, and 10 buttons found at the Sobibor camp.
In one room, the walls are covered with lots of laws that were unfair to Jews. These laws were made by the German rulers of the Netherlands. They wanted to show how the Nazis, with help from Dutch workers, treated Jews as less than human before they were rounded up.
The museum tells the stories of people who were taken away from society, had no rights, were not protected by the law, were put in prison, separated from their families, and killed, said the king of the Netherlands.
Ketamine is sometimes called a “party drug” because it can make people see things that aren’t really there. Using it this way can hurt your body a lot and even kill you.
Using drugs or substances for fun can cause problems with your memory, make it hard to control your bladder, and can even make your muscles stop working.
Doctors use the drug to make people sleepy, reduce pain, and numb an area for surgery. It is also often used on animals.
Doctors can use ketamine as an anaesthetic in some countries. They can also prescribe it for depression even though it is not officially approved for this use. This is happening in small hospitals in the US and the UK.
The Danish police have stopped a big planned attack. Police said they arrested three people in Denmark and one in the Netherlands early on Thursday morning.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the danger was very serious.
Officials did not give many details about the plot they stopped because they are still investigating.
He said that an investigation found a group of people from different countries getting ready to carry out an attack, and they are connected to criminal groups.
More police will watch over Jewish places and patrol more often in Copenhagen for safety.
Ex-Copenhagen Police Deputy Inspector Jens Moller said on TV2 that Thursday morning’s raids would have been well-planned and timed to the exact minute.
“He said they have to happen at the same time, within a minute of each other, and it would be best if they were only 10-15 seconds apart. ”
The head of Danish intelligence, Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen, said that the threat of terrorism is connected to the Israel-Gaza war and the burning of the Quran in Denmark and neighboring Sweden.
Earlier this month, Ylva Johansson, who is in charge of keeping Europe safe, said there is a big chance that there could be terrorist attacks during Christmas.
In 2015, two people died in an attack on a cultural center and a synagogue in Copenhagen.
In Denmark, the terror threat is currently at level four out of five, which is the second-highest level.
After being in parliament for 25 years, his party (PVV) is going to win 37 seats, which is more than the left-wing alliance.
“The PVV is too important to ignore,” he said. We will lead.
His victory has surprised the government in the Netherlands and it will also surprise other countries in Europe.
However, to keep his promise to be a leader for all people, he will need to convince other political parties to work together with him. He wants to win 76 seats out of the 150 seats in parliament.
In his winning speech, he was ready to fight and said, “We want to lead and. ” we will be in charge. Receiving the seat numbers is a big honor, but it also comes with a big responsibility.
Before people voted, the three other major parties said they would not join a government led by Wilders because they do not agree with his extreme right-wing ideas. But things could be different because he won by a lot.
The group led by Frans Timmermans, who used to work for the EU, got 25 seats in the election, which means they came in second place. This is based on a forecast from 94% of the votes.
He said he didn’t want to be in a government led by Wilders and promised to protect the way the country is run and the laws that govern it. “We will not allow anyone to enter the Netherlands. ” In the Netherlands, everyone is treated the same,” he said to his followers.
This means the VVD party is in third place with a new leader, Dilan Yesilgöz, and a new party made by MP Pieter Omtzigt is in fourth place.
Before the election, she said she wouldn’t be in charge of a government led by Wilders, but she didn’t say she wouldn’t work with him if she won.
Mr Omtzigt originally said his New Social Contract party wouldn’t work with Mr Wilders, but now he says they are willing to take the trust of voters and put it into action.
Wilders winning would surprise Europe because the Netherlands helped create the European Union.
Nationalist and people on the far-right in Europe said they liked what he did. In France, Marine Le Pen, who leads the National Rally, said that this shows that more people are feeling strongly about defending national identities.
Mr Wilders wants to have a vote to leave the EU, which he calls a “Nexit”, even though he knows most people in the country don’t want to leave. It will be difficult for him to convince any important potential partner to agree to that.
He toned down his strong words against Islam before the vote. He said there were other important issues right now and that he was willing to set aside his plans to ban mosques and Islamic schools.
The plan worked well and increased the PVV party’s numbers in parliament by more than twice.
During the campaign, Mr. Wilders used people’s unhappiness with the old government, which fell apart because of a disagreement about asylum rules.
Political scientist Martin Rosema from the University of Twente said that it was one of many advantages that had been given to Mr Wilders in a short period of time. Another thing was that the leader from the center-right who believes in freedom and open markets, said that he is open to working together with him in a partnership.
“He said that we have seen in other countries that extreme right-wing parties do not do well when they are not included. ”
Migration is a big topic, and Mr. Wilders said on Wednesday he wants to deal with a large number of people seeking asylum and coming to live in the country.
Last year, more than 220,000 people moved to the Netherlands, and the number more than doubled. Some of the people moved because they were running away from Russia’s attack on Ukraine. But the problem got worse because there are not enough homes – about 390,000 homes are missing.
At Yesilgöz’s VVD headquarters in The Hague, her supporters were getting ready to celebrate the possibility of having the first female prime minister in the Netherlands.
However, everyone was shocked when the exit polls were shown on the screens, and they gathered around their phones trying to figure out what went wrong.
Ms Yesilgöz became the leader of the centre-right party after the country’s prime minister, Mark Rutte, left politics in July. She moved to the Netherlands when she was seven years old because she had to leave Turkey. Now, she is very strict about letting people into the country.
Some politicians and Muslim leaders say she is allowing the far-right to become more powerful by not saying she won’t work with Geert Wilders.
Ms Yesilgöz, who is 46 years old, tried to separate herself from the Rutte government where she worked as justice minister. However, she was not able to meet the expectations of the people.
Just before the election, almost half of the voters were undecided on who to vote for. Many people may have chosen not to support her.
One Muslim voter in The Hague said that if Mr Wilders wasn’t so against Muslims, they would be interested in him. This shows that some voters are not in favor of Mr Wilders’ views on Muslims.
Before the vote, Mr. Wilders felt confident about his chances and told the BBC. “I believe this is the first time ever in Holland that we have gained 10 seats in the polls in just one week. ”
He knew it would be hard to form a government, but he believed in being positive and winning would make it hard for other parties to ignore him.
The local government is telling people to stay away from the dangerous green mamba snake, which is about 6 to 6. 5 feet long
If someone gets bitten by the snake, they should call for emergency help right away, the spokesperson said.
The tropical snake likes warm and dark places. The spokesperson said it’s unlikely that the snake has left its owner’s house to be in the cold winter in the Netherlands.
There are three kinds of green mamba snakes that come from Africa. One lives in the east and south, another in the west, and another in the middle. The person from the local government didn’t say what kind of snake is missing.
This shy snake lives in trees and has venom that can kill fast, but it usually doesn’t hurt people. It likes to eat birds, small animals, and lizards.
Four groups of people are the most likely to win as the people of the Netherlands are choosing who will lead their country into a new time in politics.
The polls show that the race is very close, and people can vote until 9:00 PM (8:00 PM GMT).
Dilan Yesilgöz, a leader from the centre-right, is expected to win and become the first woman to be the prime minister of the Netherlands.
Her biggest competition are a politician named Geert Wilders who is against Islam, and a group led by a former important EU commissioner named Frans Timmermans.
More than 13 million people in the Netherlands can choose from 26 different parties to vote for on Wednesday. Up to 17 of these parties could win seats.
People in Europe are paying close attention to this election because Mark Rutte has been in charge for 13 years. The person who wins could have less than 20% of all the votes in the country and get fewer than 30 seats out of 150 in the parliament. This has never happened before in Dutch politics.
People don’t trust the government as much because of a scandal that wrongly called many parents welfare fraudsters. A politician started a new party in the middle of the political spectrum just three months ago, and now he is being seen as someone with a lot of influence.
Pieter Omtzigt’s New Social Contract will be very important in creating the next government. He doesn’t care much about leading the country, but the person who does win will need his help.
“I know what I can do for the people of the Netherlands,” said Dilan Yesilgöz. She came to the Netherlands as the daughter of Turkish refugees and wants to reduce the number of immigrants coming in, as well as lower the high cost of living.
If he becomes the winner, she will make sure her conservative-liberal VVD party stays away from a Wilders government.
On Tuesday night, during the final TV debate, when he said he would be a Prime Minister for all Dutch people, she insisted that he would need to change all his policies, like banning Islam and leaving the EU, called “Nexit”, for that to happen.
Mr Wilders, a Member of Parliament for 25 years, has said he will wait on his anti-Islam plans. He also mentioned that he knows Dutch voters are not ready to leave the EU.
“We don’t have plans for Nexit, but we will have a vote to decide about it, and that’s a separate matter,” he added.
Political scientist Martin Rosema thinks that the way he talks in this election is not too strong. He thinks that some political parties may be able to work with him if he becomes a part of the government.
The Freedom Party might agree to the coalition with or without ministers. Normally, the government is either mostly made up of one group or mostly made up of another. But in this situation, it could be somewhere in the middle.
Even though there are many options to choose from, a lot of voters don’t care and almost half of them still haven’t made up their minds. That number is seen in one of the poorest areas of Rotterdam, Crooswijk.
Laura said she hasn’t made a decision yet, but her choice will be one of the parties that wasn’t in the previous government. “They are all to blame for the higher prices. ”
Drago, who works at his girlfriend’s cafe, is upset because he says that the higher taxes are making life really hard. He says that migration has made the housing crisis in the Netherlands worse. There are not enough homes, with a shortage of 390,000.
Three girls at the laundry place said they might vote for the Labour-GreenLeft (PvdA/GL) team, but they are worried about immigration too.
Frans Timmermans, who leads the left-wing group, thinks he has a good chance of becoming the next leader of the government.
“This country always needs a group of people working together to run it, it’s been like this for a long time,” he told the BBC.
“The left can’t run the country alone, we always need partners in the middle of politics. ”
Last year, more than 220,000 people moved to the Netherlands, which was a big increase from the year before. This happened partly because refugees left Ukraine to escape from Russia’s invasion.
This is why Pieter Omtzigt’s centrist NSC wants to limit migration to 50,000 people. It’s also why Geert Wilders is getting more popular in the polls.
Thierry Baudet, who is a competitor from the far-right, did not do as well with the voters. He is not doing well in the polls and he got attacked twice while campaigning. He ended up in the hospital on Monday night because someone hit him over the head with a beer bottle.
A new party that was started only three months ago is leading in the polls. Also, the Netherlands might get its first female prime minister.
After being prime minister for 13 years, Mark Rutte is stepping down. The upcoming election on 22nd November is focused on a number of problems in the country, like high living expenses, not enough housing, healthcare and migration.
“What you need to understand”
It’s only been two years since the last vote, but many of the leaders running now are new, including the two top candidates.
Dilan Yeşilgöz, age 46, is the new leader of Mr Rutte’s liberal-conservative VVD party. She is the daughter of Turkish refugees and is expected to lead her country.
Pieter Omtzigt, who is 49 years old, is becoming very popular in Dutch politics. His centrist party, New Social Contract, is now a favorite in the upcoming election even though it was not well-known before. But he has not been very excited about becoming the prime minister.
This election is very hard to guess because a lot of people haven’t decided which of the 26 parties should get the 150 seats in the Dutch parliament. There is a small number needed and the polls show that up to 17 parties could get in. It took a long time to make the last coalition, and it didn’t last very long, only two years.
Be careful of who you keep an eye on.
Dilan Yeşilgöz was called a “pitbull in high heels” because she is tough and doesn’t mess around with politics. Now, she is leading a smooth campaign as the new leader of VVD. A video on social media shows her practicing kickboxing with heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven.
As the justice minister, she was known for being a tough negotiator and a good communicator. Her gender didn’t affect her campaign. “I believe she’s ignoring these problems because there are too many male voters in the party,” explained Sarah de Lange, who teaches about different political views at the University of Amsterdam.
The next election in the Netherlands is the beginning of a new time in Dutch politics.
A party that just began three months ago is winning in the polls. Furthermore, the Netherlands could have its first woman leader.
After serving as prime minister for 13 years, Mark Rutte is leaving his position. The next election on November 22 is about a lot of problems in the country, like expensive living, not enough homes, healthcare, and migration.
“What you should know”
It has only been two years since the last vote, but there are a lot of new leaders running for office, including the two most popular candidates.
Dilan Yeşilgöz, who is 46 years old, is now the leader of Mr Rutte’s VVD party, which is liberal-conservative. She is the child of Turkish people who had to leave their own country and is supposed to be in charge of her country.
Pieter Omtzigt, 49, is getting more famous in Dutch politics. His party, New Social Contract, is now popular for the upcoming election even though it was not well-known before. However, he is not very thrilled about being the prime minister.
A small number is needed, and the polls show that up to 17 parties could win. It took a while to form the last group, but it didn’t stay together for very long, only two years.
Watch out for the people you are watching.
Dilan Yeşilgöz is tough and doesn’t play around with politics. That’s why she’s sometimes called a “pitbull in high heels. ” Currently, she is running a successful campaign as the new leader of VVD. She was recorded doing kickboxing with heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven and shared it on social media.
She was a strong negotiator and good at talking to people when she was the justice minister. Her being a woman did not have an effect on her campaign. “I think she’s not paying attention to these issues because there are too many men who vote for the party,” said Sarah de Lange, a teacher at the University of Amsterdam who studies different political beliefs.
Simon Otjes, from the University of Leiden, says that Pieter Omtzigt is the politician in charge of the election and other parties are waiting to see what he will do.
His main ideas have become popular words in the campaign: making Dutch households financially secure and changing the way politics is run.
As people talk more about a group of four center and right-wing parties joining together, he has said he doesn’t want to work with populist leader Geert Wilders. He believes a government should follow basic rights.
Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom want to stop mosques, the Koran, and Islamic schools. But now, Wilders is saying there are other things that are more important. He might put his ideas on hold to be part of the government. His party is currently in fourth place in the polls, behind a Green-Labour alliance.
Frans Timmermans is a left-wing candidate who is doing well in the polls. He quit his job as EU climate commissioner to lead the campaign for the Labour and GreenLeft parties.
According to a poll, most young adults aged 18-34 prefer the Labour-Green leader to be the next prime minister. However, the man in charge of the EU’s green deal had to give up a promise to reduce nitrogen pollutants by half by 2030 after speaking with young farmers.
He doesn’t have clear people to work with from the other top candidates, but he hasn’t said no to working with Pieter Omtzigt or Dilan Yeşilgöz.
The BBB’s support has decreased, but they might be part of the next government. They mainly want to fight against tougher rules for the climate and set a limit on the number of refugees. But Ms van der Plas has said she won’t be the prime minister because she’s afraid of flying and prefers talking to the public instead of working in Brussels.
There aren’t enough houses for sale, so the price of a regular home has gone up to over €400,000 (£350,000). There are nine times more people looking for homes than there are homes available to buy.
Asja has been looking for a home for herself and her two kids for seven months. “She told the BBC that it’s not possible to afford an €800 monthly mortgage on a teacher’s salary. ”
Government housing is very popular and there is not enough of it. On top of that, the cost of renting a private home in big cities has gone up a lot.
Cost of living is going up. Prices at the stores, for energy, and for housing are getting higher. This is causing about 830,000 people to have less money to live on. Surveys show that most people in the Netherlands, even those with average incomes, are worried about what’s going to happen next.
Even people who have found a place to live are dealing with very expensive energy bills. Laurie Schram, a new teacher in training, says she and her daughter rely on warm clothes and electric blankets to stay comfortable.
All the parties agree there is a problem, and an expert from the University of Groningen says the issue has almost stopped being political. Money problems are the most important thing for 18-34 year olds when deciding who to vote for.
Migration: The old government fell apart in July because they couldn’t agree on how to limit the number of people seeking asylum. Almost two-thirds of Dutch people want fewer people to be able to claim asylum. One of the issues is that there are not enough places to stay. Three top candidates want to make it harder for people to seek asylum, and Pieter Omtzigt thinks immigrant rights are connected to not having enough houses.
Healthcare is getting more expensive and five million people in the Netherlands say they are taking care of others without being officially recognized.
Since 2006, the people in the Netherlands have been paying over €141 a month for basic health insurance. However, 61% of them are worried that they won’t be able to afford it. That’s maybe why lots of voters want the government to take control of healthcare again.
Climate change: Ten days before the election, a lot of people in Amsterdam marched to ask for quick action on the climate crisis. The Labour-Green team is talking a lot about the issue in their campaign, but Pieter Omtzigt thinks that recent climate policies only help rich people.
Ghana’s primary source of imports in 2022 was China, accounting for a value of approximately GH¢25 billion.
The Ghana 2022 Trade Vulnerability report, released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) on August 15, 2023, revealed that no other country’s imports exceeded GH¢20 billion.
Import values from all African countries remained below GH¢5 billion.
The report highlighted China as the foremost country of import origin, contributing GH¢26.4 billion.
The top five import countries collectively represented GH¢74.3 billion, which is half of the total import value for 2022.
Following China were the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States of America, and India.
Mineral fuels and oils formed the predominant trading commodities for the United Kingdom (84.1%) and the Netherlands (82.3%).
However, for the other countries in the top five, no single commodity accounted for more than half of the imports.
Vehicles and automotive parts constituted the leading import items from the United States of America (38.5%). Machinery and electrical equipment made up the highest share for China (25.1%), while other products (26.4%) were prominent for India.
Produced in collaboration with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ghana 2022 Trade Vulnerability Report utilized data for analysis.
The report also indicated that total imports in 2022 amounted to GH¢148.6 billion, while total exports stood at GH¢144.1 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of GH¢4.5 billion.
At the Sydney Football Stadium, the Netherlands brought an end to South Africa’s impressive journey to the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup, securing a 2-0 triumph.
In the second half, a fortuitous strike by Lineth Beerensteyn proved to be the decisive factor, sealing the victory for the Dutch team against a resilient South African squad. This victory now paves the way for an exciting quarter-final clash between the Netherlands and Spain.
South Africa commenced the match with a spirited approach, employing their speed advantage to take the first shot on goal. However, Netherlands’ goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar was quick to secure the ball, thwarting the attempt.
After withstanding the initial offensive, the Dutch team capitalized on their first cross during the afternoon. A failed clearance set the stage for a close-range header by Jill Roord, marking her fourth goal in the tournament.
Throughout the first half, South Africa’s defense appeared unsettled, leading to frequent squandered possession and maintaining pressure on their side.
Challenges increased as injuries forced Jermaine Seoposenwe and Bambanani Mbane to leave the field for South Africa. Despite this, the Netherlands couldn’t find the pivotal second goal to further secure their lead.
As the initial 45 minutes transpired, the majority of the time was spent with South Africa defending within their own territory. However, the balance of momentum shifted in South Africa’s favor as the clock reached the brink of added time.
Thembi Kgatlana, the striker renowned for her swiftness, managed to challenge the Dutch defense on several fleeting opportunities when she found herself in open spaces. Just before halftime, she came heartbreakingly close to leveling the score.
In an impressive display of speed, she outpaced the defense to collect a well-timed through ball, positioning herself perfectly. Nonetheless, the scrambling efforts of goalkeeper van Domselaar ensured that the Dutch maintained their lead as the first half concluded.
The Netherlands secured their second goal in the 68th minute. Lineth Beerensteyn launched a long-range attempt toward South Africa’s goalkeeper, Kaylin Swart.
Although Swart managed to get her hands on the ball, the shot slipped through her grasp and nestled into the net.
In the upcoming clash against Spain, the Dutch will be without midfielder Danielle van de Donk, who received her second yellow card of the tournament.
On Wednesday, a fire broke out on a ship carrying some 3,000 cars off the coast of the Netherlands, killing one person and wounding numerous others, according to the coastguard.
A spokesperson for the Dutch coast guard told CNN on Wednesday that rescue boats and helicopters were used to remove the 23 crew members off the ship after some of them jumped into the water.
Images show grey smoke coming from the ship, and there are fears that it may be sinking 27 kilometres north of the Dutch island of Ameland in the Wadden Sea, one of the world’s most important migratory bird migration routes.
According to CNN affiliate and Dutch national network NOS, the ship, which flies the flag of Panama, was travelling from Bremerhaven, Germany, to Port Said, Egypt.
According to NOS, one of the 25 electric vehicles on board may have ignited the fire, but the coast guard representative told CNN that the cause is still being looked into.
On Wednesday night at around midnight local time, the ship reported an onboard fire to the Coast Guard.
The crew made an effort to put out the fire on their own but failed, according to the coast guard.
A number of crew members leaped overboard as the fire advanced.
The Ameland rescue ship’s skipper Willard Molenaar told NOS that “the people had to get off.” “They all jumped at once, and we pulled them out of the water.” Molenaar estimates that the ship carrying the cars is about 30 metres tall. They had to jump since they were in desperate need. You don’t simply do that, he continued.
All 23 crew members disembarked using rescue boats and helicopters, but according to the coast guard, several of them were hurt and one of them died.
As reported by NOS, the remaining crew were evacuated from the ship by helicopter, leaving it empty.
The burning ship is still ablaze. The recovery vessel Hunter is holding the ship in a controlled position and is connected to it in case of emergency. To minimise the damage as much as possible, several parties are putting together an action plan, the coast guard announced in a message on Twitter.
The crew members were treated by paramedics and transported to the adjacent coastal community of Lauwersoog, while others were flown to Groningen Airport in Eelde, according to the coast guard.
The Dutch government has announced a new initiative to ban devices such as mobile phones from classrooms in order to prevent disruptions to learning.
This collaborative effort with schools is set to be implemented at the beginning of the upcoming year. While there will be exceptions for students with medical requirements or disabilities, as well as for classes specifically focused on digital skills, the general aim is to restrict the presence of devices during regular classroom activities.
Although the ban does not currently carry legal enforcement, there is a possibility that it may become legally binding in the future.
“Even though mobile phones are almost intertwined with our lives, they do not belong in the classroom,” said Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf.
“Students must be able to concentrate there and be given every opportunity to learn well. We know from scientific research that mobile phones disrupt this.”
Multiple studies have demonstrated a correlation between limiting children’s screen time and improvements in cognition and concentration. To further support this notion, the Dutch government has announced a ban on various tech devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches, in classrooms.
Under this new policy, individual schools will have the flexibility to establish specific rules in consultation with teachers, parents, and students. While some schools may choose to completely prohibit devices on their premises, others may adopt different approaches.
The ban is the result of a collaborative effort between the ministry, educational institutions, and related organizations. Its effectiveness will be assessed at the end of the 2024/2025 school year to determine whether a legal ban should be implemented.
This decision by the Dutch government follows a similar move by Finland, where the law will be amended to facilitate the restriction of phone usage in schools. Other countries, including England and France, have also proposed banning mobile phones in educational settings to enhance the learning environment.
The Dutch international, Georginio Wijnaldum, paid a visit to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharabutu, at his residence in Fadama, Accra, on July 3.
Wijnaldum and his fellow Dutch footballer Memphis Depay are currently in Ghana for their summer break following a demanding season.
A photo captured Wijnaldum shaking hands with the Chief Imam, who blessed him with Islamic prayers. Prior to the visit, Wijnaldum spent time at a gym interacting with aspiring boxers and also explored the Black Star Square.
In the coming days, he will travel to Italy to join AS Roma for pre-season preparations. It is noteworthy that Wijnaldum used to be known as Georginio Boateng earlier in his career but changed his surname.
He inherited the name from his stepfather but decided to change it after his parents divorced. Wijnaldum, a winner of the Premier League, Ligue 1, and Champions League, has earned 86 caps for the Netherlands national team.
Russian state media TASS reported on Saturday that the deputy foreign minister of Russia has warned Western nations of “enormous risks” if Ukraine receives F-16 fighter jets.
The remarks follow US President Joe Biden’s reversal of position and support for the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.
The aircraft currently in the Ukrainian fleet would be replaced with F-16s, which have a range of 500 miles (860 km) and are regarded as high performance weapon systems.
Responding to the move, Alexander Grushko said: “We see that the Western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario.
“It involves enormous risks for themselves. In any case, this will be taken into account in all our plans, and we have all the necessary means to achieve the set goals.”
Earlier this week, the UK and the Netherlands were reportedly building an “international coalition” to help Ukraine procure F-16 fighter jets.
A handful of European countries have a supply of US-made F-16s, including the Netherlands, which has signaled a willingness to export some of them to Ukraine. But the US would have to approve that third-party transfer because of the jets’ sensitive US technology.
Since Russia’s invasion started, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has struggled to get F-16s to aid his fight, over fears they could be used on Russian soil, potentially triggering an escalation between NATO and Russia.
After saying Kyiv did not need the fighter jets earlier this year, US President Joe Biden reversed his objections by signaling to European allies that they would allow F-16 exports to Ukraine.
Biden’s top national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters Saturday in Japan Biden believes in equipping the country for a long-term fight against Russia.
In March, the US hosted two Ukrainian pilots at a military base in Tucson, Arizona, to evaluate their skills using flight simulators and assess how long it would take them to learn to fly various US military aircraft, including F-16s.
As per reports, a train that derailed in the Netherlands hit construction equipment that was left on the track.
The collision, according to Dutch emergency services, occurred at 3.25 am local time (1.25 GMT).
According to local media, a “code 50” has been put in place, which indicates that more than 50 injured casualties are anticipated.
In the early morning darkness, rescue personnel could be seen removing victims from the scene at Voorschoten, a village close to The Hague.
Emergency service workers at the scene (Picture: Remko de Waal/ANP/AFP/Getty Images)The aftermath following the derailment in Voorschoten, Netherlands (Picture: Kyrlian de Bot/Reuters)
One killed in train accident near The Hague, dozens injured
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Rescuers had to use a makeshift bridge to reach the train (Picture: Kyrlian de Bot/Reuters)
Emergency services were forced to use makeshift bridges to cross a canal to reach the carriages.
The train had been carrying around 50 people at the time of the accident, with scores treated for injuries.
A fire department spokesman told Dutch radio that 19 people were taken to hospital. Others were being treated on the spot, the emergency services said.
The front carriage of the night train, travelling from Leiden city to The Hague, derailed and ploughed into a field after the accident, ANP news agency said.
A view on a derailed night train in Voorschoten, The Netherlands (Picture: EPA)A ‘code 50’ has been implemented following the accident (Picture: Kyrlian de Bot/Reuters)It means paramedics have been told to brace for dozens of injured (Picture: Kyrlian de Bot/Reuters)The rescue operations underway following this morning’s crash (Picture: Kyrlian de Bot/Reuters)
The second carriage was left on its side and a fire broke out in the rear carriage but was later extinguished, it said.
Lines of ambulances were pictured near the crash site as emergency services prepared to treat the injured.
There have been conflicting reports about the cause of the accident.
Earlier reports had said the passenger train had collided with a freight train. Dutch Railways (NS) spokesman Erik Kroeze said a freight train was involved in the accident but could not give details.
NLTimes reports that a small construction crane had been spotted on the track, which could have resulted in the crash.
Dutch Railways said in a tweet that trains between Leiden and parts of The Hague were cancelled due to the accident.
The Japanese government says it intends to impose limits on some exports of components used to make computer chips following similar actions by the US and the Netherlands.
23 different types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment will be affected by the regulations.
The US and China are embroiled in a nasty trade war over semiconductors, which power everything from mobile phones to military weapons.
As a result of export restrictions put in place by Washington, China has frequently referred to the US as a “tech hegemony.”
China or the US were not mentioned in the trade and industry ministry of Japan’s statement from Friday.
“We are fulfilling our responsibility as a technological nation to contribute to international peace and stability,” the ministry said.
The policy will be subject to public comment, with plans to implement it in July.
Japanese trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters that the move was not coordinated with US restrictions.
“If our exports are not being reappropriated for military use, we will continue exporting. We believe the impact on companies will be limited,” Mr Nishimura added.
The announcement came as Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi was due to visit Beijing at the weekend.
Mr Hayashi said he will meet his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang for “an honest and frank discussion to create a constructive and stable relationship”.
Japan’s restrictions will apply to equipment supplied by major technology companies including Tokyo Electron and Nikon.
They will affect exports ranging from tools which are used to clean silicon wafers to immersion lithography machines.
Lithography machines use lasers to print miniscule patterns on silicon as part of the manufacturing process of microchips.
In October, Washington announced that it would require licences for companies exporting chips to China using US tools or software, no matter where they are made in the world.
The US had also called on the Netherlands and Japan to adopt similar restrictions.
This month, the Dutch government said it would put restrictions on the country’s “most advanced” microchip technology exports to protect national security.
Dutch trade minister Liesje Schreinemacher said the measures will affect “very specific technologies in the semiconductor production cycle”.
She added that the government had considered “the technological developments and geopolitical context,” without naming China or Dutch chip equipment maker ASML.
ASML is one of the most important firms in the global microchip supply chain. It makes machines that produce the world’s most advanced chips.
Ronald Koeman admitted that the Netherlands’ “level has to go up” following their paltry 3-0 victory over Gibraltar in the Euro 2024 qualifying match.
At De Kuip, Nathan Ake scored twice and Memphis Depay also scored, giving Koeman the first victory of his second coaching tenure, which he began with a humiliating 4-0 loss to France three days earlier.
The Oranje managed to score three goals despite taking 50 shots and touching the ball 101 times inside the opposition’s penalty area, which is more than they have done in any other game since Opta started tracking this information in August 2013.
They also registered a remarkable 5.04 expected goals (xG), and Koeman was disappointed by his side’s general lacking of a clinical edge.
“I didn’t see enough goals tonight,” he told NOS. “The opponent obviously didn’t co-operate, but we were way too sloppy at times.
“From the beginning, we were inaccurate, and we didn’t have the form to create big, good chances. Okay, there was a lot of blocking, but with more sharpness, we score much more often.
“The game and result against France was not good. Now we win, but that makes sense. But overall, it was far too little.
“Aspects such as positional play, ball circulation, taking the right positions – as a winger or defender – really needs to be improved. The football and level has to go up.”
50 – @OnsOranje recorded 50 shots and 101 touches in the opposition box against Gibraltar tonight, more than in any other match since Opta collects this data in full (Augustus 2013). Ineffective. pic.twitter.com/dxPbpOlwDk
Ake’s double was the undoubted highlight for the hosts, the defender recording more shot involvements than any other player (nine shots, seven chances created), with only Depay registering more in a single Netherlands match since Opta began collecting the data.
And the Manchester City man drew positives from the fact he and his team-mates were able to conjure as many opportunities as they did.
“Of course, the main aim was to win the match and, besides that, we wanted to score as many goals as possible. Obviously, that didn’t work out,” Ake added.
“That we created so many chances was good, but maybe we should have been calmer in how we tried to convert them.
“It doesn’t happen very often that I score twice in one game. But it was very crowded where our forwards were, so maybe that created a little more space for the rest of us. At some point, I was even considering the possibility of a hat-trick, but it wasn’t to be.”
According to MadamCecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) regarding access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services are a priority for the government.
That, she said, could be achieved with the support of all stakeholders and development partners.
Madam Dapaah said this in a debate organised by the United Nations at its annual Water Conference in New York, USA, from March 20-25, 2023, a statement issued by the Ministry and copied to the Ghana News Agency said on Monday.
The conference was the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of International Decade for Action; Water for Sustainable Development – 2018-2028.
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in a message to the conference, said; “The UN 2023 Water Conference in March must result in a bold water action agenda that gives our world’s lifeblood the commitment it deserves.”
The general debate of the conference was that; “Water is a dealmaker for the Sustainable Development Goals, and for the health and prosperity of people and the planet.”
“But our progress on water related goals and targets remains alarmingly off track, jeopardising the entire sustainable development agenda.”
Madam Dapaah said water was a fundamental part of all aspects of life and it was inextricably linked to the three pillars of sustainable development (economic viability, environmental protection, and social equity), which were integrated into sociocultural, economic and political values.
“Water is crosscutting and supports the achievement of many SDGsthrough close linkages with climate, energy, cities, the environment, food security, poverty, gender equality and health, amongst others,” she said.
“With climate change profoundly affecting our economies, societies and environment, water is indeed the biggest deal breaker to achieve the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
The conference, co-hosted by the governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands, featured six plenary meetings and five multi-stakeholder interactive dialogues, as well as high-level special and side events.
Participating governments and stakeholders made new commitments and pledged to work towards achieving SDG-Six and other water-related goals and targets.
Ronald Koeman expected more from his Netherlands team after they were beaten 4-0 by France in his first game back as head coach.
Koeman took over for Louis van Gaal, and he will have been as surprised as anyone to see his team fall behind 2-0 after only eight minutes at the Stade de France, and 3-0 after 21 minutes.
Speaking to NOS Sport after their humiliating defeat in their Euro 2024 qualifying opener, Koeman admitted he had not expected such a disparity, despite his team finishing with 59% possession and just one fewer shot than the hosts (12-11).
“I did not take into account that the difference would be so great,” he said. “I expected more from everyone. The team performance was below average.
“We lost the ball 20 metres from our own goal. That is a place where you should never lose the ball. And then France is, of course, a very good team that is lurking and immediately benefits.”
0-4 – @OnsOranje lost a match by a four-goal margin just twice in the last 60 years: a 0-4 defeat against France at the Stade de France tonight and a 0-4 defeat against France at the Stade de France on 31 August 2017. Déjà-vu. pic.twitter.com/8SoReErhy6
“Memphis lost the ball, but Mbappe of course finishes it off great afterwards. So it was not just us. It was also the class of France,” Koeman conceded.
The Netherlands were without some key players including Matthijs de Ligt, Cody Gakpo and Sven Botman with viral infections, but Koeman was in no mood for excuses.
“Of course the preparation has not been ideal. That has left its mark,” he said. “But there have been just too many moments today when we failed.
“We now know where we stand and have learned from this. It can therefore also turn out positively. We are going to learn and improve, including us as technical staff.”
Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk added: “We didn’t get there, lost the duels and lost the ball too often. The second goal was a set piece, but the other goals came because we handed them the ball. France has so much quality, they immediately punish that.
“We will analyse the defeat and take a good look at what we can do better, but it is clear we are very disappointed.”
The Netherlands host Gibraltar in their second Group B game on Monday.
Ghana spent a total of GHS 6.8billion (equivalent to US$560 million at current market rates) on rice imports last year.
This is according to data from IDH Sustainable Trade, a foundation headquartered in The Netherlands.
While total rice consumption stood at 1.4 million metric tonnes in 2022, imports valued at US$560 million accounted for 800,000 metric tonnes (mt) of the consumption figure, with domestic production catering for the remaining demand – according to data from IDH Sustainable Trade, a foundation headquartered in The Netherlands.
Similarly, according to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, between 2010 and 2020 the country’s rice imports hit a staggering US$8billion. This, in addition to imports of other food items that can be produced locally, has been a major source of concern for stakeholders.
This high dependence on imports of food staples like rice, despite vast untapped domestic potential, however comes with ramifications for the cedi and local job prospects, warns Country Director for IDH, Robert Asugre.
Just like many other industry watchers and economists, Mr. Asugre is of the view that rising consumption of the grain presents huge opportunities for real value creation and jobs if the right investments and policies on local production are prioritised.
“The rice value chain in Ghana, when supported, will lead to increased commercialisation and improved production of high quality and quantities that are competitive,” he said. This, he added, will help to reduce the impact of rice imports on the economy.
Mr. Asugre spoke on the sidelines of the National Rice Fair held in Walewale in the North-East Region, and called for greater commitments from government and the private sector to ease the import burden on the economy of rice and other foodstuffs which can be produced locally.
Buttressing his point, he said northern parts of the country alone, for instance, have potential to meet the rice needs of Ghanaians if the right investments into infrastructure – including irrigation systems, milling machines and storage facilities as well as suitable policies – can be put in place.
He added that the result of such investments will have far-reaching impacts on the economy, as it will retain value within as well as creating sustainable jobs for the country’s teeming youth.
Rice has become the second staple food consumed in the country after maize, with production increasing from 48,800mt in 1970 to 925,000mt in 2019; growing at an average annual rate of 9 percent, according to the Food and Agriculture Ministry.
Though the figures depict high potential for growth in local production, challenges including access to finance, skilled labour, shortage of combine harvesters, milling machines and storage infrastructure continuously threaten the crop’s production.
Though one of the first countries in the sub-region to launch the National Rice Development Strategy, challenges still persist – with Ghana having already missed out on its local rice production agenda as part of the Coalition for African Rice Development policy.
That strategy, which was unveiled in May 2008 as the National Rice Development Strategy for the period 2009-2018, aimed at increasing domestic production up to 70 percent and promoting consumption through quality improvement, targetting both local and international markets.
The strategy ended almost four years ago, albeit rather achieving an opposite figure of 70 percent imports with the Ghanaian consuming public still largely dependent on imported rice brands.
Ghanaian goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, who was born in the Netherlands, earned his AZ Alkmaar first-team debut on Thursday when he came off the bench to help them defeat Valencia 3-1 in a friendly.
The 18-year-old Owusu-Oduro recently extended his Alkmaar professional contract, increasing his opportunity to feature for the first team.
The young goalkeeper managed to distinguish himself in the game by saving a penalty kick.
The game’s opening opportunity fell to the Spaniards, but Beukema was able to stop the threat in its tracks. Karlsson’s goal gave AZ the lead shortly after that. Odgaard assisted the Swede, who was then able to tap in from close range.
Soon after Odgaard and Pavlidis had opportunities, Valencia scored before halftime. Verhulst appeared to make a good stop, but the linesman flagged the ball as having passed the goal line.
The visitors quickly repaired the damage in the second half, regaining the lead within a minute. De Wit located Mamardashvili while he was still on the move, and Karlsson scored. Owuso-Oduro stopped another penalty kick in the last minutes.
After a Swedish company obtained a $165 million award against Tanzania owing to revoked land title in the Bagamoyo sugar plant, the Netherlands confiscated an Air Tanzania Company Limited plane.
It is still not clear exactly which aircraft on ATCL’s fleet has been seized and under what circumstances.
However, on Wednesday, the government dispelled fears of the possible attachment of an ATCL plane by a Dutch court, with the Attorney General saying everything was under control.
Dr Eliezer Feleshi confirmed to The Citizen that a Swedish firm that won a $165 million award against Tanzania had persuaded the court to uphold the attachment of the aircraft despite the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) having issued a stay of execution, pending annulment proceedings.
It’s true that they went to court in the Netherlands after we had successfully appealed to the ICSID for a stay of execution.
Everything is under control,” he said.
Dr Feleshi added that the governmenthad already appealed against the Dutch court’s decision, but declined to offer further details.
“I can’t disclose further details…let’s be patient as the matter is in court.”
Tanzania has argued that the attachment is unlawful because it was obtained a day after the State had petitioned the ICSID to annul EcoDevelopment’s award.
But the judge reasoned that the ICSID’s provisional stay of execution of the award only took effect on the date the institution registered the state’s annulment request.
The Swedish company is using the legal firm Houthoff in the Dutch courts, and Mannheimer Swartling in the ICSID proceedings.
Tanzania on the other hand has turned to Buren Legal for the attachment proceedings, but has not appointed an external counsel in the arbitration or annulment proceedings.
EcoDevelopment, which is owned by 18 Swedish nationals, brought its ICSID claim in 2017 under the Sweden-Tanzania bilateral investment treaty.
That came after the government decided to unilaterally revoke the land title for a multi-billion sugar project in Bagamoyo.
The case commenced at the ICSID, a World Bank organ based in Washington.
The land revocation was a major blow to the Swedish company, which had for over ten years worked to develop the project and invested $52 million in a ready-to-go project for local production of sugar, renewable electricity, and fuel.
The consortium of EcoEnergy Africa AB of Sweden and Uttam Group of India was to inject $100 million into the project as its own equity.
The remaining funding $250 million would have been a combination of DFI and commercial bank lending, where a commitment was given by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to act as a lead financing arranger. The AfDB board had already made a decision to allocate $100 million towards the project.
However, AfDB later withdrew their financing commitment due to the government’s failure to respond to its requests of endorsing the Bagamoyo project and information it had revoked the land title.
The integrated sugar project that was to be carried out by the firm would have been one of the largest private agriculture investments in East Africa, with an overall investment of about $500 million, including an outgrowers programme.
It was estimated that the Bagamoyo project would have created 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in the processing facility, the estate, logistics and the outgrowers programme.
Although the legal redress sought by the investor was okayed by ICSID, the aggrieved party went further, and persuaded a Dutch court to uphold the attachment of an aircraft that was grounded in the Netherlands due to engine problems.
According to media reports, Tanzania argued that the attachment was unlawful as it was obtained a day after the government had applied to ICSID to annul EcoDevelopment’s award.
The government therefore applied to the Limburg court to lift the attachment and prohibit EcoDevelopment from seeking any further attachment based on the ICSID award while the annulment proceedings are pending.
The government has since argued that the effect of the automatic stay granted by ICSID was that the award was not provisionally enforceable, and that the attachment was thus granted unlawfully and that the Dutch courts were bound to recognise the ICSID stay decision as binding.
Further the government argued that the attachment had affected its interests in a disproportionate way, and that as a national government it had sufficient assets within and outside its territory to ensure the award would be paid.
Following the Netherlands‘ 3-1 victory over the United States in the World Cup round of 16 on Saturday, Memphis Depay took a shot at former NBA player and American TV analyst Charles Barkley.
Depay got things going in the triumph, which came after Barkley started yelling at teammates prior to their matchup in the elimination round.
Barkley said on NBA on TNT: “We’re going for the Netherlands. We opening up a can of whoop-a** ’cause I guarantee the Netherlands is in trouble.”
The official Dutch team Twitter account responded with a hype video of Barkley’s quotes shortly prior to kick-off with Barcelona attacker having the last laugh.
“Lotta bark, no bite,” Depay posted on Twitter only a few hours after the game, with an image of a forlorn-looking Barkley under the 3-1 scoreline.
The victory means the Netherlands will take on Argentina in the quarter-finals, while the USA’s World Cup is over.
Once every four years players from across the globe get a chance to perform on the world stage and force their way into the football zeitgeist.
Whether it is a young midfielder from Ghana who has been battling injuries the past couple of seasons, or a mercurial Dutch forward trying to push his way out of the Eredivisie, it is the perfect launchpad to alter the course of a player’s career.
Stats Perform has identified four players who have lit up Qatar and, in turn, have seen their profile and transfer stock skyrocket, opening the door to a new world of possibilities come the January transfer window.
Take a look at these young leading lights…
Cody Gakpo, the Netherlands
Cody Gakpo has perhaps been the breakout star of the tournament, finding the back of the net in all three of the Netherlands’ group matches.
Having spent his entire career with PSV, the 23-year-old six-foot-four forward took a huge step forward in the 2021-22 season when he shattered his best goal return, following up his 11 goals in the 2020-21 campaign with 21 last time out.
While those in the Netherlands set-up were waiting to see if he could replicate his terrific 12 months, he has taken another leap, with 12 goals and 14 assists in 19 combined Eredivisie and Europa League contests this term.
There were rumours in the most recent transfer window that Leeds United were among the clubs looking to lure Gakpo away from PSV for a fee in the range of €30million, but he opted to reject their contract offer in the hope of landing at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
That bet on himself has proven to be a masterstroke, with his performances on the Qatar stage well and truly putting him on the radar of Champions League sides including Real Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, per Dutch journalist Marco Timmer.
He became the first player from any European nation since 2002 to score in each group match, while he also became only the second player to put his side 1-0 up in all three group fixtures.
Enzo Fernandez, Argentina
Just over six months ago, Enzo Fernandez was playing for River Plate back in Argentina, but just half a season after arriving at Benfica for a deal worth up to €18m, the attacking midfielder could be moving on to greener pastures.
Fernandez, 21, broke into the Argentina squad while still with River Plate, but did not receive his senior debut until September 24 this year.
His lead-up to the World Cup was strong enough to book his ticket to Qatar, and after coming off the bench in Argentina’s first group-stage loss to Saudi Arabia, he came on and scored against Mexico, forcing his way into the starting XI before contributing an assist against Poland.
His rapid rise has not gone unnoticed, and Marca is reporting Benfica have slapped a €100m fee on their new star if any team wants to pry him away while his contract still has another four seasons locked in.
Real Madrid are one side said to be accepting of that figure, with Marca claiming they now view him as an alternative option to Borussia Dortmund and England prodigy Jude Bellingham.
Mohammed Kudus, Ghana
Ajax’s Mohammed Kudushad begun to break out at the club level this season heading into the World Cup.
The 22-year-old central midfielder scored four goals – including one each against Liverpool and Napoli – while adding two assists in six Champions League fixtures.
After being awarded his first senior international cap for Ghana back in 2019, he was spotted at Danish side Nordsjaelland and brought over to Ajax for a €9m fee in 2020.
He missed extended stretches of both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns through injuries, and still has not been used as a guaranteed starter this season, but his emergence on the World Cup stage has been undeniable.
Against South Korea, Kudus delivered Ghana their only win of the group as he found the back of the net twice in a 3-2 triumph, and it was a performance that is said to have caught the eye of European powerhouses.
Fichajes named Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain as interested parties, and Sports Illustrated believe his price will be around £90m.
Harry Souttar, Australia
Australia have now qualified for five World Cups in a row, but after not winning a game at both the 2014 and 2018 editions, they had centre-back Harry Souttar to thank for finally taking three points against Tunisia.
Souttar, 24, stands at a towering six-foot-six and showed off an impressive ability to cover ground in a hurry when he was called upon for a potentially game-saving, last-man challenge to defend Australia’s 1-0 lead.
It was one of the most spectacular defensive efforts of the tournament so far and one that will go down in Australian football folklore, and it is even more significant when taking into account his recent history.
Tipped as a potential £20m transfer target late in 2021, Souttar then tore his ACL and missed 12 months of action, returning to the field in time to get three games under his belt with Stoke City before jetting off to the World Cup.
While he could be forgiven for needing time to work his way into form, he has instead started all three group games and been the Socceroos’ top performer, including his stellar efforts in a second clean sheet against Denmark to help his side through to the knockout stage.
Clearly back to the player he was before his injury – at least – Souttar’s showings on the world stage have been the kind that can take a career to a new level.
With a 2-0 victory over Qatar to finish first in Group A, Cody Gakpo netted in his third straight World Cup game as the Netherlands easily advanced to the knockout round.
Gakpo, a PSV attacker who has been one of the tournament’s breakout stars, once again dazzled at Al Bayt Stadium, setting the Oranje up for victory with a precise goal in the 26th minute.
A second goal from Frenkie de Jong ensured a straightforward victory to clinch first place in the pool as Senegal defeated Ecuador in another match.
Memphis Depay’s hamstring injury likely would not have allowed Gakpo to have played such a significant part thus far, but the two started together on Tuesday and will now look to team up once more in the round of 16 against the Group B runners-up.
With Depay in the lineup, the Netherlands immediately appeared more dangerous, even though he was unable to capitalize on a bustle in the box early on, which forced Daley Blind to aim blandly at Meshaal Barsham and promptly miss.
Instead, Gakpo once again came through after a great play, passing the ball to Davy Klaassen and taking it back to hammer a solid finish into the bottom-right corner.
Four minutes into the second half, poor defending by Qatar allowed Louis van Gaal’s team to extend their lead when Depay’s shot was blocked by Barsham and De Jong was able to race past two defenders to the rebound just in front of the goal.
The Netherlands’ place was never in jeopardy despite Steven Berghuis’ third goal being disallowed for a handball by Gakpo during the build-up and the substitute also hitting the crossbar in stoppage time.
What does it mean? Oranje go on the offensive
The Netherlands had attempted only 12 shots worth a combined 0.8 expected goals across their first two matches, outperforming only Costa Rica in each metric.
Qatar made for accommodating opponents on Tuesday, but Depay’s return alongside Gakpo led to a far more dangerous display. The Oranje produced 13 attempts worth 1.6 xG in this game alone.
Another crucial Gakpo goal
Any Netherlands nerves were eased by another opening goal from Gakpo, who had broken the deadlock against both Senegal and Ecuador.
He is the fourth Oranje player to net in three straight World Cup appearances and only the second player from any nation to open the scoring three times in the same group stage at a finals, along with Italy’s Alessandro Altobelli in the first round in 1986.
Unwanted records for hosts
In conceding seven goals in the group stage and losing three matches, Qatar set new records for hosts at a World Cup finals. This was not the sort of history they set out to make 10 days ago.
Key Opta Stats:
– Netherlands have progressed from their first-round group in all nine attempts at the World Cup; this is the best 100 per cent opening group record by any nation at the finals.
– The Oranje have won eight of their last nine group-stage games at the World Cup, while in all rounds, they are now unbeaten in their last 10 at the tournament (W7 D3).
– Gakpo became the first player to score in all three matches in a single group at a World Cup for the Netherlands, and first to do so for any European nation since 2002 (Tomasson, Klose and Wilmots).
– De Jong scored only his second ever goal for the Netherlands, and first since September 2019 in a European Championship qualifier against Germany.
– Netherlands had more shots (13) and as many shots on target (4) in this match against Qatar as they attempted in their first two 2022 World Cup games against Senegal and Ecuador combined (12 shots, 4 on target).
What’s next?
The Netherlands will learn the identity of their last-16 opponents later on Tuesday, as Qatar reflect on a gruelling first World Cup experience.
The Nations League Finals in 2023 will be held in the Netherlands.
Since only they and their opponents from Group A4—Belgium, Poland, and Wales—expressed interest in hosting the knockout round, the Oranje were widely expected to welcome their rivals to play them on home soil.
After defeating the trio to advance as group champions, the Netherlands will now welcome Croatia, Italy, and Spain for the 2022–23 edition’s grand finale the following year.
The Johan Cruyff Arena and Philips Stadion will be unavailable due to concerts, so Feyenoord’s De Kuip and FC Twente’s De Grolsch Veste will host the games.
The competition begins on June 14 and 15, with the semi-finals, and concludes on June 18, with a play-off for third place.
Next January, a draw will be conducted at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon to determine the pairings for the final four teams.
🇳🇱 Netherlands will host the 2023 #NationsLeague finals!
Cody Gakpo, who performed admirably for the Netherlands in the World Cup, asserts that “anything is conceivable” about his future at PSV Eindhoven.
The 23-year-old has scored in both of his nation’s opening games, which have seen Oranje lead Group A with one game remaining after victories against Senegal and Ecuador, respectively, by scores of 2-0 and 1-1.
While Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich have since been linked, he recently admitted he was disappointed to have missed out on a move to Manchester United.
Gakpo isn’t completely ruling out leaving PSV when the January transfer window opens, even though his primary goal right now is to help the Netherlands advance far in the World Cup.
“Right now I’m busy with the Dutch team. I’ll see what happens in the winter. In football, anything is possible,” he said at a press conference on Sunday.
“I don’t get shy about the rumours. But it’s a team sport, it’s not about one person. I prefer it to be about the team.
“It’s nice things that people write, but I’m not too concerned with that. I’m focused now on the World Cup. I just focus here and do my best.”
Gakpo has been directly involved in 34 goals in 28 games for PSV and the Netherlands this season, scoring 16 and assisting a further eight.
Despite enjoying his best campaign to date, the forward – into his fifth season as a first-team regular for PSV – insists there is still more to come.
“I know what I’m capable of but it’s always a challenge to reach your highest level,” he said. “I’m not there yet; I can improve in a lot of things.
“I know I scored two goals this World Cup. But that’s not the focus right now. I can improve, I want to help the team. It’s about being the best team in the end.”
Gakpo could become the fourth man to score in three straight World Cup games for Oranje after Johan Neeskens (1974), Dennis Bergkamp (1994) and Wesley Sneijder (2010).
The Netherlands will advance to the round of 16 if they defeat Qatar on Tuesday; however, a loss could also be enough if Ecuador defeats Senegal.
They have scored 11 goals and let up only one in their four World Cup victories over Asian opponents.
By aiming for World Cup victory, Louis van Gaal does not believe he has increased pressure on his Netherlands team; rather, he suggests the players are supportive of his lofty goals.
Even if their results in beating Senegal and drawing with Ecuador were not totally impressive, Van Gaal continued to tout the chances of Oranje throughout this tournament.
The coach does not regret being so upfront with his aims for the finals, but the Netherlands still have work to do in their third encounter against Qatar to secure a place in the last 16.
“I hope this is no pressure at all, because I think you always have to identify the goal, the purpose for which you are here,” he said. “Then you can work towards that purpose.
“If you don’t identify that purpose and say the quarter-finals is enough, that is not the right way to do things. The right thing is to say you want to become champions.
“I set out the reasons why we can become champions. I didn’t say we would become champions, but we can. The players believe in that.”
That belief is evident in Frenkie de Jong, appearing alongside Van Gaal on Monday, as he said: “I think we have an excellent squad. We have demonstrated that on more than enough occasions.
“We are 17 matches unbeaten, that is telling. We have four points, and we played two excellent opponents. We’re well positioned despite the fact the last match we didn’t play as well as we could.
“We talked a lot in the squad about what we want to do, what we want to improve. Everyone is full of confidence, so it’s up to us to show you.”
Van Gaal is not very interested whether his team tops the pool and secures a purportedly easier draw, but he does plan to keep track of the outcome of the other Group A game on Tuesday because the Netherlands would advance even with a loss if Senegal also loses.
“If you want to become a world champion, you will have to be capable of beating everyone,” he said. “Particularly those countries you don’t suspect will progress very far, they are progressing or making it difficult.”
The Netherlands will also need their key players fit and firing if they are to go all the way.
Van Gaal is “not surprised at all” by Cody Gakpo’s form at the finals, believing he can “evolve even further, much further”, but he knows Memphis Depay can be decisive.
“To become world champion, we need Memphis,” said Van Gaal. “That’s how I see it.”
Depay has not started yet as he works his way back from injury, but the coach added: “We’re going to do anything and everything to progress to the next match. We’re still in the group stage, but in the knockout stage every match is important.”
If Van Gaal is able to guide the Netherlands to glory, could he yet stay on as coach into 2023?
The coach himself pointed out that would be unlikely, given Ronald Koeman has been appointed as his successor, but he added: “If we become world champion, then the football world is a very opportunistic world. You never know.”
Memphis Depay was frustrated to be restricted to the role of a substitute in the Netherlands’ World Cup opener, but he is confident of having a greater impact in coming matches.
Depay had been ruled out of Monday’s match against Senegal in Louis van Gaal’s pre-match news conference.
But the Barcelona forward appeared on the bench and was introduced in the final half an hour with the game still goalless.
Although Depay did not get on the scoresheet, he was involved in the build-up to both Oranje goals in a 2-0 win, with Cody Gakpo scoring the first before Davy Klaassen tucked away the rebound from the Netherlands number 10’s shot.
Speaking afterwards, Depay said: “I feel good, I feel good, I feel fit. Obviously a player like me always wants to start from the kick-off, but this was the plan and now we focus on the next game.
“I’m sure that I’ll feel better, and I’ll work hard to find more rhythm. I’m happy that I could do a little bit of a part in 30 minutes today.”
On Gakpo, who benefited from Depay’sabsence and was preferred to Klaassen, he said: “I’m very happy for him. He’s a hard worker, he’s very dedicated in his career. He’s a young baller.
“I’m very happy. He’s a great guy, a young guy, lots to learn, so I’m sure you’ll see more moments like this.”
Despite missing out on the XI, the stoppage-time clincher was also a big moment for Klaassen.
“It’s a dream, of course,” he said. “It’s my first World Cup game, so to score your first World Cup goal and to win… you can’t ask much more.”
98:17 – Davy Klaassen’s goal after 98:17 is the second latest World Cup goal on record (since 1966) excluding extra time, after Mehdi Taremi’s goal earlier today (102:30). Climax. pic.twitter.com/VkzgzaNupr
Klaassen was also asked about the OneLove captain’s armband, which Virgil van Dijk had been due to wear until FIFA threatened sanctions.
The campaign promotes “inclusion and sends a message against discrimination of any kind”, but those planning to wear the armband feared they would immediately be shown a yellow card.
“We’re still behind the statement,” Klaassen added. “FIFA forced us to not wear it, but the statement is still there.”
Van Dijk himself did not appear impressed by discussion of the topic, saying: “You know exactly what the outcome was.
“Two hours before the England game, the news came out, and I was sleeping at the time. I had no influence on anything.
“I’m not dealing with the armband because I don’t want to get a yellow card.”
A Senegal without talisman Sadio Mane played some impressive football on Monday evening but unfortunately suffered a late heartbreak.
The Teranga Lions today locked horns with the Dutch national team in the second Group A encounter of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Throughout the first half, both national teams entertained fans in the stands with some delightful end-to-end football action.
The Netherlands perhaps had the best opportunity to score in the first half when Frenkie de Jong failed to capitalise on a one-on-one situation by trying to go past the retreating defenders.
With all to play for in the second half, Senegal opened up more and caused a lot of trouble for the defense of the opponent.
Unfortunately, the many forward advances never resulted in a goal.
In the 84th minute, the Netherlands finally broke the deadlock of the game when Senegal goalkeeper Eduard Mendy came out for the ball too late.
Before he could reach the ball, Cody Gakpo had already headed the ball and found the back of the net with his effort to give the Netherlands the lead.
Late in stoppage time, substitute Davy Klaasen capitalised on another mistake from Mendy to give the Dutch national team a 2-0 goal lead.
Eventually, the Netherlands bagged the maximum three points thanks to the 2-0 win.
Up next for Senegal, they will take on Qatar on Friday in the second Group A game.
The host nation lost the opening game of the tournament to Ecuador on Sunday night.
Sadio Mane is backing Senegal’s Lions of Teranga to show they still have sharp claws without him in Monday’s World Cup opener against the Netherlands.
Bayern Munich forward Mane was set to spearhead the team’s quest in Qatar, but a cruel leg injury has ruled him out of the tournament.
On paper, it seems the team are significantly weakened by his absence, but Mane says the reality could be rather different, backing the group he left to rise to their challenge.
The former Liverpool star wrote on Instagram: “This Monday, our dear country will compete in the World Cup, Qatar 2022. I am sure the Lions will transcend and approach every game as a true final.
“I am also convinced that all Senegalese will be in front of the small screen to support and encourage our valiant national team.
“Like all supporters of the ‘Taniere’ [lions’ den], I am convinced that my team-mates will fight as one man and as they usually do to honour our dear Senegal. Long live Senegal, come on the Lions.”
Senegal were surprise quarter-finalists in 2002, and as reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions they were considered by many as the continent’s biggest hope for World Cup success this time around.
Losing Mane will change that perception for many observers.
The 30-year-old had a tendon reattached to the head of his right fibula after being ruled out of Senegal’s squad, and he could face several months on the sidelines.
Mane thanked well-wishers, writing: “Many of you have sent messages of support following my injury. Thank God, the surgery I had in the middle of the week went well. I want to take this opportunity to thank and show my appreciation to you all.”
The squad and the coach of Africa’s reigning championshad to come to terms with the absence of star winger Sadio Mané and find a new strategy to realize their ambitions and advance in the competition.
“It’s not easy to win the World Cup. We know that all of the games are going to be difficult. We’re going to have to take them one by one,” Aliou Cissé told journalists.
“It’s true that 20 years ago, 35 years ago, African football was very different. Today, we have players who play in the best leagues in the world, in the best leaguesin Europe”, he concluded.
The Senegalese team indeed remains resourceful without Mané. AS Monaco winger Ismael Jakobs was called to join the squad but is facing administrative issues delaying his participation.
Forward Krepin Diatta insisted on cohesion, a much-needed strength.
“He [Sadio Mané] is our technical leader. Of course, we would have liked him to be here, but God decided otherwise. We do though keep a very strong mentality”, he said during a press conference.
“We are comfortable being together and we are strong as a team. Of course it’s a big loss, but we have a strong mentality. We show teamwork and we’re good together and I’m sure we’re going to get some good results at this World Cup.”
After playing the Netherlands on November 21, the Teranga Lions will face Ecuador and hosts Qatar in Group A.
Mané who was ruled out of the tournament after picking up a leg injury, took to Instagram Sunday to cheer on his teammates. He said he was sure the team would fight “as one man”.
Memphis Depay will not feature in the Netherlands’ World Cup opener against Senegal, but coach Louis van Gaal remains optimistic for the tournament, believing this squad to be capable of improving on a third-placed finish at Brazil 2014.
Depay had been a doubt for Monday’s match in Doha due to a hamstring injury that has limited him to only two LaLiga appearances at Barcelona this season.
Oranje coach Van Gaal, speaking to the media on Sunday, confirmed the forward would miss out against Senegal, suggesting his “idea of the match” centred around how the two teams would fare without their respective stars. Senegal’s Sadio Maneis out of the entire tournament.
Depay was involved in more goals in European qualifying for Qatar 2022 than any other player, scoring 12 and assisting a further six in just 10 matches.
Van Gaal said: “Mane can break open a match, and I would say Senegal will really miss him. But the same applies to us. We are really missing our top scorer and the king of the assists.”
However, the Netherlands boss had been aware a swift return was unlikely for Depay, adding: “We knew before the World Cup he had a different programme, a different schedule than the schedule of a player who is preparing for a match.”
When he recovers, Depay will be tasked with leading the line for a Dutch side Van Gaal considers superior to his class of 2014 – the last team he took to a tournament in the second of three stints in the role.
The Netherlands reached the semi-finals on that occasion, losing to Argentina on penalties before beating Brazil in the third-place play-off.
Given Van Gaal’s high opinion of this group of players and his own considerable experience, he expects results to follow – potentially culminating in a first World Cup triumph.
“I believe in this squad, this group of players,” he said. “In 2014, we came third with a squad of lesser quality, I would say. With this group, I expect more.
“It all depends not only on technical skills and tactical skills but also a bit of luck that you score at the right time or that the others don’t score.
“I think we could become world champion, but there are squads that are in my view of a higher level than my squad. The thing is how the squad deals with that, and there I think I may be able to benefit from a head start.
“I’m saying we can become world champion. Whether we become world champion is a separate issue, but I’m saying we can.”
While Van Gaal would not confirm the identity of his starting goalkeeper, he hinted at Cody Gakpo getting the nod ahead of Davy Klaassen in Depay’s absence, and there is no doubt who his captain is.
Van Dijk appeared next to Van Gaal, who said: “I have a wonderful captain next to me. I have worked with so many captains, and he is a truly great captain. That makes things easier.”
But neither Van Dijk nor Van Gaal would answer political questions after Gianni Infantino’s remarkable opening address the previous day.
“I am no longer going to speak about political issues,” the previously outspoken Van Gaal said. “I’m focusing on this coming match.
“I put a full stop after all these issues after we invited the migrants to watch our practice session. I requested all my players also stopped doing that and put a full stop and focus on the match against Senegal.”
Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal has backed fans who have decided to boycott the World Cup in Qatar.
After a 12-year wait loaded with controversy, the first World Cup to be played in the Middle East begins on Sunday when Qatar face Ecuador.
There has been scrutiny on the hosts surrounding human rights issues, the treatment of migrant workers and the illegality of homosexuality, with FIFA having written to all participating nations and urging them to “focus on the football”.
That seems unlikely to happen, however, with a number of nations already speaking out, and Van Gaal has issued his support to any fans boycotting the tournament.
“I think that they are right to do that because they believe in that and they have to do that, so no problem with that,” he said.
“And I hope that we play so fantastic that at the end of the tournament when we play the final, they shall look for the television how good we are.
“I think that you have to play in football countries, more experience with everything, but also to stimulate that country in another way, in the right way.
“This is also a small country, my family or my friends have a lot of difficulties to find the place, so that’s also a remark.
“The organisation and the pitches and everything, the facilities, these are very good.”
On the field, Van Gaal admits that he does not have the best players at his disposal in the Netherlands squad but still feels they can be successful.
“I believe that we don’t have the best players on earth in our team, but I believe in team building and tactics and I believe that we can come to the end but we need also luck, that is also important,” he explained.
“And because of that and because I believe in imagination, I speak about to be the world champion at the end of the tournament because when you can imagine that, you can do it also on the pitch, because we have players who can execute the tactics of the coaches of the Netherlands.”
The Netherlands begin their campaign against Senegal on November 22, before facing Ecuador and hosts Qatar in Group A.
Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal said he saw several of his players “naked” when he called them to inform them of his World Cup squad selections.
The Oranje have named their 26-man party for Qatar 2022, with a string of surprise selections and omissions in Friday’s announcement.
Uncapped trio Xavi Simons, Jeremie Frimpong and Andries Noppert have been included, but there is no place for Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch or Newcastle United’s Sven Botman.
Speaking on the calls to inform prospective squad members ahead of the announcement, Van Gaal reflected on the difficulty of his selections, while revealing he caught several players unawares.
“It was really tough,” he said at a press conference. “I even took the time difference into account for the people in England. I saw naked players, because they were still in bed!
“I’ve said a hundred times I think this group is fantastic. But this is about the vision of the national coach. I discovered that this morning when I told a player he would not attend a World Cup. It is not easy.”
Other major names missing from the Netherlands’ first World Cup squad for eight years – they famously missed Russia 2018 – include Villarreal’s Arnaut Danjuma and NEC goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.
Having missed their return to tournament football at Euro 2020 through injury, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk will skipper the side, where he will wear the OneLove armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
FIFA has already warned against such political action in Qatar, but Van Gaal says he is not interested in the governing body’s stance, instead preferring his captain’s opinion.
“I think it’s not important what FIFA thinks,” he added. “It’s about what our association thinks, how the national manager thinks about but mostly what Virgil van Dijk thinks.
“I can say something about the situation, that doesn’t make a difference. [Liverpool manager Jurgen] Klopp said it the right way, and I totally back him on his opinion.
“We are going to play there, and we won’t often think about the fact that things aren’t done the right way. There are so many things that are not okay, even in our country.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada has accused China of attempting tomeddle in the country’s elections.
Mr. Trudeau accused China of engaging in “aggressive games” with democracies and targeting Canadian institutions.
It comes as local media reports that Canadian intelligence discovered a “secret network” of Beijing-backed candidates in recent elections.
China reportedly supported at least 11 candidates in the 2019 federal elections, according to officials who spoke with Mr Trudeau.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said it has “no interest” in Canada’s internal affairs.
Citing unnamed intelligence officials, local broadcaster Global News reported that Beijing had directed funds to the candidates and that Chinese operatives had acted as campaign advisers to many candidates.
In one case, funding of C$250,000 (£160,000) was directed through the office of an Ontario-based provincial MP.
The operation, which was reportedly directed from China’s consulate in Toronto, also sought to place operatives within the offices of serving MPs in an attempt to influence policy, the outlet alleged.
And efforts were also made to “co-opt and corrupt” former Canadian officials in a bid to gain influence within political circles.
The attempted interference is believed to have targeted both major political parties – Mr Trudeau’s Liberal party and the opposition Conservative party. However, it is unclear whether the operation was successful.
“We have taken significant measures to strengthen the integrity of our elections processes and our systems, and will continue to invest in the fight against election interference, against foreign interference of our democracies and institutions,” Mr Trudeau told reporters on Monday.
“Unfortunately, we’re seeing countries, state actors from around the world, whether it’s China or others, are continuing to play aggressive games with our institutions, with our democracies,” he added.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China has no interest in meddling in Canadian elections.
“State-to-state relations can only be built on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit,” he told a press briefing.
“Canada should stop making remarks that hurt China-Canada relations,” he added.
The reports come after authorities said they were investigating accusations that China had opened unofficial “police” stations on Canadian soil.
Last month, Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they were investigating reports of “criminal activity in relation to so-called ‘police’ stations”, which have also been reported in a number of European countries.
Several EU states, including Ireland and the Netherlands, have already ordered China to close the police posts, which have reportedly been used to pressure opponents of the government to return to China and face criminal charges.
Dutch media found evidence that the so-called overseas service stations, which promise to provide diplomatic services, were being used to try to silence Chinese dissidents in Europe.
The Dutch media discovered evidence that “overseas service stations,” which promise diplomatic services, are being used to silence Chinese dissidents in Europe.
The existence of the unofficial police outposts, according to a spokeswoman for the Dutch foreign ministry, is illegal.
The Chinese embassy says it is not aware of their existence.
The investigation was sparked by a report entitled Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild, by the Spain-based NGO Safeguard Defenders.
According to the organisation, the public security bureaus from two Chinese provinces had established 54 “overseas police service centres” across five continents and 21 countries. Most of them are in Europe, including nine in Spain and four in Italy. In the UK, it found two in London and one in Glasgow.
The units were ostensibly created to tackle transnational crime and conduct administrative duties, such as the renewal of Chinese drivers’ licences. But, according to Safeguard Defenders, in reality, they carry out “persuasion operations”, aimed at coercing those suspected of speaking out against the Chinese regime to return home.
RTL News and the investigative journalism platform Follow the Money shared the story of Wang Jingyu, a Chinese dissident who said he was being pursued by Chinese police in the Netherlands.
Speaking in English, Wang told Dutch journalists he received a phone call earlier this year from someone claiming to be from one such station. During the conversation, he said he was urged to return to China to “sort out my problems. And to think about my parents”.
Since then, he described a systematic campaign of harassment and intimidation, which he believes is being orchestrated by Chinese government agents.
In response to the revelations, the Chinese embassy told RTL News it was not aware of the existence of such police stations.
Dutch foreign ministry spokeswoman Maxime Hovenkamp told the BBC: “The Dutch government wasn’t made aware of these operations through the diplomatic channels with the Chinese government. That is illegal.”
She said it would have to investigate and decide the appropriate response. “It is very worrying a Chinese national has apparentlybeen subjected to intimidation and harassment here in the Netherlands. Police are looking into options to offer him protection,” she added.
Services such as passport renewals or visa requests are usually handled by an embassy or consulate. Diplomatic rules apply in these locations, as laid out in the Vienna Convention, of which both the Netherlands and China are signatories.
Policing outposts like the ones China is accused of running could violate the territorial integrity of a host country by circumventing national jurisdictions and the protections afforded under domestic law.
Safeguard Defenders said China’s policing tactics were “problematic” as they targeted suspects without firmly establishing links to crime or adhering to due process in host countries.
This is primarily done by coercing or making threats against the family members of alleged fugitives, as a method to “persuade” them to return home, the organization said.
On 2 September, a national Anti-Telecom and Online Fraud Law were adopted in China, establishing a claim of extraterritorial jurisdiction over all Chinese nationals worldwide suspected of these types of fraud.
The pressure is now on the Dutch government to ensure critics of the Chinese government who are granted asylum can be protected, and that in the Netherlands, Dutch law prevails.
Andye was onlyin Paris for three days. On day one, she met Steven on board the Metro. It was a journey that would change their lives forever.
Andye was only in Paris for three days. On day one, she jumped aboard the Metro train that would change her life forever.
It was September 2016. Andye, born in Haiti and brought up in the US, was 25 and finishing up a Master’s degree in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.
She was in that in-between phase of a degree when studies are over, but graduation is still to come.
“I decided, ‘I’m just going to travel for a month and then come back to Amsterdam,’” Andye tells CNN Travel.
Andye planned a month’s adventure exploring Italy, Greece, Egypt and India. On her way back, she returned via Paris to visit a close friend, Seyna, who lived in the French capital and was looking after some of Andye’s belongings.
“I got on the Metro to head back to my friend’s house where I’d dropped off my suitcases,” Andye recalls to CNN Travel. “And that’s where he got on.”
“He” was Steven, a 26-year-old Master’s student originally from the Central African Republic studying in Paris and working part-time in a school. (Andye and Steven have asked that only their first names be used for privacy reasons).
When Steven boarded the train, the carriage was already full of travelers. He was one of several passengers standing.
Meanwhile, Andye was sitting, her traveling backpack on her knee and her headphones on. Steven noticed her right away.
“I found her really beautiful,” Steven tells CNN Travel.
A few stops went by, the carriage emptied out, seats freed up and Steven ended up sitting opposite Andye. He kept glancing her way. She seemed to be looking at him too. Their eyes kept meeting.
Andye also noticed Steven amid the crowds of travelers.
“We just kept looking at each other,” she recalls. “He would turn around to look at me, and I would look away, and we just kept on doing that for like a good 15 minutes, just staring at each other and looking away.”
As the train sped underground the Parisian streets, Steven tried to think of a polite way to broach conversation with the girl with the backpack. He wanted to speak to her, but he was also conscious of respecting her space and privacy.
Meanwhile, Andye was silently fantasizing about the stranger opposite her.
She recalls being struck by his “calming energy.”
“He had really nice, muscular arms. I was like, ‘Wow, he looks like someone I could really get a nice hug from.’”
As these thoughts flashed through Andye’s mind, they were followed by another, sinking realization.
“I was like, ‘What if he’s my husband, but I’ll never know? Because I’m going to get off this train without ever speaking to him.’”
“Then, at some point — when our eyes finally caught each other, and neither of us turned back — I saw his lips move. So I removed one of my headphones.”
Metro meet-cute
Steven and Andye started chatting when they were on the same Paris Metro train in September 2016.
In French, Steven was suggesting Andye could move her heavy-looking backpack onto the now vacant seat next to her.
Andye, who is fluent in French, replied that it wasn’t necessary — the bag wasn’t heavy.
“Then, somehow, I just did not put on my headphones back, because I kind of was hoping that we would keep on talking,” says Andye. “And then the conversation continued.”
Steven asked if Andye was a student — because of the backpack — and she told him about her studies. Steven explained he was also working towards a Master’s degree.
“At some point, I had to get off the train to transfer, and he asked if he could get off with me. And I said, ‘You can do as you please.’”
As they got off the train together, Steven offered to help carry her backpack.
“I felt a bit nervous because I didn’t know him and I thought about how he could probably run away with my bag,” says Andye. “But my gut felt comfortable enough to allow him to take it.”
The two waited for the next subway station together, Steven holding the backpack. Then they got on the next train together and sat next to one another.
“We just kept on talking,” says Andye. “That’s when we realized that we actually were doing our Master’s in the same field of study. We were both studying sustainable development, and we started talking about that a bit.”
When the train arrived at Andye’s stop, Steven got off with her, handed her the backpack. They exchanged numbers, then Steven asked if he could give her a hug goodbye. Andye agreed.
“I thought that was so weird, because in France people just do the kisses on the cheek, they don’t hug,” recalls Andye.
“I was like, ‘Wow, what if this guy is a mind reader? Because earlier I was just thinking I could get a really nice hug from him.’”
After their hug, the two went their separate ways. Steven, glancing at his phone, realized his Metro detour had made him late for work.
Meanwhile, Andye reunited with her friend Seyna and immediately shared details of her Metro meet-cute.
Later that evening, Steven messaged Andye and nervously waited for a reply.
“When she responded, I screamed and ran to my cousin,” says Steven, recalling announcing that Andye was the woman he would marry.
Andye and Steven messaged back and forth all evening, trying to figure out if they could meet up again before Andye returned to Amsterdam. She had a tight schedule, and at first suggested it would be easier to meet in a few weeks — after graduation she planned to return to Paris for a week before she headed home to the US.
“Even if we see each other for just a quick second, I really want to see you before you leave,” wrote Steven in response.
Eventually, the two settled on meeting for a quick dinner on Andye’s last evening. Steven wanted to impress Andye and take her to a swanky restaurant, but Andye wanted to make sure she wouldn’t be late home, given she was traveling the next day.
They settled on a casual fast food spot, right next to the Metro stop where they’d parted the first time.
As Andye was getting ready for the date, Seyna teased her about her romantic Metro meeting and the subsequent date plans.
“She was really giddy about me going on the date,” Andye laughs.
When they saw one another again, both Andye and Steven felt excited.
“I felt butterflies in my stomach,” says Steven.
“We did the usual French greeting with one kiss on each cheek AKA ‘la bise,’” recalls Andye, who remembers trying to temper her excitement, given her imminent return to the US.
Inside the restaurant, the two settled into conversation quickly.
“We started talking and getting to know each other a bit,” recalls Andye.
Steven was straightforward with Andye, explaining he was looking for a relationship.
“I thought that was like, ‘Whoa, first date, like you’re doing too much for me.’ But I appreciated his sincerity,” says Andye. “We kept on talking and I got, again, that kind of like, calm feeling being around him.”
Andye’s original plan to keep the evening short no longer seemed so important. She suggested they go into the center of Paris to a bar.
Later, Steven accompanied Andye back to her friend’s apartment. Outside the door, they kissed. Then Steven returned to where he lived, further into the suburbs of Paris.
It was later than he’d realized, and trains had stopped running, so he walked most of the way. Steven says he didn’t mind, he was just caught up in the excitement and romance of the evening.
Meanwhile, Andye excitedly told Seyna about the date and how well it went.
“Then the next day I left to go to Amsterdam, but we kept in touch. He was messaging me the whole time I was in Amsterdam,” recalls Andye.
Long distance
Andye went back to the US, but she stayed in touch with Steven.
After graduation, Andye returned to Paris for a brief stopover before her return to the US. Once again, she arranged to meet Steven at the Metro stop by Seyna’s apartment.
The two hopped on the train together and went for a stroll along the Champs Élysées, through the Trocadéro area and towards the Eiffel Tower.
Andye and Steven tried to see each other as much as they could during those few days, often riding the Metro together. On one of these journeys, Steven turned to Andye and said he didn’t want her to return to the US.
“Why?” asked Andye.
“Because I love you,” said Steven.
“How can you love me? You don’t even know me!” said Andye.
Andye boarded her flight to the US at the end of September, with no imminent plans to return to Europe.
“We didn’t make plans to meet up, we kind of held hope that we were gonna see each other again, at some point,” says Andye.
“We decided that we’re going to keep in touch, and just keep writing to each other and talking,” says Steven.
Three months later, Andye started working with an international organization based in Washington DC. She soon learned the role involved business travel, mostly to Guinea. Serendipitously, flights often included a layover in Paris.
In March 2017, six months after their first Metro encounter, Steven and Andye reunited at Charles de Gaulle airport for Andye’s 24-hour stopover.
In the intervening months, the two had been in constant communication. But it wasn’t the same as finally seeing one another in person again.
“Wow, this person actually exists,” Andye remembers thinking.
“We talked a lot, we hugged a lot,” says Steven of their reunion.
But before long they were saying goodbye again.
Andye’s role involved traveling to West Africa every three months or so. She figured that each time, she would try to incorporate a Paris layover.
But Steven felt guilty that Andye was the one always traveling — he didn’t have a visa to travel to the US, so he couldn’t reciprocate the trips.
“It was getting complicated,” he says. “Because it was always Andye who would have had to travel, I thought it would have been even more complicated later on in the process.”
Steven didn’t communicate these worries to Andye. But she sensed something was up.
“I just remember him being less attentive, really distant. And I said, ‘Look, if you’re not into this, let’s just end it. I am not going to chase you. I love you. But I don’t like one-sided relationships. I would like for this to be reciprocal. And since it’s not, I’m kind of removing myself out of the equation.’”
Reunited in Paris
Andye and Steven reconnected in Paris after a few months apart.
A couple of months passed. Andye and Steven didn’t talk during this period, but they both thought about one another often. Meanwhile, Andye planned a trip to Paris to visit Seyna.
“I’m usually the kind of person, like once it’s over, it’s over. But with him I felt like this was more kind of a break than a breakup,” says Andye.
“I had my friend Seyna kind of reach out to him to see if he was okay, since I hadn’t heard from him, and tell him that I was coming to France for a week for vacation.”
Steven and Andye arranged to meet up during Andye’s trip.
“We talked a lot. We went out dancing, and then we kind of got back to how things were before,” she says. “I was in Paris for at least four to five days and we spent most of the time together.”
Steven says seeing Andye again after months of silence “reignited a fire” inside him.
“At that moment I thought to myself, ‘If I don’t make it work, I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life,’” he says.
The two were able to talk candidly about the situation, with Andye explaining she didn’t mind that she was always the one traveling, given she could incorporate visits into work trips.
They parted on stronger terms.
“I was really easy and confident in our relationship after that visit, but I do think that it took a while for me to warm back up into it,” says Andye.
The relationship did have another wobble when Andye was back in DC. When they came back together again, Andye was firm: She told Steven they both had to be all in.
“I was like, ‘Look, I don’t have time to play games. If this is what you want to do, it’s not for me, I was very strict on my boundaries. I told him, ‘Look, if you’re really serious about this, here’s my mom’s number. You let her know that you’re serious about her daughter.’”
Within a week, Steven had sent a long paragraph to Andye’s mother.
“I tried to tell her a bit about myself,” Steven explains. “I said I was serious about Andye.”
Steven’s message had the effect of taking Andye and Steven’s relationship to the next level. They started talking about what country they might live in the future, and plans for marriage.
Andye and Steven’s temporary breakup made the relationship stronger.
The next time they reunited in France, in November 2017, Andye built a week’s vacation into her stopover.
“He came to pick me up and brought my favorite chocolate croissants to the airport,” she recalls. “He knows I’m addicted.”
It was during this trip that Steven proposed.
“When I met Andye, I felt at peace, in sync with all of nature’s elements,” says Steven. “But when I wanted to propose to her, I felt a wave of different feelings. I was asking myself what I would do if she said no and at the same time, I was excited at the idea that she would accept to be my wife. I was nervous and shaking internally.”
Andye accepted Steven’s proposal.
“I got that same calm feeling that I had that first day that I met him,” says Andye of the moment she said yes.
The couple kept the news to themselves for a short while, first telling Seyna, Andye’s Paris-based friend, and later Steven’s best friend.
The two decided to enjoy the engagement for a little while, and not rush into marriage They continued their long-distance romance and the following summer Andye spent four months in France with Steven. She’d quit her job and was in the middle of a short break, reconvening and figuring out her next steps career-wise.
“It was a really wonderful summer,” says Andye, recalling quality time spent with Steven, his family and friends.
While she was in France, Andye also looked into applying for jobs in Paris. But this proved trickier than she expected
Andye and Steven had previously figured it made most sense for Andye to move to France — Andye was fluent in French, after all. But after she struggled to find a France-based job, the couple started discussing the possibility of living together in the US instead.
Almost a year later, in July 2019, Steven’s fiance visa was approved. To celebrate, Andye and Steven went to Haiti. While there, they were inspired to plan their own Haiti-based wedding celebration.
Move to the US
Andye and Steven got married exactly three years after they met on the Metro.
Steven and Andye started their American life together in a tiny studio apartment in DC. They had a small wedding at a court office on September 16, 2019 — the three year anniversary of their Metro meeting — while anticipating a larger celebration in Haiti the following year.
Both Andye and Steven were thrilled to be living together after years of long distance. The two started a company together, Afrayiti, creating handmade apparel using African fabric.
Not long afterwards, Covid-19 hit the US. Steven lost his job, and early on, Andye caught the virus and was hospitalized.
She recovered physically, but struggled with anxiety for some time afterward.
“I became really anxious to the point where I didn’t leave my place for three months,” Andye recalls. “I didn’t even step outside of the door of our apartment.”
During this time, Andye says Steven was a huge support.
“I wouldn’t have survived this pandemic, if it wasn’t for him.”
Steven says there is no one but Andye who he’d want to spend lockdown with.
The Haiti wedding celebration canceled, the couple instead spent their time cooking, sewing and designing together.
As the pandemic waned, Steven encouraged Andye to reenter the world. She’s grateful for his patience during this period.
“I was so scared to go outside and he kind of really pushed me into taking just small steps,” says Andye.
In summer 2021, the couple relocated to Florida, enticed by the idea of more space, warm weather and proximity to the beach. They feel, says Andye, “at peace” in Florida.
A real life romantic comedy
Andye and Steven feel like fate brought them together.
Today, Andye and Steven are still Florida-based, planning future adventures together. Since the world opened up, they’ve visited Tanzania, Zanzibar and Costa Rica together.
When their Haiti wedding celebration was canceled, the couple decided to start a tradition where they plan a vacation to coincide with their anniversary. Right now, they’re in Mexico celebrating six years since their Metro meeting and three years since their courthouse wedding.
“One of the things that is symbolic — and I don’t think he notices — is when we’re traveling, he likes to ask me [if he can] carry my backpack,” says Andye.
Steven’s been carrying her bag, “since day one,” says Andye, laughing.
While Andye and Steven think they were fated to meet Steven on the Metro that day, they both have moments when they marvel at what happened.
The couple love to travel together. Here they are in Costa Rica in 2021.
“There are days where I say to him, “God, I’m married to a stranger that I met on the train in Paris,’” she says.
“What if I was late to take the train, what would have happened?” says Steven. “It’s destiny that brought us together.”
When Steven and Andye tell others how they met, they’re often told their story resembles a romantic comedy.
“Honestly, I feel like I am living a rom-com with him,” says Andye. “Especially as a Black woman, you don’t often see international love stories with Black women or Black men in them.
And I think for me, just sometimes when I think about it, I’m like, ‘Wow, I’m living my own rom-com.’ I don’t need to see it on TV, this is it.”
“There are days where I say to him, “God, I’m married to a stranger that I met on the train in Paris,’” says Andye. Here’s the two in Tanzania in 2021.
Source:myjoyonline.com
Steven Bergwijn has settled into life at Ajax well since leaving Tottenham in the summer.
The Dutch international has scored eight times in 12 appearances for the Eredivisie champions so far and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Bergwijn struggled for game time in North London and his form suffered as a result.
But since making the switch to the Johan Cruyff Arena, he has had a run of matches that has allowed him to thrive under boss Alfred Schreuder.
Ahead of Ajax’s clash with FC Volendam on Saturday, we take a look at the secret behind the forward’s success so far this season.
Keeping the faith
Spurs fans never doubted that Bergwijn is a player with a lot of quality and the potential to play at the top level of football.
But there was a point in his career where he seemed lost and unsure of his place under Antonio Conte — a manager who started the Dutchman just once in the Premier League.
The difference in the player’s attitude and work-rate has been evident since his move back to the Eredivisie and this is down to a consecutive run of games.
Schreuder has started Bergwijn in all but one of Ajax’s eight league matches this season, with the former PSV Eindhoven man returning six goals in that time.
The 24-cap international has already played 569 minutes under the new head coach in Amsterdam — over double the amount of playing time he had received this time last season.
One of the factors of the player’s success has come from feeling wanted.
Ajax made Bergwijn their club record signing and he has already gone a long way to repaying the faith placed in him.
Steven Bergwijn operates mainly as a left winger for Ajax
Confidence is key
In December 2020, Spurs were drawing 1-1 with Liverpool at Anfield. A win would have put the visitors three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Bergwijn had a huge chance to put Jose Mourinho’s side ahead but his effort hit the post and Spurs went on to lose the match.
The trickster scored only once that season and his confidence in front of goal completely vanished.
Scoring a hat-trick for the 36-time Eredivisie champions in his second game for the club has had the opposite effect on the forward in the new campaign.
Clearly, Bergwijn is a player who operates with momentum and positivity and starting the season well has benefitted his form for both club and country.
He has played a prominent role for both Ajax and the Netherlands national team this year and should he continue in his current vein of form, he is well on course to trump the 14 league goals he scored for PSV in 2018-19.
No case for defence
Ajax have seen Steven Bergwijn’s trademark celebration on multiple occasions this season
Both Mourinho and Conte are known for their stellar defensive records but this does not come without sacrificing free-flowing, attacking play at times.
Ajax’s No7 was an awkward fit under the Italian as he was not defensively sound enough to operate as a wing-back.
After being signed by Mourinho in January 2020, Bergwijn was restrained in his freedom to operate across the frontline — ultimately contributing to his lack of goal involvements.
With Schreuder, the Amsterdam-born attacker has featured on both wings as well as a central striker.
He has elevated his game and output for Ajax, including a goal in the 4-0 thumping of Rangers in the Champions League.
His turn of pace and quick feet make him dangerous in the final third of the pitch — if he is not scoring, he is creating for his team-mates.
Driven by ambition
Steven Bergwijn will be hoping to perform for the Netherlands at the World Cup
Bergwijn himself has stated that he wants to prove himself at a top club following his underwhelming spell at Spurs.
Speaking on the move to his hometown outfit, he said: “I was getting left out of the team there [Tottenham] and of course, you just want to play. So if you can go back to Ajax it’s quite tempting.”
Schreuder has praised his new player more than once this season and he was particularly impressed with his ambition to make a move happen.
He said: “It is indicative of Steven’s ambition that he chose to make the step to Ajax, he is a player with many qualities.
“He has enormous drive and is also very goal-oriented. Of course, I am happy that we were able to sign him, he adds new quality to our team.”
Berwgijn has stated that he was unhappy in London and he has already gone a long way to making his former club regret selling him just two months into the new season.
His goal now will be to continue his strong start to the campaign and carry his form into the World Cup, where the Netherlands will hope their flying forward can shine on the biggest stage.
The Deputy Dutch Ambassador to Ghana, Katja Lasseur, has expressed the commitment of the Netherlands to leverage its expertise to support Ghana to improve on its agriculture sector.
She explained that the Netherlands as the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world, had the potential to share knowledge, technology and investment opportunities to support efficient use of land in the country.
Speaking at the opening of the 2022 Orange Cocoa Day (OCD) in Accra last Monday, the deputy ambassador said although the Netherlands was a small country in terms of land size, its total agriculture exports for last year reached €110 billion.
Ms Lasseur stated that investment in agriculture thrives only on a well-structured land tenure system.
“Land fragmentation and insecurity does not promote investment in the agriculture sector,” she said.
Orange Cocoa Day
The Orange Cocoa Day was organised by the Netherlands Embassy in Accra, collaboration with European Union (EU) Delegation in Ghana, European Institute, Meridia and other firms active in the cocoa sector.
It was the theme, “exploring how improved access to land and tree tenure promote sustainability in the cocoa value chain,” and brought together stakeholders to discuss the sector-wide developments in cocoa and their readiness to support the sector in the country.
The OCD also served as a platform for exhibitors which consisted of Tropenbos Ghana, Niche Cocoa Industry Ltd, Financial Access, 57 Chocolate, Ghana CSOs Cocoa Platform (GCCP) and Solidaridad, to showcase a variety of goods and services to participants.
EU’s commitment
The EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, reiterated the commitment of the EU to support a sustainable cocoa production in the country.
He said the country’s efforts towards sustainability were fully aligned with the EU priorities to provide decent living income for cocoa farmers.
“It is also to ensure sustainability in the value chain. The European Commission in September 2020 launched an inclusive dialogue on sustainable cocoa production.
“This is what has been described as cocoa talks being executed between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire,” he said.
He said the EU was also supporting COCOBOD for the role out of the cocoa management system which was a sensitisation campaign to train agriculture extension officers.
Historic commodity
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, said cocoa, for Ghanaians, was not just a cash crop that contributed significantly to the economy, but also, a historic commodity that formed part of the country’s heritage.
He said with the crop being cultivated in nine out of the 16 regions of the country, the lives and livelihoods of many people depended on the value chain of this commodity.
Mr Jinapor said in spite of its importance and contribution to socio-economic development, cocoa farming expansion had become a major driver of deforestation and forest degradation.
“While promoting production, we must do so in a manner that does not destroy our lands and forests which supports the lives of billions of people across the globe.
“As population grows, competition for land across the various sectors, such as agriculture, forestry, mining, human settlement, infrastructural development, ecological sites, among others, is inevitable”, he said.
Creating balance
The minister stated that there was, therefore, the need to create a balance between all those competing land uses without compromising the land’s ability to sustain the benefit flows for current and future generations.
“Unlike many of the former British colonies, land in our country is mainly owned by stools, skins, clans, families and individuals, with the government controlling only about 20 per cent of lands acquired from stools and families,” he said.
Louis van Gaal praised the Netherlands‘ discipline in their 1-0 Nations League victory over Belgium on Sunday despite describing his team as having played “very badly”.
Victory over Poland on Thursday meant the Oranje only needed to avoid a heavy defeat to their neighbours at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam to seal top spot in Group A4 and progress to the Nations League Finals next year.
A result of that nature never looked like materialising, with Virgil van Dijk securing three points for the hosts in the 73rd minute – the centre-back’s sixth goal for his country, four of those being headers from a corner.
The result extended Oranje’s unbeaten run to 15 games (11 wins, four draws) since Van Gaal was reappointed for the third time in August last year, while it also saw Van Gaal move level with Dick Advocaat as the manager with the most wins in charge of the Netherlands (37).
“We lost the ball so much and in simple situations,” he told NOS. “Just like against Poland, only now even more.
“That also had to do with Belgium, who put more pressure on the ball, especially in the second half. We certainly didn’t play our best game.
“Belgium are very strong in terms of quality. They have a lot of individual quality. [Kevin] De Bruyne and [Eden] Hazard; those are top players. The Belgians did very well from the back. They were the better team today.
“I told the players that we played very badly, but we didn’t give away many chances.
“We also had the greatest opportunities, especially at the end. I think [Steven] Bergwijn and [Davy] Klaassen should have scored.
“This is a disciplined victory and that’s nice. Although we were second best for 90 minutes, we still continued playing our game and were disciplined.”
Marten de Roon replaced the injured Frenkie de Jong in midfield and Van Gaal was pleased with how the Atalanta man contained De Bruyne.
“I thought [De Roon] was one of the better players,” he added. “He gave few balls to the opposition and defensively picked up De Bruyne, who walked a little further away from our pit bulls. He did that very well.”
One of those “pit bulls”, substitute Tyrell Malacia, also received praise from Van Gaal, who said the Manchester United man also did well in shackling De Bruyne.
“I put him on the left of the central defence because De Bruyne played a lot on that side,” Van Gaal explained. “It’s better to have a pit bull like that instead of someone like [Daley] Blind who tries to solve it tactically.
“I had already discussed this with him the day before yesterday. The defensive work he did very well.”
The Netherlands booked their place in the Nations League Finals as Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header sealed a 1-0 win over Belgium on Sunday.
Victory over Poland on Thursday meant the Oranje only needed to avoid a heavy defeat to their neighbours at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam to seal top spot in Group A4.
Belgium never looked like they had the firepower to pull off such a result, with Liverpooldefender Van Dijk securing three points for the hosts by scoring in the 73rd minute.
The result meant the Netherlands topped their group with 16 points, with Roberto Martinez’s Red Devils six points behind in second.
4 – Four of Virgil van Dijk’s six goals for the Netherlands were headers from corners, his goal against Belgium was his first one for @OnsOranje since October 2021 (header from a corner against Gibraltar). Weapon. pic.twitter.com/jJGDDTIuNl
Belgium looked bright in the early stages, with Eden Hazard blazing over from a promising position and Michy Batshuayi firing at Remko Pasveer after being played in by Kevin De Bruyne.
At the other end, Denzel Dumfries cracked wide from 12 yards after fine work down the left from Vincent Janssen, which was the closest the hosts came in a first half that saw them fail to have an attempt on target.
Dumfries again went close at the start of the second period, while Belgium’s Amadou Onana was denied by a smart stop from Pasveer shortly after the hour mark.
Steven Bergwijn powered a shot straight at Thibaut Courtois as the Netherlands cranked up the pressure, before Van Dijk handed the hosts victory with a close-range header from Cody Gakpo’s corner.
Courtois did well to deny Davy Klaassen and Bergwijn in the closing stages, while Belgium substitute Dodi Lukebakio struck the post with a sensational overhead kick with almost the last kick of the game.
50 – Remko Pasveer is the first goalkeeper with a clean sheet against Belgium since Hugo Lloris in the semi-final of the World Cup in 2018, 50 matches ago for Belgium. Safe. pic.twitter.com/zjdwHFh88F
What does it mean? Red Devils make life easy for Oranje
Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal was unable to call on Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay and Teun Koopmeiners, who were all injured during the 2-0 win over Poland in midweek, but it mattered little as his side sealed their place in next year’s mini-tournament without breaking sweat.
Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez, who watched on from the stands following his dismissal against Wales on Thursday, will be concerned his side made it so easy for the hosts, and will be demanding a marked improvement when the World Cup kicks off in under two months.
Van Dijk shines
Van Dijk was a colossus at both ends of the pitch.
In addition to his match-winning goal, he made more clearances than any other player (three) and played more passes (55) than any of his team-mates.
Batshuayi struggles
It was little surprise to see Batshuayi replaced by Charles De Ketelaere at half-time.
The Fenerbahce striker had just one shot during his 45 minutes on the pitch and failed to make a single key pass to a team-mate.
What’s next?
Attention turns to the World Cup in Qatar, with the Netherlands starting their campaign against Senegal on November 21 and Belgium taking on Canada two days later.
Ten European football teams – the Netherlands, England, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales – will participate in a season-long “OneLove” campaign promoting inclusion and opposing discrimination.
Every country except Sweden and Norway has qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and each captain of these eight nations will wear a distinctive OneLove armband – which features a heart containing colors from all backgrounds – during the tournament.
The Netherlands FA, which is spearheading the campaign, chose the colors to represent all heritages, backgrounds, genders and sexual identities; the armband will be worn in Qatar where same-sex relationships are a criminal offense.
Sweden and Norway will participate in the initiative during the upcoming Nations League matches, while England will also wear black armbands during both its UEFA Nations League matches to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“This is an important message which suits the game of football: on the field everybody is equal and this should be the case in every place in society. With the OneLove band we express this message,” said Virgil van Dijk, the Netherlands captain.
“On behalf of the Dutch team I have been wearing this band for quite a while now. It is good to see that other countries are joining this initiative.”
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