Jude Bellingham was the match winner as England came through a nervy opening match against Serbia at Euro 2024.

Bellingham gave England the lead in the 13th minute when he headed in Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross before Aleksandar Mitrovic fired a good chance wide. Kyle Walker failed to make the most of an opening on the break, but England went in at the break with a comfortable 1-0 lead.

That comfort disappeared in the second half, with England dropping deeper and Serbia growing in confidence. A few nervy moments came and went before substitute Jarrod Bowen crossed for Harry Kane, who struck the underside of the crossbar via a strong save from Predrag Rajkovic.

Jordan Pickford had to be on his toes to keep out a long-range effort from Dusan Vlahovic as an unconvincing England held on to claim three points in Group C. Here are the talking points from the match in Gelsenkirchen.

Speaking before kick-off, Cesc Fabregas compared Bellingham to Frank Lampard due to his uncanny ability to arrive in the box at the perfect moment. Lampard made a career out of those late runs which allowed him to charge onto cutbacks and crosses and chalk up a staggering goal tally from midfield.

Bellingham, as we are often reminded, is still only 20 years old but he already has that happy knack. He scored 23 goals in his debut campaign for Real Madrid and has been entrusted with the No10 role for his country already, his form so good that the Premier League player of the season, Phil Foden, has been shunted to the left.

England’s opening goal was a textbook example of the value of arriving at the right time, with Bellingham starting the move off by passing square to Kyle Walker before galloping into the area to nod in Saka’s deflected cross. He has been appointed the team’s talisman and this was a perfect start to the tournament for the nation’s great hope. Chants of “JUUUUUUUUDE” were frequent throughout the first half as he ran the show.

Harry Maguire has been a key player during Southgate’s reign as England boss and his absence from Euro 2024, due a calf injury, was an obvious problem that needed to be addressed. Marc Guehi only returned from a long-term injury for Crystal Palace in May following three months out but, like Bellingham, he timed his run perfectly.

Guehi has taken Maguire’s role alongside John Stones and, after a wobble in the first minute, there were no signs of nerves. The 23-year-old looked the part of a player being hyped for a £55million transfer this summer, with interest from Manchester United and Arsenal.

His best moment came after 33 minutes when Serbia swung a dangerous ball into the box for Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic to attack. Guehi took charge, rose highest and headed it clear.

He ended the first half with a flawless statistical record, having completed 32 of his 32 attempted passes and won both of his attempted aerial duels and his one tackle. “Literally everything he’s done, he’s done right,” said Joe Hart on the BBC at half-time. Central defence could be regarded as a weak spot for England, with Lewis Dunk and Ezri Konsa the other options, but Guehi’s performance will ease those concerns slightly.

England started impressively in Gelsenkirchen with Bellingham strutting his stuff and Saka and Declan Rice standing out. But their complete dominance of the ball didn’t last and old habits started creeping back into their play. By the time the middle of the second half arrived, it was Serbia who were on top and it was their fans who were most audible in the stands.

Having previously been brave on the ball and played their way out from the back, suddenly England were guilty of lumping the ball up in the general direction of Kane and Phil Foden. Unsurprisingly, the ball wasn’t sticking and Serbia had a new spring in their step; only a poor first touch and some misfortune from crosses prevented them from testing Jordan Pickford, with a nervy moment coming when England’s keeper leapt on a loose ball at Guehi’s feet. Later in the tournament, better teams are likely to make those moments count.

With their backs to the wall, England needed their goalkeeper to be alert – and Pickford did not disappoint. As they edged towards the final whistle, Vlahovic picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and smashed an effort goalward. Thankfully, Pickford was deep in concentration and reacted to push the Juventus striker’s effort over the bar.

The end of this match wasn’t pretty – and there are many improvements that need to be made in possession – but at least their goalkeeper was on hand to maintain their clean sheet. The Everton keeper has been Southgate’s main man since 2018 and he continues to impress in the big occasions.

UK MIRROR

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says its officers at the Tincan Island port in Lagos have intercepted a container loaded with 1,072 kilograms of cannabis worth N3 billion.

Adewale Adeniyi, comptroller-general of customs (CGC), who spoke to journalists on Friday, said the container was imported from Canada.

Adeniyi said the agency is collaborating with the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to fight against illicit drug trafficking.

The customs CG said the agency also seized 877 cartons of cough syrup with codeine imported from India.

“Three plastic drums concealing several packets of Cannabis Indica and 46 bags containing 2,144 packets of Cannabis Indica, all weighing 1,072 kg, were seized from 01x40ft Container No. GAOU 669921/5 imported from Canada,” he said.

“The approximate street value of the illicit substances is N3,216,000,000, while 877 cartons of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine—200 bottles of 100ml per carton—and 82 cartons of really extra diclofenac sodium 50mg tablets—600 packs per carton imported from India—were seized.

“The approximate street value of the cough syrup is N964,339,348.00.”

Adeniyi lamented that some criminal elements are using the network of customs officers and terminal operators to undermine the system.

He added that there is a growing number of containers that are not examined in the ports but are being released to importers.

“The NCS will continue to work closely with relevant national and international agencies to conduct operations that lead to the interception of illegal goods and the disruption of criminal networks,” he added.

“Investigations are ongoing, and perpetrators will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“Let this seizure serve as a warning to those who engage in illicit activities that the NCS remains vigilant and dedicated to protecting our society.”

The Presidency has reacted to a report published in the New York Times criticising the Nigerian economy as facing the worst trajectory in a generation.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, responded on Sunday to the report by Ruth Maclean and Ismail Auwal.

According to the Presidency, the feature story, titled ‘Nigeria Confronts Its Worst Economic Crisis in a Generation’ and published on June 11, reflected the typical predetermined, reductionist, derogatory, and denigrating way foreign media establishments have reported on African countries for decades.

Onanuga stated that due to the ‘misleading’ slant of the report, the government needed to clear up some misconceptions conveyed by the reporters regarding the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which took office at the end of May 2023.

He noted that the report painted a dire picture of some Nigerians’ experiences amid the inflationary spiral of the last year and unfairly blamed it all on the new administration’s policies.

He argued that the report, based on several interviews, is at best jaundiced, portraying all gloom and doom without mentioning the positive aspects of the economy or the amelioration policies being implemented by the central and state governments.

Onanuga emphasized that Tinubu did not create the economic problems Nigeria faces today but inherited them.

“As a respected economist in our country once put it, Tinubu inherited a dead economy.

“The economy was bleeding and needed quick surgery to avoid being plunged into the abyss, as happened in Zimbabwe and Venezuela,” he noted.

He explained that this context led to the policy direction taken by the government in May/June 2023, including the abrogation of the fuel subsidy regime and the unification of the multiple exchange rates.

Onanuga highlighted that Nigeria had maintained a fuel subsidy regime for decades, which consumed $84.39 billion between 2005 and 2022 from the public treasury, in a country with significant infrastructural deficits and a high need for better social services.

He also alleged that the state oil firm, NNPCL, had accumulated trillions of Naira in debts due to unsustainable subsidy payments.

He noted that when Tinubu took office, no provision was made for fuel subsidy payments in the national budget beyond June 2023.

“The budget itself had a striking feature: it planned to spend 97 per cent of revenue servicing debt, with little left for recurrent or capital expenditure. The previous government had resorted to massive borrowing to cover such costs.”

Onanuga further explained that like oil, the exchange rate was also subsidized by the government, with an estimated $1.5 billion spent monthly by the CBN to defend the currency against the unquenchable demand for the dollar.

“This low rate led to arbitrage and failures to fulfil remittance obligations to airlines and other foreign businesses, drying up foreign direct investment and investments in the oil sector.

“To address these issues, Tinubu rolled back the subsidy regime and floated the naira on his first day”, Onanuga said.

Despite initial challenges, Onanuga noted that some stability is being restored, with the exchange rate now below N1500 to the dollar and prospects for further appreciation.

He cited a trade surplus of N6.52 trillion in Q1, as opposed to a deficit of N1.4 trillion in Q4 of 2023, and renewed interest from portfolio investors as indicators of improving economic confidence. Loans from the World Bank, AfDB, and Afreximbank are also contributing to Nigeria’s renewed bankability.

Onanuga highlighted efforts to control inflation, especially food inflation, through increased agricultural production and state-led initiatives to sell food at lower prices.

“The Tinubu administration has invested heavily in dry-season farming and provided incentives to farmers.”

He concluded by comparing Nigeria’s economic challenges with those faced by the USA and Europe, emphasizing that the Tinubu administration is working hard to overcome these difficulties.

“Our country faced economic difficulties in the past, an experience captured in folk songs. Just like we overcame then, we shall overcome our present difficulties very soon.”