Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has made it clear he will not apologise to Cristiano Ronaldo amid their ongoing rift.

Speaking after Portugal’s Nations League victory over Norway, Jesus was asked whether he owed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner an apology following the events that led to Ronaldo’s abrupt departure from the national team camp.

Jesus remained adamant that he did not owe anyone an apology, despite calls from the likes of Rio Ferdinand and others in the Ronaldo camp, to do so.

“I take responsibility for the decision and for what happened,” Jesus said.

“But apologise for what? To whom? That is a lie. Apologise for what? What was there to apologise for?”

The 72-year-old was even more direct in another exchange, declaring: “I don’t apologise to anyone.”

The dispute erupted after Ronaldo was left as an unused substitute against Norway despite being sent out to warm up for a significant period.

The Al-Nassr striker later left the camp and has not featured since.

Jesus insisted his decisions as coach are non-negotiable and that the priority was the team’s results.

He did, however, leave the door open for Ronaldo’s return, stating the veteran would be called up for the next international window if he is playing regularly for Al-Nassr and wishes to come back.

“It’s his decision,” Jesus added.

“You can’t break up a year-long friendship over a situation that is difficult to understand.”

The firm stance from the Portugal coach suggests any reconciliation will depend more on Ronaldo’s willingness to move past the episode than any public apology.

Portugal return to Nations League action in November with games against Denmark and Wales.

Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has said Wayne Rooney was better than Harry Kane.

Discussing the comparison between the two, Agbonlahor said: “I really like Wayne Rooney. It’s a different era, isn’t it? But for me, Rooney still edges Kane.”

Agbonlahor continued: “Everyone has different opinions, the new generation will pick Kane, but I would pick Rooney. It’s easy for people to forget how good he was. I love everything about Rooney, he was fearless. We used to play against him, and he would absolutely go for you.

“I remember once, the referee dropped the ball for a 50-50 challenge. It was against Dawson of Hull City, and Rooney went into him so hard.

“Rooney could do everything, he was faster than you’d think. He could run from deep, and he could play as a number 10. Look at some of the goals he scored, like the one from near the halfway line when he returned to Everton.”

Governor Uba Sani’s inclusive leadership style, which emphasises even development across Kaduna State, and the governance philosophy of fairness and justice to all and sundry, have been applauded by religious leaders.

Muslim and Christian clerics commended the Governor for leading the State at a Special Interfaith Dialogue which held at the Brigadier Abba Kyari Banquet Hall on Monday.
The religious leaders pointed out that Kaduna State now enjoys relative peace and harmony, including peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians, since he assumed office over three years ago.

At the event which was organised by the Kaduna State Bureau of Interfaith, speakers noted that the present administration has recorded a lot of achievements and most of them canvassed for the Governor’s re-election to continue with what he has started.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Uba Sani recalled that when he assumed office in 2023, he promised to run an inclusive Government which has now won the hearts and minds of not just the people of Kaduna State but the country at large.

‘’People have been asking me about our model. Our model is very simple. It does not need any study. It is about justice. It is about brining everyone to the table,’’ he emphasised.

‘’When we came into office, we inherited a state that was highly toxic and divided. As a Governor, I allocated land to some people but they refused to build in those places because of their faiths.

‘’For me, it is unacceptable and we should not allow it to continue in Kaduna State. We are supposed to be the model for everyone to copy in Nigeria. We are determined to restore the glory of Kaduna State.

‘’We are the most diverse state in Nigeria, the most cosmopolitan but unfortunately, we allowed politics to always dictate the direction of our political leaders,’’ he argued.

Governor Uba Sani reiterated that on May 29th, 2023, he took an oath of office and swore by the Glorious Qur’an to be fair to everyone, irrespective of their ethno-religious affiliations.

In his speech, the Kaduna State Chapter of the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN), Rev Caleb Ma’aji, said that the Governor has done and achieved a lot for the state.

Rev Ma’aji recalled that when Governor Uba Sani attend the Christmas Carol on the 22nd of December, 2024, he had request three main road projects on behalf of his people.

The CAN Chairman who listed the Nasarawa-UNTL-First Bank road, the PAN Drive-Television Garage-Sabon Tasha road and the Romi-Karatudu road, expressed gratitude that two of the roads have been completed and the third one is almost completed.

‘’Last year, His Excellency re-introduced the Christian pilgrimage to Jordan and Jerusalem. We want to place it on record that this is an act that we truly appreciate.

‘’His Excellency sponsored 50 Christians to Jordan and Jerusalem and this year we trust that he will double the number by the Grace of God,’’ Rev Maáji further said.

The clergyman also thanked Governor Uba Sani for the selection of Mr Jerry Adams as his running mate in the coming election, which ‘’is a departure from the culture of old.’’

On his part, the Secretary General of of Jamaátul Nasir Islam, Prof Khalid Aliyu, noted that the theme of the Special Interfaith Dialogue, which is ‘’An Overview of the Impactful Three Years of Peaceful Coexistence and Inclusivity In Kaduna State: Unveiling The Secret’’, coincides with the International Day of Peace.

Prof Aliyu who disclosed that the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is ‘’Invest In Peace, For Everyone, In Everywhere, Everyday’’, described the Governor as a peacemaker.

Speaking at the occasion, Sheikh Haliru Maraya enumerated the achievements of the Governor Uba Sani administration, which include the slashing of tuition fees in all Kaduna State-owned tertiary institutions to increase access.

According to him, under the previous administration, 4,876 lives were lost due to insecurity and 7,694 people were kidnapped at that time, while 1,660 insecurity incidents were recorded.

‘’Before the coming of this administration, there were 534 schools that were closed due to insecurity. As at today, there is not a single school in Kaduna State that is not open.

‘’Before now, there were 500 hectres of uncultivated land due to insecurity. Right now, owners of those farmlands have returned to their farms,’’ he said, adding that Governor Uba Sani’s ‘’three years, four months and six days in office has brought development in Kaduna State. ‘’

In his goodwill message, the National Secretary of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria(PFN), Bishop David Bakare, confessed that he didn’t vote for Governor Uba Sani in 2023 when he contested the election.

‘’I didn’t believe in anything that you were going to do. I didn’t know you. Your handlers didn’t effectively market you to us well. It is after you began your work in Kaduna State, that I asked myself why I didn’t vote for you.

‘’Now, another opportunity is standing in front of me and I didn’t have to think twice to take a decision this time around, it is not just about me but many,’’ he confessed.