An envoy to US President Donald Trump has asked world football’s governing body FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the World Cup, according to the Financial Times.

US special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the FT it would be a “dream” to see four-time World Cup winners Italy at the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada despite the fact they lost in a qualification playoff last month.

The suggestion was an effort to repair ties between Trump and Giorgia Meloni after the Italian prime minister fell out with the president after criticising his attack on Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the newspaper reported.

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA President Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion,” Zampolli told the FT.

Italy missed out on the World Cup for the third successive time after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final.

Iran’s participation in the World Cup has been thrown into doubt by the war with the US and Israel that broke out on February 28.

The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) had said in April it was “negotiating” with FIFA to relocate the country’s World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.

But Infantino told AFP last month, while attending Iran’s friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey, that Iran will be at the World Cup and that they will play “where they are supposed to be, according to the draw”.

Zampolli is an Italian-American socialite, businessman and former modelling agent who claims to have introduced Trump to his current wife, Melania Trump.

Following his recent emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate in Ogun, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, on Tuesday, visited one of the leading gubernatorial aspirant in the state, Ambassador Sarafa Isola, seeking support and unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Senator Adeola was accompanied to the residence of the former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, by leaders of the party in the state which included two other governorship aspirants, Honourables Gboyega Nasir Isiaka and Abiodun Akinlade.

Those in attendance at the meeting included former deputy governor of the State, Alhaja Salmot Badru; Senator Lekan Mustapha; Chief Mrs Iyabode Apampa among other notable leaders of the party.

Adeola, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriations preached for unity of purpose and oneness in the overall interest of the party at the polls.

The APC consensus candidate recognized the immeasurable contributions of Ambassador Isola to the development of Ogun State and Nigeria.

Recall that Isola had served as a council chairman; Secretary to the State Government; Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and former envoy to the United Kingdom.

While Adeola sought for his full support in ensuring the actualisation of the Ogun West Agenda, stressing that the current political process should not produce winners or losers, instead strengthening party cohesion and shared responsibility for the state’s future.

He described his ambition as a collective project maintaining that unity and mutual respect among stakeholders remain germane in achieving sustainable progress.

He assured the former envoy of his resolve to work collectively in taking the State to a higher pedestal of development.

In their contributions,Badru; Isiaka and Akinlade, urged members of the party to work in togetherness for the party to achieve a common goal of victory.

Responding, Ambassador Isola, noted that while politics is often driven by interests, it must not be allowed to damage relationships or fan ember of discord.

He congratulated Senator on his emergence as the party’s consensus candidate while recalling his role as Director-General of the 2011 governorship campaign of General Tunji Olurin, to affirm his commitment to the realization of the ” Yewa Agenda” project.

Isola further reiterated his commitment to the Ogun West project while reminiscing on his political passion for the State.

He disclosed that he was not part of the recently held Strategic Caucus Meeting of the party, a development that prompted him to embark on consultations.

Isola noted his position on stable political transitions and continuity in governance, and his engagements with former governors,Aremo Olusegun Osoba; Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Senator Ibikunle Amosun in achieving this.

Ambassador Isola appreciated Adeola’s visit and described it as a significant step toward reconciliation and inclusion, while handing over a 64-page socio-economic blueprint developed for Ogun State to the party’s candidate and expressed willingness to share it with the APC candidate for possible integration into his policy framework.

He also emphasised the importance of engaging his support base to ensure inclusiveness in the evolving political process.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says it is constrained to alert the public about increasing waves of attack on its image by criminal characters parading themselves as officers of the Commission in different guises.

In a statement by Dele Oyewale, Head, Media & Publicity and made available to The column, the EFCC said the Intelligence available to the Commission showed “that several ingenious but fraudulent means are being employed by dark characters to besmirch the reputation of the EFCC.

” For instance, there is a gang of fraudsters now operating around popular Eateries or funspots in our major cities. Their modus operandi is laying ambush for innocent youths coming out of the Eateries and harassing them on unfounded suspicions of being internet fraudsters and dispossessing them of their valuables.

” These characters usually portray the identities of authentic EFCC officers by dressing in fake uniforms and moving their victims to locations bearing fictitious resemblance to an EFCC office.

“There is also a gang of itinerant criminals harassing innocent motorists on the identities of their number plates. These ones wield dangerous weapons to compel their victims to offer them money on trumped-up accusations. There is yet another tribe of online impersonators and fraudulent content creators dramatizing fake sting operations of the EFCC with evidence of broken doors, windows and forced entrance into their premises. Such uncharacteristic portrayals of the EFCC could deceive unsuspecting members of the public into holding the Commission and its officers culpable of contrived actions of impersonators”

The agency thus enjoined public, to be circumspect in its evaluation of claims intended to drag the Commission’s image into the mud. ” The EFCC has its standard operating procedures about all its activities and appropriate channels of ventilating grievances against any operation or officer of the Commission are in place.

“While the EFCC is steadfastly pursuing its mandate of ridding the nation of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption, well-meaning and reform-minded Nigerians should not allow their judgment of the works of the Commission to be negatively affected by the activities of these impersonators, blackmailers and fake characters using the identities of the Commission to serve their nefarious interests” the statement concluded.