Latest news with #Sonko
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Winger finally OPENS up about Liverpool transfer
That might have been the case with Momodou Lamin Sonko, when he emerged as a candidate to sign for Liverpool back in January 2024. As exclusively revealed by Anfield Watch, Liverpool have admired Sonko for a long time. They invited him on a trial back in 2017, when he was just 12-years-old. Advertisement Many years later in 2024, Liverpool then tried to sign him after his brilliant performances in Hacken but in the end the move never happpened. Sonko joined Gent, where the Reds have continued to monitor his progress and where the youngster is still honing his skills and ready to explode. Now though he's focused on representing Sweden at U21 level and ahead of his nation's games this month, he was quizzed about Liverpool's interest. This time Sonko finally opened up about his potential transfer to the club and even his trial at the Reds. "The way I look at it is that they were already interested there and I went there and tried it out a bit," the winger told Expressen. Advertisement "I felt I was a little too young to move but they have continued to keep an eye on me. The development in Sweden has been good before I moved so it feels quite natural." Sonko then also opened up about Liverpool's interest in him during the January transfer window in 2024. "I don't actually know. I was in Hacken and tried not to think too much about sales. Then it happened quite quickly and suddenly I was in Gent. I don't really have a good idea," he said. And then Sonko also went onto lavish praise on Arne Slot and the club's brilliant season. "Yes, absolutely incredible. They have been superior in the Premier League. They looked very strong in the Champions League too before they had a tough match at PSG. It has been an incredibly good season. A very good debut season for the coaches too," he said. Anfield Watch understands Liverpool will continue to monitor Sonko and the Reds might just return for him if he has a breakout season.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool 'still interested' as Viktor Gyokeres' team-mate speaks after trial
Liverpool are already being linked with a host of players this summer, but one man has said he remains on the Reds' watchlist despite a failed trial in the past Gent gem Momodou Sonko has revealed Liverpool have retained an interest in his services after a failed trial with the club. And Anfield could be his next destination as he looks to emulate the success of countryman and Sporting CP sensation Viktor Gyokeres. Liverpool will be looking to spend this summer in an effort to build on their Premier League triumph, and one name that has purportedly caught their eye is Sonko. The player is hoping to make significant progress after a challenging first full season at Gent, and international team-mate Gyokeres is a natural role model. Former Coventry frontman Gyokeres' career trajectory has been meteoric, transitioning from a Championship regular to becoming one of Europe's hot prospects in record time. His staggering tally of 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting CP is evidence of how quickly fortunes can turn in football. Sonko holds lofty ambitions, and there aren't many destinations in the world right now that offer higher standards than Liverpool. The 20-year-old already got a taste of the Reds' setup back in 2017 when he had an unsuccessful trial at the club, but he has now said he remains on Liverpool's watchlist. "The way I look at it is that they were already interested there, and I went there and tried it out a bit," he told Expressen, from the Sweden under-21 training camp. "I felt I was a little too young to move, but they have continued to keep an eye on me." Sonko has recently been selected for Sweden's senior squad but is yet to make his first-team debut under Jon Dahl Tomasson. However, it's widely anticipated that it's only a matter of time before Gent's record signing gets his chance. Despite providing four goals and three assists in 21 starts (40 total appearances) for Gent this season, he has struggled to build on the promise he showed at his former employer, Hacken. Significant progress is required before he can be considered a talent worthy of Arne Slot's squad, but the gem has time on his side. When questioned about how close he came to joining Liverpool in the past, he responded: "I don't actually know. I was in Hacken and tried not to think too much about sales. Then it happened quite quickly and suddenly I was in Ghent. I don't really have a good idea." Although he isn't a Liverpool player, Sonko didn't hold back in praising the club for their successful season. The Reds narrowly missed out on a historic treble in Slot's inaugural season as manager, and it's safe to say Sonko admires the Dutchman's work. "Yes, absolutely incredible. They have been superior in the Premier League," he continued. "They also looked very strong in the Champions League before they had a tough match [against] PSG. It has been an incredibly good season. A very impressive debut season for the coaches too." Such comments indicate Sonko would be well up for the move should he continue to develop. Sweden has produced several exciting attackers in recent years, with Sonko hoping to follow in the footsteps of stars like Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Anthony Elanga. Two of that trio are currently making a significant impact in the Premier League. And Gyokeres could make it a hat-trick if he swaps Lisbon for England this summer, with Arsenal and Manchester United believed to be very interested. It's been 33 years since Glenn Hysen, the only Swede to have represented Liverpool so far, last donned the team's colours. However, Sonko could be the player to break that drought if he continues to grow in Belgium's Pro League.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Image of Kenya's Mike Sonko with Chinese investors unrelated to Vietnam death row inmate
'Mike Sonko in Vietnam to rescue Ndutaa (sic)...Sonko has just landed in Vietnam to negotiate the release of Margaret Nduta the lady who was supposed to be executed last evening for drug trafficking, will he manage? All the best Sonko,' reads the text overlay on a TikTok video published on March 18, 2025. The video shows a photograph of Sonko posing with three individuals. The post has been shared more than 1,100 times. Nduta, 37, was found guilty of drug trafficking and handed a death sentence by the People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on March 6, 2025 (archived here). She was arrested in July 2023 at the city's international airport with over two kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in a suitcase. Her execution, which was scheduled for March 17, 2025, was postponed after Kenyan authorities intervened and filed an appeal (archived here). Sonko, who was born Mbuvi Gideon Kioko, is known for his charitable endeavours and flashy lifestyle, as well as brushes with the law (archived here and here). He served as senator and governor of Nairobi but was subsequently impeached and removed from office in 2020 (archived here, here and here). The TikTok video purportedly showing Sonko in Vietnam to rescue Nduta is, however, false. AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and found that the photo shared on TikTok was published on Sonko's X account on March 17, 2025 (archived here). 'The work has started,' reads the post in Swahili, with no further context. But, following the viral TikTok post, Sonko published a video with more detail about the image and dismissed claims of being in Vietnam (archived here). 'I have seen a silly story making rounds claiming that I have landed in Vietnam to stop Margaret Nduta's execution. It is from a TikTok account under the username African sponsor. This picture is from yesterday and these are investors from China,' Sonko said, partly in Swahili. 'This is not Vietnam. From the photo, you can see this clock and the background in my office. The people in the photo are not even Vietnamese. They are Chinese,' he added as he pointed to the matching features in the video and his office. Both videos show the red carpet as well as the gold clock and wallpaper in the background. The office, based in Nairobi's Upper Hill area, has also appeared in previous posts by Sonko (archived here and here). In the X video, he also shows supplements and medication laid out on a table, saying they are the only 'drugs' he deals with. He has in the past been linked to the drug trafficking trade in Kenya, accusations he denies (archived here and here). Additionally, Sonko urged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to track down and apprehend the individual who helped Nduta get the drugs into Vietnam and have them executed instead, arguing that she may have been a pawn. A consulate team from Kenya's ministry of foreign affairs arrived in Vietnam on March 22, 2025, ahead of Nduta's execution appeal and confirmed that she was still alive (archived here). Sonko's social media activity shows that he was at the Harambee Stars football match in Nairobi a day after the consulate team arrived in Vietnam (archived here).
AFP
27-03-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Image of Kenya's Mike Sonko with Chinese investors unrelated to Vietnam death row inmate
'Mike Sonko in Vietnam to rescue Ndutaa (sic)...Sonko has just landed in Vietnam to negotiate the release of Margaret Nduta the lady who was supposed to be executed last evening for drug trafficking, will he manage? All the best Sonko,' reads the text overlay on a TikTok video published on March 18, 2025. Image Screenshot of the false post, taken on March 24, 2025 The video shows a photograph of Sonko posing with three individuals. The post has been shared more than 1,100 times. Nduta, 37, was found guilty of drug trafficking and handed a death sentence by the People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on March 6, 2025 (archived here). She was arrested in July 2023 at the city's international airport with over two kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in a suitcase. Her execution, which was scheduled for March 17, 2025, was postponed after Kenyan authorities intervened and filed an appeal (archived here). Sonko, who was born Mbuvi Gideon Kioko, is known for his charitable endeavours and flashy lifestyle, as well as brushes with the law (archived here and here). He served as senator and governor of Nairobi but was subsequently impeached and removed from office in 2020 (archived here, here and here). The TikTok video purportedly showing Sonko in Vietnam to rescue Nduta is, however, false. Chinese investors AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and found that the photo shared on TikTok was published on Sonko's X account on March 17, 2025 (archived here). 'The work has started,' reads the post in Swahili, with no further context. But, following the viral TikTok post, Sonko published a video with more detail about the image and dismissed claims of being in Vietnam (archived here). 'I have seen a silly story making rounds claiming that I have landed in Vietnam to stop Margaret Nduta's execution. It is from a TikTok account under the username African sponsor. This picture is from yesterday and these are investors from China,' Sonko said, partly in Swahili. ATI NIKO VIETNAM: Just seen African 001 has posted on tik-tok that I'm in Vietnam trying to negotiate for the release of Margret Nduta. May the Lord stand with Nduta's family during this trying and difficult moment. May He have mercy on Nduta. May He deliver her from Evil. My He… — Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) March 18, 2025 'This is not Vietnam. From the photo, you can see this clock and the background in my office. The people in the photo are not even Vietnamese. They are Chinese,' he added as he pointed to the matching features in the video and his office. Both videos show the red carpet as well as the gold clock and wallpaper in the background. Image Screenshots comparing the false TikTok post (left) and the video published by Sonko The office, based in Nairobi's Upper Hill area, has also appeared in previous posts by Sonko (archived here and here). In the X video, he also shows supplements and medication laid out on a table, saying they are the only 'drugs' he deals with. He has in the past been linked to the drug trafficking trade in Kenya, accusations he denies (archived here and here). Additionally, Sonko urged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to track down and apprehend the individual who helped Nduta get the drugs into Vietnam and have them executed instead, arguing that she may have been a pawn. A consulate team from Kenya's ministry of foreign affairs arrived in Vietnam on March 22, 2025, ahead of Nduta's execution appeal and confirmed that she was still alive (archived here). Sonko's social media activity shows that he was at the Harambee Stars football match in Nairobi a day after the consulate team arrived in Vietnam (archived here).
