Author: Nurudeen Obalola
Pope Leo XIV welcomed Italy’s newly crowned Serie A champions Napoli to the Vatican on Tuesday, joking about his own soccer allegiances. Napoli won their fourth Scudetto on Friday with a 2-0 home victory over Cagliari, edging out Inter Milan by one point in a nail-biting end to the season. The team, captained by Italian international Giovanni Di Lorenzo, arrived for their papal audience a day after a triumphant open-top bus parade through central Naples. “The press says I am an AS Roma fan, but you are welcome! This is what the press says. Not everything you read in the press is true,”…
Novak Djokovic, the legendary 24-time Grand Slam champion, began his campaign at the 2025 French Open in Paris with a straight sets victory on Tuesday. The 38-year-old Serb saw off Mackie McDonald 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to ease into the second round. Also in the men’s singles on Tuesday, 2024 finalist Alex Zverev joined Djokovic in round 2 with a 6-3 6-3 6-4 victory over Learner Tien. Also, rising star and world No.2 Coco Gauff, finalist in both WTA 1000 clay-court tournaments this season, cruised into the women’s singles second round, defeating Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-2. There were however a…
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed the stadiums that will host the matches of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco. The tournament is scheduled for July 5 to July 26 in five Morrocan cities, with the Super Falcons of Nigeria among the 12 competing teams. “The Confédération Africaine de Football’s (“CAF”) together with hosts, Morocco Local Organizing Committee have announced the match venues that will host TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (“WAFCON”), Morocco 2024 from 05-26 July, 2025,” CAF said in a press release made available to sportingtimes.ng on Tuesday. “Six venues will…
Super Eagles of Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has explained the invitation of Kano Pillars forward Ahmed Musa and nine other players from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) for the Unity Cup tournament in London, England. Nigeria will play in the four-nation friendly tournament along with Ghana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago from Tuesday to Saturday at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium. “We have a lot of players in Nigeria. So, we need to give them a chance to show us their quality,” Chelle said during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Super Eagles’ fixture against the Black Stars…
Merseyside Police say a man has been detained after a car collided with ‘a number of pedestrians’ during Liverpool’s English Premier League trophy parade on Monday. Emergency services descended on Water Street after Merseyside Police were contacted just after 6pm on Monday with reports of the incident. The car stopped at the scene and a man was detained. The Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, and the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, are being kept updated about the events. The Prime Minister said: “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling – my thoughts are with all those injured or affected. “I want to…
Former world number one Naomi Osaka’s dismal run at the French Open continued after her first-round loss to Paula Badosa on Monday, with the Japanese battling blisters, tears and mercurial form and walking out of the press conference before returning. Osaka, a four-times Grand Slam champion, who in May won her first title in almost two years following a maternity break, has never gone past the third round at Roland Garros. In 2021 she stunned the tennis world by withdrawing from the tournament in Paris after deciding to boycott post-match media duties, explaining she had been suffering from depression for…
Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa, who has been recalled after a long absence, was one of the first players to arrive in the team’s camp in London for the Unity Cup tournament. The Kano Pillars forward led the invited Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) players to London on Monday, where they were joined by Europe-based stars. Among the 20 players in camp as at Monday afternoon were Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, Nantes forward Moses Simon, Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers and Bayer Leverkusen forward Nathan Tella. The Super Eagles will be participating in the Unity Cup along with their arch-rivals…
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been confirmed as the head coach of German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, where Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface plays. “Bayer 04 have appointed Erik ten Hag as the new head coach. The 55-year-old Dutch coach has signed a contract to 30 June 2027,” the 2023/2024 Bundesliga champions stated on Monday. “Ten Hag, who last worked in the Premier League as the head coach at Manchester United where he won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024, will start at Bayer 04 on 1 July in preparation for the…
Heartland of Owerri, coached by Super Eagles legend Emmanuel Amuneke, and Akwa United were officially relegated from the Nigeria Premier Football League on Sunday. The two joined Sunshine Stars and Lobi Stars as the four teams demoted to the second-tier Nigeria National League (NNL) after the matchday 38 fixtures concluded on Sunday. Although Heartland defeated Akwa United 2-1 at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, the two clubs were relegated. While Heartland ended up with 48 points to finish 17th, Akwa United, champions in 2021, were 18th with 44 points. In Maiduguri, El-Kanemi Warriors defeated already relegated Sunshine Stars 1-0…
By Nurudeen Obalola Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi showed up looking healthy on Sunday and took in the applause at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest hosted Chelsea in the final English Premier League fixture of the season. Awoniyi recently suffered a horrific injury after crashing into the post and had to undergo abdominal surgery, with an induced coma part of the process. The Nigeria international, dressed in casual wear, was not part of the Nottingham Forest squad for the day as they were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea through Levi Colwill’s 50th minute strike. With the result, Forest ended the…