Author: Nurudeen Obalola
Victor Osimhen has praised the fans of Galatasaray for inspiring the club towards success in the Turkish Super Lig. The champions are on course for the Super Lig and Turkish Cup double, as they are eight points clear in the league with three matches to go and are in the Cup final. Although top scorer Osimhen was not among the goals on Saturday as Galatasaray defeated Trabzonspor 2-0 away, the Super Eagles star acknowledged the contributions of the supporters. “Today, the voice of our 2,000 fans was louder than the voice of 40,000 Trabzonspor fans,” the Nigeria international told reporters…
The Flying Eagles of Nigeria face a tough challenge to qualify for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals and the FIFA U-20 World Cup as they are up against Senegal in the continental tournament’s quarter-finals in Egypt. The four semi-finalists in Egypt will seal their tickets to the World Cup scheduled for later in the year in Chile. The standout clash of the quarter-finals is the one between seven-time champions Nigeria and holders Senegal, billed for Ismailia on Monday. The Flying Eagles finished second in Group B unbeaten after a victory over Tunisia and draws with Morocco and Kenya. The Flying Eagles’…
World football body FIFA has increased the number of teams at the Women’s World Cup to 48, it announced on Friday. “After consultation with the confederations and other stakeholders, and given the remarkable recent strides made by women’s football across the world, the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to expand the number of participating teams in the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ from 32 to 48 as of the 2031 edition,” the body stated. “The decision, taken at a meeting held virtually, will significantly broaden representation, offering more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women’s football…
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Arsenal striker Alessia Russo have been voted the Football Writers’ Association men’s and women’s player of the season. The winners were announced on Friday after votes by football journalists in England were tallied. Salah has scored 28 goals and provided 18 assists to help Liverpool win the English Premier League title, breaking the record for the most goal involvements in a single 38-game campaign. The Egypt forward also scored three goals and provided four assists as Liverpool reached the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, where they were eliminated by finalists Paris Saint-Germain. Last…
Juventus are willing to pay a fee surpassing the release clause in Victor Osimhen’s contract with Napoli in a bid to beat off competition for the Super Eagles striker, according to reports. The Nigeria international is currently on a successful loan spell at Galatasaray, where he has registered 33 goals and eight assists in 37 appearances across all competitions as the club chase the Turkish double. Osimhen is expected to be sold by Napoli once he returns from his loan spell in Istanbul and several clubs have been linked with the prolific 26-year-old. Juventus have been persistently mentioned as suitors…
Three English clubs booked their passage into two European finals on Thursday night as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur advanced into the UEFA Europa League showpiece and Chelsea made it to the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League. While United defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at Old Trafford to complete a 7-1 aggregate rout, Spurs beat Bodoe/Glimt 2-0 in Norway to prevail 5-1 on aggregate. Chelsea overcame Djurgarden 1-0 at Stamford Bridge for a 5-1 victory in total. At Old Trafford, Manchester United shrugged off a sloppy start as Mason Mount produced a brilliant second half brace. Tormented by a…
The Chinese consulate has reportedly refused to issue visas to Nigerian athletes aiming to compete in the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China. The competition is scheduled to take place in the Chinese city from Saturday to Sunday, with Nigeria qualified for four events. According to National Sports Commission (NSC) officials, the Chinese consulate in Nigeria failed to issue visas to seven Nigerian athletes based in the United States of America, citing China’s ‘hard policies against the USA’. The official insisted that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) took all the necessary steps, with the funds for the competition already…
A frustrated Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal have been the best team in the UEFA Champions League this season despite their exit to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals. Arsenal’s European dream was ended by goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi, who earned Paris Saint-Germain a 2-1 win on Wednesday night and a Champions League final date with Inter Milan. The French champions were under immediate pressure as Declan Rice got under a Jurrien Timber cross to head off target, kickstarting a frantic five-minute spell that required Gianluigi Donnarumma to pull off outstanding stops to keep out Martin Odegaard and Gabriel…
Arsenal’s bid to reach the UEFA Champions League final ended in failure as they were beaten 2-1 by Paris St-Germain on a Wednesday night of drama at Parc des Princes. The Gunners’ attempt to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit ran aground on another magnificent display by PSG’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian, outstanding in the first leg at Emirates Stadium, delivered a repeat performance with a series of stunning saves to keep Arsenal at bay early on. He made an outstanding stop from Gabriel Martinelli, then an even better save from Martin Odegaard’s low long-range drive as PSG were…
The Flying Eagles of Nigeria advanced to the quarter-finals of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt despite needing to come from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Kenya’s Rising Stars in the last match of Group B on Wednesday. With the result, the Flying Eagles finished second in the table with five points, two behind group winners Morocco, who defeated Tunisia 3-1 in the other match of the pool also on Wednesday. Morocco will remain in Cairo for the quarter-finals, against the second-placed team in Group A, which is made up of hosts Egypt, South Africa,…