Author: Nurudeen Obalola

Swedish prosecutors have confirmed that they have dropped a rape investigation that was reportedly launched in connection with Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe’s visit to Stockholm in October. Mbappe visited Sweden on October 10 during an international break after he was omitted from the France squad ahead of two UEFA Nations League fixtures. It was reported at the time by Swedish media that the 25-year-old was seen in a nightclub in Stockholm and he was subsequently linked to the allegations involving an incident at The Bank Hotel. Police allegedly responded to an accusation of rape and sexual molestation at the same hotel where Mbappe stayed, and the…

Arsenal, AC Milan and Barcelona all earned important UEFA Champions League victories on Wednesday night, while Manchester City’s poor streak of results was continued with a defeat at Juventus. Bukayo Saka once again was the key man for Arsenal as his brace helped secure a comfortable 3-0 home victory against AS Monaco that took the Gunners close to the knockout stage. Mikel Arteta’s side began the fixture outside the top eight in the expanded 36-team league stage but are now third, among a cluster of clubs on 13 points. England forward with Nigerian heritage Saka took his season’s tally to…

Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup, FIFA has confirmed, while Spain, Portugal and Morocco will be joint hosts for the 2030 tournament. The world football governing body announced Saudi Arabia as the 2024 World Cup hosts on Wednesday, with no other country submitting a bid for the event. Three matches in the 2030 tournament will also be held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to mark 100 years of the competition. The hosts for both World Cups were confirmed at Wednesday’s Extraordinary FIFA Congress meeting following a vote. All 211 of FIFA’s member nations were represented at the meeting…

Tiger Woods will play with his son Charlie, 15, at next week’s PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, organisers of the tournament said on Tuesday. The event, scheduled for December 21 to December 22 at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, is a 36-hole tournament with a field made up of 20 major champions and a family member. Woods, who underwent microdecompression surgery for nerve impingement on his lower back in September, and his son have competed in the PNC Championship in each of the last four years and finished runners-up in 2021. “I’m very excited to head back to the PNC Championship next week with…

By Nurudeen Obalola Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman was once again Atalanta’s best player on Tuesday night, but despite his best efforts they were beaten 3-2 by holders Real Madrid in their UEFA Champions League clash in Bergamo. Lookman, who was brilliant all game, struck with a fine low shot in the second half to cut down Real Madrid’s two-goal lead, but the visitors held on for a nervy victory, as the Nigeria international’s superb cross in the dying seconds was not turned in by Mateo Retegui. Real Madrid opened the scoring with only the second goal conceded by Atalanta…

Flamingos head coach Bankole Olowookere has included FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup scorers Shakirat Moshood and Harmony Chidi in a squad of 20 players for the WAFU B U-17 Girls’ Cup. The competition is scheduled to kick off on Thursday in Ghana. Goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma, defenders Taiwo Adegoke and Ayomide Ibrahim, midfielder Faridat Abdulwahab, and forwards Peace Effiong and Mary Lucky Nkpa are also in the squad. The Flamingos are in Group B of the two-week competition, alongside Niger Republic and Cote d’Ivoire, while hosts Ghana will face Benin Republic in Group A, following the withdrawal of Burkina Faso. Togo…

Edo Queens have received a N10 million reward from former Governor Godwin Obaseki and his wife Betsy for their achievement at the CAF Women’s Champions League and recognition by the Confederation of African Football. The Nigeria Women’s Football League champions reached the semi-finals of the 2024 CAFWCL at their first attempt, becoming the first club from the country to advance beyond the group phase of the continental competition. Edo Queens have also been nominated for the Women’s Club of the Year prize at the 2024 CAF Awards. A statement by the Media Adviser to the former governor, Crusoe Osagie, on…

By Nurudeen Obalola Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman is relishing the chance to test his skills against UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid in a league phase clash in Bergamo on Tuesday night. Lookman is Atalanta’s star man and a lot of attention will be on the Nigeria international when the Serie A leaders host the European giants tonight. The 27-year-old CAF Awards African Player of the Year favourite is up for the challenge. “We look forward to it. We’re ready,” Lookman said during the pre-match press conference. When asked to rate Real Madrid key man Vinicius Jr, Lookman replied…

Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove will have a removable heart starter device implanted. This is following his recent collapse during a Serie A encounter, accotdung to Italian media reports on Monday night. Bove, 22, who lost consciousness on the pitch during Fiorentina’s home fixture with Inter Milan on December 1 leading to the abandonment of the match, will have the operation on Tuesday which is part of the medical protocol before he can be discharged from hospital. The Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), a type of pacemaker which can prevent fatal cardiac arrests by discharging a jolt to restore a regular heart rhythm, is…

Enzo Maresca has said his Chelsea side have exceeded expectations but are not in the English Premier League title race. The Italian added cheekily that he does not expect Chelsea’s rivals to slip up in the title race “like Marc Cucurella”. The Blues fought back from 2-0 down on Sunday to beat Tottenham 4-3 at the Tottenham HotspurStadium, with both of Spurs’ early goals coming after Cucurella slipped and lost his footing. Maresca became Chelsea manager in the summer after his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino steered the club to a sixth-placed finish. Now they are second, just four points off leaders…