Author: Nurudeen Obalola
By Korede James Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman scored and also provided an assist on Tuesday night as Atalanta thrashed Sturm Graz 5-0 to boost their chances of progressing into the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League. Current African Player of the Year Lookman came on at the start of the second half and got Atalanta’s fourth goal in the 90th minute. The Nigeria international then provided the assist for the fifth goal scored by Marco Breschianini in the 94th minute. Other scorers for Atalanta were Mateo Retegui, Mario Pasalic and Charles De Ketelaere. Atalanta are now fourth on…
By Korede James Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen was on target for Galatasaray who were held to a 3-3 draw in Turkey by Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Europa League on Tuesday. Osimhen has now scored in back-to-back matches for the Turkish champions. He netted in his side’s 1-1 draw with Hatayspor in the league last week Friday. His goal against Dynamo Kyiv was his fourth in five games in the Europa League this season. The 26-year-old has taken his tally in all competitions this campaign to 15 goals in 19 appearances. Davinson Sanchez and Abdulkerim Bardakci scored on six…
Manchester City have announced the signing of Vitor Reis from Brazilian club Palmeiras. The English Premier League champions confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that the 19-year-old Brazilian youth international moved to the Etihad Stadium on a four-and-a-half-year deal, keeping him at City until the summer of 2029. “A classy centre-back and regular captain on his journey through Palmeiras’ youth ranks, Reis made his senior debut in June 2024 and went on to be a key part of the team as they finished runners-up in the Brazilian Serie A,” City stated. “He played 22 times for his boyhood club, including…
Ten-time champion Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and reach a 12th Australian Open semi-final on Tuesday. The 37-year-old 24-time Grand Slam men’s singles winner has now reached a remarkable 50 Major semi-finals, and will face No.2 Alexander Zverev on Friday. Zverev, a two-time runner-up at majors, beat No. 12 Tommy Paul 7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1 to reach the last four. The other men’s quarterfinals are on Wednesday, with No.1 Jannik Sinner battling No.8 Alex de Minaur, and No.21 Ben Shelton up against unseeded Lorenzo Sonego. This was the eighth Djokovic…
By Korede James Premier League club Brentford are closing in on a deal with Fiorentina for their Italy-born Nigerian defender Michael Kayode, according to European transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The report on Tuesday added that negotiations at final stages after Kayode gave his green light, with key details being sorted out by the club’s. Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino decided to leave Kayode out of the squad for their Serie A clash against Torino on Sunday reportedly due to the impending Brentford move. The 20-year-old was one of Fiorentina’s revelations last season when he made 26 Serie A appearances. Unfortunately, he…
By Korede James Leon Balogun has clarified that he has not retired from international football and remains open to a Super Eagles call-up. The Rangers of Scotland defender told Brila FM that an injury he sustained between November 2022 and March 2023 prevented him from honouring Nigeria call-ups. Balogun, 36, said the injury, which was initially expected to heal within weeks, took much longer due to complications with his recovery. His absence since then has fueled talk of retirement from international football. But Balogun has come out to address his injury issues and his absence from the Super Eagles. “It’s…
By Korede James The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has released the new official match balls produced by Prostar Sports ahead of the second stanza of this season. The league body said a statement on its website said the unveiling followed the delivery of the first batch of the match balls from Prostar Sports earlier this week. Speaking on the development, NPFL Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye noted that negotiations for the partnership dragged beyond the first stanza because both parties, including the league body’s investment partners, GTI Assets Management, wanted to ensure a thorough understanding of obligations of all parties. “Ideally,…
By Korede James Chelsea defeated Wolves 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in the English Premier League on Monday night to put an end to a run of matches without victory. The Blues went into the fixture on the back of five consecutive Premier League matches without a win. Tosin Adarabioyo, the centre-back with Nigerian heritage, got his first league goal for Chelsea while Marc Cucurella and Noni Madueke were also on target. Matt Doherty drew Wolves level deep into first half stoppage time. The win took Chelsea up to fourth place in the league table. Adarabioyo opened the scoring for Chelsea…
Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Ligue 1 club RC Lens. City, in a statement on their website, said Khusanov signed a four-and-a-half-year deal, with the move reportedly costing the club around £40 million. “The Uzbekistan international defender will join up with Pep Guardiola’s squad for the second part of the 2024/2025 season, with his contract keeping him tied to the Club until the summer of 2029,” City stated. “Khusanov joined French side Lens from Belarusian Club Energetik-BGU in the summer of 2023 and has established himself as one of the most exciting young…
Jose Mourinho on Monday launched his brand new red wine called ‘The Special One’ on Instagram in classic Jose fashion. The 61-year-old said in a promotion video: “Finals, I’ve won them. Leagues, I’ve conquered them. I’ve never been one of the bottle. I make the bottle. “I prefer not to speak. My achievements, my success, my work. They speak for themselves. This is the Special One, now yours to share.” The clip begins with the Portuguese manager sat with his back to camera with dramatic piano music playing in the background. The new entrepreneur also wore a flash blue suit…