Author: Nurudeen Obalola
Former Barcelona star Dani Alves has been cleared on appeal of raping a woman at a Catalan nightclub. The Brazilian footballer, 41, was handed a four and half year prison sentence in February last year after three judges convicted him of the sex attack following a three-day trial. Public prosecutors appealed and called for him to be jailed for nine years. Private prosecutors acting on behalf of the woman who accused him of raping her at Sutton Nightclub in Barcelona on January 30, 2022 demanded he be jailed for 12 years after they also contested the original conviction and…
By Nurudeen Obalola The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has named Egypt as the hosts of the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations following the late withdrawal of Cote d’Ivoire. The Ivorians, who successfully hosted the senior AFCON last year, notified CAF on Wednesday that they would no longer be able to organise the U-20 version this year, barely a month to its kick-off. According to a CAF statement on Friday night, the dates are unchanged, with the competition set to begin in late April. “The Confederation of African Football today awarded the Egyptian Football Association (“EFA”) and Egyptian Government…
In a proactive move to boost the confidence of team Edo State ahead of the upcoming 2025 National Sports Festival, the Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Amadin Desmond Enabulele, on Thursday engaged with coaches from various sports at the commission in a stakeholders meeting on the preparation for the fiesta in Ogun State. Speaking during the meeting at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Enabulele stressed the importance of the meeting which according to him is to assess the strategic preparation for the Ogun games, emphasizing that Team Edo must aim for top honours. He said that the aim…
By Korede James Remo Stars extended their lead at the top of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) with a 2-0 victory over Enyimba in a week 31 clash in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State on Thursday. The win means Remo Stars, who have 60 points and have played a game fewer, are now eight points clear of second-placed Rivers United in the table. While it is now back-to-back wins for Remo Stars in the pursuit of their first title, Enyimba are winless in their last three fixtures and are ninth. Olamilekan Adedayo opened the scoring for Remo Stars in the 28th…
By Korede James Super Eagles and Valencia striker Umar Sadiq’s strike against Osasuna has been voted LaLiga Goal of the Month for March. The Spanish top flight confirmed Sadiq as the winner on Wednesday as he beat off competition from Leganes’ Diego García and Rayo Vallecano’s Andrei Rațiu. Garcia’s overhead kick against Getafe and Rațiu’s long-range shot against Sevilla both finished behind Sadiq’s stunning strike in the poll. The 28-year-old Nigeria international scored with his back to goal in Valencia’s 3-3 draw at Osasuna. With two minutes left to play and Valencia trailing 3-2, Sadiq connected with a backheel off…
By Nurudeen Obalola Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga have all been included in a six-man shortlist for the English Premier League Player of the Month for March. Also up for an award in March are Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler, who are all in contention for the EPL Manager of the Month prize. Rice, Fernandes and Elanga will vie for the player award with Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic and Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. All the nominated players were…
By Korede James Former Super Eagles of Nigeria defender Ifeanyi Udeze has suggested that the team’s matches should be taken away from the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The Super Eagles continued their poor streak in Uyo with a 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. It was the team’s third straight draw in the Akwa Ibom State capital in the World Cup qualifiers after 1-1 results against Lesotho and South Africa. The Super Eagles also lost 2-1 to Rwanda in Uyo in their final fixture of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.…
Egypt could step in following Cote d’Ivoire’s withdrawal as hosts of the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, which was originally scheduled for April 26 to May 18. In a statement on Tuesday, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced: “The President of the Ivorian Football Federation and Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Yacine Idriss Diallo, confirms that the government has officially notified FIF of its decision to withdraw from hosting the tournament. “Following the President’s directives, the Executive Director relayed this information to the CAF Secretary General on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The…
The Lesotho Football Association (LFA) has confirmed it has sent a query to FIFA over the yellow cards accumulated by Bafana Bafana of South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Mokoena was booked in Bafana’s opening match against Benin Republic in 2023, and the fourth qualifier against Zimbabwe last year. Due to the two cautions the Mamelodi Sundown player should have served an automatic one-match ban, according to FIFA’s rule 63 governing World Cup qualifiers. But Mokoena played in last Friday’s 2-0 win over Lesotho in Polokwane. There is uncertainty over whether Mokoena’s first…
By Korede James D’Tigress of Nigeria head coach Rena Wakama has been apointed by US Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team Chicago Sky as an assistant coach. Chicago Sky announced on Tuesday that Wakama will join head coach Tyler Marsh’s staff. Wakama’s appointment comes after the Chicago Sky previously named Courtney Paris and Tanisha Wright as assistant coaches. “The Raleigh, North Carolina native joined the coaching staff at Tulane in 2024 as an assistant coach,” the club said about Wakama. “Prior to her time with the Green Wave, she spent a year at Stony Brook in a similar role from…