Author: Nurudeen Obalola
By Kayode John Enyimba head coach Yemi Olanrewaju has said the club will not let their fans down in the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup. The nine-time Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions will take on Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso at Stade Mamadou Konate in Mali on Friday in the first leg of their tie. “We don’t really have much information about them you know, but I know they must have been following us. This is Enyimba FC, I know what the club represents and stands for, which is winning,” Olanrewaju said in a preview of…
By Kayode John The Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has declared that act of age cheating at the 2024 National Youth Games will not be tolerated. In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media, Diana-Mary Nsan, the minister stressed the importance of upholding the integrity of the Games and urged all participating states to adhere strictly to the age requirements. Emphasising the importance of upholding the integrity of the Games, Enoh called on participating states to embrace the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship. “As the name of the Games implies, this competition is strictly…
The hearing into Manchester City’s 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations will begin on Monday, according to ESPN. City were referred to an independent commission over the alleged breaches, which go back to the 2009/2010 campaign, in February 2023. The club is alleged to have breached rules relating to the provision of accurate financial information. City are also charged with failing to comply with Premier League rules requiring clubs to follow UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations from the 2013/14 to 2017/18 seasons and failing to follow Premier League rules on profit and sustainability (PSR) from the 2015/16 to…
By Nurudeen Obalola Leicester City manager Steve Cooper has indicated that Super Eagles star Wilfred Ndidi is in good enough shape to play this weekend. The central midfielder played 80 minutes in the 3-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier victory over Benin Republic in Uyo last Saturday but was taken off with 20 minutes left on the clock in the 0-0 draw against Rwanda in Kigali on Tuesday, raising concerns about his fitness. Cooper, however, confirmed on Thursday that there are no post-international break injury worries ahead of Saturday’s English Premier League trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.…
Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez failed to turn up in court on Wednesday as he was banned from driving for six months. The £106million midfielder had been convicted of failing to identify the driver of his Porsche Cayenne when it was clocked at 37mph in a 30mph zone in Swansea. The 23-year-old was due to appear before Llanelli JPs for sentence but was in South America on Tuesday night playing for Argentina. He already had nine points on his licence and was given 12 more to earn the ban. Fernandez, who was not represented in court, was also ordered to pay £3,020…
Cristiano Ronaldo has told his former club Manchester United to rebuild everything from the bottom up if they are to compete for top silverware again. The 39-year-old Portugal forward, now at Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr, won three English Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League and a FIFA Club World Cup during his first spell at Manchester United from 2003 to 2009 under Sir Alex Ferguson. He says he still loves the club, who finished eighth in the league last season. despite leaving under acrimonious circumstances in 2022. Speaking on the ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’ podcast set to air on Thursday,…
By Nurudeen Obalola Mikel Arteta has extended his stay at Arsenal with a new deal. The 42-year-old Spaniard was in the final year of his previous contract, but has now signed on until 2027 on improved terms. “We’re delighted to announce that Mikel Arteta has signed a new long-term contract with the club,” Arsenal announced on their official website on Wednesday. “Since joining us in December 2019, Mikel has been a key figure in re-establishing us as a force back at the top of English and European football and generating a renewed connection between the team, the club and our…
By Kayode John Super Eagles midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, has admitted that the team tried to secure the win in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Rwanda on Tuesday but was not clinical enough. The Eagles were forced to a 0-0 draw at the Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali on Tuesday, coming on the back of their impressive 3-0 victory over the Cheetahs of Benin Republic. In the 3-4-3 formation adopted by the caretaker manager of team, Augustine Eguavoen, Dele-Bashiru started in the midfield alongside Wilfred Ndidi, with Bruno Onyemachi and Ola Aina as wing-backs. “It was going to…
By Kayode John Interim coach of the Super Eagles, Augustine Eguavoen, has berated Egyptian referee, Mohamed Eid Mansour, for disallowing a legitimate goal scored by his team in their 0-0 draw against the Amavubi of Rwanda in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Kigali on Tuesday. In-form Ademola Lookman, who struck twice in the 3-0 victory over Benin Republic on Saturday, thought he had put the Eagles in the lead after 22 minutes in Tuesday’s encounter, but Mansour ruled it out for an offside after he had initially signaled what looked like an infringement by Semi Ajayi in…
Kayode John Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has both praised and had a sly dig at Victor Osimhen, suggesting that the Super Eagles striker is worth tons of money despite his ‘diving’. Osimhen and Mourinho were both in Italy last season, when the Nigerian star was still in the good books of Napoli, and the former Chelsea coach in charge of AS Roma. However, circumstances have brought them to Turkey, with Osimhen at Galatasaray on loan and Mourinho their Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce’s manager. Osimhen and Mourinho are very familiar with each other. The Portuguese boss accused the Nigerian two seasons ago…