Author: Nurudeen Obalola
There has been plenty of reaction to the Ballon d’Or result from Monday, which saw Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri edge out Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior for the 2024 award. The latest person within football to have their say on the matter is Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez, who has been an international teammate of Rodri’s in recent years. Speaking to Sport, Martinez took a diplomatic approach, although he admitted that he was very happy to see Rodri crowned as the winner. “In the end, everyone has their own way of thinking. There are 100 journalists who vote and if they…
By Kayode John Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman has said it would be a special thing for him, his family and Nigeria if he is crowned the 2024 CAF Awards African Player of the Year. Lookman has had an impressive year, scoring three goals and making one assist for the Super Eagles at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January as they reached the final in Cote d’Ivoire, and registering 17 goals, including a hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final, for Atalanta. The former RB Leipzig winger has been shortlisted alongside nine others for the biggest individual…
By Kayode John Super Eagles head coach Austin Eguavoen has commended the technical ability of the invited B squad players for next month’s 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifying tie against Ghana but insisted there is a lot of work to be done. Eguavoen spoke on Thursday after the team completed their first training session at the FIFA Goal Project Pitch in Abuja. The coach unveiled a 35-man squad last week for the tie against the Black Galaxies for the CHAN qualifiers. “Very impressive, only two sessions but you see that technically they are very good,” the former Super Eagles…
By Kayode John Exploring his talent off the pitch, Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has released the video of his second single, ‘What’s Luv.’ Iwobi posted a short clip of the video on X on Thursday with the caption: “What’s Luv? Video out now! Link in my bio – Watch, stream, share, vibe!” The Fulham player previously made history by becoming the first Premier League footballer to officially release a single, ‘Don’t Shoot’, which was his debut track. In ‘What’s Luv’, the 28-year-old collaborated with close friend SPKS and up-and-coming artiste MBrown on the track which has a blend of…
Manchester United have appointed Ruben Amorim as their new head coach, the English Premier League club have confirmed. Portuguese Amorim, 39, replaces Dutchman Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday following a dismal start to the season. “Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Ruben Amorim as Head Coach of the men’s first team, subject to work visa requirements,” the club stated on their official website on Friday. “He will join until June 2027 with a club option of an additional year, once he has fulfilled his obligations to his current club. He will join Manchester United…
A former Valencia player has tragically been killed in the recent floods in Spain. The country has been rocked by the disaster, with 158 dead so far and many fearing those numbers will continue to rise in the coming days, with the army called in to assist. Emergency teams are carrying out house by house searches in the worst-hit Valencia region in eastern Spain with officials fearful the death toll is likely to rise. It comes after buildings and bridges were swept away while towns became submerged in a muddy deluge with overturned cars scattered in the streets after more…
By Kayode John El-Kanemi Warriors goalkeeper Agbor Ekoi is dead, the club confirmed on Thursday night. Ekoi died in a car accident. “Sad news. Former Sporting Lagos and current El-Kanemi Warriors goalkeeper Agbor Ekoi has passed away following a fatal road accident,” the Nigeria Premier Football League club wrote in a terse statement on Facebook. “Rest in peace Dear Legend.” The Maiduguri-based club did not disclose where the incident occurred. It is the second death being recorded in the league from road accidents within three months. In August, head coach of Heartland and former Nigeria international Christian Obi died in…
By Kayode John Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho is hoping that his brace in Sevilla’s 3-0 victory over Las Rozas in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night will be the start of a goal-laden season. Iheanacho joined Sevilla on a free transfer in the summer after his contract with Leicester City expired. However, he has struggled for game time, getting only 272 minutes of football, while the club has played 11 matches. However, coach Garcia Pimenta handed the Nigeria international a rare start in the cup game. Iheanacho got his first and Sevilla’s second in the 61st minute after…
Ruben Amorim has promised to clarify his future after Sporting Lisbon’s match on Friday as speculation mounts that he is on the brink of becoming Manchester United’s new manager. United sacked Erik ten Hag on Monday after a 2-1 defeat by West Ham left them languishing 14th in the Premier League, with just three wins from nine matches. Amorim quickly emerged as the club’s top target and Sporting issued a statement to the Lisbon stock exchange confirming United were willing to meet his release clause of 10 million euros ($11 million). Reports on Thursday said the 39-year-old was expected to…
By Nurudeen Obalola Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer are the leading names among the eight nominees for the English Premier League Player of the Month for October. The other players shortlisted for the prize are Leicester City’s Facundo Buonanotte, Josko Gvardiol of Manchester City, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels, Danny Welbeck of Brighton and Chris Wood of Forest. Saka, the England forward with Nigerian heritage, was in brilliant form for Arsenal in the month under review, registering two goals and two assists in just two matches. On his part, Palmer is seeking to win the prize…