Author: Nurudeen Obalola
By Nurudeen Obalola Super Eagles of Nigeria pair Ademola Lookman and William Troost-Ekong as well as Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala have earned nominations in different categories of The Best FIFA Football Awards. The nominees were revealed in the early hours of Friday, with Lookman looking to earn a spot in the attack of the Best XI and Troost-Ekong vying for a place in the defence. Lookman scored three goals as the Super Eagles reached the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in February this year and bagged a historic hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final in…
Lionel Messi, Ballon d’Or winner Rodri and Vinicius are among the nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2024. Super Eagles of Nigeria striker Paul Onuachu is also nominated, but for the Puskas award for a goal he scored while on loan at Turkish club Trabzonspor. FIFA announced the shortlists of nominees for The Best FIFA Football Awards on Thursday night, saying the ceremony will “recognise the leading lights in another thrilling year of women’s and men’s football at both club and national-team levels”. Messi, who has been voted the world’s best player a record…
By Nurudeen Obalola The Super Eagles have dropped eight places in the FIFA ranking following dismal displays in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in November. In the latest world ranking released on Thursday, Nigeria slipped from their previous position of 36th to 44th, losing 21 points (from 1,503 to 1,482). The Super Eagles struggled in the AFCON qualifiers in November despite sealing their spot in the tournament scheduled for Morocco in December next year and January 2026. First, they had to come from behind to draw 1-1 with Benin Republic in Abidjan, then they were embarrassed 2-1 by Rwanda in…
English second-tier club Coventry City have appointed Chelsea great Frank Lampard as their new head coach. “Coventry City are delighted to announce the appointment of Frank Lampard as the Club’s new Head Coach,” the Championship side said I’m an official statement on Thursday. “The 46-year-old has signed a two and a half year contract with the Sky Blues and will take charge of City for the first time this Saturday against Cardiff City at the Coventry Building Society Arena. “Frank will be supported by two new coaches, Joe Edwards and Chris Jones, who he has worked with extensively previously.” Lampard,…
Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) head coach Gbenga Ogunbote has been invited by the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to explain his comments after a fixture. The coaching veteran will face an investigative hearing over an interview he granted to the media at the end of 3SC’s Matchday 12 fixture in Lagos against Ikorodu City. The Ibadan side lost 2-1 to their hosts, and the league body considers some of the positions Ogunbote expressed as a breach of the code of conduct for the NPFL coaches. “Honestly, it’s unfortunate,” Ogunbote said in his post-match interview with 3SC Fans TV, insinuating…
Super Falcons of Nigeria players and officials started arriving in Angers on Wednesday, ahead of Saturday’s friendly game with France’s Les Bleues. It is the second time both teams will face each other in a friendly, after France thrashed the nine-time African champions 8-0 at Stade Marie-Marvingt in April 2018. Only France-based goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and Mexico-based defender Osinachi Ohale remain from that Super Falcons team routed by France over six years ago, as head coach Justine Madugu seeks to build a new squad. That 8-0 defeat equalled the Super Falcons’ biggest-ever losses – by Norway at the 1995…
The Football Association says it is investigating an allegation that referee David Coote discussed giving a yellow card with a fan before a Championship match. Coote, 42, says he denies the new claims and calls them “false and defamatory allegations”. The referee is already under investigation by the FA and has been suspended by refereeing body the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and European football’s governing body Uefa following separate allegations about his conduct. A new report in the Sun newspaper on Tuesday claimed Coote exchanged messages with a fan discussing giving a yellow card before and after a…
Manchester City blew a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night at the Etihad Stadium after another disastrous performance from Pep Guardiola’s struggling side. Erling Haaland scored twice, while Ilkay Gundogan added the other strike for the hosts, who looked headed for victory after a five-game losing streak in all competitions. However, defensive errors late in the game allowed Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko to pull Feyenoord level as the English champions dropped to 15th in the Champions League table on eight points. In Portugal, Bukayo Saka scored…
Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano are together again, this time with Inter Miami. The former Barcelona and Argentina teammates have reunited, with Inter Miami announcing Tuesday that Mascherano’s hiring as the club’s new coach is complete. The sides struck a deal late last week for Mascherano to replace Gerardo Tata Martino, who stepped aside for personal reasons. Mascherano most recently was Argentina’s U-20 team and Olympic coach. He’s signed a three-year contract and will take over when his work paperwork is completed. “This job requires somebody with the experience to be able to maximize our unique collection of talent —…
Cameroon and Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has been honouree with the FIFPRO Player Impact Award for his good work off the pitch. The 28-year-old’s charity, the Andre Onana Foundation, provides free medical care and high-quality surgeries to underprivileged communities in Cameroon, and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The foundation partners with a group of surgeons and medical professionals who each year provide life-changing surgery and care to hundreds of people, particularly children. Doctors working with Onana’s foundation have performed over 1,200 surgical operations over the last three years. Writing on FIFPRO.org, Onana said: “When I passed through Barcelona, Amsterdam…