Author: Nurudeen Obalola

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…

By Korede James Super Eagles winger Moses Simon was on target for Nantes as they held Saint-Etienne to a 1-1 draw in Ligue 1 on Sunday. The Nigeria international now has five goals and five assists in 16 appearances in the French top flight this season. Moses gave Nantes the lead in the 14th minute but his side could not hold on as Augustine Boakye equalised four minutes from time. The result means Nantes are winless in their last five league games, recording three draws and two defeats. Nantes are 15th in the 18-team table, just four points clear of…

By Korede James Team Nigeria emerged as the overall best country at the just concluded ITF/CAT West and Central Africa Junior Tennis Championship in Lome, Togo. Nigeria finished in first position with 1120 points, Cameroon came second with 865 points while Benin Republic occupied the third spot with 610 points at the tourney which ended on Sunday. The country’s youngsters won three titles in the individual event which kicked off the competition before wrapping it up with brilliant performances in the team event, which ended on the final day. At the end of the team event, Nigeria won the boys…

By Korede James Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has praised Super Eagles defender Ola Aina for his late goal-line clearance that helped Nottingham Forest secure a 3-2 win over Southampton. Forest continued their impressive run with a hard-fought victory against relegation-threatened Southampton in Sunday’s English Premier League fixture at the City Ground. Nuno’s side raced to a 3-0 first half lead thanks to goals from Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood. But it became a nervy end to the game after Jan Bednarek (60th minute) and Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu (91st minute) scored. Southampton almost drew level…