Author: Nurudeen Obalola
World No.1 women’s tennis player Iga Swiatek is looking for a new coach after splitting with Tomasz Wiktorowski following three seasons working together. Wiktorowski, 43, joined Swiatek’s team as coach in 2022 when she had one Grand Slam success to her name. The Pole helped Swiatek to four further Grand Slam titles, including three successive French Opens. She became the first Polish player to reach world number one in April 2022 and has spent a total of 123 weeks at the top of the rankings. “After three years of the greatest achievements in my career, together with my coach Tomasz…
By Nurudeen Obalola The Nigeria Football Federation General Assembly has approved the body’s budget for 2025. The General Assembly was held in Asaba, Delta State on Friday, with the major takeaway the approval of the budget proposal of N17.6 billion put forward by the board, while also approving a one-year extension to the tenure of PricewaterhouseCoopers as the NFF’s external auditors. The NFF says the big budget is aimed at strengthening Nigerian football at all levels, as the Congress also ratified the body’s financial statements for the year ending 2023. The N17.6bn budget is over N3bn more than what the…
Paul Pogba’s four-year drug ban has been reduced to 18 months following a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Pogba, who tested positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in the first game of the 2023/2024 season, is free to start playing for Juventus again from March next year. Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA) accepted the request of the Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office to hand out a four-year ban last March, which is the standard length of ban under the World Anti-Doping Code (WADA). It meant Pogba would not have returned to football until March 2027. A four-year anti-doping ban can…
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said that a decision on Erik ten Hag is not his call as speculation swirls around the Dutchman’s future. The club have had a disappointing start to the 2024/2025 campaign, winning only two and losing three of their first six English Premier League games, and failing to win any of their last four fixtures in all competitions. There has been talk that Ten Hag is facing the sack if United lose to Aston Villa in their Premier League clash at Villa Park on Sunday, but Ratcliffe neither refuted nor confirmed the claim. <mWhen…
By Kayode John Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi is capable of hurting his team. City host Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium, and Iwobi has been one of the key players for the London club since his arrival from Everton last year. Although he has one goal and an assist in six league matches so far this season, the Nigeria international has been one of the danger men under coach Marco Silva. Fulham have not lost in the league since their opening day defeat at Manchester…
Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Joseph Dosu has escaped death for a second time after a truck crushed his car in Lagos on Wednesday. Dosu shared on Facebook on Friday a video of his automobile severely damaged by the truck conveying iron rods. “To God be the glory, another death escape by Grace and Mercy of God, I and my friend SM was at Enyo feeling station after Ojodu Berger bus stop, to get fuel on Wednesday, 2nd October 2024 between 6pm and this MACK TRUCK with registration number LND 470 XX fully loaded with IRON left the road and crushed…
LeBron James and Anthony Davis will play at some point during the Los Angeles Lakers ‘ first two pre-season games this weekend, getting the two superstars back to work quickly after a busy summer that included Olympic gold. James and Davis could play in one or both games, new coach JJ Redick said on Thursday before the Lakers headed to the Coachella Valley. Los Angeles will face Minnesota on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday in Palm Desert, California. “They’re going to play this weekend, but we’re still talking through what minutes and rotations look like for everybody,” Redick said after the Lakers’ third practice of…
By Kayode John Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman was carried awayby his performance in Atalanta’s 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night. Lookman provided the assist for Atalanta’s first goal at the Veltins-Arena and also scored his first goal in the competition before the half-time whistle. The 26-year-old was named the player of the match for his display which helped the Italian club register their first win of the competition’s league format. “It wasn’t my best performance, but tonight (Wednesday) it was essential to take the three points after the 0-0 draw with Arsenal,”…
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct the draw for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Tuesday. According to CAF, the draw for the two rounds of qualifiers will take place in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. The continental football body said the first round of qualifiers will be played on the weekend of October 25 to October 27 and November 1 to November 3, with the second round scheduled for December 20 to December 22 and December 27 to December 29 on a home and away basis. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host the CHAN finals between…
Novak Djokovic knows he hasn’t got long left playing among tennis’ elite – but he can’t see himself walking away from the game when he retires. The current world No.4, now 37, has had an up-and-down 2024, with his only major triumph coming at the Olympics, the Serb finally winning the gold medal that had for so long eluded him. But there have also been an unusual number of early exits. Now back at the Shanghai Masters for the first time in five years, and back in action for the first time since he represented Serbia at last month’s Davis…