Author: Nurudeen Obalola
By Kayode John Manchester United threw away a two-goal lead before rescuing a 3-3 draw against Porto in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, with Samuel Omorodion, the Spanish youth international with Nigerian heritage, scoring twice for the Portuguese side. United raced to a two-goal lead in the first-half through Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, but Pepe halved the deficit before Omorodion equalised 11 minutes before half time. The 20-year-old Spain U-21 striker completed his brace in the 50th minute to put Porto into the lead for the first time in the game. It went from bad to worse for…
The Nigeria Football Federation will hold its 2024 Annual General Assembly in Asaba, Delta State on Friday, the body has announced. The NFF said on Thursday that all delegates were expected to arrive in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening. “The NFF Annual General Assembly is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country in a given year, and serves as the melting pot of interplay of ideas and eventual formulation of policies and rules and regulations that govern the administration and organization of the game nationally for the succeeding one year,” the governing body said…
Kylian Mbappe will remain in Madrid during the international break as France’s squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures is announced. The Real Madrid superstar has been left out of Didier Deschamps’ latest France squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. Mbappe will remain in the Spanish capital in order to rest, having just overcome a thigh injury that forced him to miss the recent draw with Atletico Madrid. Mbappe recovered ahead of schedule to travel to France for Real Madrid’s Champions League game against Lille on Wednesday, but he wasn’t considered ready to start. The 25-year-old came off the bench…
By Kayode John Former Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia coach Herve Renard has revealed how he came close to becoming the head coach of the Super Eagles. After Nigeria’s below-par performances in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers continued under Finidi George, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced it was embarking on a search for a foreign coach for the Super Eagles. Renard, who was with the French women’s national football team at the time, was said to have been contacted by the NFF. Reports suggested he could consider taking the job, as he would be leaving his position in France…
Victor Osimhen will miss Super Eagles’ back-to-back 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Libya as he has been ruled out for six weeks with a thigh strain. Osimhen, who is on loan at Galatasaray, was substituted off in half-time of the club’s 3-3 draw at home against Kasimpasa last weekend with a suspected muscular problem. Afterwards, the 25-year-old Nigeria international said the injury was not serious but according to Football Italia, he will be out for more than a month, indicating the issue is more serious than previously thought. The injury came just as the reigning African Player…
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have another trophy, along with home-field advantage throughout the Major League Soccer playoffs. Messi scored twice in the final minutes of the first half, goalkeeper Drake Callender stopped a penalty kick in the 84th minute and Inter Miami beat the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew 3-2 on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, wrapping up the Supporters Shield given annually to the team with the best regular-season record. It was Messi’s 46th major trophy won for club or country, extending his record for the most by any men’s football player in history. And it is the second he has won with…
By Kayode John Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League and registered his first assist in the competition as well, as Atalanta recorded a 3-0 victory at Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night. The Nigeria international provided the assist for the Italian club’s first goal after 21 minutes when the 26-year-old set up Berat Djimsiti. Lookman put his name on the score sheet to double Atalanta’s lead one minute before half-time and was named man-of-the-match for his performance. He is the second Nigeria international to score his first goal in the prestigious European club…
Aliou Cisse has been relieved of his position as Senegal coach after nine and a half years in charge of the Teranga Lions. The 48-year-old guided the West Africans to their first continental title, winning the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in February 2022. Although his previous contract ended in August, he remained in charge for Senegal’s two 2025 AFCON qualifiers last month, a 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso and a 1-0 victory over Burundi. The country’s football federation (FSF) wanted Cisse’s deal to be renewed but the sports ministry, under Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s new government, has made…
The Nigeria Football Federation has announced the launch of its monthly football awards scheduled to begin this month. “As football leagues across the globe resumed fully last month, the Nigeria Football Federation is proud to announce the launch of the much-anticipated NFF Monthly Awards, a celebration of the outstanding performances of Nigerian football players across various Football Leagues including Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL,” the football body said in a press release made available to SportingTimes.ng on Wednesday. “With the football calendar in full swing, the NFF Monthly Awards aim to honour the brilliance, dedication and passion that Nigerian football…
Former Arsenal and Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has joined Barcelona until the end of the season. “FC Barcelona and Wojciech Szczęsny have reached an agreement for the goalkeeper to join the Club until 30 June 2025,” the Spanish club confirmed on their official website on Wednesday. “The Polish keeper comes to the Club in unusual circumstances but there is no doubt that his CV speaks for itself. During his career, which appeared to have come to an end in the summer, he has played at top clubs such as Arsenal, Roma and Juventus since leaving his home town of Warsaw…