Author: Nurudeen Obalola
By Nurudeen Obalola Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has agreed that his side must go for victory when they face Chelsea in the weekend’s headline English Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The two London clubs are tied on points, with Chelsea in fourth place ahead on goal difference, and Arteta is keen to reduce the seven-point gap between his side and leaders Liverpool. When asked during his pre-match press conference on Friday if Sunday’s clash is a must-win, Arteta replied: “Especially because we have missed certain points in the last few weeks. “The margins are becoming smaller and…
Jose Mourinho has received a one-match ban and fine of about £15,000 for his actions and comments at the end of Fenerbahce’s dramatic win over Trabzonspor. The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager sprinted on to the pitch and attempted a knee slide after Sofyan Amrabat’s stoppage-time goal earned his Fenerbahce team a 3-2 victory in an incident-packed encounter. However, he then launched into a angry post-match tirade that condemned refereeing standards in Turkey and appeared to question the impartiality of match officials. In a statement, the Turkish Football Federation said Mourinho’s comments were “contrary to sportsmanship, sports ethics or the concept of fair…
Damian Lillard poured in 34 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo collected 31 points and a game-high 16 rebounds to lift the hosts Milwaukee Bucks to a 123-100 win over the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. Lillard also dished out seven assists for Milwaukee, which snapped a six-game skid. Bobby Portis netted 19 points in a reserve role for the Bucks. Jordan Clarkson paced Utah with 18 points off the bench. Collin Sexton paired 14 points with seven assists for the Jazz, who won their previous game after dropping their first six. Lillard and Antetokounmpo combined for 22 of the Bucks’ 31…
Goalkeeper Andre Onana has said the players would like Ruud van Nistelrooy to continue working with Manchester United beyond his spell as interim manager. Ruben Amorim will officially take over as the club’s head coach on Monday, with Van Nistelrooy’s fate yet to be decided after stepping in for his fellow Dutchman Erik ten Hag, who was sacked in October following a poor start to the campaign. Van Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals for Manchester United in five years at the club in the 2000s, is unbeaten in his three games in charge, overseeing a 2-0 win over PAOK in the UEFA…
By Nurudeen Obalola Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen was the hero for Galatasaray on Thursday night, scoring twice in their 3-2 UEFA Europa League home victory over Tottenham Hotspur, as his compatriot Cyriel Dessers netted for Rangers in their 1-1 draw at Olympiacos. Osimhen struck twice within eight minutes to take the contest away from Spurs, who had pulled it back to 1-1 after Galatasaray opened the scoring. Yunus Akgun gave Galatasaray an early lead in the sixth minute but Spus responded quickly, William Lankshear scoring his first goal for the club 12 minutes later. Osimhen then took over, netting…
By Nurudeen Obalola Nigeria’s representatives in this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League, Edo Queens, will earn at least $150,000 (about N250 million) from the competition, with as much as $600,000 (about N1 billion) at stake. The Confederation of African Football confirmed the cash prizes on offer at the competition on Thursday, with all eight clubs guaranteed at least $150,000, which is what teams finishing bottom of the two groups will earn. The clubs finishing third in the two four-team groups will be paid $200,000 each, while losing semi-finalists will receive $300,000. The third-place match winners will get $350,000, with the…
Fans from Paris St Germain’s Auteuil Kop unveiled a giant ‘Free Palestine’ banner before the kick-off of their UEFA Champions League game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, eight days before France take on Israel in Paris in a Nations League game. “War on the pitch, but peace in the world,” a message underneath said. During the match, they unrolled another message that read: “Does a child’s life in Gaza mean less than another?” PSG said they had not been aware “of any plans to display such a message”. “Paris St Germain recalls that the Parc des Princes is — and…
Second-half goals from Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman and Nicolo Zaniolo earned Atalanta a 2-0 win at VfB Stuttgart in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday and the Italian side are yet to concede a goal in this season’s competition. The opener came in the 51st minute when Lookman tapped in a cross from Charles De Ketelaere and, with the home side struggling to find a way through, Zaniolo struck the decisive second two minutes from time. It was Lookman’s second goal in the Champions League this season and his eighth in 13 appearances across all competitions, along with five…
By Nurudeen Obalola Victor Osimhen will return to the Super Eagles squad, joining captain William Troost-Ekong, Ademola Lookman and 20 other players for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clashes against Rwanda and Benin Republic later this month. Reigning African Player of the Year Osimhen missed the last round of qualifiers against Libya in October with injury, as the Super Eagles won the first leg 1-0 in Uyo before boycotting the return fixture. The three points were awarded to Nigeria by the Confederation of African Football following their mistreatment in the North African country. Head coach Austin Eguavoen has…
Benjamin Mendy has won his legal battle against Manchester City for the majority of his unpaid £11 million wages while he faced rape charges. Mendy was cleared of raping a woman at his £4m mansion and trying to rape another woman following a trial last year. City halted Mendy’s £500,000-a-month salary in 2021 when the Frenchman was arrested for the second time. Mendy, who joined City for £49m from Monaco in 2017, responded by taking the English Premier League champions to an employment tribunal, and he has won the fight for most of his unpaid salary after making a claim for ‘unauthorised…