Author: Nurudeen Obalola
Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci, the Italian star of the 1990 World Cup, has passed away at the age of 59 following a battle with colon cancer. He was confirmed dead on Wednesday. Schillaci had been diagnosed with colon cancer back in 2022, revealing his illness a year later in January 2023. He had been admitted to hospital on September 7 and had reportedly been in a stable condition. Schillaci was best known to the international community for his starring role in the 1990 World Cup, where he finished as the tournament’s top goalscorer with six goals. Starring alongside Roberto Baggio and later Gianluca…
By Nurudeen Obalola Manchester United produced the widest margin win in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday night, thrashing third-tier Barnsley 7-0. In another fixture full of goals of another kind, Fulham, with Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi involved, were knocked out by Preston North End after a record penalty shootout. Despite making eight changes to the side that beat Southampton 3-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United were much too strong at Old Trafford for the League One visitors. Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen scored two goals each, while Antony added…
A Liverpool fan in Italy to watch his team play in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night has died after a collision with a vehicle as he crossed a road. Philip Joseph Dooley, 51, from Liverpool, died after the accident near Bergamo airport in the early hours of Tuesday, Merseyside police said. Two men who witnessed the incident are helping Italian police with their investigation. Merseyside police are also assisting authorities in Italy. The lifelong Liverpool fan had travelled to Italy for Tuesday’s game against Milan, according to Liverpool FC. Representatives from both teams placed flowers on Dooley’s seat at…
By Kayode John Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze was an unused substitute on Tuesday as AC Milan were beaten 3-1 at San Siro by Liverpool on the opening night of the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool bounced back from Saturday’s home defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League to ease past Milan at San Siro, with defenders Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk on the scoresheet. The Reds overturned Christian Pulisic’s third-minute opener for the Serie A giants, and Dominik Szoboszlai’s first club goal since March secured the result in the second half. In Germany, Harry Kane headlined Bayern Munich’s…
Antony Taylor will not referee any English Premier League matches this weekend after officiating Chelsea’s feisty win at Bournemouth. Taylor was in charge of Chelsea’s 1-0 win at Bournemouth last Saturday, in a match where he handed out a record 14 yellow cards. Consequently, he would not officiate any English top-flight games this weekend. According to The Guardian, Taylor was subjected to abuse on social media, in the wake of the Chelsea match. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said on Tuesday that Taylor would be a fourth official in Southampton’s home game against Ipswich Town on Saturday, and…
By Kayode John Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, is back in training with Fenerbahce after being injured for a month Osayi-Samuel last featured for the Turkish side in the 2-2 draw away at Goztepe on August 17. The Nigeria international has missed the club’s last three league matches against Rizespor, Alanyaspor and Kasimpasa due to the setback. Osayi-Samuel posted a picture on X on Tuesday showing him shows the 26-year-old with the ball in a training session. Osayi-Samuel’s recovery comes just in time before Fenerbahce host champions Galatasaray in a Turkish Super Lig clash this weekend. The versatile defender missed…
By Kayode John Super Falcons midfielder, Ngozi Okobi, has given birth to her first baby. Okobi confirmed the news in a post on X on Tuesday without mentioning the baby’s gender. “Congratulations to me, I am in my new season,” she wrote on the platform, adding hashtags #godbepraised #iamamother #newmom #NSPPD, and attaching pictures of herself when heavily pregnant. Okobi got married in December 2017, in Delta State, and the baby is coming almost seven years after that union. She rose through the ranks in the national team, representing Nigeria at the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and 2012…
By Kayode John Former Nigeria international, Joseph Yobo, is optimistic the Super Eagles can still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Super Eagles are having unusually poor performances in the race to reach the United States, Canada and Mexico in two years’ time. Nigeria have only three points from four matches, which leaves them in fifth place in a group of six teams, with only the group winners guaranteed a World Cup ticket. But Yobo, who represented Nigeria at three World Cups, believes the three-time African champions still have a chance to pick a ticket, with six matches…
By Kayode John Atalanta central defender, Berat Djimsiti, has revealed that players in the team advised Ademola Lookman to “stay calm”, amid speculations linking him with a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Lookman reportedly agreed personal terms with PSG in what looked like an imminent move to the Parc des Princes after Atalanta completed their pre-season. The Super Eagles forward requested to be left out of the squad for their opening game of the new Serie A season against Lecce and was also not included in the matchday squad at Torino. Djimsiti explained that the players never doubted the…
By Kayode John Former Super Eagles captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, has revealed that he could have joined Italian giants AC Milan, instead of Ajax Amsterdam, where he featured alongside his compatriot Tijjani Babangida. Oliseh moved to Ajax in 1997 from FC Koln in Germany and won the Eredivisie title with the Dutch club in the 1997/1998 season and back-to-back KNVB Cups. The former Super Eagles captain turned 50 last Saturday, and in a special publication by Ajax to celebrate him, he recalled his time at the club between 1997 and 1999. Oliseh revealed that the unique project presented to…