Author: Oladimeji Adeoye

Senegalese and American singer AKON has been named as the official host for the 2023 AFCON final draws that will take place today in the state capital of Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan at exactly 8 pm Nigerian time. According to CAF, Akon will be assisted by 5 Times Africa Player of the Year Winner Yahaya Toure. Current African Player of the Year and Senegalese forward, Sadio Mane, Ivorian Legend, Didier Drogba, Super Eagles former midfielder, John Mikel, and Moroccan /PSG defender Achraf Hakimi are part of the 2023 AFCON draws as announced by CAF. The draws will be beamed in over…

The Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro has sent a late invitation to Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye for the Eagles international friendly games against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique this month. Maduaka Okoye who lost his starting spot since his blunder during the 2022 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon, has not played any game for the Super Eagles since then. His last invitation was on 17 November 2022 during an international friendly game Eagles lost 4-0 to Portugal. Okoye was considered a possible replacement for Adrleye Adebayo, who is included in the invited list of the 23 players for both…

Enugu Rangers International of Enugu has signed a three year shirt sponsorship with Afrinvest. The Flying Antelope confirmed this development via the club’s official website. The event which hosted top sports dignitaries such as secretary of Enugu State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, Amaju Pinnick, the Club CEO and many others was hosted in Enugu State.  “Rangers International F.C has successfully penned a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with an investment firm, Afrinvest.” Afrinvest Group Managing Director, Prince Ike Chioke said: “Today brings to fruition six years of trying to bring professional partnership and support to a football team. Indeed, sometime in…

Birmingham FC today announced the appointment of Wayne Rooney as its first team coach. Rooney signed three years deal with the Championship side after leaving US club D.C. United. “Birmingham City Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Wayne Rooney as Manager, agreeing terms on a three-and-a-half-year contract. He starts with immediate effect having recently left his position as Head Coach of Major League Soccer side D.C. United.” According to the club, Rooney will be assisted by his former England international teammate Ashley Cole, the current England Under-21s assistant coach, John O’Shea, the assistant coach of the Republic…

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) today revealed that the Federation has reached an agreement with PUMA to serve as CAF’s official technical partner for several CAF Events including the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023. According to CAF, the signed deal will commence on the 1st of November 2023 as the Sports company will be responsible for supplying customized match ball at CAF tournaments, as well as providing the kit for referees and engaging in numerous marketing opportunities, both inside and outside the stadium. The Federation further disclosed that, CAF and PUMA will launch the official…

Former Chelsea forward, Eden Hazard, has announced his retirement from football at age 32. The former Belgian captain who had previously retired from international football has disclosed his desire to hang the boot following streak of injuries he suffered since joining Los Blancos in 2019.  Hazard made the disclosure on his Instagram page today: “After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer. “I was able to realise my dream, I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world. “During my career I was lucky to…

The Nigeria Football Federation has shortlisted 22 players for the Super Falcons Olympic qualifier against Ethiopia billed for this month. The Federation made the update without naming a head coach that will spearhead the games.  Captain Onome and Ashleigh Plumptre are the notable names to have missed the invite. Omorinsola and a few other players got their first invitation. Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC); Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, Saudi Arabia); Monle Oyono (Bayelsa Queens) Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachuca FC, Mexico); Comfort Folorunsho (Edo Queens); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Nicole Payne (Paris Saint…

The Nigeria Football Federation has revealed that Nottingham Forest duo Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi will be replaced by Real Sociedad forward Sadiq Umar and Tyronne Ebuehi who play in the Serie A top flight club during the international friendly games against Mozambique and Saudi Arabia this month.  The Nigerian duo who have been pivotal for Forest this season missed Forest’s barren draw away at Crystal Palace on Saturday due to injury as reported by the club. “Head Coach Steve Cooper has confirmed ahead of tonight’s game that Taiwo Awoniyi will miss up to a month of action due to…

Arsenal continued their unbeaten streak after defeating Manchester City this evening via a lone goal at the Emirate stadium. The blockbuster encounter pushed Arsenal to level points with London counterpart Tottenham, who leads at the top of the table. First Half: The first half ended in a stalemate, with both sides missing clear chances to score goals. Manchester City, as expected, took over the first-half possession of 55% as against the home side who had 45%. City had 5 goal attempts with zero on target, while Arsenal had 3 goal attempts with one on target. Second half: The second began…

Nigeria Premier Football League defending champions, Enyimba FC of Aba have recruited 14 players ahead of the new 2023-24 season. The People’s Elephant revealed the update on the club’s official Facebook page. The 14 new players included players from counterparts NPFL teams and abroad. The full list of all players signed so far: Daniel Daga | George Owen | Desmond Ojietefian | Joseph Atule | Stephen Chukwude | Anthony Okachi | Daniel Ekpo| Frank Boateng | Izuogo Chidiebere | Chidiebere Nnachi | Chisom Ngomere| Gordon Brokelyn | Izuogu Chidebere. Enyimba will kick off their title defense today when they visit…

Two of the biggest Premier League clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea were in action this afternoon in their 8th round of EPL games. Chelsea returned to winning ways while MC Tominay rescued Manchester United at Old Trafford.  Chelsea ended the first half by neutralizing Burnkey’s early lead via a horrible own goal. In the second half, the Blues were spirited, scoring three goals to take the lead at full-time at the Turf Moor. Palmer, Sterling, and Jackson registered their names in the score sheet for Chelsea. Chelsea with back to back victory has now moved to the middle of the…

Neymar Jr and Wife welcome new baby Al Hilal and Brazil forward, Neymar Jr and his wife have welcomed a new baby into the family. Neymar flee a long distance to witness the birth of his second child. The forward shared an image of the new baby on his Facebook page with the capture. “Welcome daughter! You are already very loved by us. Thank you for choosing us.” Neymar and Bruna Biancardi penned the heartwarming message following the birth of Mavie and fans are already sending tonnes of congratulatory messages.

Former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson’s wife has been reported dead. The unfortunate update was confirmed by Manchester United and the family of the former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex. “We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing yesterday [Thursday] of Lady Cathy Ferguson, survived by her husband, three sons, two sisters, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild,” the statement read. “The family asks for privacy at this time.” Manchester United shares their condolences with the family of the deceased. “Everyone at Manchester United sends our heartfelt condolences to Sir Alex Ferguson and his family on the passing of Lady…

Former Bayern Munich striker and now Barcelona forward, Robert Lewandowski has shown his support for Harry Kane, encouraging the Three Lions captain to succeed in the German Bundesliga. The Polish striker reflected on the season he scored 41 goals in 29 league games, describing the feat as insane. Robert revealed that the Bundesliga is not an easy league, and it would be crazy to demand such huge numbers from his successor. “When I look back at my record, I scored 41 goals in only 29 games. That was insane. Today it sounds even crazier that I think to myself: how…

Liverpool midfielder Mac Allister has revealed the emotional moment his dad cried after watching him play against his brother during their second game of the UEFA Europa League at Anfield last night. Liverpool hosted Mac Allister’s brother Kevin’s team Union St Gilloise at Anfield last night. “It was nice for the family, very emotional”. “I’ve played against my older brother before but never against Kevin, it was special”. “My dad was here too, he knows what it means, he cried a little bit”. Liverpool defeated the Belgian side by 2-0 following Gravenberch and Jota’s strikes that came in the 44th…

Barcelona have confirmed that their talisman Robert Lewandowski has sprained his ankle following a test carried out on the Polish forward. Lewandowski was withdrawn in the 36th minute during their second Champions League game against FC Porto. The club further revealed that Robert will not be in action until he is completely healed. “Tests conducted this Thursday morning have revealed that Robert Lewandowski has sprained his left ankle and will be out of action until the injury heals. The Polish striker was replaced by Ferran Torres after 34 minutes of Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Porto. He has scored six goals…

The Premier League has shortlisted the nominees (coach and player) who will jostle for the September best award. Five coaches and seven players have been nominated for this award. Mohammed Salah of Liverpool, Jerod Bowen of Westham, Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez, Pedro Neto of Wolves, Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa, Tottenham skipper Heung Min Son and Newcastle full back Kieran Trippier. In the coaches categories, Jürgen Klopp of Liverpool, Unai Emery, the Aston Villa gaffer, Eddie Howe, the head coach of Newcastle, Ange Postecoglou and Mikel Arteta all made the nomination list. According to the Premier League, the fans…

Round two of the match day two was witnessed yesterday at various stadiums. 17 goals were scored across 6 games, among which were 4 wins and two draws. Newcastle United smashed their visitors to an emphatic victory on their turf. The five-goal thriller encounter highly favoured the Magpies, who hit 4-1 to keep their hope for the next round qualification burning. The Magpies, who are regarded as the underdogs due to their lack of experience in the Champions League, lead their table with 4 points after two games. Ferran Torres’ loan goal earned all three points and a clean sheet…

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has asserted that they lost their UEFA Champions League away game to Galatasaray due to some fundamental errors. In a post match interview with TNT and Bein Sports, The Dutch man said he would back Andre Onana regardless of his horrendous error that made Casemiro receive a red card. Despite Hojlund’s brace, Manchester were beaten by 3-2 following their poor display away at Galatasaray. MISTAKES COST US “I think we were twice up and we were controlling the game. And then, yeah, some errors, some fundamental errors we make [which] we normally wouldn’t have…

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) through the office of the Chairman will begin random doping tests on league players as a move to constrain possible existence of drug abuse.  NPFL Chairman, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, said random dope tests would be conducted in the weeks ahead following the acquisition of testing kits from the United Kingdom. NPFL Chairman, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye; “We are committed to joining the NFF, CAF, FIFA, and the global campaign for eradication of illicit substance use in sports, and this will commence soon with random tests of our players. “We are poised to arrest and stamp…

The match day two of the European first-tier tournament was held last night. In the first phase of watch day two, 8 games were featured, 28 goals scored across all stadiums, with 7 wins and a draw. The biggest surprise was the game between Manchester United and Galatasaray at Old Trafford as the Red Devils went through another session of shame, losing at home to Galatasaray by 2-3 at full time. Rasmus Höglund scored United both goals, while Wilfred Zaha and Icardi were on the scoresheet for the visiting side. Manchester United are at the bottom of their group with…

Supers Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has invited 23 players to the camp of the Super Eagles ahead of their international friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique in Portugal on the 13th and 16th of October respectively. The Super Eagles take on the Green Falcons of Saudi Arabia in the city of Portimão, Portugal on Friday, 13th October 2023, starting at 5 pm before a clash with the Mambas of Mozambique in the same city three days later. All invited players are expected to arrive in Faro, Portugal on Tuesday, 10th October. The games are preparation for Eagles 2026 World…

Barcelona FC has confirmed the contract extension of 15-year-old Lamine Yamal, who will be in the club until 30 June 2026, with a release clause of one billion euros. “FC Barcelona and Gamine Yamal have reached an agreement on a new contract binding the player to the club until 30 June 2026, with the buyout clause set at one billion euros.” According to Barcelona, the young striker put pen to paper this Monday morning at an event in the offices of the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper attended by FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta; first vice-president Rafa Yuste; the director responsible…

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that defender Lisandro Martínez will undergo further surgery to fix his metatarsal injury. Recall that The News Chronicle on Friday, reported that Martinez would spend an extensive period on the sidelines following an official statement from the club. Last season, Martinez was ruled out for the ending part of the season after suffering a fractured metatarsal during their Europa quarter final against Sevilla. The Argentine returned to training before the commencement of the 2023-24 season, where he participated in some pre season games for United, before suffering a recurrence of the problem…

Tottenham Hotspur have released a statement on their Facebook page about their Italian left back, Destiny Udogie, following the racial messages he has been receiving since their narrow victory against 9-man Liverpool on Sunday evening.  Liverpool’s midfielder was shown a red card in the first half of the game for a horrible tackle on Yves Bissouma. In the second, an unfortunate Diogo Jota received another red card after two yellow cards. “We are disgusted at the racist messages directed towards Destiny Udogie on social media following Saturday’s game against Liverpool. We will work with the Premier League and, where possible,…

Nigeria and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has thanked Nigerians for standing by him during his controversy with the club. Last week, Osimhen was a tool of mockery by his club when the club posted an irrational video of the Nigerian missing a penalty during an away league game against Bologna. Nigerians have come for his support with the #SupportVictorOsimhen on every page associated with the club. Osimhen also appreciated the people of Napoli for their support towards him since arriving at the club in 2020. “Coming to the City of Naples in 2020 was a wonderful decision for me. The…

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced prize money for the quarter-final, semi-final, and final spots for the Inaugural African Football League (“AFL”) Weeks ago, CAF revealed that the inaugural African Football will feature the highest-ranked and most successful football Clubs on the African Continent. Enyimba FC of Aba and 7 other highly ranked clubs in Africa were shortlisted for the inaugural tournament, which is set to kick off on 20 October. The Prize Money for the AFL is as follows: $4 000 000 for the Winner $3 000 000 for the Runner-up $1 700 000 for each of…

It was not a good afternoon for Manchester town as both the biggest clubs in the City suffered defeat in their 7th round of the English Premier League today.  Crystal Palace pulled a surprising 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Andersen’s first half-strike was enough to seal all three points for the away side. United have dropped to mid of the table with 9 points after 7 games. Manchester City suffered a surprising defeat to Wolves. Alvarez, despite getting one for City, wasn’t just enough for Guardiola’s Soldiers. City have lost their two consecutive games this season and…

Aston Villa today destroyed Brighton in their early kick-off encounter at Villa Park. Ollie Watkins picked his first hatrick of the season following his three goals in their emphatic win. Villa led through a 3-0 first-half win, Watkins grabbed two in the 14th and 21st minutes respectively and Estupinan’s horrible own goal was enough to seal a convincing first half for Unai Emery’s men. On loan, Ansu Fati scored his first goal for Brighton, helping the team reduce goal deficits to 3-1 in the 50th minute. Watkins completed his hat trick in the 60th minute and assisted Ramsey’s goal, which…

The NFF through its Chief Operating Officer has blocked newly promoted side, Kano Pillars, from registering their players for the 2023-24 season over failure to pay one of its former players as demanded by NFF. In the letter sent to Sai Masu Gida, the NFF demanded that Kano Pillars pay the player Bassey Akpan a sum of eleven million and eight hundred thousand naira for breach of contract. The former Super Eagles goalkeeper reported the club, a  development that has made the NFF place a ban on Kano Pillars, who will not be able to register their players for the…