Chelsea have parted ways with head coach Enzo Maresca with immediate effect. The decision comes after tensions escalated within the club over the past 24 to 48 hours, leading to the end of his tenure. An official statement confirming the development is expected soon. The club will now turn its attention to the search for a new manager.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will battle Mozambique in the Round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as they continue their push for a fourth continental title. The Eagles sealed a perfect group-stage run on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over Uganda, adding to earlier wins against Tanzania and Tunisia to finish with maximum points. Eric Chelle’s men topped their group with nine points, while Mozambique progressed after placing third in Group F, earning qualification as one of the best third-placed teams. The Mambas are now set to face Nigeria in Fez on Monday, January 5, with a place in the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals at stake.
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has opened up about the emotional challenges he faced after losing both of his parents within a short span. Speaking to ACL Sports while in camp with the team in Morocco ahead of their Round of 16 clash, Nwabali recalled the overwhelming grief he experienced following the deaths of his mother and father. The Super Eagles had secured top spot in Group C with nine points from three matches. He revealed that the loss hit him so hard that he briefly considered quitting football, but the support of his teammates helped him persevere. “My mom passed away on this day last year around 12 pm. I try to move on and be strong, but sometimes I feel like quitting. At one point, I even told my captain that I wanted to quit football. But with the support of some of my teammates, I was able to carry on. My mom and dad were so dear to me. Losing them has been incredibly painful. It’s not something any footballer—or any human—should have to experience: losing both parents,” Nwabali said. His father passed away in November 2025, just hours after he featured in the Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw against Benin Republic in the 2025 Nations Cup qualifiers. On January 1, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the passing of his mother, describing 2025 as “the worst year of my life.” He wrote: “RIP mom, worst year of my life already,” alongside heartbreak and tear emojis, adding earlier: “A very very crazy world indeed.”
Super Eagles duo of Cyriel Dessers and Ryan Alebiosu are doubtful for the Roundc of 16 tie against The Mambas of Mozambque at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025). According to team news on the former African champions tweeter handle on Wednesday, both players sustained various degrees of injuries in the Group games of the tournament. While Dessers is scheduled for a scan today due to a thigh problem, Alebiosu susstained a deep cut on his right leg on his national team debut against Uganda. The Round of 16 match between Nigeria and Mozambique is scheduled for January 5, 2026, at the Fez Stadium, with kick-off set for 8:00 pm.
New England Patriots star Stefon Diggs is facing felony strangulation and a lesser assault charge over an alleged incident on 2 December. Diggs’ lawyer, David Meier, told the BBC that his client “categorically denies these allegations,” calling them “unsubstantiated” and “uncorroborated.” Meier added the claims arose from “an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction.” The accusations were reportedly made by a woman who worked as Diggs’ personal chef, according to the Boston Globe. The Patriots said, “Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.” Diggs is set for an arraignment in Massachusetts on 23 January, where he will formally hear the charges and enter a plea. The wide receiver signed a three-year, $69m (£51m) deal with the Patriots in March. He and his girlfriend, rapper Cardi B, recently welcomed their first child. The BBC has contacted the Dedham, Massachusetts police for further details.
Arsenal moved five points clear at the summit of the Premier League after a dominant second-half performance swept aside Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium, bringing the visitors’ eight-match league winning streak to an emphatic end. Villa, managed by former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, threatened to spoil the party early on and looked the sharper side before the interval. A win would have pulled them level on points with the Gunners, and their energy in midfield caused problems, particularly with Declan Rice absent. Morgan Rogers and Amadou Onana repeatedly found space through the centre as Arsenal took time to settle. Clear chances were scarce in the opening half, but the match shifted dramatically after the restart as Mikel Arteta’s side turned on the style. The breakthrough came when Gabriel reacted quickest from a corner, bundling the ball home after Emiliano Martínez failed to command his six-yard box. The Emirates erupted again moments later as Martin Ødegaard slid a precise pass into the path of Martin Zubimendi, who arrived perfectly to poke in Arsenal’s second. With Villa reeling, Arsenal pressed harder. Leandro Trossard made it three with a composed finish from the edge of the area, before substitute Gabriel Jesus added a fourth almost immediately after coming on, smashing in with his first meaningful touch. The goal marked Jesus’ first since January and underlined Arsenal’s growing attacking depth. Kai Havertz’s return to the bench after a lengthy absence further boosted the home side, while their defensive resilience remained intact deep into the contest. David Raya produced a stunning late save to deny John McGinn from point-blank range, though Villa eventually grabbed a consolation when Ollie Watkins scored from close range after Donyell Malen struck the post. The result capped a statement performance from Arsenal, who head toward the new year with momentum, firepower and a firm grip on the title race.
A strike by Paul Onuachu and a brace by midfielder Raphael Onyedika lifted a remarkably different Nigeria team to a 3-1 win over Uganda in their final Group C encounter at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco. Onuachu, starting ahead of Akor Adams as Coach Eric Chelle made several changes to the squad that defeated Tanzania and Tunisia in their earlier games, connected perfectly with a pass from the left by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru in the 28th minute to give Nigeria the lead, only two minutes after veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango had stopped a point-blank effort by the Trabzonspor of Turkey forward. Before then, Nigeria had dominated play extensively, and as early as the 9th minute, Samuel Chukwueze’s shot came off the defensive wall after good work by Simon Moses. A teasing pull-out by Chukwueze in the 25th minute narrowly missed the head of Onuachu. Moses himself came close with four minutes left in the first period, as his shot came off the wall after the Eagles poured forward in numbers once more. In the second half, Rogers Mato came close to connecting with a good cross but missed. Nigeria regrouped and sustained the pressure on their opponents, who had won four of their previous eight encounters before Tuesday evening’s match in Fès. Wing-back Bruno Onyemaechi side-netted in the 51st minute, and six minutes later, goalkeeper Salim Omar, who had come in for the injured Onyango, was red-carded after punching the ball outside his box as Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s stand-in-captain, loomed towards goal. Midfielder Raphael Onyedika, playing his first game at this AFCON, scored Nigeria’s second in the 62nd minute after connecting well with a pass by Samuel Chukwueze. Chukwueze and Raphael recreated a similar process four minutes later, leading to Onyedika, who plays his club football in Belgium, scoring his second and Nigeria’s third. In the 70th minute, Paul Onuachu’s header was a little too high, and five minutes later, Rogers Mato scored at the other end as Uganda finished well from a brilliant team move. Victory gave the Eagles the maximum nine points from their three matches, and they will now certainly meet the third-placed team in Group F, with both third-placed finishers in Groups A (Comoros) and B (Angola) already eliminated. This could be any of Cote d’Ivoire’s Elephants (Cup holders), Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions or the Mambas of Mozambique. That match comes up on Monday, 5th January in Fès. Tanzania’s gutsy 1-1 draw with Tunisia saw the Taifa Stars reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history. They will play host nation Morocco in the Round of 16.
Paul Onuachu and Raphael Onyedika starred as Nigeria defeated Uganda 3-1 to secure all nine points in Group C of the AFCON qualifiers. Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle made several changes to his starting lineup, handing starts to Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC), Ryan Alebiosu (Blackburn Rovers), Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague), Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio), Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor), and Moses Simon (Paris FC). In the absence of Besiktas midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen captained the team. The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when Onuachu scored his first goal for Nigeria in four years, assisted by Dele-Bashiru. In the 50th minute, Chidozie Awaziem missed a close-range chance from a corner, and a minute later, Bruno Onyemachi nearly doubled the lead, firing into the side netting after Osimhen missed a header. Uganda was reduced to 10 men in the 56th minute when substitute goalkeeper Salim Jamal Magoola handled Osimhen’s goal-bound shot outside the penalty area. Nigeria extended their lead in the 67th minute when Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika scored with an assist from on-loan Fulham winger Samuel Chukwueze. Five minutes later, Chukwueze again impressed on the right wing, setting up Onyedika to complete his brace. Uganda pulled a consolation goal in the 75th minute through Rogers Mato, who finished off Allan Okello’s through pass. Osimhen was substituted in the 87th minute for Sevilla striker Adams Akor after being denied a first-half goal due to an offside call. Earlier, Super Eagles legend Kanu Nwankwo, popularly known as Papilo, sent prayers and support to the team ahead of their final Group C match, praising the players for their performance against Tunisia and celebrating their connection to the iconic Super Eagles anthem from the early 1990s.
