Sports Archives | Page 48 of 111

Morocco 2025: Flamingos Set to Grab World Cup Ticket in Blida

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago14 mins

Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, are firm and ready to pick the ticket for the country’s eighth appearance at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, despite the predictably-cold atmosphere of the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida (outside Algiers), on Friday night. Friday’s encounter against their Algerian counterparts is the final leg of a final qualifying round fixture, with the Flamingos, bronze-medallists from the 2022 finals in India and quarter-finalists from the last edition in the Dominican Republic, holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage. The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has scheduled the match to kick off at 8pm, at a time that the winds will begin to blow in stronger from the Mediterranean Sea. However, the Flamingos, who arrived in Algiers in the early hours of Wednesday aboard a Turkish Airline flight from Istanbul, are highly inspired by the imminence of another FIFA World Cup ticket as well as further financial windfall from the Nigeria Football Federation and billionaire business mogul Kunle Soname. Soname gifted the young players and their officials the sum of N4million (one million naira for every goal) following their commanding win over the North Africans at the Remo Stars Stadium on Saturday, while the NFF gave out the sum of N2million (five hundred thousand naira for every goal). President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau and Hon. Soname have both confirmed that the same financial incentives are in place for the second leg in Blida on Friday. “Our objective is clear – to win the FIFA World Cup ticket. That is the big motivation. Yet, we have been further incentivized by the monetary rewards. My girls will go all out on Friday night,” Head Coach Bankole Olowookere said. Olowookere, who led the Flamingos to their last two World Cup ventures, will most likely rely on first-leg two-goal heroine Queen Joseph, lone-goal scorer Zainab Raji and Kaosarat Olanrewaju to start at the fore, with Shakirat Moshood, Muinat Rotimi and Philomena Isaiah supplying the passes from the midfield. Goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma and defenders Azeezat Oduntan, Hannah Ibrahim, Christiana Sunday and Jumai Adebayo are also likely to start. The Confederation of African Football has selected Cameroonian official Marie Noelle Etong to be the referee, with her compatriots Marcelle Teikeu and Innocentia Ntangti as assistant referee 1 and fourth official respectively, while Chadian Ngarassoum Victorine will be assistant referee 2. Oumou Souleymane Kane from Mauritania will be commissioner and Sabelo Maphosa-Sibindi from Zimbabwe will be in the role of referee assessor.

Nottingham Forest Trials For 3 Nigerian Players

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago03 mins

Nottingham Forest, currently sitting fourth in the English Premier League table with 60 points, is set to give three Nigerian players from Unicorns Football Club of Ilorin a chance to shine. Left winger Olamide Sunday Olasehinde, central defender Sulyman Kehinde Quadri, and midfielder Sanni Sukanmi Adebayo have arrived in the UK for a two-week trial with the club. Unicorns FC CEO Victor Awoniyi expressed his excitement about the trials and plans to utilise this opportunity to showcase the country’s abundant football talents. The trio’s trial is part of a larger trend, with Unicorns FC having successfully sent no fewer than nine players abroad in the last one year. Secretary of the team, Suleiman Atunrase accompanied the players during their stay in the UK, allowing them to focus on the game. This opportunity comes as English football continues to attract top talents worldwide. Nottingham Forest striker, Taiwo Awoniyi who expressed delight at the opportunity, said representing Nigeria in major international tournaments, such as the Under-15 and Under-17 World Cup, was a pivotal moment in his career. He, however, recognised that many young talents in Nigeria are not as fortunate. “With Nigeria’s vast pool of talented individuals, making it to the national team is a remarkable achievement. “By creating opportunities for these young talents, we are not only giving them a chance to showcase their skills but also making their dreams a reality,” Awoniyi said. He further explained that providing platforms for young talents to develop and grow is essential in nurturing the next generation of football stars. “It’s a privilege to be part of initiatives that help young players achieve their goals and pursue their passions,” Awoniyi added. He concluded by saying arrangements are also in top gear to send more players across Europe for a chance to achieve their dreams.

Osimhen Fires Galatasaray Reaches to Turkish Cup Final

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

Nigerian international striker Victor Osimhen delivered a stellar performance for Galatasaray, scoring one goal and providing an assist in their emphatic 5-1 victory over Konyaspor in the Turkish Cup semifinal clash at the Konya Buyuksehir Belediye Stadium. Osimhen, who has been a key figure for Galatasaray this season, spearheaded their attack as they aimed to secure a coveted spot in the Turkish Cup final. The 26-year-old forward wasted no time in making his mark, opening the scoring in the 26th minute. He demonstrated his aerial prowess by rising highest to meet a well-delivered cross from teammate Dries Mertens, powerfully heading the ball into the net to give Galatasaray a 1-0 lead. Osimhen had another opportunity to extend the lead in the 32nd minute, but Konyaspor goalkeeper Deniz Ertas pulled off a fine save to deny the Nigerian. However, Ertas was unable to prevent Lucas Torreira from doubling Galatasaray’s advantage just before halftime, with the Uruguayan midfielder finding the back of the net in the 43rd minute to make it 2-0. Galatasaray continued their dominance after the break, and just two minutes into the second half, Osimhen turned provider. He displayed excellent vision and technique to play a precise pass to Roland Sallai, whose subsequent shot took a deflection before finding the back of the net, extending Galatasaray’s lead to 3-0. Konyaspor briefly offered a glimmer of hope when Pedrinho pulled a goal back in the 53rd minute, reducing the deficit to 3-1. However, Galatasaray quickly extinguished any hopes of a comeback, striking twice more through Sallai and Yusuf Demir to seal a comprehensive 5-1 victory. Osimhen’s overall contribution to Galatasaray’s dominant performance was significant. Throughout the match, he registered an impressive three successful dribbles, had six attempts on goal, created two key passes for his teammates, and won seven of his eleven duels. Galatasaray now await the outcome of the other Turkish Cup semifinal between Trabzonspor and Goztepe on Thursday to discover their opponents in the final. While the Lions may harbor hopes of facing Goztepe, perceived as potentially easier opposition, Victor Osimhen’s consistent form suggests he will be a crucial asset for Galatasaray regardless of who they face. Having not lifted the Turkish Cup trophy since 2018, Galatasaray will be determined to go all the way this season, and with Osimhen leading their attack, their chances of success look promising.

Transfer Window Heats Up: Major Moves Brewing Across Europe

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

Manchester United have drawn up a two-man wishlist of Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimarães and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton as they aim to strengthen in midfield, TEAMtalk reports. Bruno, who scored in Newcastle’s 4-1 win over Man United earlier this month, has a contract at St James’ Park that runs until 2028, while Wharton is committed to Selhurst Park for a further year. Christian Eriksen is expected to leave Old Trafford in the summer, but the Red Devils could struggle to offload Casemiro due to the Brazilian’s large wages. Arsenal and Aston Villa are among the clubs that have held exploratory talks about Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha, reports Sky Sports, who add that Saudi Arabian clubs are also willing to trigger the 25-year-old’s release clause. They also reference interest from Manchester United who, sources have told ESPN, are exploring the possibility of triggering Cunha’s release clause. Real Madrid’s defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League has shifted their focus to the transfer window, reports AS. As such, Los Blancos are looking at AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen at centre-back and Real Sociedad’s Martín Zubimendi in midfield. Both players being worth €60m complicates things — as does Bayer Leverkusen wanting €150m for Florian Wirtz — and Real Madrid could have to offload players to make a move and prefer to focus on players whose contracts are coming to an end. Real Madrid will announce a contract extension for Vinícius Júnior at the end of this season, according to Cadena SER. The Brazil international’s deal — which currently runs until 2027 — will be extended by another two or three years, the radio station reported on Tuesday. Interest from Saudi Arabia was not, in the end, tempting for Vinícius, according to SER, with the player having doubts over moving to the Saudi Pro League on a five-year deal. He would only have considered a switch to Saudi for two years, at the most. Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García — who’s been LaLiga’s standout keeper this season — has offers from the Premier League, the Bundesliga, and other LaLiga clubs, Cadena COPE reports, although he hasn’t received an approach from Real Madrid. García, 23, will be available on a €25m release clause this summer, or 15 million if Espanyol are relegated, which now looks unlikely. According to COPE, García’s agents are waiting to see if an offer arrives from Madrid before taking a decision on where his future lies.

Int’l Friendly: Flying Eagles Edge Young Pharaohs in Cairo

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago02 mins

Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles, on Tuesday defeated their Egyptian counterparts, Young Pharaohs 2-1 in a pre-Africa U20 Cup of Nations friendly at the Cairo International Stadium. Kparobo Arierhi, who scored three goals as Nigeria successfully defended her WAFU B U20 Championship title in Lome in October (including a brace in the final that dashed Ghana’s hopes), scored Nigeria’s first in the 10th minute of the encounter after a good pass from Bidemi Amole. The Young Pharaohs pulled one back in the 65th minute through Ahmed Kaabaka, but a dominant Nigeria side shot into the lead again with seven minutes left on the clock after Precious Benjamin made no mistake from the spot, following a foul on Divine Oliseh in the hosts’ eighteen-yard box. Seven-time African champions Nigeria achieved the morale-boosting victory less than 48 hours after arriving in the Egyptian capital for the 17th Africa U20 Cup of Nations, which gets underway on Sunday. The Flying Eagles’ first match is against Tunisia on Thursday next week, before further games against Morocco and Kenya in Group B. On their part, hosts Egypt, who head Group A, will take on South Africa on Sunday, before further games against Sierra Leone on 30th April, Zambia on 3rd May and Tanzania on 9th May.

Man United Reaches Agreement to Sign £63m Osimhen

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago02 mins

Manchester United have reportedly pipped a host of European giants to secure the signature of highly sought after Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen. They have reached a ‘basic agreement’ with the star striker’s entourage for his salary terms, according to reports in Italy. The 26-year-old Galatasaray forward, currently on loan from Napoli, has a release clause of £63million available for non-Italian clubs. Ruben Amorim will be looking to sign another striker to bolster their attacking ranks with Rasmus Hojlund struggling to live up to his £72m price tag. The 22-year-old, who attracted criticism following his performance against Wolves on Sunday, has only scored three Premier League goals in 28 appearances this season. A swap deal, which would see the Dane moving to Naples, would make the deal more likely, Tuttosport said. Osimhen is one of Europe’s hottest strikers and has also been linked with Arsenal, Juventus and Barcelona. He has notched an impressive 29 goals in 34 games this season, including 21 in the Turkish Super Lig. He scored 31 goals in all competitions as he fired Napoli to a first Serie A title in 33 years in the 2022-23 season. However, he was forced to desperately search for a new club in last summer’s transfer window after Napoli boss Antonio Conte signed Romelu Lukaku and left Osimhen out of the squad.

Super Eagles, Chelsea Celebrate Mikel at 38

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago02 mins

Former African champions, Super Eagles and Premier League giants, Chelsea have congratulated erstwhile national team skipper John Obi Mikel on his 38th birthday. Both national team and the European club side took to Twitter handle now X on Tuesday to celebrate the retired midfielder. “Happy birthday to our former captain and legend Mikel John,” Super Eagles wrote. In a similar fashion, Chelsea also wrote; “Mikel Have a wonderful birthday, John Obi Mikel!” Mikel, born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna on 22 April 1987 stayed with Chelsea for 11 years where he won multiple titles, including two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and the 2011–12 Champions League. After leaving Chelsea, he had brief stints at Tianjin TEDA, Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, Stoke City and Kuwait SC. In a 14-year international career between 2005 and 2019, he played 91 times for Nigeria, scoring six goals. He went to five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments (winning in 2013), two World Cups, and won a bronze medal at the Olympics in 2016.

Sanusi, Other WAFU B General Secretaries Begin Leadership Seminar in Abidjan

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago01 mins

The seminar for the General Secretaries of CAF West Zone B, as well as representatives from Cameroon and Liberia, opened on Monday morning at the Zone’s headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. After the welcome address delivered by the Executive Director, Mr. Philippe Tchere, the official opening of the proceedings took place online under the chairmanship of Mr. Kurt Edwin-Simeon Okraku, President of West Zone B. This two-day seminar is organized around the theme “𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏” and is being facilitated by Mr. Patrick D. Cowden. Its objective is to strengthen the managerial and strategic skills of the participants, in line with CAF’s commitment to professionalize and support the development of West African football. The scheduled discussions and workshops will allow the General Secretaries to deepen their reflection on governance, communication, and leadership, in service of the performance of their respective federations.