U20 World Cup: Nigeria, Argentina Light Up Santiago in Big Last-16 Clash

U20 World Cup: Nigeria, Argentina Light Up Santiago in Big Last-16 Clash

Nigeria and Argentina will, once again, set the global football stage alight as the Round of 16 of this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals commence in Chile on Wednesday evening. Both countries have fought memorable battles in the FIFA World Cup finals, FIFA U20 World Cup finals and at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament, but the most recent remains Nigeria’s spectacular 2-0 defeat of the Albiceleste in a Round of 16 encounter when Argentina hosted the FIFA U20 World Cup finals two years ago. Ibrahim Muhammad and Haliru Sarki got the goals that stunned the hosts and upturned the prediction of most pundits, with the Flying Eagles marching ahead to the quarter-finals where they lost in extra time to the Republic of Korea. Two decades ago, the Flying Eagles narrowly lost 1-2 to the Argies in the FIFA U20 World Cup Final in The Netherlands, both Argentine goals coming through penalty kicks converted by Lionel Messi, while Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi scored a brilliant goal for Nigeria. Argentina have won the FIFA U20 World Cup six times, while Nigeria have finished with the silver medals twice (1989 and 2005) and the bronze once (1985), but there will be no inferiority complex on the part of the seven-time African champions when they take the pitch of the Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos in Santiago from 8.30pm Nigeria time on Wednesday. Self-belief, sense of purpose and pride, and resilience got the wards of Aliyu Zubair through the group stage, with four points off Saudi Arabia and Colombia, and the Colombians are unlikely to forget how the West Africans dominated a game they (Colombia) were tipped to easily win. Thrice, the Flying Eagles struck the bar in the encounter at the Estadio Fiscal de Talca, and earned a deserved point at the end when captain Daniel Bameyi cooly converted a penalty kick conceded in desperation by the South Americans as the tireless Nigerian attack went on the rampage once more. Coach Zubair must pick a new man to team up with Tahir Maigana and Kparobo Arierhi in the fore, with Suleman Sani suspended after accumulating two yellow cards in the group stage. The Flying Eagles arrived in Santiago from Talca on Monday evening, and will conduct a training session on Tuesday evening ahead of the clash with the Argies.

Read More
Women’s World Cup: Flamingos Set to Depart for Morocco

Women’s World Cup: Flamingos Set to Depart for Morocco

Ahead of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup,Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, will depart Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday, October 8, aboard Royal Air Maroc, as they begin the final phase of their preparations for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. The team is scheduled to arrive in Morocco’s industrial and economic capital, Casablanca where they will settle into camp before heading to Rabat for the tournament proper. While in Casablanca, the Flamingos will intensify their build-up with two high-profile international friendlies — first against New Zealand on October 10, followed by a clash with Paraguay on October 14. The team will then move into the official FIFA hotel in Rabat on October 15, where all participating teams will be housed for the competition. The Flamingos have been drawn in Group D, alongside Canada, France, and Samoa. Nigeria will kick off their campaign against Canada on Sunday, October 19, before facing France three days later — both matches scheduled for 8 p.m Nigerian time at the Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 2) and Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 1) in the city of Sale. Their final group stage encounter will be against Samoa on October 25, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. at the Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 3) still in Sale. Head Coach Bankole Olowookere’s side head into the tournament full of confidence, having played 10 tune-up matches, scoring an impressive 44 goals without conceding any. Their dominant form in camp so far, coupled with a well-balanced squad, underscores their determination to go one step further than their quarter-final finish at the last edition in the Dominican Republic.

Read More

Sevilla Crush Barcelona 4-1 To End Catalans’ Unbeaten Run

Barcelona suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Sevilla in their La Liga Week 8 clash at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. Sevilla made a blistering start, racing into an early lead through goals from Sanchez and Romero that set the tone for the night. Barcelona pulled one back just before halftime through Marcus Rashford, but despite their improved display in the second half, they couldn’t find an equalizer. Robert Lewandowski had a golden chance to level the score in the 76th minute but squandered it from the penalty spot. Sevilla punished that miss in the closing stages, with Carmona and Adams both finding the net to complete a resounding 4-1 victory. The result keeps Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table, two points clear of Barcelona, who remain second on 19 points. Sevilla’s impressive win lifts them to fourth place with 13 points.  

Read More

Grealish Scores First Everton Goal As Toffees End Palace’s 19-Match Unbeaten Run

Jack Grealish scored his first goal for Everton to complete a thrilling 2-1 comeback and end Crystal Palace’s remarkable 19-match unbeaten run. Palace took the lead in the 37th minute through Daniel Munoz, but Everton equalized early in the second half when Iliman Ndiaye converted from the penalty spot. Jordan Pickford, making his 300th Premier League appearance, kept Everton alive with several crucial saves as Tyrick Mitchell struck the bar and Jean-Philippe Mateta saw his effort cleared off the line. Ismaila Sarr also came close, but Palace’s wastefulness in front of goal proved costly. As the game approached stoppage time, Ndiaye’s cross found Beto, whose header was parried by Dean Henderson. Munoz’s attempted clearance then deflected off Grealish and into the net to spark wild celebrations at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The victory snapped Everton’s four-game winless run and ensured they remain unbeaten at their new home, while Palace suffered their first defeat in any competition since April. Everton’s late strike marked their latest home Premier League winning goal since March 2022, when they beat Newcastle United in stoppage time. Grealish, who has made an impressive start to life on Merseyside, won more fouls (four) and played the third-most passes in the final third (18) of any player on the pitch. Remarkably, each of Everton’s last three Premier League home wins after conceding first have come against Palace — 3-2 in May 2022, 2-1 in September 2024, and now 2-1 again.

Read More

Chelsea Beat Liverpool 2-1 At Stamford Bridge As Reds Suffer Third Consecutive Loss

Liverpool suffered a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, marking their third consecutive loss in all competitions and raising concerns over their Premier League form. Chelsea took an early lead in the 14th minute when Moisés Caicedo unleashed a powerful long-range strike. Liverpool responded in the 63rd minute through Cody Gakpo, who finished a clever setup from Alexander Isak to level the score. The Blues clinched the victory in stoppage time, with 18-year-old substitute Estevão converting a cross from Marc Cucurella. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was sent off for excessive celebration after the decisive goal. Despite missing several key players, Chelsea impressed with their resilience and creativity, particularly from Estevão and the other young talents in the squad. The win ends Chelsea’s recent poor run and intensifies pressure on Liverpool manager Arne Slot. The loss leaves Liverpool with growing concerns, having now dropped three consecutive matches, including defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray, as the team struggles to regain its early-season momentum.  

Read More

Arsenal Dominate West Ham 2-0 To Top Premier League Table

Arsenal secured a comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham United in a Premier League London derby on Saturday, October 4, 2025. The victory also marked Mikel Arteta’s 300th game in charge of the Gunners. Declan Rice, facing his former club, opened the scoring in the 38th minute by tapping in a rebound after Eberechi Eze’s shot was saved. Bukayo Saka extended Arsenal’s lead in the 67th minute, converting a penalty awarded after a foul on Jurriën Timber. West Ham struggled throughout, failing to register a single shot on target. The win lifted Arsenal temporarily to the top of the Premier League table with 16 points from seven matches, ahead of Liverpool. However, the celebrations were tempered by injuries to captain Martin Ødegaard and goal-scorer Declan Rice, both forced off during the match.  

Read More

Manchester United Beat Sunderland 2-0 At Old Trafford To Secure Third Straight Home Win

Under-pressure Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim celebrated his 50th game in charge with a vital 2-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford. Mason Mount set the tone early, scoring after just eight minutes — United’s fastest Premier League goal since Marcus Rashford netted in the second minute against Ipswich during Amorim’s debut last November. Benjamin Sesko added a second with a close-range finish, marking his second goal in consecutive games. United also kept their first clean sheet of the season, a boost for Amorim who entrusted debutant £18.1m goalkeeper Senne Lammens between the posts. Sunderland appeared to earn a penalty just before halftime, but VAR overturned the decision, confirming Sesko had not caught Trai Hume with a high boot as initially thought. After a difficult run, Amorim finally has some positive stats to reflect on. United secured a third straight home win for the first time in over two years and have lost only once to Sunderland in 31 home encounters. Amorim also became the first United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to win his 50th game in charge. The victory prompted the home crowd to break into a spirited rendition of the ‘Ruben Amorim’ chant — a rare moment of comfort for the Portuguese coach amid mounting scrutiny over his future at Old Trafford.  

Read More

Chiamaka Nnadozie Reveals Loneliness at Brighton

Super Falcons and Brighton goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has opened up on the challenges she has faced since moving to England, admitting that she cries almost every day due to loneliness. The Nigerian international made the revelation on Nike and Versus’ show Nothing Off The Table, which explores what it takes to succeed at the highest level and what it truly means to be a global icon today. The show featured Lucy Bronze, Mariona Caldentey, Nnadozie, and Wieke Kaptein, who discussed topics ranging from football on the pitch to personal relationships off it. Speaking about adjusting to life in a new environment without family, friends, or familiar faces, Nnadozie revealed that her transition from Paris FC, where she spent five years, to Brighton was particularly tough. “It’s not really easy. People think you just come on the pitch and play, but they don’t know the struggles behind it. Since I moved to Brighton, I cry almost every day because I feel lonely. I miss my family,” Nnadozie said. She added that her teammates and coaches have been instrumental in helping her settle: “Thanks to my teammates and coaches, they always check up on me to make sure I’m okay. The most important thing is having people who genuinely care about you. Going on preseason with the team also helped me a lot; the unity and togetherness really made a difference.” Despite the challenges, the 24-year-old believes the experience has made her stronger and more independent. “There were things I thought I couldn’t do on my own, but now I can. I never believed I could live alone, but I’m doing that now. I think I’m becoming a woman, which is really good.” Since her arrival, Nnadozie has quickly become a fan favourite at Brighton. She has impressed in her first four games, keeping two clean sheets and helping her side to two wins, one draw, and a loss.

Read More