NIGERIA
The Federal Government, has approved the sum of two point four billion naira for the construction of a new National Sports Medicine and High-Performance Centre at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Lagos to be completed in 2026.
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, revealed this after the Council’s nearly eight-hour meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja.
He argued that, unlike other projects in the past, the new High-Performance Centre has an in-built maintenance structure in its lifecycle design.
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Former AC Milan manager, Fabio Capello says Nigerian international, Victor Osimhen and Erling Haaland share the same similarities.
The duo have been in fantastic form for Napoli and Manchester City this season.
Osimhen scored twenty-eight goals in thirty-five appearances across all competitions for newly crowned Serie A champions Napoli.
Norway international, Haaland netted fifty-one times in forty-seven appearances across all competitions for Manchester City.
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Golden Eaglets coach, Nduka Ugbade, is confident that the team will seal qualification for the Under-seventeen World Cup when they take on Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals of the U-17 African Cup of Nations in Algeria on Thursday.
Speaking ahead of the game, Ugbade stated that the Young Etalons will not deny his team the opportunity to compete for a record-extending sixth Under-seventeen World Cup title later this year.
The Golden Eaglets are aiming to qualify for the World Cup for a record eleventh time.
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Enyimba of Aba, Akwa United and Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan are the four Nigeria Professional Football League sides that crashed out of the Federations in the round of 32.
Four-time winners Enyimba were beaten by Plateau United three-two on penalties after regulation time ended two-all at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium on Wednesday.
At the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, Nigerian National League side Warri Wolves defeated Shooting Stars four-three on penalties to advance to the round of 16 after both teams failed to score in regulation time.
Akwa United were also dumped out of the competition after they lost nine-eight on penalties after full-time scores were level at one-all draw.
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The Nigeria Premier Football League NPFL Super Six competition has been rescheduled for twenty-third May.
The season-ending competition was earlier scheduled to start sixteenth May but was postponed due to the backlog of outstanding of matches in Group B involving defending champions, Rivers United.
The competition will hold at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.
The top three teams in Group A and B will compete for the NPFL title in the competition.
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The Interim Management Committee has engaged the service of a security intelligence unit to monitor the last group games in the Nigeria Premier Football League NPFL.
The final fixtures in Group A will be played this weekend, with Enyimba, Remo Stars and Akwa United in contention for a Super Six spot.
Bendel Insurance have already booked their ticket for the tournament.
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Enyimba midfielder Eze Ekwutoziam has hailed the goalscoring impact of Chukwuemeka Obioma in the team this season.
Obioma netted fourteen times in the Nigeria Premier Football League with his recent a hat-trick in the five-nil rout of Gombe United.
Ekwutoziam said Obioma had caused major problems for the opposition defenders with his pace, power and flawless finishing.
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Acontingent of five weightlifters and two coaches depart Nigeria for Tunisia for the 2023 African Weightlifting Championship.
The championship which holds between eleventh and twentieth May will also serve as Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers.
The athletes are made up of three women and two men in five categories.
The men’s flagbearers are 2022 Commonwealth bronze medallist, Umoafia Edidiong Joseph 73kg and Akano Desmond 89kg in men category.
The women on the list include 2022 Commonwealth gold medal winners, Lawal Rafiatu 59kg and Olarinoye Adenike Adijat 59kg while Eze Joy Ogbonne in 71kg completes Nigeria’s trio in women category.
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Nigeria’s second-ranked squash player, Adegoke Onaopemipo, began his campaign at the ongoing Lagos Squash Classics with a resounding win over Brice Nicola at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
Onaopemipo outclassed Frenchman Nicolas in three straight sets in the opening round of the tourney. The 23-year-old won 11-5,11-5 and 11-7.
Other Nigerians who also advanced to the second round are Abel Shedrack, who edged Jan Wipperfurth from Germany 3-1 (8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5), while Femi Shedara lost 3-1 (11-13,4-11, 12-10) to countryman Kehinde Temitope.
Gabriel Olufunmilayo also sealed his second-round spot with a 3-0 win (11-6,11-1, 11-2) over Faruq Suliamon.
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ENGLAND
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West Ham boss, David Moyes believes his side are playing their best football at the right time of the season as they look to win the Europa Conference League.
The team have endured a difficult season after battling against the drop but after a pivotal one-nil win over Manchester United gave them a massive boost in their survival bid, the team will now have the confidence to switch focus to Europe with a trophy in sight.
The Hammers host Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their semi-final on Thursday.
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Meanwhile, West Ham forward, Jarrod Bowen cannot escape the expectation of West Ham fans as his father-in-law Danny Dyer remind him of his duty to win the club’s first trophy since 1980.
West Ham host AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-finals on Thursday as David Moyes’ men look to make this a season to remember.
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Former Manchester City forward, Sergio Aguero has challenged the decision-making of his former manager Pep Guardiola after the team’s boss failed to make a single substitution in his side’s one-all draw with Real Madrid.
Despite an initial show of dominance, Manchester City fell behind at the Santiago Bernabeu after a superb long-range strike from Real star Vinicius Junior just past the half-hour mark.
Guardiola opted not to introduce anyone from the bench despite the intensity of the tie-leaving talents such as Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, and Julian Alvarez to watch the full ninety minutes from the sidelines.
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Manchester City star, Jack Grealish has admitted it was difficult for him to face Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal during their Champions League semi-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Grealish said he was warned about the right-back before the game, adding that tiredness and cramps took the better of him after the game.
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Incoming Chelsea boss, Mauricio Pochettino believes Mason Mount can become a key player in his Chelsea revolution despite ongoing uncertainty over his long-term future.
Mount, who will miss the rest of the season after undergoing an abdomen operation, is entering the final twelve months of his current deal with no agreement over an extension close.
Chelsea who are in line for a significant cash windfall if former player Marc Guehi leaves Crystal Palace this summer may have no option but to consider offers for Mount this summer to avoid the prospect of losing the England international on a free transfer, with Liverpool and Arsenal among the clubs interested.
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Alfie Haaland says he was escorted from his seat at the Bernabeu because Real Madrid fans were “not happy” with his celebrations after Kevin de Bruyne’s equaliser for Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final first leg.
Video appears to show Erling Haaland’s dad taunting the home fans before being removed from his box.
The former Manchester City and Leeds midfielder is a regular at City’s matches, where his son has scored fifty-one goals so far this season.
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Arsenal is set to allow their experienced midfielder Granit Xhaka leave the club this summer.
The Gunners want to bring in new faces at the Emirates and have been linked to a number of midfielders.
Mikel Arteta will guide the club to their return to the Champions League for the first time in seven years, hence the need to bring in more experienced players.
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Newcastle defender, Kieran Trippier has opened up on the shock he experienced when ex-Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino threw him in ‘fat club’ during pre-season in 2015.
The England international, who is now marshalling Newcastle towards a top four finish in the Premier League this season, arrived at White Hart Lane after a fruitful three-year spell at Burnley and found himself well below his new manager’s standards.
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Former Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed his former assistant Michael Carrick to become manager at the club in the future.
Carrick became United’s interim boss when Solskjaer was sacked in November 2021.
He eventually left Old Trafford after Ralf Rangnick took over.
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Manchester United goalkeeper, David De Gea has agreed terms on a new contract with the club and is expected to sign shortly.
De Gea’s current deal expires this summer, although United have the option to extend it for another twelve months.
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Manchester United midfielder, Christian Eriksen has revealed he watched footage of his on-field collapse at Euro 2020 the following day while recovering in hospital.
Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening fixture at the tournament in June 2021, leaving the sporting world in shock after suddenly collapsing on the pitch.
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Burnley have signed defender Jordan Beyer on a four-year deal from German side Borussia Monchengladbach after his loan spell at Turf Moor.
Beyer joined Burnley on first September and went on to make thirty-five appearances for the club.
Beyer helped Vincent Kompany’s side keep eighteen clean sheets on the way to winning the 2022-23 Championship title.
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Chelsea women has thrashed Leicester City women six-nil to move a point behind Women’s Super League leaders Manchester United with a game in hand.
The Blues were 3-0 up after 32 minutes following goals from Guro Reiten, Erin Cuthbert and Pernille Harder.
Denmark’s Harder added a second just before half-time as Chelsea further exerted their dominance.
Goals from Lauren James and Jelena Cankovic rounded off the success in the second half.
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Arsenal Women will play an increased number of league fixtures at the Emirates next season after attracting record crowds in the last twelve months.
Jonas Eivedall’s team will play five Women’s Super League matches at the men’s stadium in 2023-2024, up from three matches this season.
The Gunners recently sold out the Emirates for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Wolfsburg, with sixty thousand, sixty-three fans watching them narrowly lose in extra-time.
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England and Arsenal forward Beth Mead says she is “ahead of schedule” in the recovery from her anterior cruciate ligament injury but is unsure whether she will be fit for the World Cup.
Mead has been out since November after rupturing her ACL in a Women’s Super League loss to Manchester United.
England face Haiti in their opening World Cup game in Australia twenty-second July.
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OTHER SPORTS
Andy Murray’s recent revival on clay was halted by defeat in an eventful Italian Open first-round match against home favourite Fabio Fognini.
The 35-year-old Briton, who won a Challenger title in France last week, lost 6-4 4-6 6-4 in Rome.
Fognini, 35, showed his classy ball-striking to win the first set, before Murray eventually clinched a second set that had seven breaks of serve.
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US sprint coach Rana Reider has been given a one-year probation after he “acknowledged a consensual romantic relationship with an adult athlete, which presented a power imbalance”, according to his lawyer.
It follows an investigation into multiple complaints of sexual misconduct against him.
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Tiger Woods has been ruled out of the 2023 PGA Championship as the 15-time major champion continues to recover from an ankle injury.
It is the third time in seven years the American, 47, will miss the tournament.
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In Cricket, Australia captain Pat Cummins says he has had to “find a balance” after suffering burnout early in his career.
Cummins, missed the Indian Premier League to rest before this summer’s World Test Championship against India, followed by the Ashes in England.
The seamer will then lead Australia at the World Cup in India in the autumn.
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In Rugby, Ireland’s Joy Neville will become the first female to officiate at men’s rugby World Cup later this year.
The former Ireland captain has been named as a television match official on the panel for the 2023 tournament, which begins in France in September.
Neville refereed the women’s World Cup final in 2017 and became the first female TMO for a top-level men’s Test match in 2020.
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Still on Rugby, Sale fly-half George Ford says Leicester Tigers are a “different beast” compared to earlier in the season.
The two sides meet on Sunday in the Premiership semi-final with a place in the Twickenham showpiece at stake.
Ford, who won the title with Leicester in 2022, said the Tigers are a much-improved outfit to the one that struggled in the new year.
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OTHER LEAGUE
Inter Milan took a big step towards reaching the Champions League final as they beat their city rivals in a thrilling Milan derby at San Siro.
In a game that had been anticipated for weeks in Italy and was witnessed at the ground by a vocal and passionate 80,000-strong crowd, Inter made the perfect start when Edin Dzeko volleyed home in the eighth minute.
The goal silenced the Milan fans – the designated home side for the tie in the stadium the two sides share – as they significantly outnumbered the Inter supporters.
Inter Milan’s second goal was socred by Henrikh Mkhitaryan, to make it two-nil win over AC Milan.
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Roma boss, Jose Mourinho is relishing a reunion with Bayer Leverkusen boss, Xabi Alonso when the two sides meet in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.
Mourinho was Alonso’s manager at Real Madrid between 2010 to 2013.
Together, they won the La Liga title, Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
Alonso, who took charge of Leverkusen last October, is also looking forward to facing Mourinho as a manager for the first time.
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Argentina forward, Lionel Messi has been offered a two-year contract deal worth eight hundred and eighty-seven million pounds, to a Saudi club.
The monstrous deal, if penned, would be worth double what Cristiano Ronaldo earns at Saudi side Al-Nassr.
Messi’s future at Paris Saint-Germain has been under the radar following his suspension for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia for a commercial deal.
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AC Milan star Rafael Leao has penned a new five-year at the Italian club.
The highly-rated winger, who has been attracting interest from a host of clubs including Liverpool and Chelsea ahead of the summer, has enjoyed an impressive season with the Serie A giants, contributing thirteen goals and thirteen assists so far this term.
He was also instrumental during his side’s Scudetto triumph last season, which brought Milan their first Serie A title in eleven years.
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Mexican football legend Antonio Carbajal, the first footballer to play at five World Cups, has died aged ninety-three.
Known as “La Tota”, the goalkeeper played at the Brazil 1950, Switzerland 1954, Sweden 1958, Chile 1962 and England 1966 tournaments.
Carbajal held the record alone for thirty-two years until it was equalled by Germany’s Lothar Matthaus in 1998.
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Captain Sergio Busquets has confirmed he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season after eighteen years at the club.
The former Spain midfielder, played seven hundred and eighteen matches for Barcelona, the third-most in the club’s history.
His list of honours won with the club includes eight La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, seven Spanish Super Cups and three Champions Leagues.
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Barcelona forward, Raphinha has hit back at speculation that he is set to leave the team after just one season at the Camp Nou in a string of impassioned Instagram posts.
The former Leeds ace has had an inconsistent start to life in Catalonia but has found form as the Blaugrana’s LaLiga-winning campaign has drawn to a close.
The winger is said to be in the sights of a number of Premier League clubs after he was believed to be one of the players considered for sale during the upcoming transfer window.
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The Tunisian Football Federation is to offer financial rewards to “ideal” supporters in an attempt to reduce the number of violent incidents in stadiums.
Police officers have been injured and countless arrests have been made as a result of an alarming rise in confrontations in recent years.
The federation’s president Wadia Jariaa met with Tunisia’s interior minister, Kamal El-Feki, to discuss the incidents.
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TODAY’S FIXTURES
IN EUROPA LEAGUE – SEMI-FINAL
Juventus vs Sevilla
Roma vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen
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IN EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE – SEMI-FINAL
Fiorentina vs FC Basel
West Ham United vs AZ Alkmaar
securityandsafetymatters 