GLOBAL ASSOCIATION NEWS
At least five of the eight Round of sixteen fixtures at the ongoing Under-twenty FIFA World Cup have been confirmed.
The first game will see the USA take on New Zealand on Tuesday by 6.30pm.
Uzbekistan faces Israel in another last-16 clash on the same day by 10pm.
On Wednesday, Colombia takes on Slovakia in the first clash, while Brazil will face Tunisia.
Nigeria will need to get past hosts Argentina if they want to play in the quarter-finals. The game is scheduled for Wednesday at 10pm.
=======================================
NIGERIA
Nigerian International, Victor Osimhen has expressed happiness after he was bestowed with the Member of the order of the Federal Republic, award by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Osimhen was given the award for his achievement in football which put the country in a positive light.
The Super Eagles striker inspired Napoli to a third Serie A title and their first since 1990, and also he is set to become the first ever African to win the Serie A golden boot.
================================
Napoli are set to offer Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen a new contract as they look to keep the striker despite strong interest in him from elsewhere.
Manchester United and Chelsea are amongst the clubs that are tracking Osimhen, who is the top scorer in Serie A this season.
Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco have also been linked with Osimhen.
==============================
Nigerian international, Kelechi Iheanacho hopes to be back in the English Premier League soon after Leicester City were relegated to the Championship.
Despite limited playing time this season, the Super Eagles forward had ten goals contribution, five goals and five assists for the Foxes.
==============================
Nottingham Forest City boss, Steve Cooper has challenged Nigerian international, Taiwo Awoniyi to build on his double-figures Premier League goals tally next season.
Awoniyi bagged ten goals in his maiden campaign in the English top-flight.
The Super Eagles star was the first Forest player to hit double-figures in a single Premier League season since Stan Collymore in the 1994/95 season.
==================================
Confederation of African Football, CAF, has praised Flying Eagles, Gambia and Tunisia for making it to round of sixteen at the 2023 FIFA Under-twenty World Cup in Argentina.
The Flying Eagles who finished third in Group D, will take on hosts Argentina in the round of sixteen on Wednesday.
Gambia topped Group F and are drawn with Uruguay in the first knockout stage while Tunisia who placed third in Group E will face Brazil.
===============================
Former Nigerian International, Andrew Aikhoumogbe has advised the Flying Eagles to maintain their level of concentration if they are to overcome host, Argentina in the round of sixteen of the ongoing 2023 Under-twenty World Cup.
With the team set to face Argentina in the Round of sixteen, Akhoumogbe urged the Flying Eagles not sit back and absorb pressure from Argentina.
He also warned the team to maintain a high level of concentration and avoid making silly mistakes at the back
==============================
Falconets will face Benin Republic in the semi-finals of the maiden WAFU B Under-twenty Women’s Championship in Ghana.
The Falconets top Group B with nine points after winning all their three games without conceding.
The Nigerian girls started their campaign with a seven-nill win against Niger Republic before thrashing Togo six-nil in their second game, as Falconets ended the group phase with a three-nil win against Burkina Faso.
The Falconets will play Benin on Wednesday, while Burkina Faso also advanced despite the defeat and will next face hosts Ghana for a place in the final.
========================
Warri Wolves head coach, Jolomi Atune says the failure of the team to qualify for the Nigeria National League Super Eight playoff was do to poor motivation by the state government.
Atune stressed that though the motivation came late, the team is reaping the dividend with the Seasiders’ impressive performance in the 2023 Federation Cup.
The Delta State Government is the financier and owner of Warri Wolves.
=======================
ENGLAND.
Chelsea have appointed former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss, Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager.
The Argentine begins his new role on first July 2023 on a two-year contract, with an option of a further year.
Pochettino will work with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart.
========================
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has given the club the green light for his potential first signing, Manuel Ugarte.
Pochettinio, wants to sign Ugarte, who currently plays for Sporting CP.
Chelsea are understood to have indicated they are willing to pay Ugarte’s fifty-two million pounds release clause in full and Pochettino is said to have sanctioned the move for the midfielder.
==========================
Former Everton captain Alan Stubbs has called for “major changes from boardroom level down” after the club survived relegation on the final day of the season.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal earned a one-nil win over Bournemouth, securing the Toffees’ Premier League status at the expense of Leeds and Leicester.
The win extended their sixty-nine year stay in English football’s top tier.
===========================
Former Manchester City defender, Micah Richards, has backed Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United to challenge Pep Guardiola’s side in a thrilling Premier League title race next season.
Manchester City will attempt to win a fourth consecutive league title next season, having won the Premier League for the fifth time in six years this term.
=============================
Leicester City chairman, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha says the team will be back after their relegation from the Premier League.
Srivaddhanaprabha, who revealed he has had “offensive” messages asking him to sell the club, said relegation is undeniably a significant setback.
His family have owned the Foxes since 2010, with Aiyawatt taking charge in 2018 after the death of father Vichai.
==============================
Manchester United midfielder Fred is attracting interest from Fulham.
The Brazilian is among thirteen players earmarked for departure from Old Trafford this summer and was spotted chatting to Marco Silva post-match.
Fred made fifty-five appearances for United this season but the last time he completed the full ninety minutes in the league was against Leeds in February.
===============================
Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag is confident that he can convince Mason Mount to join the team this summer rather than Arsenal or Liverpool.
Ten Hag believes he can get a deal over the line for Mount.
Mount, who has one year left on his contract, is expected to leave Chelsea this summer.
Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said captain Harry Maguire has a decision to make on his future at the club.
=============================
Liverpool have made an offer for Barcelona defender Jules Kounde.
Jurgen Klopp is eager to bring Kounde to Anfield with the player open to leaving Barcelona this summer.
Kounde joined Barcelona from Sevilla last year for forty-six million pounds and made thirty-eight appearances for the club, which has included being part of a LaLiga title-winning side.
==============================
Liverpool star, Roberto Firmino is waiting to see where he would fit in with Real Madrid’s plans before taking a decision on moving to Spain.
The soon-to-be free agent is on Madrid’s list for this summer as he contemplates which club he will join after leaving Liverpool.
Firmino scored in his last game for Liverpool, as the Reds were held to a thrilling four-all draw with relegated Southampton.
========================
OTHER SPORTS
In Tennis, Britain’s Cameron Norrie is unhappy that an “absurd” call from the umpire changed the momentum of his French Open match against France’s Benoit Paire.
After winning the first set, Norrie was penalised for hindrance early in the second after being ruled to have put off Paire by shouting mid-point.
Paire broke serve and won the next two sets, before fourteenth seed Norrie fought back to win 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
===============================
In Cricket, Brendon McCullum says there is no greater opportunity for England to prove themselves than the formidable challenge of the Ashes series.
England meet Ireland in a one-off Test at Lord’s on Thursday before facing Australia at Edgbaston on sixteen June.
They will look to regain the urn after a year in which a swashbuckling style has brought ten wins from twelve Tests.
============================
In Athletics, Eilish McColgan says winning gold at this summer’s World Championships is a “pipe dream” and she is instead focusing on breaking the thirty minute barrier in the ten thousand metre.
The Scot is recovering from the knee injury that forced her to pull out of the London Marathon last month.
She returned to light training and thinks gold in Budapest in August is now less likely.
========================
OTHER LEAGUES
Borussia Dortmund’s England midfielder, Jude Bellingham has been named the Bundesliga player of the season.
Bellingham was key in his side’s title challenge but a two-all draw with Mainz on the final day of the season saw them lose out to Bayern Munich.
He scored eight goals and provided five assists in thirty-one league appearances this season as Dortmund finished runners-up.
===============================
Paris Saint-Germain superstar, Kylian Mbappe has sent a message to teammate, Lionel Messi after the Frenchman won the Ligue1 Player of the Year award.
The French attacker acknowledged the contribution from Messi after he claimed the award for the 2022-23 season.
Mbappe has been the PSG standout player, helping them win the title this season.
================================
Barcelona are set to secure the signing of Wolves captain Ruben Neves ‘in the coming days’.
Xavi is eager to make additions to his squad and Neves has been heavily linked with a departure from Molineux.
An agreement has been reached between all parties over a transfer and a deal could happen for twenty-six million pounds.
================================
Paris Saint-Germain have made surprise soundings over the signing of Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian star enjoyed a brilliant season in helping the Gunners climb up the table and mount their first challenge for the Premier League title in well over a decade.
Odegaard has been one of the best players this season, scoring fifteen goals and providing eight assists in thirty-seven Premier League appearances.
=================================
Former Bayern Munich midfielder, Dietmar Hamann, has suggested that manager Thomas Tuchel will follow Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic out of the club soon.
Hamann claimed that Tuchel, who was only appointed in March, would leave Bayern Munich on his own accord.
The Bayern Munich board immediately sacked the club’s chief executive Kahn and sporting director, Salihamidzic, after lifting the Bundesliga title.
==================================
After guiding Napoli to a first Serie A title in thirty-three years, manager Luciano Spalletti says he will leave the club at the end of the season and take time out of the game.
Spalletti who took over in July 2021, had a year left on his deal.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis said he would “respect” the decision.
===============================
Ajax’s Steven Berghuis has apologised after a video shows the midfielder appearing to strike a fan in front of his side’s team bus.
Berghuis, is seen lashing out at the supporter before an official intervenes.
The incident happened following his side’s three-one defeat at FC Twente.
==================================
Rangers have identified Cyriel Dessers as a transfer target for the summer.
Dessers is among the strikers on the Gers radar.
The forward joined Italian club, Cremonese from Belgian Pro League outfit, KRC Genk last summer.
The Nigerian could be on the move again following Cremonese’s relegation from Serie A.
======================================
Turkish club, Fenerbahce will demand ten million euros from potential suitors for their Nigerian defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Osayi-Samuel is expected to leave the former Turkish Super Lig champions this summer.
There are a number of Premier League clubs interested in his services.
================================
Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet has been named in Scotland’s squad for the first time in two years for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers, with Southampton’s Che Adams missing out through injury.
With Grant Hanley also sidelined, fit-again centre-backs Jack Hendry and John Souttar are also recalled.
Rangers’ Souttar last featured in Steve Clarke’s squad a year ago.
securityandsafetymatters 