NIGERIA
Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo has called for an end to the uncertainty surrounding the coaching crew of the team.
Nigeria will take on Sao Tome and Principe in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier early next month with the future of head coach, Jose Peseiro, still uncertain.
Peseiro’s one-year contract with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF expired in May.
The Portuguese is currently locked in discussion with the NFF over an extension.
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Holders Enyimba will face Bendel Insurance in the opening fixture of the 2023/24 Nigeria Professional Football League season.
The draw was conducted in Abuja on Tuesday.
Remo Stars, who finished second in the NPFL last season will travel to Port Harcourt to face Rivers United.
Debutant Sporting Lagos will lock horns with Heartland, while former champions Plateau United will be guest of Shooting Stars in Ibadan.
The new season will start ninth September.
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Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has hosted Bendel Insurance on their arrival from Algiers for the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup clash against ASO Chlef.
The contingent received a warm welcome from the state’s number one citizen on their arrival in Benin City on Tuesday.
The Benin Arsenals won the preliminary round contest four-three on penalties, after the encounter ended one-all on aggregate.
Bendel Insurance will lock horns with RS Berkene of Morocco in the second round next month.
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Rivers United and Abia Warriors have played out a goalless draw in a pre-season friendly game on Tuesday.
The match was played at the Uyo Township Stadium, Uyo.
Rivers United dominated the game but lacked the cutting edge in front of goal, as both teams used the friendly to prepare for the new season.
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Ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline, Nigeria and Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi has been linked to a move to London club Fulham.
Fulham are in talks with Everton over the signing Iwobi who has entered the final year of his contract at Goodison Park.
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Nigeria’s duo David Ojih and Prestige Archibong emerged champions of the Under-nineteen and Under-fifteen categories of the Winifred Awosika African Youth Scrabble Championship.
The Scrabble Championship featured players from Kenya, Liberia, Ghana, Uganda and host, Nigeria.
David clinched the Under-nineteen championship after four days of twenty-four rounds of intensive mind games, in which he won nineteen and lost five games with a cumulative score spread of plus 2022 at Chrislands School in Lekki, Lagos.
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President of Para Power Lifting, Charles Ezenwanne, has commended the athletes’ incredible display as Team Nigeria won seven medals, comprising two gold, two silver and three bronze at the just concluded World Para Powerlifting Championships in Dubia, United Arab Emirates.
Mark Onyinyechi, Kafilat Almaruf in the 61kg and 73kg category respectively won gold, while Esther Nowrgu , Bose Omolayo in the 41kg and 79kg category won silver.
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IN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
The Spanish Football Federation is exploring its options over whether it can sack Women’s World Cup-winning head coach Jorge Vilda.
Vilda remains in post despite most of his coaching staff resigning in protest against federation president Luis Rubiales’ refusal to quit for kissing squad member Jenni Hermoso after their World Cup win on twenty August.
Eighty-one Spain players, including all twenty-three World Cup winners, have also said they would not play for the team again while Rubiales remained in position.
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Jenni Hermoso has been backed by the United Nations Human Rights office after being kissed by Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales.
The United Nations organisation said everyone has a responsibility to call out and challenge sexual harassment and abuse.
Hermoso said the kiss on her lips following Spain’s Women’s World Cup final win was not consensual, which Rubiales strenuously disputes.
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Spain’s World Cup-winning defender, Laia Codina has joined Women’s Super League side Arsenal from Barcelona.
Codina started the World Cup final victory over England at centre-back.
She scored two goals in thirty-two appearances for Barca, who she joined at fourteen before progressing through the club’s youth ranks to the first team.
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Arsenal women striker, Beth Mead “feels ready to go” and would love to make her England return against Scotland next month.
Mead missed the World Cup after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury last November.
She was the tournament’s top scorer when England won Euro 2022 and has twenty-nine goals from her fifty caps.
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Aston Villa women striker, Rachel Daly has won the PFA women’s Players’ Player of the Year award, while Chelsea women star, Lauren James was named Young Player of the Year.
England’s Daly, was top scorer in the Women’s Super League with twenty-two goals in her debut season at Villa.
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ENGLAND
Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland has been named the Professional Footballers’ Association men’s Players’ Player of the Year award, following his record-breaking campaign.
Along with Manchester City winning an historic Treble, Haaland took English football by storm in his first year, scoring fifty-two goals in just fifty-one appearances.
In the Premier League the Norwegian scored thirty-six goals in thirty-five games, a new record, making him the unanimous selection to wrestle the PFA gong from Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
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Arsenal ace star, Bukayo Saka has become the first Arsenal player in twelve years to win the men’s PFA Young Player of the Year award.
Saka has been nominated for the past four seasons and has now finally been crowned as the victor for the first time.
The England star was influential in Arsenal’s title bid, and was key in securing their return to Champions League.
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Crystal Palace scored three goals in five second-half minutes to come from two-nil down to win at Plymouth Argyle in the Carabao Cup second round.
Ben Waine gave the Championship side a flying start as he fired in from close range early on, and Luke Cundle superbly doubled their lead thirty-three seconds after the interval.
Crystal Palace responded in devastating fashion as Odsonne Edouard converted from close range and Jean-Philippe Mateta complete his first hat-trick for the Premier League side.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Matt Doherty has marked his second debut for the team with two goals as they comfortably beat League One side Blackpool to reach the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Sasa Kalajdzic opened the scoring when he struck from a rebound in the first half.
Fabio Silva turned in the second after Blackpool’s Kenny Dougall hit the post.
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Ryan Christie’s stoppage-time goal gave Bournemouth their first win under boss Andoni Iraola against Swansea City.
Christie combined with fellow substitute Justin Kluivert to find the net and avoid an upset for the Premier League side.
Bournemouth thought they had won it earlier in the second half but were stunned by Jamie Paterson’s equaliser.
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Richarlison scored but could not prevent Tottenham going out of the Carabao Cup as Fulham won a penalty shootout to progress to round three.
After a Micky van de Ven first-half own goal gave Fulham a deserved lead, Tottenham levelled in unusual circumstances.
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Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk has been charged by the Football Association for acting in an improper manner after being sent off in Liverpool’s win over Newcastle.
Van Dijk was shown a straight red card in the 28th minute at St James’ Park on Sunday for fouling Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.
The defender appeared to argue with referee John Brooks while the incident was reviewed by VAR.
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Manchester United goalkeeper, Andre Onana has been named in Cameroon’s squad for their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The announcement comes nine months after he was suspended by his country’s federation midway through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Onana joined United from Inter Milan in July, taking over as first choice at Old Trafford from David De Gea, who left after twelve years at the club.
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Reports suggest Manchester United player, Raphael Varane could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering an injury against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Varane was replaced at half-time as Manchester United were shell shocked by Steve Cooper’s side, with the visitors going into the interval leading two-one.
Though goals from Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes would complete United’s comeback in the second-half, the status of Varane’s injury remained a cause for concern following the clash.
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England defender, Harry Maguire is likely to stay at Manchester United after a loan move to West Ham failed to materialise.
West Ham have now withdrawn their interest in the defender.
United are only looking at selling Maguire and are not willing to entertain loan offers for the him.
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Everton have signed Portuguese striker, Beto from Italian side Udinese for a fee reportedly worth up to thirty million pounds.
Beto signed a four-year contract at Goodison Park and becomes their fifth signing of the summer.
The striker scored ten goals for Udinese last season and bolsters a Toffees team that has yet to find the back of the net this campaign.
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Fulham have signed Belgium full-back Timothy Castagne from Leicester on a four-year deal.
Castagne, departs Leicester after three seasons at the King Power Stadium.
He has joined the Cottagers for an undisclosed fee until the summer of 2027, with an option to extend his deal by a further twelve months.
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Arsenal have knocked back an initial approach from Chelsea for Emile Smith Rowe.
Mauricio Pochettino wants to add an attacker to his ranks before Friday’s transfer deadline and Smith Rowe is among the names the Blues have enquired about.
Chelsea’s overtures have been met with short thrift by Arsenal who have told their London rivals they do not want to sell their England international to a team who are direct competitors.
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Eden Hazard’s proposed return to the Premier League is being hampered by reservations over his fitness and conditioning.
The former Chelsea forward is a free agent after leaving Real Madrid earlier this summer following a forgettable spell in Spain where he made just thirty LaLiga starts in four years.
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Brighton have signed Cameroon-born midfielder Carlos Baleba on a five-year deal for twenty-three point two million pounds from French side Lille.
He only made his Lille debut twelve months ago but has forged an impressive reputation.
Baleba will fill the hole left by Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo, who joined Chelsea from Brighton for a British record one hundred and fifteen million pounds.
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Manchester City are willing to walk away from a deal to sign Matheus Nunes from Wolves.
Nunes has refused to train and was subsequently left out of their squad to face Blackpool last night but Wolves want over sixty million pounds and it is understood City do not want to pay above fifty-five million pounds.
The Portuguese midfielder was unavailable as Gary O’Neil’s side secured their first win of the season last weekend, having been given a suspension for the red card he received in the club’s defeat to Brighton.
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Leeds have been handed a major transfer blow after Bayer Leverkusen’s Nadiem Amiri made the shock decision to reject a move to the club at the last moment.
The German midfielder looked set to join the Championship side after a five million pounds fee was agreed.
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A former Manchester United prospect has emerged as a target for Saudi Arabian club Al-Tai.
A LaLiga club are looking to sell the player in order to fund moves for a centre back and a midfielder.
He has three years remaining on his current contract but could end up leaving.
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A physiotherapist has claimed she had a threesome with two senior England footballers in her treatment room
The ‘Secret physio’, writing anonymously, claims she also had affairs with two of the world’s best tennis players, an England cricket star and rugby players.
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OTHER SPORTS
In Tennis; Andy Murray joined Katie Boulter and Cameron Norrie in winning US Open first-round matches on a productive day for the British players in New York.
Murray kept focus against combustible Frenchman Corentin Moutet to win 6-2 7-5 6-3 in an entertaining encounter.
Earlier, Boulter won her first main-draw match in New York with a 6-4 6-0 victory against France’s Diane Parry.
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Ons Jabeur overcame breathing difficulties and her own “attitude” to book her place in the second round of the US Open, but seventh seed Caroline Garcia suffered a shock exit.
The Tunisian clinched a 7-5 7-6 win over Colombia’s Camila Osorio on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
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Third seed Daniil Medvedev needed just 74 minutes to cruise into the second round of the US Open with a dominant win over Attila Balazs.
The 2021 champion hit 41 winners as he beat the Hungarian 6-1 6-1 6-0.
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In Golf; Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas have been named among United States captain Zach Johnson’s six wildcard picks for the upcoming Ryder Cup.
US PGA champion Koepka missed out on the points needed to qualify automatically after joining LIV Golf last year.
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In Cricket; England are looking to “broaden their talent pool” during the T20 series with New Zealand, says captain Jos Buttler.
Surrey fast bowler Gus Atkinson’s selection for the four-match series is among five changes to the squad that lost three-nil to Bangladesh in March.
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OTHER LEAGUES
Barcelona striker, Robert Lewandowski has criticised manager Xavi for not starting enough attacking players.
Lewandowski has scored one goal in three appearances so far this campaign and feels that at times he hasn’t received the service that he is used to getting.
He stated that the situation often significantly improves when the likes of Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati are introduced from the bench.
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Former Premier League players Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez were on the scoresheet in Tuesday’s Saudi Pro League fixtures.
Former Manchester United striker, Ronaldo netted two penalties for Al-Nassr in their four-nil win over Al-Shabab and had a goal disallowed in between.
The Portuguese set up Mane for a third and hit the post with a header, with Sultan Al-Ghannam netting the rebound.
Also, former Newcastle winger, Allan Saint-Maximin set up former Manchester City player Mahrez to score the opener in Al-Ahli’s two-nil home win over Al-Tai.
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TODAY’S THOUGHT
“I don’t count my situps. I only start counting once it starts hurting…. Words from..Muhammad Ali
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