NIGERIA
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Google has celebrated Nigeria’s iconic all-time leading goal scorer, Rashidi Yekini with a special doodle on his 60th posthumous birthday.

Yekini is fondly remembered for his iconic goal celebration where he held on to the net after scoring Nigeria’s first goal at the USA 1994 World Cup match against Bulgaria, which ended 3-0 in favour of the Super Eagles.

Following Ajax Amsterdam Sunday’s defeat to Utrecht in the Eredivisie, former Super Eagles captain, Sunday Oliseh, has expressed his concern that his former club might be relegated.
Ajax suffered a 4-3 defeat to Utrecht at the Stadion Galgenwaard, their fourth of the 2023/24 season and are currently 17th on the log with just five points from seven games.

The Sons of the Gods, as they are fondly called, were champions of the Dutch league in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons but now found themselves languishing at the bottom of the table with only one win so far this season.

Enyimba is still upbeat on claiming a place in the semi-finals of the African Football League.
The team lost one-nil to Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of the quarter-final fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
In his reaction, Enyimba head coach, Finidi George expressed optimism that the Nigeria league champions can overturn their first leg deficit against the Moroccan side.

The two sides will meet in the reverse fixture this weekend at the Stade Mohamed Five in Casablanca.

Akwa United head coach, Fatai Osho has cut a frustrated figure after the Promise Keepers were held to a goalless draw by Shooting Stars at the Eket Stadium.
Osho attributed the drought to his strikers, who have failed to convert the chances created.

Akwa United are yet to record a win in four outings this season, piling more pressure on the gaffer.

Remo Stars goalkeeper, Kayode Bankole has expressed his delight following the club’s win against Sporting Lagos.
Bankole said the victory gave the team the bragging right over their South West rival.

Remo Stars currently top the Nigeria Premier Football League table following the win.

Lobi Stars has dedicated its victory against Abia Warriors to the victims of the Otukpo bank robbery.
The Pride of Benue defeated Abia Warriors two-nil in the matchday four Nigeria Premier Football League encounter at the Lafia Township Stadium.
The club’s Vice Chairman, Dominic Iorfa, said the victory would act as a relief for the entire people of Benue who were thrown into mourning by the incident.

The result moved Lobi Stars to second position on the NPFL table with eight points following the win.

The president of Nigeria Golf Federation, Olusola Runsewe, says Dr. Awa Ibraheem, a golf enthusiast, is one of the recipients of the soon to be inaugurated Nigeria Golf Hall of Fame.
Runsewe who stated this, said the Golf Hall of Fame would include Ibraheem and five other Nigerians yet to be identified.

Unveiling his next agenda for the development of the federation, Runsewe said he was following the blueprint he had evolved before emerging as the president.

Fc Robo Midfielder Esther Onyenezide has been drafted to replace 2023 FIFA World Cup star Halimatu Ayinde in Nigeria’s squad for the 2024 Women Olympic Football Tournament fixture against Ethiopia’s senior women national team.
Onyenezide was instrumental in Falconets’ run to the quarter-finals at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in Costa Rica last year.

The Super Falcons will host the second leg of the second-round fixture at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja 31st October.

No fewer than 180 players will converge on the squash court of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, to compete in the maiden edition of the John Hett Sports Foundation squash championship from 25th October.
The tournament is sanctioned by the Professional Squash Association and the World Squash Federation.

For the First time, both female and male participants will go home with the same prize money: N400,000 for the overall winner, N200,000 for the second position, and N120,000 for the third and fourth-placed winners in both male and female categories.

ENGLAND

Manchester United defender, Sergio Reguilon will be fit for the team for its crucial Champions League game against FC Copenhagen at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Reguilon has recently recovered from injury but missed Saturday’s win at Sheffield United because of illness.

Reguilon’s return would be a boost for Manchester United, with midfielder Sofyan Amrabat having to play out of position to cover at left-back.

Manchester United midfielder, Casemiro has returned to the team’s training and could be involved against Copenhagen in Tuesday’s Champions League at Old Trafford as he nears a return from injury.

United supporters will be delighted to see the Brazilian back involved in team training after he missed their weekend victory against Sheffield United.

Also, Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag says Sir Bobby Charlton will continue to inspire the club following his death at the aged of eighty-six.
Ten Hag expects an emotional Old Trafford atmosphere on Tuesday when FC Copenhagen visit in the Champions League.

It will be United’s first home game since club legend Charlton’s death was announced on Saturday.

Premier League clubs are braced for a rearranged festive fixture list that could see Christmas Day left as the only one without a televised game.
Top flight chiefs are working through amendments to the match schedule for the remainder of December and January and aiming to confirm their finalised plans early this week.

They announced alterations to the first round of matches for December.

Cheslea manager, Mauricio Pochettino has fired a warning at one of his Chelsea stars, insisting the player ‘needs to improve’ in order to remain in the first team at Stamford Bridge.
The team squandered a two-goal lead to draw two-all with title hopefuls Arsenal on Saturday, as second-half goals from Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard earned the Gunners a crucial point in west London.

A win would have put the struggling Blues within six points of the top four and seen them climb to ninth in the league, given West Ham were beaten at Aston Villa on Sunday.

Manchester City star, Jack Grealish has labelled a former Premier League star as his ‘first ever hero’ after he shared an image of himself posing with the legend.
The England international is battling to force his way back into Pep Guardiola’s starting team after being relegated to the bench in the weekend win over Brighton and previously failing to make an appearance in the defeat to Arsenal before the international break.

City got back to winning ways in Saturday’s victory over two-one Roberto de Zerbi’s side as goals from Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland kept them top of the Premier League table.

West Ham fans travelling to Greece this week will be wrapped in a protective police cocoon after Olympiacos’ most recent match was abandoned amid a vitriolic atmosphere at the Karaiskakis Stadium.

Olympiacos warmed up for West Ham by hosting Panathinaikos – a game otherwise known as the ‘Derby of the Eternal Enemies’.

Manchester United academy prospect Tyler Fletcher has switched his international allegiance back to Scotland from England.
Fletcher, who is the son of former United midfielder Darren Fletcher, was born in Manchester but is eligible to represent both nations.

Fletcher Jnr made his international bow for Scotland under-16s in September 2022, then turned out for England two months later.

Arsenal women striker, Vivianne Miedema says she endured an emotional rollercoaster during her eleven-month absence with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Miedema, required surgery after rupturing her ACL against Lyon in the Champions League in December 2022.

The Netherlands forward came off the bench as Arsenal beat Bristol City two-one in the Women’s Super League on Sunday.

Tottenham surged to the top of the Premier League as Son Heung-min and James Maddison sealed a 2-0 win against Fulham on Monday.
Ange Postecoglou’s side extended their unbeaten start to nine league games thanks to Son’s opener and Maddison’s first goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since his close-season move from Leicester.

Tottenham leapfrogged Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool to go two points clear at the top of the table.

OTHER LEAGUES

Ajax have sacked their coach Maurice Steijn after four months in charge.
The Dutchman joined the club from Sparta Rotterdam in the summer on a three-year contract.

A poor start to the season has left the 36-time Dutch champions second bottom of the Eredivisie table with just one win from seven league games.

Barcelona has revealed it ambitious plans for renovations to the Nou Camp in a new computer-generated video on social media.
The Blaugrana moved their base to the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona this term, with the iconic Nou Camp going under the knife for a predicted eigteen months while work takes place.

However, despite its status in the game as one of the sport’s biggest and best venues, the facilities had been in urgent need of attention, after years of decay.

Bayern Munich look set to raid Tottenham’s ranks for a second time in less than a year as they continue to sound out interest in a potential move for one of the club’s defenders.
Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou formed a new defensive partnership consisting of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, with the former regular falling down the pecking order at the club and struggling for minutes.

Harry Kane, made the same switch in the summer after agreeing a one hundred million pounds move to Bayern where he has since thrived, scoring nine Bundesliga goals and is second in the league’s goalscoring charts.

OTHER SPORTS

In Cricket, England have added Durham fast bowler Brydon Carse to their World Cup squad to replace Reece Topley.
Left-arm seamer Topley was ruled out of the tournament on Sunday, after breaking a finger in Saturday’s defeat by South Africa in Mumbai, India.
Carse, has taken fourteen wickets in twelve one-day internationals, featuring most recently against Ireland last month.

He impressed with four wickets in three T20s against New Zealand prior to the Ireland series.

World Rugby has confirmed it will formally review the alleged use of a racial slur by South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi towards England’s Tom Curry.
Curry approached referee Ben O’Keeffe to report the comment half an hour into the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup semi-final victory.

If banned, Mbonambi could miss the final against New Zealand on Saturday.

World Rugby have confirmed that an official investigation has been launched after England flanker Tom Curry complained that he had been the victim of racist abuse during the World Cup semi-final defeat against South Africa on Saturday.

The Sale openside approached referee Ben O’Keeffe in the 28th minute of the match at the Stade de France and was heard to say over the ref mic: ‘Sir, sir, if their hooker calls me a white, what do I do?’

In Tennis, Great Britain have named an unchanged team for November’s Davis Cup quarter-final against Serbia in Malaga.
Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Andy Murray and Jack Draper bested Australia, Switzerland and France in Manchester last month to qualify.
Doubles specialist Neal Skupski also reappears alongside the quartet, who are all ranked inside the world’s top one hundred singles players.
Evans and world doubles number four Skupski remain captain Leon Smith’s preferred doubles partnership.

The winners of the tie will advance to the semi-final, 25 November.

In Cycling, Geraint Thomas has signed a new two-year contract with Ineos Grenadiers.
The former Tour de France champion and double Olympic gold medallist had been approaching the end of a two-year extension he signed in 2021.

Welshman Thomas turned 37 during this year’s Giro d’Italia, where he finished second behind Primoz Roglic.

In Golf; Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC brought the curtain down on the 2023 LIV Golf League by lifting the team trophy in Miami.
The Crushers beat 11 teams over the 2023 season to scoop $14m in prize money at Trump National Doral.
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LeBron James heads into 21st season in the NBA hungrier than ever as he looks to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a record-breaking 18th championship.
James, finished last season in a downbeat mood, hinting at possible retirement after the Lakers were comprehensively beaten by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.

But a summer of rest and a reloaded roster has left James brimming with optimism as the Lakers launch the new season with a demanding road game in Denver on Tuesday.

Tyson Fury insists he’ll not make the same mistake against Francis Ngannou that Anthony Joshua made against Andy Ruiz.

The Gypsy King is set to put his WBC world heavyweight title on the line against WBA, WBO and IBF champ Oleksandr Usyk potentially as early as December to sort out who is the division’s undisputed top dog.

TODAY’S FIXTURES

IN UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – GROUP STAGES
Galatasaray vs Bayern Munich
Manchester United vs FC Copenhagen
Lens vs PSV Eindhoven
Sevilla vs Arsenal
FC Union Berlin vs Napoli
Sporting Braga vs Real Madrid
Inter Milan vs FC Red Bull Salzburg

Benfica vs Real Sociedad

TODAY’S THOUGHT
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game”says Babe Ruth.