IN NIGERIA
The management of Kwara United have unveiled seventeen new players ahead of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, season.
The players will join eighteen other old players of the team as part of the squad for the new season.
General Manager, Kwara United, Bashir Badawy, representing the club chairman, Kumbi Titiloye, said the recruitment process was painstaking.
Reeling out match data and statistics of the tour and invitational tourneys played in the three states, Badawy said Kwara still remain a formidable team to play.
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The duo of Nigerian Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Ejuke who plays for Sevilla, will be available for selection against Villarreal on Friday.
Sevilla boss García Pimienta who stated this, said the two players are now in line to make their official debut for the team.
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Nigerian international, Tolu Arokodare, who plays for KRC Genk, says criticism only inspires him to do more on the pitch.
Arokodare was criticised by one of Belgium’s top pundits, Wesley Sonck for going sleeveless in pre-game warm-ups to show off his body.
He scored four goals in three league appearances for Genk this season.
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Despite securing a 1-0 win in the first leg of their CAF Champions League first round preliminary tie against Zilimadjou FC of Comoros, Enugu Rangers coach Fidelis Ilechukwu believes the game is still evenly balanced heading into the return leg at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, on Friday.
Uwumiro Frank’s 22nd-minute goal gave the Nigerian a win in the first leg played on Sunday at the same venue.
Both sides adopted the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, for their CAF Champions League games after their respective stadiums failed to meet CAF’s approval.
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The University of Lagos, UNILAG, will field 143 athletes at the 11th Federation of African University Sports, FASU, Games to be co-hosted by the institution and Lagos State University, LASU.
The opening ceremony of the 10-day event will hold on 21st September, at the UNILAG Sports Complex, while the closing ceremony will be held on 28th September, at LASU in Ojo.
According to the organisers of the games, forty-three countries would be represented at the games which is themed; `Unite, Compete and Excel’ .
Female and male athletes are expected to compete for laurels in 17 events, which include, Athletics (track and field), Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Handball, Badminton, Tennis, Table Tennis, Swimming, Taekwondo, Judo and others
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The Team Nigeria contingent for the 2024 Paralympic Games has arrived the games village in Paris.
The 35-member team which consists of 23 athletes, seven coaches and five medical personnel arrived the games village on Thursday from Germany.
The Secretary General of Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Suleiman Isah, said the PCN president, Sunday Odebode, received the team at the games village.
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Nigeria’s women U-19 cricket team, otherwise known as the Junior Female Yellow Greens, are having an extended time to prepare for their upcoming 2025 U-19 T20 World Cup Qualifiers following the rearrangement of the tournament in Kigali, Rwanda.
The tournament is the second edition and will be played from 8th January to 2nd February, 2025, in Malaysia, featuring 16 teams.
Nigeria were initially billed to play in a two-group tournament of seven teams each, but the late inclusion of Zimbabwe resulted in the withdrawal of the top four sides from the series to form another division.
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Anthony Joshua has once again set his sights set on becoming undisputed heavyweight champion.
The Watford powerhouse faces Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on 21st September, while Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk duke it out for the other three major sanctioning body world titles (WBC, WBA and WBO) on 21st December.
Providing he beats ‘Triple D’, a fight against the winner of Usyk vs Fury 2 for all the marbles is expected to come next.
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ENGLAND
Chelsea secured their first victory under new coach Enzo Maresca with a 2-0 victory over Servette in their Conference League play-off round first leg on Thursday.
The hosts struggled to break down their opponents in the first half at Stamford Bridge before Christopher Nkunku put them in front with a 50th-minute penalty, just his fourth goal for the club.
Marc Guiu somehow contrived to miss an open goal a few minutes later, but Noni Madueke moved Chelsea closer to a group-stage place ahead of next week’s second leg by firing home from Enzo Fernandez’s pass.
Tiemoko Ouattara almost pulled one back for Swiss side Servette late on when his deflected strike hit the crossbar.
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Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag says his players will have to deal with the disappointment of being left out of matches.
Ten Hag added that he hopes to have two players for each position by the end of the transfer window, meaning not everyone can be selected.
United began their Premier League campaign with a one-nil victory over Fulham, with Joshua Zirkzee coming off the bench to score a late winner.
Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, was not included in the matchday squad after returning to the club from last season’s loan spell with Borussia Dortmund.
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Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle worth up to thirty-two point sixty-seven million pounds to sign Spain midfielder Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad.
The fee is an initial twenty-eight point forty-three million pounds, plus four point twenty-two million pounds in add-ons.
Merino would be Arsenal’s third signing of the transfer window, after Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori and Spain goalkeeper David Raya, with the Gunners activating the option to permanently buy him from Brentford.
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Brentford have signed defender Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool in a deal worth up to twenty-five million pounds.
The Dutchman joined the Bees on a five-year contract after turning down interest from a number of other clubs, including German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Brentford will pay an initial twenty million pounds fee, with an additional five million pounds in add-ons, while Liverpool have a seventeen point five percent sell-on clause.
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Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier wants to leave the club this month in search of first-team football.
The England international was an unused substitute in the Magpies’ one-nil win against Southampton.
Trippier, who joined the club from Atletico Madrid in 2022, is behind former Saints full-back Tino Livramento in the pecking order for the right-back position.
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England and Manchester City defender, Kyle Walker says the tough love of his father helped him become an elite player.
Walker enjoyed a glittering career at City, winning the Premier League six times and two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and the Champions League.
He has been capped ninety times by England and was widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world.
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Everton manager, Sean Dyche is facing an early season selection crisis after saying he is down to around fourteen recognised first-team players for the trip to Tottenham.
The Toffees travel to north London for Saturday’s Premier League game, following a three-nil opening home defeat by Brighton.
Injuries and suspension mean Dyche has no established right-back to call upon and the Blues have been linked with a move for Kieran Trippier, who wants to leave Newcastle.
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Fulham have signed midfielder Sander Berge from Burnley in a twenty-five million pounds deal.
The Norway international has penned a five-year deal at Craven Cottage and the club have the option of extending that by a further twelve months.
Fulham will pay an initial twenty million pounds for the midfielder, with a further five million pounds in add-ons.
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OTHER SPORTS
In Boxing, Francis Ngannou says he considered retiring following the death of his son earlier this year, but has chosen to fight on as it is the best way of honouring him.
Cameroon’s Ngannou, who was speaking at a news briefing to promote his PFL heavyweight debut against Renan Ferreira on 19th October, posted on X in April that his 15-month-old son Kobe had passed away.
The 37-year-old’s bout with Brazil’s Ferreira in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia marks his return to MMA and first fight since defeat by British boxer Anthony Joshua in March.
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In Tennis, Emma Raducanu will face fellow Grand Slam winner Sofia Kenin in the Briton’s first US Open appearance for two years.
Katie Boulter, the British women’s number one and 31st seed, will start against an as-yet unconfirmed qualifier, while Harriet Dart faces Chloe Paquet of France.
In the men’s draw, Jack Draper faces China’s Zhang Zhizhen, with Carlos Alcaraz potentially waiting in the third round.
The US Open takes place from 26th August to 8th September.
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In Formula one, Lando Norris says he has not performed at the level of a world champion so far this season, but still believes he can challenge Max Verstappen for the title.
The McLaren driver is seventy-eight points behind Red Bull’s Verstappen with ten races to go as the season resumes at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, following the summer break.
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Still on Formula, Lewis Hamilton says he would have liked race engineer Peter Bonnington to join him at Ferrari next year if it had been possible.
The seven-time champion said Bonnington, who has been with Hamilton throughout his 12-year career at Mercedes, was like a brother.
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In Cricket, England nudged ahead of a spirited Sri Lanka on a truncated second day of the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford.
Half-centuries from Harry Brook and Jamie Smith took the hosts to 259-6, an advantage of twenty-three runs, after rain delayed the beginning of the day and bad light brought an early close.
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In Rugby, Full-back Ellie Kildunne says she is ready to fight for her shirtand focus on England’s bid to win a home Rugby World Cup in 2025.
Kildunne was part of the Great Britain women’s sevens side that finished seventh at the Paris Olympics, but was already back training with the Red Roses as the countdown to next year’s tournament in England gathers pace.
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TODAY’S FIXTURES
IN SPANISH LA LIGA
ON FRIDAY
Celta de Vigo vs Valencia
Sevilla vs Villarreal
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SOCCER ACTION CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND
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IN ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
ON SATURDAY
Brighton vs Manchester United
Crystal Palace vs West Ham United
Fulham vs Leicester City
Manchester City vs Ipswich Town
Southampton vs Nottingham Forest
Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
ON SUNDAY
Bournemouth vs Newcastle United
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Chelsea
Liverpool vs Brentford
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IN SPANISH LA LIGA
ON SATURDAY
Osasuna vs Mallorca
Barcelona vs Athletic Club
Espanyol vs Real Sociedad
Getafe vs Rayo Vallecano
ON SUNDAY
Real Madrid vs Real Valladolid
Leganés vs Las Palmas
Deportivo Alavés vs Real Betis
Atlético Madrid vs Girona
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IN ITALIAN SERIE A
ON SATURDAY
Parma vs AC Milan
Udinese vs Lazio
Inter Milan vs Lecce
Monza vs Genoa
ON SUNDAY
Fiorentina vs Venezia
Torino vs Atalanta
Napoli vs Bologna
Roma vs Empoli
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
In baseball and in business, there are three types of people. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened….words from Tommy Lasorda.
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