IN ENGLAND
Wolves boss, Gary O’Neil says he can turn the club’s fortunes around after his side’s damaging loss at West Ham.
Monday’s two-one defeat at London Stadium was Wolves’ third in a row and leaves the team second bottom of the Premier League, four points from safety.
O’Neil pointed to four big decisions going against his side on Monday and a transfer strategy that has left the team relying on youth – but insisted everyone was committed to helping the club stay in the Premier League.
The Wolves boss is confident that he still has the support of his players, despite the club’s position.
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Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson will make his first appearance for the club in more than two months after being named in the squad for Today’s Champions League game at Girona.
The 32-year-old has been out of action since picking up a hamstring injury in Liverpool’s one-nil victory over Crystal Palace on 5th October, with Republic of Ireland international Caoimhin Kelleher playing during his absence.
Alisson missed eleven matches because of the injury but took part in training on Monday and was included in the nineteen man travelling squad to Spain.
Liverpool won all five of its games in the league phase of the Champions League.
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West Ham has edged to a narrow Premier League victory over struggling Wolves to ease the pressure on under-fire head coach Julen Lopetegui.
The result is only likely to increase the scrutiny over Gary O’Neil’s position as Wolves manager, with his side remaining 19th in the table after three consecutive defeats.
Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen scored a goal each for West Ham, while Wolves’ only goal was scored by Matt Doherty.
The result leaves West Ham 14th in the table, nine points clear of the bottom three.
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West Ham’s players warmed up in Michail Antonio shirts prior to Monday’s crucial Premier League fixture against Wolves to show their support for their injured team-mate.
The Hammers forward, remains in hospital after being involved in a car crash on Saturday.
Antonio underwent surgery on Sunday on a lower limb fracture and will continue to receive hospital care over the coming days.
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Premier League official David Coote has been sacked by referees’ body the PGMOL following a thorough investigation” into his conduct.
Coote was suspended by the PGMOL (the Professional Game Match Officials Limited) on 11th November pending a full investigation after a video allegedly showing him making derogatory comments about Liverpool and the club’s former manager Jurgen Klopp was circulated on social media.
The PGMOL said Coote’s actions made his position untenable.
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Four Manchester City players have been named in the Fifpro men’s World XI for 2024.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is the fifth Premier League player in the team, which is completed by Real Madrid players.
The 2024 forward line is made up of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, topped the men’s overall voting, with the 21-year-old England midfielder receiving eleven thousand, one hundred and seventy-six selections from his peers.
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Five England women players have been included in the Fifpro women’s World XI team.
Chelsea women defender Lucy Bronze has been selected for a seventh time, meaning she equals the women’s appearance record set by France’s Wendie Renard.
Fellow defender Alex Greenwood, goalkeeper Mary Earps, midfielder Keira Walsh and forward Lauren James were the other Lionesses chosen by their fellow professionals.
Brazilian star Marta makes her return to the team of the year for the first time since 2021, while Zambia and Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda, becomes the first African player to be included.
Spanish trio Olga Carmona, Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati and Colombia forward Linda Caicedo complete the line-up.
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Chelsea winger, Jadon Sancho says he still has plenty to prove at Stamford Bridge.
The England international scored a goal as the Blues edged Tottenham four-three in Sunday’s London derby.
It was his second in the colours of Chelsea after joining the team on loan from Manchester United this summer.
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A new study has found no evidence that the high dementia risk among footballers is linked to health and lifestyle factors.
It increases the likelihood that heading footballs has caused brain injuries.
The research was led by Glasgow University’s Professor Willie Stewart, who five years ago discovered footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from a neurodegenerative disease than the normal population.
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Meanwhile, two former Premier League players Gary Pallister and Steve Howey have explained their health fears after years of heading footballs.
Pallister said he experienced sickening migraines during his career, while fellow former England defender Howey has undergone scans which show his brain is in cognitive decline.
Research found professional footballers have an elevated risk of suffering brain injuries.
Leading campaigner Judith Gates, of Head Safe Football, has written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to ask that heading the ball is declared a national health issue in order to safeguard players in the future.
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England women goalkeeper, Ellie Roebuck says it is a dream to return to playing after almost a year out following a stroke.
The 25-year-old revealed in March that she sustained a left occipital infarct last year but there was no lasting damage to her brain or vision.
Roebuck, who left Manchester City for Barcelona in June after her contract expired, made her debut in Saturday’s four-one win over Real Betis.
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IN NIGERIA
Nigeria’s quest for a fourth appearance at the African Nations Championship is being taken seriously by players invited to the camp of the Super Eagles B, who continue to sweat it out at the exquisite Remo Stars’ Sports Institute in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State.
A total of thirty players were assembled last week at the impressive facility, as the team prepare for a potentially-explosive home-and-away qualifying fixture against the Black Galaxies of Ghana.
Only the Enyimba FC duo of goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena and defender Imo Obot were excused, as the two are seen as pivotal to the People’s Elephant’s ongoing campaign in the group phase of the CAF Confederation Cup.
Coaches Daniel Ogunmodede and Fidelis Ikechukwu have been working over-time with the players as the countdown begins to the first leg, scheduled for the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, 22nd December.
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Rivers United head coach, Finidi George has blamed loss in concentration in his team’s defence for the defeat to Enugu Rangers.
The former Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions lost one-nil to the Flying Antelopes at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
Rivers United dropped to second position following the defeat.
Rivers United will entertain the Kwara United in their next league game.
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Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye will undergo surgery for a wrist injury.
His Serie A club Udinese stated that the 24-year-old sustained the injury in Udinese’s league clash with Genoa.
The former Rotterdam goalie is expected to spend few weeks on the sidelines.
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Galatasaray has confirmed that Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen sustained injury at the Turkish Super Lig champions away victory at Sivasspor.
Osimhen scored Galatasaray’s second goal from the penalty spot in the three-two win.
Galatasaray also revealed that the striker has already started treatment on the injury.
The Yellow and Reds however refused to give a timeline on when he will return to action.
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Napoli sporting director, Giovanni Manna says no club has contacted the team for Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen is on loan at Turkish Super Lig champions, Galatasaray.
The Nigeria international can however leave the Yellow and Reds in January if any club is willing to pay his seventh-five million euros release clause.
Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United are reportedly interested in activating the release clause.
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Lazio head coach, Marco Baroni believes Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has great potential to help him succeed in the Serie A.
He stated this on the backdrop of the Nigerian international’s impressive display in Lazio’s one-nil win over Napoli.
Baroni said it was not easy to move from a different league to the Italian one, where mistakes are not tolerated.
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OTHER LEAGUES
Olympique Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot has advised Paul Pogba to join him at the club.
Pogba is now a free agent after his contract with Juve was terminated and will be free to play again in March after serving his revised doping ban.
Rabiot stated that he would like to play together with Pogba.
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Atalanta great Josip Ilicic says he is optimistic the team will clinch the Serie A title.
Ilicic said the team will fight to win the title.
The team is top of the league table after defeating AC Milan
OTHER SPORTS
Olympic discus champion Roje Stona and Australia rugby union international Jordan Petaia will be among the latest group of athletes to take part in the NFL’s International Player Pathway, IPP.
The IPP programme identifies global talent and gives athletes the opportunity to develop their American football skills, and potentially earn a spot on an NFL roster.
In January, fourteen athletes will go on a ten week training camp in Florida featuring field and classroom sessions, before showcasing their skills to NFL scouts before next year’s NFL draft.
Rugby union players Louis Rees-Zammit and Travis Clayton, plus Gaelic footballer Charlie Smyth were all selected by NFL teams after being part of the 2024 class.
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Juan Soto is set to sign what is reportedly the biggest contract in the history of sport after agreeing a six hundred million pounds deal over fifteen years with Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.
Multiple sources in the United States disclosed details of the deal, although the Mets have yet to confirm it because the 26-year-old Dominican needs to complete a medical.
Soto was set to be MLB’s most sought-after free agent this off-season having just had the best season of his career with the New York Yankees, again showcasing his elite ability to get on base.
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In Cricket, South Australia dramatically beat Tasmanian Tigers by two runs off the final ball of the game to record the joint-tightest win in Sheffield Shield history.
Chasing an unlikely four hundred and twenty-nine to win, the Tigers needed four off the last ball, but Australia bowler Riley Meredith was run out, seemingly having forgotten that a draw was possible.
He picked out deep cover and was looking to complete a second run, that still would have resulted in the Tigers failing to win.
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In Rugby, Clubs in English rugby’s second tier has united to demand a debate on a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the Rugby Football Union.
Championship clubs have called on RFU president Rob Udwin to convene a Special General Meeting to discuss a vote of no confidence in the organisation’s chairman Tom Ilube and chief executive Bill Sweeney.
The clubs was unhappy after Sweeney was paid a bonus of three hundred and fifty-eight thousand pounds despite the RFU posting a record operating loss of nearly forty million pounds.
Ampthill, Bedford Blues, Caldy, Cambridge, Chinnor, Cornish Pirates, Coventry, Doncaster, Ealing Trailfinders, Hartpury, London Scottish and Nottingham are the 12 teams who make up the current Championship.
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Cycling legend Eddy Merckx has suffered a fractured hip in a fall from his bike.
The 79-year-old winner of eleven Grand Tours was cycling with a group when the incident happened near Hombeek, Mechelen.
His wife Claudine told reporters that it was a stupid accident with no other road user involved.
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TODAY’S FIXTURES
IN UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUES
Dinamo Zagareb vs Celtic
Girona vs Liverpool
Atalanta vs Real Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter Milan
Brest vs PSV
Club Brugge vs Sporting CP
RB Leipzig vs Aston Villa
Red Bull Salzburg vs PSG
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Winners never quit and quitters never win….words from Vince Lombardi.
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