IN ENGLAND
West Ham manager Graham Potter believes Nickolas Fullkrug’s recent outburst was not helpful to the club and he would prefer players to voice concerns behind closed doors.
Germany striker Fullkrug accused several of his team-mates of not listening to Potter after West Ham conceded a late equaliser at home to already-relegated Southampton.
The 32-year-old said he was very angry about his team-mates’ lack of motivation.
West Ham have collected just thirteen points from thirteen league games since Potter took charge in January, leaving them 17th in the Premier League table.
The Hammers travel to 10th-placed Brighton on Saturday.
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Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy says he is still waiting to find out if he will keep his job as the team following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
The Foxes, whose one-nil defeat by Liverpool at the King Power Stadium last weekend confirmed they would be returning to the Championship, have earned just eight points from twenty matches under the Dutchman.
Van Nistelrooy said he has sat down with the owners and the board and told them how the team would be able to move forward as a club.
Leicester face Wolves at Molineux on Saturday.
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Meanwhile, Leicester City captain Jamie Vardy will leave the club at the end of the season but intends to continue his playing career.
Announcing the news on Thursday, the Foxes described Vardy as the team’s greatest ever player.
The 38-year-old striker, who joined in 2012 from non-league side Fleetwood Town, is the club’s record Premier League scorer with one hundred and forty-three, and in all competitions scored one hundred and ninety-eight goals in four hundred and ninety-eight appearances.
Vardy scored twenty-four times in the 2015-16 Premier League campaign, helping Leicester to the first ever top-flight title in their history.
The former England international was also part of their 2021 FA Cup-winning side, when the Foxes beat Chelsea one-nil at Wembley.
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Newcastle United manager, Eddie Howe has returned to work following a stay in hospital.
Howe was diagnosed with pneumonia earlier this month after being admitted to hospital having felt unwell for a number of days, but is now back overseeing matters at the training ground.
Assistant manager Jason Tindall and fellow coach Graeme Jones took charge of the Magpies in Howe’s absence.
Newcastle, who are fifth in the Premier League, face Ipswich at St James’ Park on Saturday.
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Aston Villa has announced plans to take Villa Park’s capacity to over fifty thousand by redeveloping the North Stand.
The club will completely refurbish the North Stand, increasing the number of available seats from about five thousand to twelve thousand.
With smaller upgrades to the other three stands, Villa say the stadium’s capacity will increase to over fifty thousand from forty-two thousand, nine hundred and eighteen.
The club, who hope to have the redevelopment finished by the second half of 2027, said the ground’s current capacity would not decrease at any point during the building works.
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Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has advised Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott to leave Anfield in order to get more playing time.
The England Under-21 international is still awaiting his first start of the Premier League campaign with days to go before the start of May under manager Arne Slot.
Cole admitted that Elliott needs to leave to find game time.
NBA great Jason Kidd has joined Everton’s American ownership group.
The double Olympic champion and 10-time NBA All-Star, who is currently head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, has joined Roundhouse Capital Holdings, which is part of The Friedkin Group.
The Texas-based group completed its takeover of Everton in December 2024.
Kidd, who also won the 2011 NBA Championship as a player with the Mavericks, becomes the latest high-profile American to invest in British football.
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A professional footballer has been jailed for fourteen months for causing the death of a cyclist in a crash in West Yorkshire.
Adrian Daniel died ten days after he was struck by a Mercedes G350 being driven by Mansfield Town striker Lucas Akins, near Huddersfield in March 2022.
The League One player, of Heys Road in Thongsbridge, Holmfirth, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court having previously pleaded guilty to causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.
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Manchester United women will be one of the eight clubs competing in the inaugural Women’s World Sevens tournament in May.
The new seven-a-side competition kicks off three days before this year’s Women’s Champions League final and there is a prize money pool of five million dollars
United will be joined in the competition by European clubs Ajax, Benfica and Bayern Munich on 21st to 23rd May in Estoril, Portugal.
The other four participating clubs are yet to be named and there was no indication on whether they will come from outside of Europe.
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IN NIGERIA
Flamingos, is ready to pick the ticket for the country’s eighth appearance at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, despite the predictably-cold atmosphere of the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida, outside Algiers, on Friday.
Friday’s encounter against their Algerian counterparts is the final leg of a final qualifying round fixture, with the Flamingos, holding on to a four-nil first-leg advantage.
The team’s head Coach Bankole Olowookere said the objective was to win the FIFA World Cup ticket.
The Confederation of African Football selected Cameroonian official Marie Etong to be the referee, with her compatriots Marcelle Teikeu and Innocentia Ntangti as assistant referee one and fourth official, while Chadian Ngarassoum Victorine will be assistant referee two.
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Remo Stars Ladies has booked a place in the Nigeria Women Football League, NWFL, Super Six Playoffs.
The Ikenne club has also been joined in the season- ending competition by Nasarawa Amazons.
Remo Stars Ladies were held to a two-all draw by Abia Angels in a rescheduled matchday 13 fixture.
The result was enough for Wemimo Matthew’s side to seal their maiden appearance in the tournament.
The stalemate also ensures the Nasarawa Amazons passage into the playoffs.
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Also, Edo Queens, Bayelsa Queens and Rivers Angels have already qualified for the competition.
Naija Ratels and FC Robo Queens will fight for the final playoff spot on the final day of the season.
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Manchester City legend, Yaya Toure has admitted that former Super Eagles star Mikel Obi should have been crowned Africa’s best player in 2013.
Mikel was widely expected to win the prestigious award in the year after playing a crucial in Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League success
The midfielder was also instrumental to Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph in the same year.
Former Cote d’Ivoire captain, Toure however won the award for the third consecutive year.
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Manchester United will offer Rasmus Hojlund in a sensational partial swap deal for Super Eagles star Ademola Lookman, who plays for Atalanta.
Hojlund endured a miserable campaign at Old Trafford his second following a mammoth seventy-two million pounds move from the Bergamo club.
The Norwegian has only bagged three times in twenty-eight league appearances this season.
The Nigeria international, who has had Premier League spells with Leicester City, Fulham and Everton, established himself as one of the premier wingers in European football at the Serie A club.
The Nigeria Football Federation has launched a crackdown on referees who may be involved in match-fixing, as the country’s football leagues reach decisive stages.
In an internal memo signed by the Secretary of the NFF Refereeing Development Committee, Mohammed Ameenu, the federation warned all referees in the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women’s Football League, and the Nationwide League One, to uphold fairness and protect the reputation of the game.
The NFF fears that clubs, their agents, and other football stakeholders may attempt to influence referees in order to gain an unfair advantage.
In response, the federation has set up an independent monitoring committee to observe all matches and report any suspicious behaviour.
Nigeria’s D’Tigress has been drawn in Group D of the 2025 AfroBasket with Mozambique and Rwanda.
The West Africans will be looking to win a record extending seventh title at the competition which will be hosted by Cote d’Ivoire.
D’ Tigress will be looking to build on their impressive outing at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris where they made it to the quarter-finals.
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire are in a tough group with Angola and Egypt, while Mali, Cameroon and South Sudan are drawn in Group B.
In Group C are Senegal, Uganda and Guinea.
Cote d’Ivoire will host the competition from 26th July to 3rd August.
All the matches will be played at the Palais des Sports de Treichville.
Team Nigeria is making a statement at the African Senior Weightlifting Championship in Mauritius, leading the medal tally with 10 gold, four silver, and one bronze as the competition nears its conclusion.
Rafiatu Lawal and Didih Onome were standout performers, each winning three gold medals in their respective weight classes earlier in the day before Ruth Ayodele added to the gold rush, winning three gold medals in the women’s 64kg category with a 213kg total lift (93kg in the snatch and 120kg in the Clean & Jerk).
The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lawal was dominant in the 59KG category, effortlessly clinching the top spot.
Paralympic bronze medalist Eniola Bolaji has been honoured with the 2024 Africa Women in Badminton Award in recognition of her achievements and journey in para-badminton during the Badminton Confederation Africa Annual General Meeting on Thursday in China.
The multiple-time African champion becomes the second Nigerian to receive this award, following in the footsteps of badminton veteran Obiageli Solaja who was recognised in 2019.
The award was accepted on Bolaji’s behalf by Francis Orbih, president of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria, who hailed the recognition as both timely and well-deserved.
OTHER LEAGUES
The honourary president of Bayern Munich, Uli Hoeness, believes Harry Kane deserves to win the Bundesliga title more than any other player in the team.
The England captain is on the brink of winning a first career team trophy as Bayern closes in on the Bundesliga title.
Hoenes lauded the scoring prowess of the England international.
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Celtic captain Callum McGregor believes continued success at Celtic should not be underestimated, saying the club’s domination has desensitised everyone to how actually difficult it is.
Celtic is on the brink of a 13th Premiership title in fourteen years as the team hold a 15-point lead with five matches remaining.
Brendan Rodgers’ side is also strong favourites to beat Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final as the team bid for a sixth treble in nine seasons.
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OTHER SPORTS
In Tennis, Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Madrid Open because of injury, but is hopeful of being fit for his French Open title defence.
The Spanish world number three said he had injured his hamstring and groin during the second set of Sunday’s Barcelona Open final.
Alcaraz is a two-time champion in Madrid and won the Monte Carlo Masters in April.
The 21-year-old left court for treatment during the Barcelona final against Holger Rune and was able to resume the match, with the Dane going on to win 7-6, 6-2.
Alcaraz said he intends to travel to Rome for the Italian Open, which begins on 6th May, before the French Open starts on 25th May.
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Also, Iga Swiatek has avoided another shock defeat against Filipina teenager Alexandra Eala by fighting back to win their Madrid Open second-round match.
World number two Swiatek, who was stunned by Eala in Miami last month, won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on the Spanish clay.
Swiatek lost in the Stuttgart quarter-finals last week and, having received a bye in the Madrid first round, produced some edgy groundstrokes in a poor first set.
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In Rugby, World Rugby says it is extending an online protection scheme for all players, coaches and officials at the upcoming 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup after already detecting more than 2,000 accounts posting hateful messages.
The governing body partnered with an online monitoring agency before the 2023 Men’s World Cup and the service is set to be extended for the women’s tournament in England later this year.
World Rugby said greater visibility of female players, who receive thirty percent more abuse than their male counterparts, is likely to lead to more online trolling and hate speech.
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In Golf, former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley says Robert MacIntyre winning a major would not be a surprise and his fearless mentality could propel him to one of the big four titles.
Ireland’s McGinley, who has become one of the most astute analysts in the game, believes the Scotsman’s form over the past two years has established him among the elite.
MacIntyre staged a late surge to claim the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club last July a month after winning the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open with his dad Dougie on the bag.
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In Cycling, This year’s Women’s Tour of Britain is set for a record field, with 18 teams taking to the start line.
Twelve World Tour teams headline the 108-rider event, which begins in Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire on Thursday, 5th June.
Belgian Lotte Kopecky, of Team SD Worx – Protime, will defend her title while Team Picnic PostNL’s British champion Pfeiffer Georgi is also involved.
Teams from ten different countries will be represented, while EF Education, Oatly and AG Insurance, Soudal will make their debut appearances.
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TODAY’S FIXTURES
IN ITALIAN SERIE A
Atalanta vs Lecce
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SOCCER ACTION CONTINUES THIS WEEKNED
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IN NIGERIA PREMIER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
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ON SATURDAY
Sunshine Stars vs Katsina United
ON SUNDAY
Akwa United vs Ikorodu City
Nasarawa United vs Heartland Owerri
Kano Pillars vs Rivers United FC
Remo Stars vs Niger Tornadoes
Bayelsa United vs El Kanemi Warriors
Plateau United vs Bendel Insurance
Enugu Rangers vs Enyimba
Kwara United vs Lobi Stars
Abia Warriors vs Shooting Stars
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IN FA CUP-SEMI-FINALS
ON SATURDAY
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa
ON SUNDAY
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City
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IN ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
ON SATURDAY
Chelsea vs Everton
Brighton vs West Ham United
Newcastle United vs Ipswich Town
Southampton vs Fulham
Wolvers vs Leicester City
ON SUNDAY
AFC Bournemouth vs Manchester United
Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur
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IN SPANISH COPA DEL REY -FINAL
ON SATURDAY
Barcelona vs Real Madrid
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IN SPANISH LA LIGA
ON SUNDAY
Villarreal vs Espanyol
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IN ITALIAN SERIE A
ON SUNDAY
Como vs Genoa
Venezia vs AC Milan
Fiorentina vs Empoli
Inter Milan vs Roma
Juventus vs Monza
Napoli vs Torino
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
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