IN NIGERIA
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Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has announced his retirement from international football after ten years and eighty-three caps.
Troost-Ekong made the announcement in a post on his X handle on Thursday.
He stated that playing for Nigeria has been the greatest privilege of his life.
Troost-Ekong made his senior international debut for the Super Eagles on 13th June 2015, playing ninety minutes in an AFCON qualifying match against Chad.
His tally of five goals at the AFCON was the current record for the highest number of goals scored by a defender in the history of AFCON.
Super Eagles players and the Confederation of African football have praised Troost-Ekong, who announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, bringing an end to a decade-long career with Nigeria just two weeks before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
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Super Eagles goalkeeper, Amas Obasogie has expressed his delight at having been listed among the provisional list of players for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Obasogie currently plays for Tanzanian NBC Premier League side Singida Black Stars.
He was expected to slug it out with five other quality goalkeepers such as Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho, Ebenezer Harcourt, Stanley Nwabali and Adebayo Adeleye for a place in the final list before the commencement of the tournament.
Obasogie also said he would not take the opportunity given to him for granted.
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Former Nigerian international, Sam Sodje has questioned Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle’s decision to invite fifty-five players for camping ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Sodje faulted Chelle’s decision to invite too many players when the time frame for training was short.
Nigeria are drawn in group C with Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, as they look to mount a strong challenge in Morocco.
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Real Sociedad manager, Sergio Francisco has lauded Super Eagles striker Umar Sadiq’s incredible performance against Reus FC in the Copa del Rey.
Francisco stated that Sadiq’s influence was massively felt by the team when he was introduced in the second half.
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Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen and Leeds United are battling for the signature of Nigerian defender Chibuike Nwaiwu.
Nwaiwu has caught the eye with his impressive performances for Austrian club, Wolfsberger AC this season.
The centre-back moved to Wolfsberger AC from former Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, champions Enyimba.
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Angola head coach, Patrice Beaumelle has criticised the Federation of International Football Association, FIFA, over its decision to shift the mandatory player-release date for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The decision contradicts FIFA’s own standard 14-day compulsory release period for major international competitions.
Beaumelle criticised FIFA for failing to give African football the respect it deserves.
The AFCON 2025 finals are scheduled to run from 21st December, 2025 to 18th January, 2026.
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Tanzania has announced a fifty-three-man provisional list for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Head coach Miguel Gamondi selected the majority of the players from Tanzanian Premier League top clubs Young Africans, Simba SC, Azam FC, and Singida Black Stars.
Sabri Kondo, Novatus Miroshi and Kelvin John are some of the foreign-based professionals, included in the squad.
Gamondi is expected to trim the squad before CAF’s final submission deadline on 11th December.
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Nigeria began their West Africa Trophy campaign on a bright note with a 19-run victory over Zambia in Abuja on Thursday.
The hosts successfully defended a modest total in a match that swung back and forth before Nigeria’s bowlers closed it out in the final overs.
Zambia won the toss and sent Nigeria in to bat, hoping to exploit early conditions. Their decision initially looked justified as Nigeria struggled for fluency in the powerplay, losing wickets at intervals.
Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala extended her fine scoring streak on Thursday, netting her sixth goal of the season to inspire Al Hilal to a 2–0 win over Eastern Flames in the Saudi Women’s Premier League.
The Nigerian star, who has been outstanding since arriving at Al Hilal, opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, pouncing on a rebound to give the visitors a well-deserved lead.
Al Hilal strengthened their grip on the match early in the second half when Al Bandari Mobarak struck in the 62nd minute, securing a comfortable victory.
Despite the win, Al Hilal remain second on the log with 15 points from seven games — three points behind leaders Al Nassr, who maintain a perfect record and still have a game in hand.
Seven-time Olympian Olufunke Oshonaike has made history as the first Nigerian appointed to the International Olympic Committee IOC Athletes’ Commission, following her nomination by IOC President Kirsty Coventry.
Oshonaike, one of Africa’s most decorated table tennis players, is among five new members appointed to ensure the Commission reaches full composition ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
She currently serves on both the Nigeria National Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission and the Nigeria Table Tennis Athletes’ Commission.
IN ENGLAND
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West Ham has turned the set-piece tables on Manchester United to snatch a one-all draw at Old Trafford with Soungoutou Magassa’s 83rd-minute equaliser.
The build-up to the Premier League clash had centered around head coach Ruben Amorim’s admission he had stolen ideas of how to score from set-pieces from rival managers.
Manchester United’s only goal was scored by Diogo Dalot and his first Premier League goal in more than two years.
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Former Liverpool midfielder, Jamie Redknapp has reiterated that Reds star Mohamed Salah will leave Anfield in January.
Redknapp stated this after he was dropped on the bench for the second time in the team’s one-all draw against Sunderland in Wednesday’s Premier League game.
The former England international stated that the Egyptian international would not be ready to watch games from the bench and might request a move in January.
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Yaya Toure has reignited his bitter feud with Pep Guardiola, with the Manchester City favourite branding his former manager a snake in an explosive interview.
Toure has previously been outspoken about his frosty relationship with Guardiola, who coached him at both Barcelona and Manchester City.
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England manager, Thomas Tuchel says he may have his substitutes stay in the dressing room during matches at the World Cup next summer because of the risks posed by high temperatures.
Tuchel stated this on the eve of the World Cup draw in Washington DC.
With the tournament taking place across the US, Canada and Mexico in June and July 2026, experts warn that high temperatures, wildfires and even hurricanes could affect teams, fans and stadium workers.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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Fifa’s head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, says using video assistant referee checks to rule on corners will not hold up matches.
Domestic leagues have rejected the idea of bringing in VAR to review the awarding of corners.
The Fifa proposal was knocked back at an October meeting of the International Football Association Board, which determines the laws of the game.
World football’s governing body plans to trial the idea at the 2026 World Cup finals in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
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Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois has urged spectators to show more respect after his team-mate Vinicius Junior was targeted by rival supporters during his side’s three-nil win away to Athletic Club in Bilbao.
Courtois stressed that criticism and rivalry are part of football, but insisted there is a line that should not be crossed.
His comments come amid a renewed debate in Spain about player protection and the rise of abuse both inside stadiums and online.
Courtois’s defence of his team-mate echoes earlier calls from Real Madrid for stronger action against discrimination and personal insults directed at players.
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Real Madrid defender, Trent Alexander-Arnold will be out for about two months after sustaining a thigh injury during the team’s win over Athletic Club.
The right-back, who has been limited to just eleven appearances in all competitions this season because of injury, provided his first La Liga assist in Real’s three-nil victory in Bilbao.
Alexander-Arnold injured his thigh ten minutes into the second half and required medical assistance to leave the pitch.
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Former Nigerian international, Sunday Oliseh believes Real Madrid may allow Vinicius Junior to leave the club amid his crisis with manager Xabi Alonso.
Oliseh stated that the club may stick with Alonso and allow the Brazilian star to leave.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Tennis, Anastasia Potapova has switched nationality from Russian to Austrian after her application for citizenship was accepted.
Russia has been banned from competing in team competitions since the invasion of Ukraine, prohibiting Potapova from playing in the Billie Jean King Cup.
The 24-year-old, who represented Russia in that tournament in 2018 and 2019, will be eligible to play for Austria next year.
Once the switch takes effect, Potavpova, ranked world number fifty-one, will become the new Austrian number one, replacing Julia Grabher, who sits ninety-four in the rankings.
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In Formula one, Lando Norris says he does not see a scenario where he would ask McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to let him past, in order for him to win the drivers’ championship.
Norris leads Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by twelve points and Piastri by sixteen points heading into this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.
All three are in contention for the title with twenty-five points on offer for a race win and eighteen for second place.
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In Rugby, Eben Etzebeth, South Africa’s double World Cup-winning second row, has been banned for twelve weeks for an eye gouge against Wales.
The 34-year-old was seen to make contact with the left eye of Alex Mann with his thumb in the Springboks’ 73-0 win over Wales last Saturday.
Etzebeth had come on as a second-half substitute in Cardiff but was shown a straight red card in the 79th minute by French referee Luc Ramos.
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In Golf, Rory McIlroy shot a one-over round of seventy-two on a rollercoaster opening day at the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.
The Masters champion, who won this tournament in 2013, had an up and down round which included five birdies and six bogeys in tricky conditions with strong winds.
His playing partners Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee both finished two under for the day, while Australia’s Elvis Smylie, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz are in a three-way tie for the lead on six under.
Scotland’s Cameron Adam, appearing at just his second tournament as a professional, is two shots behind the leaders.
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SOCCER ACTION CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND
IN ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE.
ON SATURDAY
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Bournemouth vs Chelsea
Everton vs Nottingham Forest
Manchester City vs Sunderland
Newcastle United vs Burnley
Tottenham Hotspur vs Brentford
Leeds United vs Liverpool
ON SUNDAY
Brighton vs West Ham United
Fulham vs Crystal Palace
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IN SPANISH LA LIGA
ON SATURDAY
Villarreal vs Getafe
Alavés vs Real Sociedad
Real Betis vs Barcelona
Athletic Club vs Atletico Madrid
ON SUNDAY
Elche vs Girona
Valencia vs Sevilla
Espanyol vs Rayo Vallecano
Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo
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IN ITALIAN SERIE A
ON SATURDAY
Cremonese vs Lecce
Cagliari vs Roma
Lazio vs Bologna
Napoli vs Juventus
ON SUNDAY
Sassuolo vs Fiorentina
Inter Milan vs Como
Hellas
Verona vs Atalanta
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success….words from Dale Carnegie
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