IN AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS
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Federal Government has praised the Super Eagles for their gallant efforts against Morocco despite losing four-two on penalties in Rabat.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the team’s performance remained a source of national pride, even though they fell short of reaching the final.
He urged the Super Eagles to hold their heads high and learn from the experience.
Idris said Nigeria remains proud of the team and grateful for the joy and hope the team gave Nigerians during the competition.
Nigeria will battle Egypt’s Pharaohs in the third-place match on Saturday at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.
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Super Eagles head coach, Éric Chelle says only the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, can decide his future.
Chelle signed a two-year contract with the NFF in January 2025.
The 48-year-old was handed a target of getting the Super Eagles to the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Chelle expressed his desire to continue leading the team.
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Super Eagles star, Bright Osayi-Samuel has criticised the handling of Wednesday’s semi-final clash between Nigeria and hosts Morocco by Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea.
Osayi-Samuel said the referee made very wrong decisions in the game.
He also praised his teammates for their amazing effort in the game.
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Legendary Nigeria midfielder, Sunday Oliseh has hailed Super Eagles defender Bruno Onyeamachi for his impressive display against Morocco’s star winger Brahim Diaz in the AFCON 2025 semifinal encounter in Rabat.
Onyeamachi was massive for the Super Eagles as he managed to neutralise most threats by Diaz.
Commenting on Onyemaechi’s performance, Oliseh praised his effort, stating that he successfully matched every threat posed by Diaz.
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Holders Nigeria’s Super Falcons will face Zambia, Egypt, and Malawi in Group C of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The draw took place in Rabat, Morocco on Thursday.
The Super Falcons will be chasing a record-extending 11th title at the competition.
Hosts Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, and Kenya are in Group A.
In Group B are South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, while
Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde are drawn in Group D
The WAFCON 2026 finals will run from 17th March to 3rd April.
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Nigerian international, Rafiu Durosinmi has joined Serie A club Pisa from Viktoria Plzen.
Viktoria Plzen received eleven million euros, including add-ons, making Durosinmi the most expensive sale in the club’s history.
The 23-year-old was on the books of Plzen for four years.
The Nigerian scored thirty-five goals and provided ten assists in eighty-six matches across all competitions for the club.
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IN ENGLAND
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Chelsea manager, Liam Rosenior says he is accountable for Robert Sanchez’s mistakes as he defended his goalkeeper following the three-two Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg loss by Arsenal.
The Spain international was arguably at fault for Arsenal’s first two goals at Stamford Bridge, with Rosenior revealing his squad had also been hit by injury and illness.
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Tottenham forward, Richarlison has been ruled out for up to seven weeks with a hamstring injury.
The 28-year-old is Spurs’ top scorer this season with seven goals in twenty-one Premier League games.
Thomas Frank’s side host West Ham in a London derby on Saturday and have won just one of their past seven matches in all competitions.
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Manchester United legend, Jaap Stam has advised the Red Devils to sign Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.
Stam said the club should always be looking at players who can make them play better football.
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The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel says the video assistant referee did not make a mistake by awarding Florian Wirtz’s goal for Liverpool at Fulham.
Liverpool were one-nil down at Craven Cottage in the 57th minute when Wirtz latched on to a touch from Conor Bradley to score.
The assistant referee immediate raised his flag for offside against the Germany international.
The VAR, Andy Madley, stepped in to give the goal after applying the semi-automated offside technology.
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England manager, Thomas Tuchel says players will need the right social skills and personality to make his World Cup squad.
Tuchel only had two friendlies in March, against Uruguay and Japan, before naming his squad for the finals, where England will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the group stages.
The former Chelsea manager has not been afraid to leave out big names such as Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden since replacing Gareth Southgate and recalled experienced Brentford midfielder Jordan Henderson.
Tuchel said he needs the right balance in his squad and not necessarily just the best players.
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Former England boss, Sir Gareth Southgate says the authority of managers is being steadily eroded because of the way modern clubs are structured.
The increase in football, technical and sporting directors has led to a shift in power, although Southgate said he has no issue with this evolution.
He said despite the switch from manager to head coach set-ups, bosses in current day clubs face just as much pressure as ever.
Southgate’s comments come with Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea all having parted company with their head coaches since the turn of the year.
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Liverpool defender, Andy Robertson will like to remain at the team beyond this summer when his contract expires.
Robertson said he was a player who wanted to play.
Robertson added that nothing has been decided yet, despite discussions with the club.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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Sporting director, Lutz Pfannenstiel says Aberdeen will be closer to a managerial shortlist in a few more days.
The German is leading the search for Jimmy Thelin’s replacement, with Peter Leven in interim charge and having overseen the past two fixtures.
Swede Thelin’s eighteen months in charge ended in early January, eight months on from the Dons’ Scottish Cup final win.
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Flamengo are exploring the possibility of loaning Lucas Paqueta back to West Ham in an effort to seal a move for the Brazil international this month.
The attacker was the subject of interest from at least two clubs in his native country.
One of those clubs is Flamengo, who are prepared to pay about thirty-five million pounds for the attacker.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Basketball: Shaedon Sharpe recorded 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists to help the host Portland Trail Blazers record a 117-101 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.
Jerami Grant scored 16 points off the bench in his return from a 14-game absence due to an Achilles injury.
Backup Rayan Rupert scored 13 points, Jrue Holiday added 12 and reserve Caleb Love also scored 12 points as the Trail Blazers won for the sixth time in their past eight games.
In Boxing: Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KO’s) may be an expert when it comes to predicting a potential showdown between Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KO’s).
‘The Gypsy King’ has shared the ring with both, winning two out of three bouts against America’s ‘Bronze Bomber’ while succumbing to decision defeats in his two attempts against Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KO’s).
The Ukrainian great has already cemented his legacy and has yet to taste defeat, most recently cruising past Daniel Dubois in five gruelling rounds for the Briton.
Meanwhile, Wilder has struggled since his trilogy with Fury, facing losses at the hands of both Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
In Tennis, Emma Raducanu’s hopes of a smoother Australian Open run have been dashed by another potential third-round match against world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
British number one Raducanu is seeded at a major for the first time since the 2022 US Open but has been pitted against the top seed at the earliest opportunity.
The 23-year-old will face Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew in her opening match, with Austria’s Anastasia Potopova or Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands waiting in the second round.
Two-time winner Sabalenka starts against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, while defending champion Madison Keys who beat Sabalenka in last year’s final, plays Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova.
In the men’s draw, Italy’s two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner gets his bid under way against French world number 94 Hugo Gaston.
Second seed Sinner cannot face his rival Carlos Alcaraz until the final, with the pair having met in the trophy matches at the past three majors.
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In Cricket, Bangladesh’s cricketers have begun a boycott of all forms of cricket in response to comments made by a national cricket board director, which have led to his removal.
Both of Thursday’s matches in the Bangladesh Premier League have been postponed, while the national side’s participation in February’s T20 World Cup is in doubt.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board announced it has removed M Nazmul Islam from his position as chair of its financial committee after he suggested players should shoulder the financial burden if Bangladesh were to withdraw from the World Cup.
The comments came amid political tensions between Bangladesh and host nation India.
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In Rugby, England’s front-row stocks have taken a hit with Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour ruled out of the Six Nations by a shoulder injury.
Opoku-Fordjour, who has not played since the end of November because of an elbow problem, injured his shoulder in training last week.
England’s Six Nations campaign begins against Wales on 7th February and concludes in France on 14th March.
Opoku-Fordjour, who has won six caps, featured against Australia and Argentina this autumn.
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In Golf, Rory McIlroy says the return of Brooks Koepka to the PGA Tour could suggest that the rival LIV Golf tour is in decline.
Koepka, is back on the PGA Tour after controversially joining the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV series in 2022.
He has agreed to make a three point seven million pounds charitable donation as part of his return.
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In Cycling, Edinburgh and Leeds will host the opening stages of the men’s and women’s Tour de France in 2027, with the UK Government saying it will be the most accessible major sporting spectacle ever held in Britain.
It is estimated the Grand Departs of both races will pass within an hour’s drive of sixty percent of the population, with free spectating along more than nine hundred kilometers of public roads.
The first stage of the men’s race will start in Edinburgh and finish in Carlisle, while the women’s Tour will get under way in Leeds and head to Manchester.
In the women’s event, which begins on 30th July, riders will leave Manchester for a second stage through the Peak District to Sheffield, before the final stage in London on 1st August.
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SOCCER ACTION CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND
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IN CAF AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS – THIRD PLACE FINAL
ON SATURDAY
Egypt vs Nigeria
ON SUNDAY
AFCON – FINAL
Senegal vs Morocco
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IN ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
ON SATURDAY
Manchester United vs Manchester City
Chelsea vs Brentford
Leeds United vs Fulham
Liverpool vs Burnley
Sunderland vs Crystal Palace
Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal
ON SUNDAY
Wolves vs Newcastle United
Aston Villa vs Everton
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IN SPANISH LA LIGA
ON SATURDAY
Real Madrid vs Levante
Mallorca vs Athletic Club
Osasuna vs Real Oviedo
Real Betis vs Villarreal
ON SUNDAY
Getafe vs Valencia
Atletico Madrid vs Alavés
Celta
Vigo vs Rayo Vallecano
Real Sociedad vs Barcelona
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it is done right…..words from Walt Disney.
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