IN NIGERIA
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Super Eagles head coach, Éric Chelle has urged his players to make a strong start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Chelle stressed the importance of determination and a positive start as the Super Eagles aim to secure qualification for the tournament.
The three-time African champions will begin their qualifying campaign with a double-header against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau this month.
Nigeria will host the Barea of Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday before travelling to Bissau to face the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau next Tuesday.
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Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali has taken a swipe at his critics following his return to the team for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Chippa United goalkeeper, who has spent an extended period away from the national team, posted a video on Snapchat featuring his penalty saves against Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush during Nigeria’s bronze-medal match at AFCON 2025.
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Super Eagles star, Arthur Okonkwo has set his sights on winning the Africa Cup of Nations with the team.
Okonkwo made his debut for the three-time African champions against Zimbabwe’s Warriors at the Unity Cup in May.
Looking beyond the upcoming fixture, Okonkwo has revealed his ambition to become an African champion with Nigeria and represent the country at the FIFA World Cup.
The former Arsenal academy goalkeeper also expressed his determination to make a positive impact with the Super Eagles while continuing to learn from his more experienced teammates.
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Chadian referee Alhadji Allaou Mahamat has been appointed to officiate the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matchday-one encounter between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Madagascar’s Barea.
Mahamat is one of Africa’s experienced match officials and has handled several CAF competitions, including the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and the African Nations Championship.
The Chadian referee is also familiar with the Super Eagles, having officiated two of Nigeria’s matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The Super Eagles will host Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, as Nigeria begins its quest for qualification for the AFCON 2027 finals.
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Flamingos head coach, Akeem Busari says Nigeria are determined to make history by winning the 2026 FIFA Under-seventeen Women’s World Cup.
Busari believes his team has what it takes to challenge for the title and create history in the process.
Nigeria has been drawn in Group B alongside Poland, debutants Puerto Rico and two-time defending champions DPR Korea.
Busari’s side will begin their campaign against Poland on Saturday, 17th October 2026, as they look to take the first step towards a historic world title.
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Nigeria international, Isaac James has opened up about his maiden invitation to the Super Eagles for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The Alverca of Portugal defender is among three new players called up by Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle for the two fixtures, alongside forwards Moses Usor and George Ilhenikena.
James admitted that although representing Nigeria has always been a dream, he did not expect his first invitation to come so soon.
The 22-year-old defender also revealed the emotional reaction that followed when he learned he had been selected for the Super Eagles.
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Enyimba have continued their poor start to the season with a three-two home defeat to Sporting Lagos.
The nine-time champions remain bottom of the table with zero points from their opening five games.
Defending champions Rangers recorded a narrow one-nil home victory over Ranchers Bees, with Chidozie Iwundu scoring the decisive goal ten minutes from full-time.
Barau FC moved to the top of the table after a two-nil win over Abia Warriors, while Shooting Stars secured a two-nil victory over Katsina United.
Doma United and Plateau United played out a two-all draw at the Pantami Stadium, and Inter Lagos were held to a one-all draw by Kano Pillars.
Former champions Bendel Insurance secured a two-one victory over Ikorodu City while Niger Tornadoes were held to a goalless draw by Niger Tornadoes.
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Former Nigerian international, Mutiu Adepoju has expressed immense delight following the comprehensive renovation of the Warri City Stadium pitch.
Adepoju also commended the upgrade as a massive win for domestic football development in the country.
Sharing his thoughts on the impressive transformation, the former Super Eagles midfielder emphasised how crucial quality infrastructure is for the growth of the Nigeria Premier Football League and grassroots sports:
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Super Eagles striker, Paul Onuachu has shed light on why his much-anticipated move to Southampton ultimately turned into a frustrating spell, pointing to a stark tactical mismatch and instability behind the scenes at St Mary’s.
Having since revived his career in Turkey, Onuachu admits that finding a system that plays to his strengths and a coach who trusts him has been key to getting his confidence and scoring boots back.
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IN ENGLAND
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England winger, Bukayo Saka says the team are still carrying the scar of their heartbreaking World Cup semi-final exit to Argentina.
Despite the lingering pain, Saka emphasised that the squad is pivoting its focus to the immediate challenge of securing top spot in their Nations League group.
Speaking ahead of England’s opening Nations League fixture against world champions Spain at Wembley, Saka reflected candidly on the aftermath of their World Cup exit.
Saka also took time to highlight the meteoric rise of his 16-year-old Arsenal teammate Max Dowman, tipping the midfielder for a senior international call-up in the near future.
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Manchester United’s overall debt remains over one billion pounds despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s extensive cost-cutting measures, with the club also confirming it has spent sixty-three point five million pounds buying land for their new stadium.
Amid a backdrop of fan protests and a disappointing start to the season that has left United 12th in the Premier League and already out of the Caraboa Cup, United have announced record revenues of six hundred and seventy-seven point six million pounds and a twenty-two point six million pounds operating profit despite not playing in Europe for the first time in a decade.
This represents a huge shift from the one hundred and thirteen point two million pounds loss in 2023-24.
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Meanwhile, Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada says the club’s return to the Champions League and strong commercial performance underline the progress made over the past two years.
In a statement on X on Wednesday, accompanying the latest financial results, Berrada highlighted record revenues and adjusted EBITDA despite the absence of European football last season.
He added that the club had strengthened both the men’s and women’s teams during the summer transfer window, with the men’s side now set to bring Champions League football back to Old Trafford.
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Chelsea women In-form midfielder Keira Walsh came off with an injury as Chelsea secured a one-nil win over Austria Vienna in their opening Champions League league-phase match.
The England international, was substituted in the 20th minute and headed straight down the tunnel after Wieke Kaptein had opened the scoring with a stunning 25-yard strike that went in off the crossbar.
It is unclear how precautionary the decision to come off was but Chelsea host Arsenal in the Women’s Super League on Sunday, with England’s squad to be announced next week.
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The Football Association has charged Cardiff City defender Krystian Bielik with misconduct over an altercation involving Portsmouth fans, but a police investigation has been concluded and they will take no further action over the incident.
The flashpoint came during Cardiff’s two-nil Championship defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday, 5th September.
The Poland international has been given until Friday, 25th September to respond to the FA charge.
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U.K Prime minister, Andy Burnham has branded a ban on fans being allowed to drink alcohol in the stands during men’s football matches as discrimination.
The Football Supporters’ Association said the outdated legislation should be reviewed, but police chiefs have warned against relaxing the law and would like to meet the Prime minister to explain the challenges.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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Portugal and Al Nassr forward, Cristiano Ronaldo has identified two major targets for the next phase of his career, helping Portugal win the UEFA Nations League and reaching one thousand career goals.
The Portugal captain made his ambitions clear as he continues to pursue further success at both international and individual level.
Ronaldo has already enjoyed a remarkable career with Portugal, winning major international honours and becoming one of the most prolific goalscorers in football history.
He has been included in Jorge Jesus’ twenty-five-man squad for Portugal’s Nations League campaign, which begins against Wales in Lisbon on Thursday.
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Real Madrid defender, Marc Cucurella has hit back at media criticism and statistical tracking claiming José Mourinho’s squad is lazy and covers the least distance in La Liga.
The intense media scrutiny erupted after Real Madrid suffered two high-profile, frustrating defeats to Real Betis and a painful two-one derby loss to Atlético Madrid.
While defending his teammates’ work rate, Cucurella conceded that data does not lie and must be used by the team under Mourinho to fix their current structural flaws and find better cohesion.
Mourinho, who personally brought Cucurella over from Chelsea in a blockbuster fifty-two million pounds summer move, faces mounting tactical pressure as Madrid attempts to steady their La Liga and Champions League campaigns.
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Germany manager, Jurgen Klopp has wasted no time establishing an uncompromising culture with the national team, introducing a series of strict rules designed to eliminate off-pitch distractions and refocus the squad entirely on football.
In a bid to tighten discipline and foster a collective team atmosphere during international breaks, the German manager has reportedly banned players from using mobile phones during communal hours and prohibited private barbers or stylists from visiting the team hotel for haircuts.
Addressing the need for a cultural reset within the camp, Klopp emphasised that representing the national team requires total dedication and sacrifice from every player.
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Wolfsburg have terminated Christian Eriksen’s contract by mutual consent.
The decision comes three months after the midfielder collapsed on the pitch while playing for Denmark.
He had previously suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening European Championship group match against Finland in Copenhagen in 2021.
Eriksen, who has not played since June, joined Wolfsburg as a free agent a year ago after leaving Manchester United and made thirty-four appearances for the club.
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Christian Eriksen has left Wolfsburg by mutual consent, just over three months after collapsing during Denmark’s friendly with Ukraine.
The former Manchester United midfielder’s contract with the German second-tier side had been scheduled to run until June 2027.
Eriksen had previously suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening European Championship group match against Finland in Copenhagen in 2021.
Eriksen, who has not played since June, joined Wolfsburg as a free agent a year ago after leaving Manchester United and made 34 appearances for the club.
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Republic of Ireland star, Dara O’Shea says the Republic of Ireland squad will wait until after Thursday’s Kosovo game before discussing how they approach Sunday’s contentious fixture against Israel.
The Republic of Ireland face Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday before travelling to Debrecen in Hungary for the first of two Israel games in this international window.
He said it was important for the squad to speak openly and respect each other’s views when they come together to discuss the Israel game on Friday.
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Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after the country’s highest judicial court rejected his appeal against his referral to trial.
The Court of Cassation dismissed Hakimi’s appeal, confirming his referral to the departmental criminal court of Hauts-de-Seine over allegations of rape involving a woman in February 2023.
The decision follows several stages in the case.
In February, an investigating judge ordered Hakimi to stand trial.
The Moroccan international challenged the decision, but the Versailles Court of Appeal confirmed his referral on 19th June.
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Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew have sacked their reserve team coach after he refused to let go of a female referee’s hand and said do not forget this is a man’s game.
Federico Higuain, brother of former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, was sent off and given a two-match suspension for the incident during an MLS Next Pro league match.
Crew general manager Issa Tall said it was determined that it was in the best interest of the club, players and support staff to dismiss Federico Higuain from his responsibilities.
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OTHER SPORTS
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Olympic gymnastics legend, Simone Biles has revealed a terrifying chapter from her life in Chicago, sharing that three masked men broke into her home and made off with her high-performance Porsche GTS.
The multi-gold medalist recounted the bizarre and frightening ordeal on social media while documenting her trip to pick up a replacement vehicle.
According to Biles, the burglary occurred during the final months she and her husband, NFL safety Jonathan Owens, were based in the Chicago area.
Reflecting on the surreal sequence of events, Biles admitted that her life often feels like it belongs on a reality TV program.
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In Cycling, Great Britain’s impressive rider line-up for cycling’s Road World Championships means the team have rarely stood a better chance of glory.
For the men, there is also the helpful factor of Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar being absent, after he suffered crash injuries during the Vuelta a Espana in August.
While Pogacar crashed out of the Vuelta, the race showcased the continued emergence of 21-year-old British rider Matthew Brennan, who won five stages of the three-week race for Visma Lease a Bike – a record for a Grand Tour debutant.
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In Formula one, Frenchman Isack Hadjar is to stay at Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s team-mate for the 2027 season.
The 21-year-old was promoted to the senior team this season after a rookie year with Racing Bulls and has managed to be closer to Verstappen on pace than any team-mate since Daniel Ricciardo in 2018.
His best result came with a third place at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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In Rugby, England back row Marlie Packer says defence coach Shaun Edwards’ surprise move into the Red Roses set-up was partly inspired by his late mother Phyllis.
Edwards joined the world champions for the remainder of their autumn campaign after the end of a six-and-a half-year stint with France.
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TODAY’S FIXTURES
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IN CAF AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS
Ivory Coast vs Ghana
Democratic Republic of Congo vs Equatorial Guinea
Sierra Leone vs Zimbabwe
Mauritania vs Central African Republic
Namibia vs Congo
Cameroon vs Comoros
Libya vs Botswana
Tunisia vs Uganda
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IN UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE
Netherlands vs Germany
Serbia vs Greece
Austria vs Israel
Kosovo vs Republic of Ireland
Norway vs Denmark
Portugal vs Wales
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
I do not believe skill was or ever will be, the result of coaches. It is a result of a love affair between the child and the ball…words from Roy Keane.
