IN NIGERIA
Super Eagles star, Moses Simon has praised the performance of the new Super Eagles players following Nigeria’s thrilling three-all draw against Russia in an international friendly.
Simon, who earned his 102nd appearance for the Super Eagles against Russia, said the performances of the emerging players were a positive indication of a bright future for the national team.
He said the talent, courage and composure on display offer plenty of reasons to believe in a brighter and greater future for this team.
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Nigerian International, Dapo Afolayan who plays for Blackburn Rovers, has expressed his desire to represent the Super Eagles at senior international level.
The 29-year-old was born in London, England, to Nigerian parents and remains eligible to play for Nigeria.
Afolayan has represented England C once, but the non-FIFA-affiliated side does not tie him to the Three Lions at senior international level, leaving the door open for a potential Super Eagles call-up.
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Nigeria’s Under-twenty-three Eagles will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Under-twenty-three Cup of Nations.
Congo secured their place in the second round after eliminating Mauritania two-nil on aggregate in the opening round.
The Leopards suffered a one-nil defeat in the first leg in Nouakchott before bouncing back with a two-nil victory in the return fixture.
Mabete and Candidat Mapendo scored for Guy Bukasa’s side to seal their progress.
Congo will host Nigeria in the first leg at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on Monday, 9th November, 2026.
Nigeria will welcome the Leopards for the return leg on Tuesday, 17th November, 2026, with the venue yet to be announced.
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Katsina United will host Enyimba in a Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, Matchday Eight encounter at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium on Friday.
The fixture will be the second Friday night game of the 2026/27 NPFL season, following Shooting Stars’ two-one victory over Inter Lagos in the first Friday fixture of the campaign.
Katsina United head into the clash without a win in their last two league matches.
The Chanji Boys played out a one-all draw against Rivers United before recording another one-all draw against Inter Lagos last weekend.
Enyimba, meanwhile, have enjoyed an upturn in form after a difficult start to the season.
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AC Milan legend Mauro Tassotti has offered a balanced and encouraging appraisal of Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze, highlighting the Nigerian international’s ongoing evolution under manager Rúben Amorim.
While acknowledging the raw attacking potential and flashes of brilliance the winger has shown, the Milan icon pointed out the natural teething problems that come with a major positional transition.
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President of the Confederation of African football, Patrice Motsepe has reiterated his full support for beleaguered FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s upcoming re-election bid.
Speaking near the end of a lengthy address at a Confederation of African Football strategy meeting in Cape Verde, Motsepe announced they took a resolution, unanimous that they support him and they would stand by him for the next elections.
He urged delegates from the fifty-four national federations to stand up and give Gianni a round of applause.
Shifting focus to development, Motsepe declared that one of the nations from Africa would win the World Cup.
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IN ENGLAND
Manchester City head coach, Enzo Maresca says the feeling is fantastic among his players and they did not care too much about the noise surrounding the club after it was found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against it by the Premier League.
The club’s international players returned to training on Thursday, nine days after the Premier League published a damning report that stated the club had used sham contracts to disguise secret funding of more than eight hundred and thirty million pounds.
Maresca told his players not to allow the crisis that has engulfed the club to affect their attitude and focus as the Premier League campaign gets back under way this weekend.
He stated this in an in-house interview when asked about the mood among his squad prior to their trip to face Liverpool on Sunday.
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Some Premier League clubs are so astonished by comments made by U.K Prime Minister Andy Burnham appearing to downplay the verdict against Manchester City that they are now concerned about political interference in the appeal process.
Senior club figures say they were shocked when they heard the prime minister said he would be really concerned if Manchester City’s owners decide to sell up after the club were found guilty of Premier League financial rule breaches.
They questioned what his comments were designed to achieve, and said it had put the Independent Football Regulator in a difficult position.
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Newcastle United legend, Alan Shearer believes Cristiano Ronaldo risks missing out on the kind of emotional international farewell enjoyed by his long-time rival, Lionel Messi.
Shearer said Ronaldo’s decision to walk off and subsequently issue a statement had reflected poorly on him, noting that although the Portuguese star apologised to his teammates and fans, he failed to extend the apology to his manager.
He described the situation as disappointing, adding that he was saddened to see one of football’s greatest-ever players involved in such a controversy despite his extraordinary talent.
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Sunderland and Switzerland captain, Granit Xhaka says he has received a suspended fine of one hundred and thirty-six thousand pounds for obtaining a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate.
The 34-year-old, who is alleged to have obtained the certificate in 2022 when it was a requirement in Switzerland for some travel abroad, said the fine was suspended for two years provided he does not commit any further offences, and that he has already paid the court costs.
He is expected to return to action when Sunderland host Brighton on Saturday.
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Everton forward, Martin Sherif has been fined five thousand pounds by the Football Association for breaching its betting rules over a 15-month period.
The 20-year-old admitted having caused, permitted or enabled sixty-one bets on games between 20th November 2024 and 12th February 2026.
In his defence, Sherif said he did not place any of the bets himself but admitted they came from accounts in his name and which he funded.
An independent regulatory commission said Sherif had shown genuine remorse.
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Southampton head coach, Tonda Eckert says Spygate is an experience that has changed his life.
The 33-year-old faced the media for the first time since being given a six-week suspended ban and a twenty-eight thousand pounds fine by the Football Association for his role in the scandal.
Eckert was in a relaxed mood during Thursday’s media conference at the club’s Staplewood training ground, sharing a joke with reporters before sitting down to answer questions.
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England women star, Ella Toone has received a late call into the England squad for the Women’s World Cup play-off matches against Greece.
Manchester United women midfielder Toone and Arsenal winger Chloe Kelly were omitted from the initial squad, with head coach Sarina Wiegman saying they had not played to their potential in her opinion in the last couple of weeks.
Toone scored twenty-four goals in sixty-nine senior England appearances, winning Euro 2022 and Euro 2025 as well as starting in England’s 2023 World Cup final defeat by Spain.
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OTHER LEAGUES
FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s chances of being re-elected as Fifa president appear to have been given a major boost after potential rival Victor Montagliani confirmed he wants to remain as head of Concacaf.
The Canadian, was widely seen as a possible candidate after Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors sparked a global backlash.
Montagliani never confirmed he wanted to challenge Infantino, and he has now told colleagues that he will instead seek a final term as head of the confederation which governs North and Central America and the Caribbean.
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Rangers manager Derek McInnes says he is not a fan of the extended international break which he considers too long.
The Ibrox club had thirteen players away on duty for their countries after the Scottish Premiership win over Celtic on 20th September.
McInnes said the full squad would only train together on Friday, the day before the visit of Kilmarnock and nineteen days after their derby triumph.
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OTHER SPORTS
In Formula one, George Russell says he will be taking a further grid penalty this season in addition to the one he has been hit with for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The Briton will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid because he needs to fit a new engine which takes him beyond his permitted number for the season.
He said he would have to take another new engine, as soon as a planned upgrade is ready, to get him to the end of the season.
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In Cricket, Pat Cummins has spoken to Usman Khawaja about his former team-mate’s upcoming autobiography, but the Australia captain said he has no concerns about potential sandpaper gate revelations.
On Friday, Australia will begin their first Test series in South Africa since the ball-tampering scandal erupted in Cape Town in 2018.
At the time, captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and batter Cameron Bancroft were banned for their part in the plot.
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In Rugby, Harlequins head coach Jason Gilmore says he expected a difficult start to the season following a summer of changes.
Quins are bottom of the Prem table after losing their first two matches.
They produced a woeful performance in Saturday’s 48-0 thrashing by Gloucester – the club’s heaviest league defeat for 26 years.
Having been in interim charge for six months after Danny Wilson left Harlequins to join Wales’ coaching team, Gilmore was confirmed as permanent boss in March.
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SOCCER ACTION CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND
IN ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
ON SATURDAY
Arsenal vs Leeds United
Aston Villa vs Brentford
Chelsea vs Bournemouth
Ipswich Town vs Fulham
Sunderland vs Brighton &
Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur
ON SUNDAY
Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest
Hull City vs Everton
Liverpool vs Manchester City
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IN SPANISH LA LIGA
ON SATURDAY
Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Club
Alavés vs Atletico Madrid
Barcelona vs Getafe
Real Madrid vs Villarreal
ON SUNDAY
Elche vs Celta Vigo
Real Sociedad vs Deportivo de A Coruña
Real Betis vs Osasuna
Racing de Santander vs Valencia
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Nature has given us all the pieces required to achieve exceptional wellness and health, but has left it to us to put these pieces together….words from Diane McLaren.
