Category: Sports

Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has pledged to work tirelessly to secure Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Chelle, who was appointed to the role at an event at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, expressed his excitement and gratitude for the opportunity.

The 47-year-old, who signed a two-year contract with an option for another year, emphasized his commitment to an attacking style of play. He acknowledged the high expectations of Nigerians and assured that he would collaborate closely with his assistants to achieve the goal of qualifying the Super Eagles.

Despite a difficult start to their qualifying campaign, with three draws and one loss in Group C, Chelle is focused on upcoming fixtures against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.

Nigeria winger Chidera Ejuke has made a successful return to full training at Sevilla after a three-month injury absence.

Ejuke, 27, sustained the injury during Sevilla’s 5-1 defeat to Barcelona at Camp Nou in October. His return to training was celebrated by his teammates, who gave him a guard of honour, as shared by the club on social media.

The former Royal Antwerp player is now in line to feature in Sevilla’s upcoming La Liga clash against Girona on Saturday.

Before his injury, Ejuke was in excellent form and was named Sevilla’s Player of the Month for October.

Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has labeled Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United as the “flop of the season” in the Premier League.

Heskey, speaking to Instant Casino, criticized Fernandes for his underwhelming performances as the club’s captain. The 46-year-old former England international believes the Portuguese midfielder has not been effective in his leadership role, with only one standout performance—against Liverpool—this season.

“Bruno Fernandes. In previous seasons, he’s been scoring goals and really carrying the team,” Heskey said. “With the captain’s armband, you expect a bit more. I want to see more drive, more leadership. I don’t think he’s given that.”

Heskey emphasized that as a captain, Fernandes needs to lead by example, showing more effort on the pitch, including running, tackling, and displaying aggression. He added, “The captain has to do more; he has to lead from the front and set the standards for others to follow. I don’t think he’s necessarily been that.”

So far this season, Fernandes has scored just four goals and provided six assists in 19 Premier League appearances. He has added two more goals and as many assists in three Carabao Cup matches.

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has claimed that Manchester United’s hierarchy is actively pushing Marcus Rashford out of the club.

Warnock suggested that the Red Devils’ management is attempting to cut costs by making life difficult for Rashford, who is one of the club’s top earners.

Rashford’s future at United is currently in doubt after he hinted at a potential exit, admitting he is “ready for a new challenge.” His comments followed his omission from the squad for the match against Manchester City and his exclusion from the weekend fixture against Bournemouth, where United suffered a 3-0 defeat.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Warnock explained, “There’s a lot of cost-cutting behind the scenes. He’s potentially their biggest earner, so the ownership may be trying to set a wage structure and make him the first player to go.” He added that Rashford is being frustrated and made the scapegoat, suggesting that United’s management may be forcing him out.

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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is reportedly dissatisfied with his current attacking options and has urged the club’s management to pursue a January transfer for Chelsea target, Victor Osimhen.

Amorim is said to be frustrated with the performances of Rasmus Højlund, who is still struggling to find form, and Joshua Zirkzee, who has had a poor start to his Premier League career.

The Portuguese coach wants to strengthen his attacking line-up in the upcoming transfer window and has made it clear to the board that he wants Osimhen at Old Trafford.

This demand follows a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth over the weekend, which left Amorim reflecting on the challenge of turning United’s fortunes around.

In his post-match comments, Amorim acknowledged the scale of the task at hand, stating he was “ready” to do whatever it takes to restore Manchester United to its former glory.

Osimhen, who has been in scintillating form this season, has impressed with consistent goalscoring performances. The Nigerian forward joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli after his move to Chelsea failed to materialize.

Former Brighton player Glenn Murray has advised Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford to leave the club, suggesting it would be in the best interest of the player’s career.

Murray, who previously played for Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, and Brighton, believes that Rashford needs a fresh challenge to reignite his passion for football. Rashford has struggled with form under several managers at United and has scored only 7 goals with 3 assists in 24 appearances this season. His playing time has been further reduced under new manager Ruben Amorim.

Murray expressed concern about Rashford carrying the weight of expectations at United for too long, and urged him to seek a move to another club.

“I feel as though it’s the right time for him to leave the football club. He’s carried the weight of Manchester United and the supporters’ expectations for too long now. I would like a new break for Marcus Rashford, to go and enjoy his football elsewhere,” Murray said during a BBC Match of the Day segment.

PSG fullback Achraf Hakimi’s mother, Saida Mouh, has disclosed her son’s confidence in winning the African Men’s Player of the Year award before losing to Ademola Lookman.

At the CAF Awards held in Marrakech, Lookman emerged as the winner, beating Morocco’s captain Hakimi, along with Serhou Guirassy, Ronwen Williams, and Simon Adingra.

Hakimi, 26, had an impressive season, helping PSG secure the Ligue 1 title with five goals and seven assists in 40 appearances. This season, he has added three goals and seven assists in 20 matches and continued to shine for Morocco, fueling hopes for the prestigious accolade.

Speaking to Al-Araby via Fennec Football, Mouh said Hakimi invited her to attend the ceremony with confidence in his victory.

“My son asked me to come urgently to Marrakech to be present at the CAF Awards ceremony,” she shared. “He spoke with such certainty that he was the winner. Maybe he had been informed before the event, but in the end, the trophy went to Ademola Lookman.”

Despite the outcome, Hakimi remains a key figure in both PSG and Moroccan football.

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Manchester City defender Ruben Dias will be unavailable for Saturday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa due to injury. The Portuguese international will be sidelined for around 3 to 4 weeks.

Guardiola revealed that Dias had been playing through pain after sustaining an injury in the Manchester derby, where he played 75 minutes despite discomfort. The manager noted that Dias will now be out of action as he recovers.

However, Manchester City will welcome back Manuel Akanji and John Stones into the squad for the upcoming match. The Cityzens are looking to bounce back after a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United and are currently 5th in the Premier League standings, trailing Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool.

Manchester City are nearing a deal to sign young Leyton Orient striker Teddie Lamb, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Cityzens are focused on strengthening their academy to develop a continuous pipeline of talent for their first team.

Romano revealed on X that an agreement has been reached for the highly-rated U16 striker, who is set to join Manchester City’s academy. The club remains committed to its philosophy of nurturing young players for the future.

Lamb, who has already featured for Leyton Orient’s Under-18 side, is regarded as a promising talent by the club’s academy staff, who believe he has a bright future ahead.

Bala Abubakar is set to make his debut as the new technical adviser for Sunshine Stars in the upcoming matchday 18 clash against El-Kanemi Warriors. Abubakar, who was appointed head coach last week, took charge of his first training session on Friday.

The young tactician has previous experience managing Kwara United and Doma United in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

Sunshine Stars will face El-Kanemi Warriors at the Remo Stars Stadium on Sunday. Currently, Sunshine Stars sit in 18th place on the league table with 18 points, having secured five wins, three draws, and suffered nine defeats in their 17 games so far this season.