Category: Sports

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang underlined his value to Arsenal with a superb goal and the winning spot-kick as the Gunners beat Liverpool 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Community Shield on Saturday. Aubameyang put Mikel Arteta’s side ahead in the first half at Wembley with a typically eye-catching strike. Japan’s Takumi Minamino equalised with his first goal for Liverpool late in the second half of the annual pre-season friendly between the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners. In the shoot-out, Liverpool’s young striker Rhian Brewster was the only…

Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick says he trusts their high line defence and will resist making changes in order to contain fleet-footed Paris Saint Germain forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in Sunday’s Champions League final. “In our games over the last 10 months we’ve always tried to impose our style on the opposition,” Flick said Saturday with treble-chasing Bayern on a 20-match winning run. “We’ve always played with a high line and ultimately we’ve got results doing that so we won’t change too much. “We don’t want to give…

An official of the Nigerian Football Federation has reportedly tested positive to coronavirus prompting the football house to announce a shutdown of its secretariat. According to a statement by the federation’s General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, its members of staff would undergo COVID-19 tests at its Secretariat, Sunday Dankaro House, National Stadium Complex, Abuja on Thursday. The statement titled ‘NFF management and staff to undergo COVID-19 tests’ was made available to journalists by NFF’s spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, on Tuesday. Sanusi said, “Apart from him testing positive, I also had issues…

Zinedine Zidane has revealed that leading Real Madrid to the La Liga title in a stop-start season at the mercy of coronavirus was “the best day of my professional life”. The 48-year-old French football icon insisted it will remain a memorable day even in a career which includes winning the 1998 World Cup as a player. The only setback in the season was a Champions League last 16 exit at the hands of Manchester City. “We set the goal (of winning La Liga) very high,” Zidane told AFP. “After the…

Paris Saint-Germain are through to the final of the Champions League for the first time after goals by Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat saw them ease to a 3-0 win over RB Leipzig in a one-sided semi-final in Lisbon on Tuesday. It was 2-0 at half-time, with the first two goals set up by Neymar, the Brazilian again outstanding at the Estadio da Luz, just as he had been in last week’s quarter-final against Atalanta. Bernat’s goal came in the 55th minute and snuffed out any hopes Leipzig…

Former Barcelona midfielder Ronald Koeman has been appointed the club’s new coach, the La Liga giants’ president Josep Maria Bartomeu said on Tuesday. “Koeman will be Barca’s coach next season,” Bartomeu told the side’s television channel. Koeman, who has been in charge of the Netherlands since 2018, replaces Quique Setien who was sacked after Barca were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals in a 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich last week. Details later.. AFP

Chelsea FC of London’s former wing wizard, William gas been confirmed an Arsenal player after the Brazilian switch to his former club’s city rival. The 32-year-old left the Blues after his contract expired but will remain in London after signing a three-year deal with the Gunners. Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Willian on a three-year contract. The Brazilian winger left Chelsea earlier this week after his deal with the Stamford Bridge outfit expired. The 32-year-old will stay in London, however, after agreeing a deal with Mikel Arteta’s team. “I believe he’s…

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang inspired Arsenal to a record 14th FA Cup win as the Gunners captain struck twice to beat Chelsea 2-1 in the final at an empty Wembley on Saturday. Christian Pulisic had given Chelsea the dream start, but the Blues unravelled after Aubameyang was brought down by Cesar Azpilicueta inside the area and converted the resulting penalty. A brilliant finish from Aubameyang 23 minutes from time earned Mikel Arteta silverware in his first season as Arsenal boss before Chelsea were controversially reduced to 10 men when Mateo Kovacic was…

Iron Mike Tyson, the former world heavyweight champion who retired in 2005, revealed on Thursday that he will make a comeback at age 54, fighting Roy Jones Jr. on September 12 in Los Angeles. On his Legends Only League website, Tyson announced the bout against Jones, a 51-year-old fighter who briefly held the heavyweight title and has fought consistently into his 50s. “It’s just going to be amazing,” Tyson said.

Liverpool were crowned Premier League champions without kicking a ball on Thursday as Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Manchester City ended the Reds’ 30-year wait to win the English title. Jurgen Klopp’s men sealed a 19th league title for the club with a record seven games left to play after second placed City’s defeat left them 23 points adrift. Liverpool had moved within two points of the title with a 4-0 demolition of Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday. Their 28th win in 31 league games this season prompted Liverpool star…

World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been ranked the second-richest sportsperson in the United Kingdom. In the ranking done by The Sunday Times, Gareth Bale was rated the richest young sports star. However, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton was ranked the richest sportsperson in the United Kingdom with a net worth of £224 million. Apart from Joshua, others on the young sports stars Rich List are footballers who are aged 30 or below. Among them are Bale, Paul Pogba, Kevin de Bruyne, David de Gea, Raheem Sterling, and N’Golo Kante. Joshua reportedly earned…

Amaju Pinnick, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, has assured Nigerians that getting a new coach won’t be a challenge should Gernot Rohr refuse to sign a new contract to the presented the German tactician. Amaju Pinnick has hinted that a fresh contract for Super Eagles coach, Rohr, will be ready in one week. National Infinity reports that Pinnick was quoted saying “I get calls every day from coaches that want to come here” in response to the possibility of getting a replacement in good time should Rohr reject the new contract.…

Heracles Almelo forward Cyriel Dessers is looking towards a healthy rivalry with Lille striker Victor Osimhen as the Super Eagles prepare to face Sierra Leone in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba later this month, Sports Extra reports. With Paul Onuachu dropped from the squad, Dessers, who has a Belgian father, was handed his maiden invitation to play for Nigeria against Sierra Leone by Gernot Rohr, after he was cleared by Federation International Football Association to play for the Eagles at international level. The 25-year-old…

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury’s wife, Paris has fired a dig at hubby’s rival boxer Anthony Joshua, saying the multiple heavyweight champion is keeping the belts warm for her husband. Fury was stripped of the titles Joshua now occupies after his well-publicised struggles outside of the ring following his win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, though has fought his way back to the pinnacle of the sport. The Gypsy King stopped Deontay Wilder in seven rounds last week, though the American has triggered a rematch clause with a trilogy fight set…

New entrants, Kingsley Ehizibue, of FC Koln, and Holland-based forward Cyril Dessers will debut for Nigeria as Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr released names of 24 players for the double-header against Sierra-Leone in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture this month. Rohr named captain Ahmed Musa, vice-captain William Ekong and veteran defender Kenneth Omeruo in his 24-man Super Eagles’ roster There are also goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, defenders Leon Balogun and Olaoluwa Aina, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forwards Alex Iwobi and Victor Osimhen in the list of three…

WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury appeared to taunt Nigerian born heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua by wearing a ‘Nigeria’ themed gumshield during his emphatic victory over Deontay Wilder on Saturday night. The Gypsy King gave a dominant and powerful display in Las Vegas, twice knocking Wilder to the canvas before the American’s corner threw in the towel in the seventh round. Having claimed the WBC title, all eyes are now on a unification fight between Fury and fellow Brit Joshua – who holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles. Fury’s…

Newly crowned WBC Heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury was caught licking the blood was spewing out of Wilder’s ear and Fury decided, in only the way that he would, to lick it off the American in the sixth round. What. Have. We. Just. Seen? Queried a commentator. Oh Tyson. That’s quite grim. But there’s nothing like showing your superiority by licking your opponent’s blood.

Former world heavyweight champion, Frank Bruno posted a video on Twitter thanking new WBC Heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, for stopping Deontay Wilder

Tyson Fury reigns again as a heavyweight world champion after battering Deontay Wilder on the way to a stunning seventh-round stoppage in their World Boxing Council title rematch. Fourteen months after their dramatic split-decision draw, Britain’s Fury dominated the American champion — who had blood streaming from his left ear and leaking from his mouth when referee Kenny Bayless called a halt at the behest of Wilder’s corner. Deontay Wilder was reportedly rushed to the hospital after losing to Tyson Fury in their heavyweight title rematch. According to reports, he missed his…

The President Muhammadu Buhari has named ex-Nigerian international, Daniel Amokachi, as the country’s football ambassador, a State House statement said on Tuesday. Amokachi, popularly known as ‘the Bull”, is both a former Super Eagles player and an Assistant Coach of the team. The statement signed by Buhari’s media aide, Mr Garba Shehu, said, “Amokachi, a member of the 1994 Super Eagles Team that won the African Nations Cup in Tunisia, was also in the Nigerian Olympic Football Team to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that won the Gold Medal. “In addition…

NBA legend Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash in suburban Los Angeles, celebrity website TMZ reported, in an accident confirmed by police that saw five people killed. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials said there were no survivors from the morning crash on a hillside in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles. The helicopter was described as a Sikorsky S-76, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said. TMZ was the first US outlet to report that Bryant was among the fatalities. The NBA icon’s death was later confirmed by ESPN and…

Chairman of Chairmen of Nigerian Football, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has stated that the NFF resorted to appointing a Normalisation Committee to run the affairs of the Delta State Football Association following the long-drawn intractable crisis that bedevilled that affiliate. “Early last year, the board of the Delta State Football Association wrote a petition against the acting Chairman, bordering on various allegations, and eventually held a congress where the members suspended the acting Chairman.  The NFF took note of the decision because the process adopted complied with the laid down regulations for…

Anthony Joshua’s offer to spar fellow British boxer, Tyson Fury has generated so much controversy and the United Heavyweight Boxing champion has admitted regretting going public with the offer, though he insists that the chance to learn from the Gypsy King would be hugely beneficial. Fresh from winning back his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr., AJ revealed that he would be up for helping Fury prepare for his own rematch with WBC champion Deontay Wilder – which is scheduled for February. It did not take long for Fury to respond,…

Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi is the highest-paid Super Eagles player in Europe this season, Sports Extra reports. The 22-year-old, who joined the Foxes from Genk for £17m in 2016, earns £3.9m per annum, (approximately £75,000 a week) according to a study by Spotrac. Ndidi, barring any last-minute hitch, will play his 100th game for Leicester City in Saturday’s clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at the King Power Stadium. He is also the fifth highest earner at Leicester behind Jamie Vardy (£7.28m), Kasper Schmeichel (£6.76m), Johnny Evans (£4.16m) and Adrien Silva (£4.16m).…

Nigerian British born boxer, Anthony Joshua said his first career defeat at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr. was due to a lack of experience and he had become a “smarter” fighter ahead of December’s rematch. Mexican-American Ruiz produced one of boxing’s biggest upsets when he dethroned the previously undefeated world heavyweight champion with a seventh-round stoppage at New York’s Madison Square Garden in June. “It wasn’t burnout. The issues I faced in the last camp, it’s just down to lack of experience,” he told BBC. “Even though it was…

Jose Mourinho was on Wednesday appointed Tottenham’s new manager to replace the sacked Mauricio Pochettino, with the club languishing 14th in the Premier League. The Portuguese former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager signed a contract until the end of the 2022/23 season, the north London club said in a statement. Pochettino, 47, transformed Spurs’ fortunes after arriving from Southampton in 2014 and although he failed to win a trophy he took the club to the Champions League final for the first time in their history just six months…

Liverpool reached the League Cup quarter-finals in thrilling style as their incredible 5-5 draw against Arsenal was followed by a 5-4 penalty shoot-out triumph on Wednesday. Both Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Arsenal boss Unai Emery made 11 changes for the fourth round tie, but the understudies served up one of the most entertaining games of the season at Anfield. Arsenal enjoyed a memorable 6-3 League Cup quarter-final win at Liverpool in 2007, but this time they squandered multiple leads in an even more dramatic clash. In the shoot-out, Dani…

The home-based Super Eagles will miss out of the party at the CHAN 2020 in Cameroon in spite of a 2-0 win against Togo at the Agege Stadium in Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian side put on a spirited effort to overturn the 1-4 first-leg deficit, but they failed and thus lost 3-4 aggregate. The Eagles had to ring seven changes from the players who featured in Lome and were soon rewarded with two goals, courtesy Sikiru Alimi’s brace in the 4th and 66th…

Chelsea defender, Fikayo Tomori, has revealed he opted to play for England over Nigeria because they were the first to hand him a senior international call-up. England coach, Gareth Southgate, included Tomori and fellow Chelsea player, Tammy Abraham, in his 25-man squad for their Euro 2020 qualifier against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. According to the 21-year-old, “England is such a big nation, as well as Nigeria and Canada, so I think I was going to be happy with whoever called me up – but it’s nice it is England,”…

Former Nigeria international, Osaze Odemwingie, has been admitted into the Professional Golfers Association. The former Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion forward shared contents of his admission statement on social media. “I am very proud to become a member of this great association (PGA),” the 38-year-old added. “Congratulations, as of today your registration with the PGA has been accepted and a place on the PGA Training Programme and University of Birmingham Foundation Degree in Professional Golf Studies has been allocated to you. “Your amateur status has now been relinquished and…

Super Falcons captain, Asisat Oshoala, scored the winner as Barcelona beat Sporting de Huelva 1-0 in their Spanish Primera Iberdrola clash on Sunday. Oshoala’s goal condemned Huelva with Nigeria’s Peace Efih, Ghana’s Princella Adubea, Equatorial Guinea’s Oluwatobiloba Olanrewaju and Gambia’s Fatoumata Kanteh to a fourth league defeat. With Sunday’s goal, Oshoala has now scored four goals in five league matches this season for Barcelona. The win sees Barcelona retain the summit of the log on goal difference with 13 points from five matches, while Huelva are 13th with three points…