Sports

Former Super Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh, has warned that celebrating a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) could promote a culture of mediocrity within the national team. Oliseh made the remarks after observing reactions from African and European football pundits who mocked Nigeria’s celebrations following their bronze-medal victory over Egypt in Morocco last weekend. The Super Eagles claimed their ninth AFCON bronze medal after defeating the Pharaohs 4–2 on penalties in the third-place playoff. Speaking on the Global Football Insight Podcast, Oliseh said a viral video of the players jubilating over the bronze medal left many observers stunned. “Before the AFCON final in Rabat, a video went viral showing our Super Eagles celebrating wildly after f...

Al-Kholood head coach, Des Buckingham, has lavished praise on William Troost-Ekong, describing the former Super Eagles captain as an invaluable figure whose impact cannot be replaced following his departure from the Saudi Pro League club. Troost-Ekong, who arrived at Al-Kholood from Greek side PAOK in the summer of 2024, completed a January transfer to Qatari outfit Al Ahli SC, ending a short but highly influential spell with the club. Speaking at a press briefing, Buckingham acknowledged that while the club would bring in a replacement on the pitch, matching Troost-Ekong’s overall presence and influence would be impossible. “You can’t replace William, and I don’t want to replace him either as a player or as a person,” Buckingham said. “Someone will come in to fill his role on the...

FIFA has unveiled a prize pool of nearly $4 million for the first-ever FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, setting a new financial benchmark in women’s club football. Under the prize structure, the champions of the tournament will earn $2.3 million, the largest single prize payout in the history of the women’s club game. The runners-up at the final, scheduled for Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Arsenal Stadium in London, will receive $1 million. Clubs knocked out at the semi-final stage will be awarded $200,000 each, while Auckland United FC of New Zealand and Wuhan Chegu Jiangda WFC of China, who exited in the opening round, will each receive $100,000. In total, the six participating teams will share close to $4 million based on performance. FIFA made the announcement on Friday via its ...

Real Madrid manager, Álvaro Arbeloa, has told Trent Alexander-Arnold to leave the LaLiga club, according to El Nacional. The 27-year-old only arrived at the Bernabéu as a free agent from Liverpool last summer. However, Madrid reportedly paid a compensation fee of around €10 million so he could feature at the Club World Cup. Alexander-Arnold has endured a difficult start to life in Spain due to injury setbacks. His unavailability has seen the England defender fail to nail down a place in the starting XI under Xabi Alonso and now Arbeloa. It is now claimed that Arbeloa has held talks with Alexander-Arnold, advising him to leave Madrid for his own good in the summer transfer window. Arbeloa reportedly told Alexander-Arnold that he is not in the club’s long-term plans and tha...

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is reportedly considering postponing the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) amid ongoing changes to the tournament’s scheduling framework. CAF is seeking to move the competition to a four-year cycle, with the first edition under the revised format expected to take place in 2028. As a result, concerns have emerged over the feasibility of hosting the tournament in 2027 as originally planned. Sources at CAF’s headquarters in Cairo revealed doubts about the readiness of the designated host nations—Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya—to stage the competition on schedule. Discussions are reportedly ongoing, with a possible shift to 2028 now under consideration. A final decision is expected in the coming months following consultations with the host countr...

Tottenham Hotspur have initiated talks with Liverpool as they consider a potential summer move for experienced left-back Andy Robertson. The 31-year-old Scotland international is entering the final months of his contract at Anfield and recently admitted he is uncertain about his future. With the World Cup approaching, Robertson is eager to secure consistent playing time after struggling for regular starts this season. According to BBC Sport, Spurs have made an initial enquiry to Liverpool, though discussions remain at an early stage and no deal has been agreed. Robertson has found opportunities limited this campaign, starting just four Premier League matches. His latest appearance came as a substitute in Liverpool’s 1–1 draw with Burnley on January 17. Ahead of that match, Live...

Spanish giants, Real Madrid, have once again been crowned the highest-revenue club in world football. For the third consecutive year, the club tops Deloitte’s global ranking after generating €1.161 billion in revenue during the 2024–25 season. That figure represents a year-on-year increase of €115.5 million and places Real Madrid nearly €200 million ahead of second-placed Barcelona (€974.8m). This figure is almost €200 million more than the second-placed club, FC Barcelona, which recorded revenues of €974.8 million, and far ahead of the most powerful clubs in the Premier League. For example, Liverpool, ranked fifth, generated €836.1 million. Despite failing to win any major trophies during the season, Real Madrid once again achieved outstanding financial results. As Deloitte po...

Liverpool Football Club has surged past Manchester United and Manchester City to become the richest club in England for the first time ever. In a major financial milestone for English football, Liverpool rose to the top of the English revenue rankings, having earned £729m from their Premier League-winning season.  Six Premier League sides made the top 10, with Liverpool the leader.  They are also fifth in the World. The Reds’ financial performance was boosted by a combination of factors, including high commercial income, robust matchday earnings, and their return to the UEFA Champions League. Additional non-matchday events at Anfield, such as high-profile concerts, also contributed to revenue growth, demonstrating a diversified business model that goes beyond football al...

PSG defender, Lucas Hernandez, and his partner have been accused of human trafficking and exploitation by a family of Colombian workers. The left–back, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, is said to have employed the family of five to work as his security and babysitters from September 2024 until November 2025. Entertainment center But according to the family's lawyer, Lola Dubois, Hernandez, 29, and his partner Victoria Triay hired them without the relevant legal status and had them working up to 82 hours a week with no days off. Hernandez and Triay both vehemently deny the allegations and say they have been 'betrayed'.  The daughter of the family told French outlet Paris Match that she was contacted by Triay while working as her nurse in Colombia...

Super Eagles forward Akor Adams has received continental acclaim after his goal against Algeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was selected among CAF’s top five goals of the tournament. The list, released on the TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 X handle and monitored by PUNCH Online on Thursday, featured Adams’ superb finish from Nigeria’s quarter-final encounter with Algeria. His display of accuracy, calmness, and technical quality was instrumental in Nigeria’s 2–0 victory. The strike proved pivotal in Nigeria’s campaign, helping the Super Eagles push on to a third-place finish at the tournament. CAF explained that its top-five selection celebrates not only visually stunning goals but also decisive moments that shaped matches. Adams’ inclusion reflects his growing status and influence...