Sports

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has announced two separate squads ahead of the Unity Cup tournament in London and the upcoming international friendlies against Poland and Portugal in Europe. For the Unity Cup title defence, Chelle included captain Wilfred Ndidi, goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, defenders Bruno Onyemaechi and Igoh Ogbu, alongside attackers Moses Simon, Akor Adams and Terem Moffi. The four-nation Unity Cup competition is scheduled to take place at Charlton Athletic Stadium from May 26 to May 30. Nigeria will take on Zimbabwe in the semi-final clash on May 26. Should the Super Eagles secure victory, they will advance to the final against either Jamaica or India, who are set to face each other a day later at the same venue. Chelle also handed debut invitations to goal...

Chelsea are set to launch a legal complaint over Manchester City’s pursuit of former head coach Enzo Maresca, unless the Manchester club cough up some compensation. Allegations were made against Maresca that he had spoken with City while still at Stamford Bridge, which left Chelsea officials furious.  Now, with Maresca primed to replace the outgoing Pep Guardiola, action may be taken if the two clubs cannot agree on compensation. If they don’t agree, Chelsea could complain to the Premier League, which would investigate the matter. Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali said at a sports congress: “The change wasn’t the club’s decision, for reasons I can’t speak about legally. I think the reasons will become kind of clear in due course. But no, it’s not a change we wanted to make.”He als...

Authorities in the United States have launched an investigation into the death of Nigerian middle-distance runner and graduate student, Oluwabukola Pereira, who was reportedly shot during a robbery incident in Lockland, Ohio, only days before she was expected to earn her MBA degree. Pereira, 30, was fatally shot on May 8 at Arise Auto Centre located along the 500 block of North Wayne Avenue, where she worked as a cashier. According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the incident led to a temporary shelter-in-place directive as security operatives secured the environment and advised residents to stay away from surrounding roads. The coroner later confirmed that she died from gunshot wounds at the scene. Investigators have appealed to residents and business owners in Lockland ...

Jose Mourinho has made two requests from Real Madrid ahead of his official announcement as the club’s next manager. Recall that Mourinho had already reached a final agreement with Real Madrid as he prepared to leave Benfica this summer. The Portuguese gaffer will return to the Santiago Bernabeu as their next manager ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. The 63-year-old will sign an initial two-year deal with the LaLiga giants with an option for one more year. However, as reported by Madrid Xtra via COPE, Mourinho has asked Real Madrid to sign Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand from Sporting CP. The former Chelsea and Manchester United coach also asked Madrid to include a former Los Blancos player who is capable of linking the club’s board to the squad in his coaching staff. Mean...

Mikel Arteta has broken his silence after Arsenal were crowned Premier League champions. The Gunners became champions for the first time in 22 years thanks to Manchester City drawing 1-1 away at Bournemouth on Tuesday. It came 24 hours after Arsenal beat Burnley 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Those results mean Arsenal have a four-point buffer over City with one game left to play. The Gunners last won a Premier League title in the 2003/04 season when Arsene Wenger’s side went the whole league campaign unbeaten and were named the ‘Invincibles’. Following confirmation of their Premier League title triumph, Arsenal released a video of Arteta, who had a message for the Gunners support. Arteta said: “We made history again, together. I cannot be happier, prouder for everybody th...

Arsenal have officially secured the 2025/26 Premier League title following Manchester City’s disappointing draw against AFC Bournemouth, bringing an end to the Gunners’ 22-year drought without a league crown. The result at the Vitality Stadium ensured that Mikel Arteta’s men could no longer be caught at the summit of the table, triggering celebrations among Arsenal fans, players and club officials. Arsenal had edged closer to the title on Monday after a narrow 1-0 win over Burnley F.C., with Kai Havertz netting the winner from a corner delivered by Bukayo Saka. That victory moved the North London side five points ahead of City, leaving Pep Guardiola’s team needing all three points against Bournemouth to force the title race into the final round of matches. But City’s slip-up co...

Napoli are reportedly preparing for a major change on the bench after manager Antonio Conte decided to leave the club at the end of the season. Reports indicate that Conte reached the decision about a month ago and has already informed club president Aurelio De Laurentiis of his intention to step down once the current campaign concludes. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared the update on 𝕏 on May 19, revealing that the Italian tactician would depart without any severance package or agreement with another club. According to Romano, “Antonio Conte has decided to leave Napoli at the end of the season. Conte informed president De Laurentiis about his decision a month ago. He will leave without any exit fee or agreement elsewhere.” Conte’s expected departure will bring an end to a...

Southampton have been expelled from Saturday’s Championship play-off final. The Saints were due to face Hull City for a place in the Premier League. But they have been kicked out of the play-offs after they had spied on a Middlesbrough training session, before their semi-final. It means Boro will now play Hull at Wembley on Saturday with the winners securing a Premier League spot next season. The Saints have also been given a four-point deduction for the 2026-27 Championship campaign. “The EFL is now in discussion with all three clubs regarding the implications of today’s decision and will make a further announcement in due course. The commission’s full written reasons will also be published in due course,” an official statement read. Southampton have been thrown out ...

Tyson Fury has intensified the build-up to a potential heavyweight showdown with fellow Briton Anthony Joshua, confidently predicting he would knock out the former world champion if they finally face off in the ring. Following his dominant victory earlier this year, Fury has once again named Joshua as his preferred next opponent, increasing excitement around what many boxing fans consider the biggest heavyweight clash of this generation. Speaking to FurociTV, Fury expressed confidence in his chances against Joshua. “I’ll knock him out for sure,” Fury said. “He won’t survive against me. I’m quicker, a better boxer, and I believe he doesn’t have the chin to handle my punches,” he added. Fury also referenced Daniel Dubois’ recent opponents, noting that Joshua was the only fight...

A scene at the AFCON 2027 Qualifiers draw held in Egypt on Tuesday, May 19. The Super Eagles of Nigeria will take on Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau in the qualifying race for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027. The draw was conducted earlier today, May 19, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo. Head coach Éric Chelle saw his side placed among the seeded teams alongside some of the continent’s biggest names. Nigeria head into the group as strong favourites to finish top, with the first two teams guaranteed places at the finals. The qualifying campaign will run across three international windows set by FIFA between September 2026 and March 2027. Matchdays one and two are scheduled from 21 September to 6 October 2026. The third and fourth...