Sports

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has said that success at the club depends more on managing relationships in the dressing room than on tactical expertise. The French football icon, who oversaw one of the most successful eras in Real Madrid’s history, explained that any coach who fails to earn the trust and backing of the players is unlikely to survive long at the Santiago Bernabéu. Speaking on Hamidou Msaidie’s YouTube channel, Zidane said his philosophy at Madrid was built around understanding players and putting their needs first. “At Real Madrid, we were at the service of the players,” Zidane said, as quoted by GOAL.“For me, that’s what makes a team strong — being there for the player. If you don’t understand that, you won’t last in this job.” He stressed that play...

Dutch forward Donyell Malen has completed a switch to AS Roma, ending his brief spell at Aston Villa after only one season in the Premier League. Roma confirmed that the deal is a loan move with an option to make the transfer permanent, though Aston Villa did not reveal the financial details. Reports indicate that the option could become an obligation if certain performance-related conditions are met. Malen, 26, joined Villa from Borussia Dortmund in January 2025 and scored 10 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions. Although he has netted seven times this season, he struggled to secure a consistent starting role, making just five league starts in 21 appearances under manager Unai Emery. Currently fifth in Serie A, Roma announced that Malen will wear the number 14 shirt. T...

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has stated that his future with the national team rests solely in the hands of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Chelle, who signed a two-year contract with the NFF in January 2025, was given the mandate to guide the Super Eagles to the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. However, Nigeria fell short of that target after losing 4–2 on penalties to host nation Morocco’s Atlas Lions in the semi-final clash in Rabat on Wednesday night. Despite the setback, the 48-year-old coach expressed his willingness to continue in charge of the team. “My future, I don’t know for now. I am the coach of Nigeria at this moment, but it depends on whether the NFF want me to continue or not,” Chelle said after the game against Morocco. “The tournament ...

Former UEFA president Michel Platini has criticised FIFA president Gianni Infantino, describing him as increasingly autocratic and overly drawn to wealth and influence. In an interview with The Guardian published on Thursday, Platini said Infantino, who once served as his deputy at UEFA between 2009 and 2015, had changed significantly since taking charge of world football. “He was a good number two, but he is not a good number one,” Platini said. “He worked very well at UEFA, but he has a flaw: he likes rich and powerful people — those with money. That is simply his character. He was like that even before, but then he was not the boss.” Platini added that Infantino’s leadership style had hardened since the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, “Unfortunately, since the pandemic, Infantino ha...

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have been placed in Group C of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where they will compete against Zambia, Egypt, and Malawi. The draw was conducted on Thursday in Rabat. The draw ushered in a new chapter for African women’s football, as the 2026 tournament will feature 16 teams for the first time. Morocco, hosting the competition for the third straight edition, will stage the matches from March 17 to April 3, 2026, across Rabat, Casablanca, and Fes. In Group C, the Super Falcons are set for another showdown with Zambia’s Copper Queens, a familiar opponent. Nigeria head into the group stage buoyed by their emphatic 5–0 quarter-final win over Zambia at the 2024 WAFCON, a victory that propelled them toward a historic 10th continental title. Their tr...

Former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso reportedly lashed out at his players during a training session, accusing them of behaving like children in a “nursery” — an incident said to have contributed to his eventual dismissal. According to reports, Alonso “blew up” at his squad in early November, with sources suggesting the relationship between the coach and the players had already reached breaking point nearly two months before he was fired. Alonso was relieved of his duties on Monday, just seven months after taking charge, amid growing speculation of a rift within the dressing room. Spanish outlet MARCA claims the former midfielder had effectively “started to drift away” from the club as far back as November, around the time of the heated outburst. The rant is described as a “cr...

FIFA, football’s global governing body, has revealed that it received over 500 million ticket requests for this year’s World Cup, despite criticism over the high cost of attending the tournament. In a statement released on Wednesday, January 14, FIFA said fans from all 211 of its member associations submitted applications for tickets to the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The ticket lottery application period closed on Tuesday, with successful applicants expected to be notified no earlier than February 5. Outside the host countries, the strongest demand came from fans in Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Colombia. The most requested match was Colombia’s group-stage game against Portugal in Miami on June 27, f...

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has acknowledged that Nigeria lacked the movement and physical strength required to overcome hosts Morocco in their AFCON 2025 semi-final clash. Naija News reports that Nigeria were eliminated on Wednesday night after a tightly contested 0-0 draw ended in a 4-2 penalty shootout victory for Morocco. Speaking after the encounter, Chelle explained that his team’s high-intensity pressing game was intentional, but admitted their overall performance did not match the level shown earlier in the tournament. “We approached the game with aggressive pressing because without pressing, you leave too much space and things become very difficult,” Chelle said. “Technically, the Super Eagles were not at the same level as in our previous matches. I don’t want ...

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has handed a four-match suspension and a $20,000 fine to Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), over incidents connected to Cameroon’s quarter-final defeat to Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). FECAFOOT confirmed on Wednesday that it had received the disciplinary ruling from CAF but raised concerns about how the decision was reached. The federation said the accelerated process “raises serious questions about the fundamental requirements of a fair trial” and argued that the ruling “lacks any explicit justification.” The sanction follows events that occurred after Cameroon’s 2-0 loss to Morocco in the AFCON quarter-finals. CAF had earlier disclosed that it was probing incidents from both the...

Morocco booked their place in the next round of the Africa Cup of Nations after knocking Nigeria out 4-2 on penalties following a tense 0-0 draw that stretched into extra time. The contest, officiated by Daniel Nii Ayi Laryea, was a battle of patience and defensive discipline, with both sides cancelling each other out over 120 minutes. Nigeria, driven by the attacking threat of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, had spells of possession but could not find a breakthrough against a well-organised Moroccan back line. Morocco, marshalled by captain Achraf Hakimi, carried the greater goal threat in open play. Stanley Nwabali was called into action several times, notably denying Noussair Mazraoui and Abde Ezzalzouli, while Bono remained alert at the other end to keep out Lookman’s first-h...