Sports

Getafe star, Abdel Abqar was sent off for allegedly 'pinching an opponent's genitals' during their weekend clash against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano in Madrid. With Atletico leading 1-0 through Nahuel Molina's first-half strike, referee Miguel Ortiz Arias halted play and signalled a VAR check for something that had happened off the ball. Replays then showed Abqar clashing with Atletico striker Alexander Sorloth. In the clip, the Moroccan defender appeared to pinch Sorloth’s groin with his thumb and index finger as he walked past him. In retaliation, Sorloth immediately pulled Abqar to the floor. After a lengthy review of the VAR monitor, Arias made the decision to show a red card to Abqar, while Sorloth received a yellow card. However, Abqar was left shocked by the ...

Joan Laporta has secured another five-year term as president of FC Barcelona, promising a bright future for the Catalan giants after winning the club’s latest presidential election. Laporta, 63, received just over 68 per cent of the votes and will officially begin his new mandate on July 1, the La Liga club confirmed on Sunday. His closest rival, Victor Font, obtained nearly 30 per cent of the votes, while the remaining ballots were either void or invalid. Laporta had temporarily stepped down from his position last month, in accordance with club regulations, to recontest the presidency. He originally returned to power in March 2021 during his current tenure. Reacting to the election outcome, Laporta described the victory as decisive and expressed confidence about the club’s fut...

The much-anticipated 2026 Finalissima between Spain national football team and Argentina national football team has been cancelled, according to an official statement from UEFA. The intercontinental showdown was scheduled for March 28 and was expected to feature Spain, winners of UEFA Euro 2024, against Argentina, champions of the 2024 Copa América. The match was initially planned for March 27 in Doha, the capital of Qatar. However, UEFA explained that the fixture could not proceed due to the current political tensions in the Middle East. In its statement, the European football governing body said the Finalissima, originally set to be staged in Qatar, had to be called off because of the prevailing situation in the region. UEFA also noted that despite attempts to keep the match ...

The Nigeria national football team will now play their upcoming international friendlies against Jordan national football team and Iran national football team in Turkey later this month after organisers moved the fixtures from Jordan due to rising tensions in the Middle East. The matches were originally scheduled to take place in Amman, the capital of Jordan, but have been relocated to the coastal city of Antalya in Turkey because of security concerns and travel restrictions affecting the region. Nigeria will begin their two-game schedule against Iran on Friday, March 27, before facing Jordan four days later on Tuesday, March 31. Under the revised arrangement, the Super Eagles will meet Iran on the same day Jordan take on Costa Rica national football team. The series of friendlies...

Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, produced a stunning second-half comeback to defeat the Philippines 101–84 on Saturday, securing their second victory in three games at the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon. The emphatic win saw the African champions surpass the 100-point mark for the first time in seven years, ending a long wait for a century game on the international stage. After a difficult outing against South Korea on Thursday, where they suffered a 77–60 defeat, Coach Rena Wakama’s side looked shaky in the opening half against the Philippines. The Asian team capitalised on defensive lapses, taking the first quarter 26–21 and the second 25–21 to establish a 51–42 halftime lead. However, D’Tigress emerged from the break with r...

Nigeria’s football community has been thrown into mourning following the de@th of former Super Eagles midfielder Henry Nwosu. He was 62. Nigerian Travel Guide His de@th was confirmed on Saturday morning, March 14, by former teammate and 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winner Segun Odegbami. According to Odegbami, the former midfielder d!ed in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital after spending several days in intensive care. “Henry Nwosu passes on!, “After five days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at 4:00 am this morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, where he had been in intensive care since Wednesday. “It is with deep pain in my heart that I have to be the c...

Global football governing body FIFA has approved a series of significant amendments to the Laws of the Game, including an expanded role for Video Assistant Referee (VAR), as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The decision followed the 140th Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board held in Wales, where football lawmakers agreed on reforms aimed at reducing time-wasting, improving refereeing accuracy and ensuring smoother match flow. The changes are expected to be implemented before the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and will feature an expanded tournament format of 48 teams. Faster Substitutions To Prevent Time-Wasting One of the key rule changes targets delays during substitutions. Und...

Manchester United coach Michael Carrick has insisted that he was not offended by Paul Scholes' criticism of his side. This comes after Scholes appeared to take a personal dig at Carrick on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast after United were beaten by Newcastle United last week. Writing on Instagram, the ex-United midfielder wrote: "Michael has definitely got something about him...cos United have been crap last 4 games...night." It came after 10-man Newcastle scored late to claim a 2-1 win at St James' Park and condemn Carrick to his first defeat since taking over as interim boss in January. Scholes later clarified that he hadn’t meant to be offensive towards his ex-teammate and that he had messaged Carrick to clear the air. He said: "It was in no way intended to b...

Reece James has pledged his long-term future to Chelsea F.C. after signing a new six-year contract that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2032. The 26-year-old England national football team international, who rose through Chelsea’s academy ranks, made his senior debut in September 2019 and has since become one of the club’s most influential players. His previous contract was set to expire in 2028, but the club moved early to secure an extension. According to The Athletic, the new agreement retains an incentive-based structure tied to both individual and team performances. James is already the club’s highest-paid player, reportedly earning about £250,000 per week. Since breaking into the first team, James has made 225 appearances for Chelsea and has remained a key figure this...

] Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has urged the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to resign following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria’s absence from the global tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico next summer, has triggered renewed criticism of the country’s football administration. Mikel described the situation as a major setback for a nation with a massive football fan base. Speaking during an interview on talkSPORT, the former Chelsea F.C. midfielder expressed strong disappointment over the development. According to him, “It is a hammer blow. I have said many times that when you have a country as big as ours, with over 300 million people — the largest in Africa — and we fai...