Sports

Nigerian players have once again asserted their dominance in African women’s football after five Super Falcons stars were named in the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) Women’s Africa XI for 2025. The list, unveiled as the IFFHS CAF Women’s Team of the Year for 2025, includes goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defenders Michelle Alozie and Ashleigh Plumptre, along with midfielders Christy Ucheibe and Rasheedat Ajibade. Nnadozie’s selection comes as no surprise, given her reputation as one of Africa’s top goalkeepers. Her consistent performances for the Super Falcons and her club sides in Europe have earned widespread praise, with her composure, shot-stopping ability and command of the box standing out. In defence, Alozie and Plumptre anchor a solid bac...

Manchester United breathed new life into the Premier League title race with a thrilling 3–2 win over league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, inflicting the Gunners’ first home league loss of the season. Goals from Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha in the second half proved decisive in an entertaining encounter that saw momentum swing repeatedly between both sides. Arsenal took the lead in the 29th minute after a dangerous ball into the box forced Lisandro Martinez into an own goal, much to the delight of the home supporters. United responded eight minutes later, capitalising on a mistake by Martin Zubimendi, who lost possession and gifted the ball to Bryan Mbeumo. The forward calmly finished to bring the visitors level. Shortly after the restart, United went ahe...

Victor Osimhen has cemented his hero status among Galatasaray supporters after scoring his 50th goal for the Turkish giants, a milestone achieved in record time. The 27-year-old reached the 50-goal milestone in just 59 games, making him the fastest player to reach 50 goals for Galatasaray since 2000, according to Transfermarkt’s database report on Saturday. Although he failed to score in Galatasaray’s 1–1 draw against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, he didn’t have to wait long to hit the milestone. Osimhen struck in the very next match, scoring Galatasaray’s third goal in a 3–1 win over Fatih Karagümrük, after Gabriel Sara’s first-half brace had put the team in control. Osimhen enjoyed a remarkable debut campaign at Galatasaray, scoring 37 goals in 41 games, and he...

Bayelsa United’s team bus was involved in a frightening incident on the Abuja road while travelling to Kano State for their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 22 clash against Barau FC. According to reports, one of the tyres detached while the bus was in motion, triggering panic among the players and officials onboard. However, the driver reportedly managed to regain control of the vehicle, preventing a more serious outcome. No casualties were recorded, and all members of the Bayelsa United contingent are said to be safe, with no serious injuries sustained. As of the time of reporting, club officials have not announced alternative travel arrangements or explained how the incident may affect the team’s match preparations. The incident recalls a tragic road accident ...

Morocco is not abandoning African football; it is working to reshape it from within. Claims suggesting otherwise reflect the digital age’s tendency to turn emotion into speculation, where frustration fuels imagined outcomes rather than legal facts. In the emotionally charged aftermath of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, social media became fertile ground for misleading narratives. Alongside genuine disappointment, opportunistic actors amplified rumors that blurred anger with misinformation, giving rise to claims that Morocco was preparing to leave the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and join UEFA. For many Moroccan fans, the final revived a long-standing sense of alienation—of belonging fully to African football while feeling persistently marginalized within it. This ...

A senior official of the German Football Association (DFB) has called on European football authorities to openly discuss the possibility of boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup in response to recent actions and statements by United States President Donald Trump. The tournament is scheduled to take place this summer across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the US hosting the majority of the fixtures. Out of the 104 matches planned, 78 are set to be played on American soil. Diplomatic tensions have intensified between Washington and several European capitals following comments by President Trump suggesting a possible takeover of Greenland, an autonomous territory under Danish control. The remarks triggered widespread backlash in Europe, particularly in Denmark. Relations furt...

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...