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Troops have arrested an 18-year-old suspected informant for armed bandits after he was found allegedly gathering information on the deployment and capabilities of security forces in Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State. The arrest followed credible intelligence on the movement of armed bandits around the Katsina-Kano border, prompting troops to maintain blocking positions and surveillance across their area of responsibility. According to a Special Situation Report obtained by security analyst Zagazola Makama, locals in Tsaure alerted troops at about 10:25 a.m. on Aug. 19 after observing a suspicious young man identified as Sa’adu Sama, from Girtaji village in Musawa LGA. The suspect was reportedly seen loitering around the community and asking children questions about the...

Arsenal have agreed a deal worth in the region of £51million for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, The Gunners have been looking to strengthen their defence following injuries to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber, who are both facing extended spells on the sidelines. Konsa is now set to undergo a medical on Thursday before the move is made official. Konsa is set to become their fifth signing of the summer, having made Piero Hincapie's loan move from Leverkusen permanent before adding Ilian Meslier, Christos Tsolis and Bruno Guimarães. Arsenal begin the defence of their Premier League title on Friday night against newly-promoted Coventry City. https://youtu.be/fiveiAd9ME0?si=Dp-LKyVG2qbRGleV

Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho has opened up on the conversation that saw Vinicius Junior turn down a move to Arsenal. Vinicius returned from the 2026 World Cup break with his future up in the air. With one year left on his contract, the Brazil winger was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal. The Premier League champions were willing to break the bank for him, but he ultimately agreed fresh terms with Madrid. In an interview with El Chiringuito, Mourinho revealed what he said to the player. Mourinho said: “All I told him was: ‘Vini, where do you want to go? You have been in Brazil, and then came straight to Madrid. You know nothing but Madrid. You will only know what Real Madrid is once you leave. Once you leave, you will know what was Real Madrid. Don’t go, it’s not wo...

A top insider at Galatasaray football club of Turkey, Emre Kaplan, has disclosed that the Turkish champions are willing to offer Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes a salary equivalent to that of Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen. Galatasaray are actively pursuing Fernandes, as the midfielder has yet to finalise new terms with Manchester United. The Turkish champions have pinpointed the Portugal international as a crucial target and are ready to support their interest with a significant financial proposal. Osimhen currently holds the title of Galatasaray’s highest-paid player, and his salary will serve as the benchmark for the club’s intended offer to Fernandes. Discussing the recent developments, Kaplan stated that Galatasaray are prepared to match Osimhen’s salary and fu...

Former Super Eagles captains Jay Jay Okocha and John Obi Mikel have revealed the circumstances surrounding how their names were changed.   Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, both former Nigeria internationals explained the backstories behind their iconic names.   Okocha became known as 'Jay Jay' through a nickname originally given to his younger brother, James, who was the real Jay Jay.   Mikel explained that his name was changed from Michael to Mikel due to an administrative error during an Under-17 tournament when player names were being printed for their shirts. He submitted "Michael," but the jersey returned printed as "Mikel” Asked how the moniker stuck, Okocha said: “Well, I think it started all in the neighbourhood where we grew up. You know, all of us w...

Football's world governing body confirmed on Monday that Kevin Lamour had departed the organisation, bringing to an abrupt end the tenure of a senior executive who had been part of Infantino’s inner circle before joining FIFA’s leadership team. “FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA’s chief operating officer has ended on 17 August 2026,” a FIFA spokesperson said. “FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future. No further comment will be made on the matter.” Lamour joined Fifa’s senior leadership group in November 2024, having previously worked on Infantino’s successful campaign to become president in 2016. His departure comes amid mounting opposition to Infantino’s plans for a new com...

Santos captain, Neymar Jr, became the first player in Brazil’s Serie A to be forced to leave the field for one minute due to a new rule designed to reduce time-wasting by goalkeepers, which is currently being trialed in the league. As part of this trial, which will also be adopted in other competitions such as the English Premier League, if play is stopped because a goalkeeper needs medical attention, the coach is required to promptly nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for one minute once play resumes. Should the coach fail to identify a player within 10 seconds, the team’s captain will be obligated to leave the field. This rule was first applied in the Brazilian top division during Santos’ 3-0 victory over Vasco on Sunday when goalkeeper Gabriel Brazao sought medical ...

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has asked Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu and members of his technical crew to step down with immediate effect. The NFF announced the decision in a brief statement on its official X account. “The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has asked members of the technical crew of the @NGSuper_Falcons to step down with immediate effect,” the statement read. The decision is sequel to Nigeria’s disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON. The Super Falcons were eliminated in the quarter-finals after suffering a 1-0 defeat to arch-rivals, Cameroon. Nigeria’s hope of reaching the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup also suffered a major setback after the team lost 2-1 to South Africa, missing out on ...

Superstar footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has suggested that the current year could “probably” be his final one as a professional footballer, with the 41-year-old Portugal captain revealing his retirement plans in an interview with Vogue published on Sunday. The 41-year-old, whose Al Nassr contract runs until June 2027, has previously acknowledged that retirement is approaching but has always stopped short of setting a definitive timeline for the end of his playing career. However, speaking to Vogue in an interview published Sunday, Ronaldo said: "This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy." Ronaldo had said last November that he expected to continue playing for "one or two years," while confirming that the 2026 World Cup would be hi...

Former Monaco coach, Sebastien Pocognoli, was named as the new manager of the Scotland national team on Sunday, replacing Steve Clarke who stood down following the World Cup. The Scottish Football Association said the 39-year-old Belgian had signed an initial two-year contract and would lead Scotland into the forthcoming UEFA Nations League campaign. Former Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco head coach Pocgnoli replaces Clarke, who resigned as Scotland boss following the team’s group-stage elimination at the World Cup in June. Pocognoli, a former Belgium international, led Union to the 2024/25 Belgian title in his first season as a h He described his appointment as an “honour” and added on the SFA website: “When I first heard of the interest, I was immediately excite...