By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS Arsenal thrashed Crystal Palace 5-1 to move within three points of Premier League leaders Liverpool. Gabriel Jesus bagged a brace in the encounter. The Brazilian two goals came in the opening 15 minutes. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice scored the other goals for the Gunners. Senegal international Ismaila Sarr was on target for Crystal Palace in the game. Arsenal moved back into third position with 33 points from 17 games. Crystal Palace occupy 15th position on the log.
Author: Obaloluwa Joshua
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By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS Morgan Rogers scored and provided an assist as Aston Villa defeated Manchester City 2-1 in their Premier League clash on Saturday. Rogers set up Jhon Duran for the opening goal after 16 minutes. He scored the second goal in the 65 minute. Phil Foden pulled one back for City in injury time after a mistake by Villa’s Lucas Digne. Villa leap-frogged City into fifth place on the Premier League table following the win. City dropped to sixth position on the log.
By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS Black Galaxies of Ghana head coach, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani says the intense rivalry with Nigeria is not the focus of his team ahead of their 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers. Ghana and Nigeria will battle for a place in the competition with the first leg slated for the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday. The second leg will hold next week Saturday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo. ” We focus on the team rather than the rivalry. While we respect the history, we are more with our technical, tactical, and psychological preparation,”Dramani told CAFonline. “The…
By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS Paris Saint-Germain have established contact with Napoli to discuss signing Victor Osimhen in January. French news outlet, RMC claimed that an initial approach has been made with the Nigeria international’s entourage to see if he would be open to the move. The Ligue 1 champions showed interest in striker in the summer, but refused to meet the €100m asking price set by Napoli. The Nigeria international was also close to Chelsea and Saudi Pro League transfer. The 25-year-old however linked up with Galatasaray on a season- long loan deal.PSG will need to sell Randal Kolo Muani…
By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS Atalanta have turned down Liverpool’s request for Ademola Lookman, according to Tuttosport. The Reds reportedly have the Nigerian on their radar for the January transfer window. Atalanta are however not willing to allow their talismanic winger leave the club anytime soon. The 27-year-old has developed into one of the best forwards in the world since arriving at the Gewiss Stadium. The winger helped La Dea win their first European trophy last season, scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen. Lookman has already scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 19 appearances…
By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS Nantes manager Antoine Kamboure has revealed Moses Simon will undergo surgery in the coming days. Simon sustained the injury in Nantes’ Ligue 1 clash with Brest last weekend. Prompt News reports that the Nigerian international provided an assist in the Canaries 4-1 defeat. The winger has already been ruled out of Saturday’s Coupe de France clash against JA Drancy. “We are taking advantage of this period, with the short break coming up, for him to have this operation,” Kamboure told the club’s official website. ” It will give him a period of two weeks before he can calmly…
Stand-in Head Coach Daniel Ogunmodede has picked ageless warhorse Rabiu Ali, wing-back Sadiq Ishmael, centre-back Stephen Manyo, midfielders Musa Zayyad and Jide Fatokun, and forwards Anas Yusuf and Sikiru Alimi in an 18-man roster for Sunday’s 8th African Nations Championship qualifying match against Ghana’s Black Galaxies in Accra. The gaffer also picked goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, defender Victor Collins and forward Abubakar Adamu for the must-win two-leg fixture, with the Galaxies being the reason why Nigeria failed to qualify for the championship on two different occasions in the past, namely 2009 and 2023. The Super Eagles B, with Ogunmodede and Coaches…
By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS Wolves have confirmed the appointment of Vitor Pereira as their new head coach following the sacking of Gary O’Neil. Pereira penned a one-and-half-year contract with the Premier League club. Wolves paid Saudi Pro League side, Al Shabab £800,000 to secure his release. The 56-year-old took charge of training at his new club on Thursday ahead of his side’s clash with Leicester City on Sunday. Wolves Chairman Jeff Shi said: “We are delighted to welcome Vitor Pereira to Wolves as the new head coach of our men’s first team. “Vitor is a highly respected and experienced coach who…
By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS Nigeria’s Super Eagles remain unmoved in the final FIFA ranking for year 2024. The three-time African champions maintained 44th position in the ranking released on the world soccer ruling body official website on Thursday. The Super Eagles also maintained fifth position in Africa. The Atlas Lions of Morocco are the highest ranked team on the continent. The Terangha Lions of Senegal, Pharaohs of Egypt and Desert Foxes of Algeria are second, third and fourth respectively. Reigning world champions, Argentina maintained top spot on the ranking. France are number two, at number three is Spain, England occupy…
By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS Nigeria forward, Gift Orban is on the verge of completing of a move to Bundesliga club, TSG Hoffeheim. According to transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, Hoffenheim are in advance talks with Ligue 1 club, Olympic Lyon to sign the player. The 22-year-old only joined Lyon from Belgium club, KAA Gent in January. The striker has however struggled for regular playing time at the club. Orban has made just five appearances for Lyon with two goals to his name. His arrival will increase the number of NigerIans at Hoffenheim to two with centre-back Kevin Akpoguma already a key…