Former Super Eagles midfielder, Mikel John Obi, has observed that entitled families are more prevalent in Africa.

He pointed out that if one family member achieves financial stability, there is often a tendency for others in the family to relent in their daily efforts, placing the responsibility of financial provisions on the successful family member.

During an interview with fellow footballer, Rio Ferdinand, the former Super Eagles captain lamented how families are often entitled to a person’s money in Africa.

According to Obi, when an African person acquires money, many relatives and cousins begin to make demands, and sisters even married men believe they are destined to be a part of the family.

The football player mentioned that these people have so many children and expect him to care for them and that he sometimes has to be strong and put his own needs aside.

Mikel Obi stated that the extended family members believe he owes them money and threaten to go to the press if he refuses.

This, according to the footballer, is prevalent in Africa.

He said: “When you come from Africa when you make money, it’s not your money. You have all these relatives, cousins, and your sisters go off and get married to some guy who just wants to get married into Mikel John Obi’s family because his life is sorted, and then you start looking after this guy, and before you know it, they keep having so many kids and you look at it like,

“Okay, you’re having this many kids, who are going to look after them?’ It’s you! It’s the culture because, for them, you owe them that, so sometimes you have to be strong and say, ‘You know what, guys, enough is enough; I don’t care’. They give you this thing whereby ‘if you don’t do it, we’re going to go to the press’. After all, what have I done for you guys? But this happens a lot in Africa. Not everybody comes out and speaks about it.”

THE head coach of Lesotho Leslie Notsi has declared that there was not a great deal difference in quality between the Super Eagles of Nigeria’s Europe-based stars and his players who are mostly based in Africa.

Notsi’s side, ranked 153rd in the world by FIFA, shocked the Super Eagles in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign opener in Uyo last night by securing a 1-1 draw.

Indeed it was the unfancied Crocodiles, ranked 113 spots below the Super Eagles, who drew first blood through Motlomelo Mkwanazi in the 56th minute before Semi Ajayi rescued a point for the misfiring team of Jose Peseiro.

“There wasn’t much difference (between Europe-based and home-based players),” Notsi said during his post-match press conference.

“Yes, of course there were situations where you could see quickness of thinking and speed, but at the same time we did not give them respect. We felt they are the same human beings as us.”

Notsi insisted that his players were not intimidated by the Nigerian stars as he and his technical crew knew there were weaknesses in the Super Eagles side they could exploit.

“We said ‘let’s go there and enjoy ourselves’. Enjoyment not in terms of just going there to waste time, but to have self-belief and for the players to express themselves in the areas that they’re good at,” he explained.

“We studied the Nigerian team and we knew areas we could capitalise on, where we thought we had chances of coming up with something for ourselves.

“There is a lesson we’ve learnt from this match and we have to cherish what we got then improve more going forward.”

With the draw, Nigeria and Lesotho are level on one point each in African qualifying Group C with Rwanda and Zimbabwe, who played a 0-0 draw on Wednesday.

South Africa wil host Benin Republic in Durban on Saturday to round off the group’s first matchday.

The Super Eagles face Zimbabwe in Butare, Rwanda on Sunday in their second fixture, while Lesotho welcome Benin Republic to Durban, South Africa on Tuesday.

Only the group winners will qualify for the 2026 World Cup from Africa’s nine groups, with the best runners-up going into a play-off tournament with other confederations.

[NaijaTimes]

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will clash in a “historic” fight for the undisputed heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia on February 17, it has been announced.

British star Fury will put his WBC belt, Lineal heavyweight belts on the line, while the WBA, IBF and WBO titles held by Ukraine’s Usyk will be up for grabs in Riyadh.

The winner will be crowned the heavyweight division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis who reigned from 1999 to 2000.

Fury, 35, and Usyk, 36, were originally expected to clash on December 23 but Fury’s poor displayed in a split-decision victory over MMA star Francis Ngannou last month forced a delay.

The pair will finally step into the ring in 2024 as Fury looks to add to his record of 34 wins with one draw since turning professional in 2008.

“This is a historic event. The whole world of boxing has been waiting for many, many years, and they now have this fight,” Fury’s promoter Frank Warren told reporters at a press conference in London on Thursday.

“For the first time this century, we will have an undisputed heavyweight champion.

“As a promoter I’ve been banging my head against the wall. But now we have the creme de la creme. These two undefeated heavyweight fighters.”

In typically combative mood at the press conference, Fury referenced his 2015 victory over Usyk’s fellow Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko, which earned him the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.

“I already relieved one Ukrainian of all the belts, and now I’m going to take them all back,” Fury said.

“Usyk’s a champion, I’m a champion. It’s going to be a fight for the ages.”

Fury believes a victory over Usyk would cement his status as one of the all-time greats.

“He’s a good boxer, slick. But I’ve seen people like him before, and when they fight the big man, they lose,” he said.

“I believe we’re both destined to be here. I’m destined to become the undisputed champion, and more than that, cement my legacy.”

Usyk kept his cool amid Fury’s insults, which included taking swipes at his opponent’s height and his ear-ring.

“Yes I’m a little man. I’ll speak in the ring,” Usyk said.

Fury has held the WBC belt since he defeated Deontay Wilder in 2020 and has defended the title three times.

He stopped Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April 2022 and beat Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium eight months later.

Usyk, who has won all 21 of his fights, has been the WBA, IBF and WBO title holder since defeating Anthony Joshua in 2021.

The Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is reportedly close to leaving Championship team Leicester City to sign with FC Barcelona the following summer.

Aside from FC Barcelona, the English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur are also preparing to challenge the Spanish champions for the services of Wilfred Ndidi.

His deal at Leicester City is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, and renewal is primarily dependent on Leicester City’s chances of returning to the Premier League next summer.

After Leicester was relegated to the Premier League the previous season, Ndidi was rumored to be leaving the King Power stadium, especially after players like Harvey Barnes, Timothy Castagne, and James Maddison left for elite clubs.

However, he remained at the club and he has made 15 appearances in all competitions, recording three goals and four assists so far this season. He has helped Leicester gain the upper hand in the standings with 13 wins in their opening 16 games.

Barcelona are trying to sign the Super Eagles midfielder for free, as they have done for the past two seasons, due to their well-known financial difficulties.

Because of the Bosman ruling, Barcelona will be able to sign Ndidi to a contract in January with the expectation that he will be available for a free transfer the following summer.

The Catalans are not the only team interested in the Nigerian, as Ange Postecoglou, the manager of Tottenham, has reportedly shown a strong interest in Ndidi.

Teamtalk, a UK publication, reports that Postecoglou is willing to bring Ndidi to the team when his contract expires in the summer of 2024 because he does not think Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is the best fit for his system.