Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi won this year’s Ballon d’Or award by 105 points, it has been revealed.
Messi polled 462 points in the voting, while Manchester City’s Erling Haaland had 357.
The organizers have published the final voting statistics, including how every country voted for the winner.
Kylian Mbappe, Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri finished with 270 points, 100 points and 57 points respectively.
Messi’s win is the first time a footballer outside Europe has won the prize.
The 36-year-old has also now taken the prize more than any player in history.
Following his impressive outing at the recently held 67th Ballon d’Or France Football award ceremony in Paris where he was rated as the 8th best player in the world, many Nigerians have endorsed Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, to win the prestigious CAF Africa Player of the Year Award.
Interestingly, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday, November 1, nominated the dare-devil Napoli striker among 29 other players for the coveted award with Gift Orban, another Nigerian youngster with Genk, also nominated for the Young Player of the Year award.
Since 1999, when the legendary Kanu Nwankwo won his second Africa’s Best Player Award, no Nigerian has won the CAF Best Player title. Mikel Obi and Vincent Enyeama came the closest, finishing second and third in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
The awards, which celebrate outstanding club and national players throughout last year, will be hosted in Morocco on December 11.
Sadio Mane, the forward for Senegal and Al Nassr, won the coveted title in the men’s division last year, but he will have fierce competition from the Super Eagles’ forward, who had a stellar 2022–2023 season with Napoli.
Therefore, the massive support for Osimhen from the home front is not unfounded. The 24-year-old created history by becoming the first African to win the Serie A top scorer title in the 2022/2023 season.
After scoring 26 goals in Serie A (31 goals in 39 games across all competitions), the Napoli player became the first player from Africa to win both the Scudetto and the top scorer award in the same season.
Osimhen, a former Lille striker who was named the best scorer in Serie A last season, also assisted the Partenopei achieve their first-ever quarter-final appearance in the UEFA Champions League.
He had an incredible performance with the Super Eagles in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, finishing as the series’ top scorer with 10 goals while also assisting in guaranteeing the Eagles’ berth in the continental championship game for the following year.
He became the first Nigerian football player to be shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or award in 24 years thanks to his exceptional performance in the 2022–2023 season. The last Nigerian player to be shortlisted for the honour was former Eagles captain Kanu in 1999.
While congratulating the Nigerian international for his exceptional achievements for club and country, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh, acknowledged that winning the CAF award was next for the forward.
“The Ballon d’Or, a world-renowned accolade, recognises and celebrates the most outstanding football players across the globe. For Victor Osimhen to be ranked eighth among such elite company is a testament to his incredible dedication, skill and determination.
“Victor’s journey in football is far from over, and I believe he has the potential to achieve even greater heights in the coming years. We will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure that he and other athletes like him have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Next, we are backing him to win the CAF Men’s Best Player Award,” he said.
Ace sports journalist and Director of Sports, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Godwin Enakhena, added, “If Osimhen is Africa’s best after finishing among the top 8 in the Ballon d’Or ranking, any reason why he shouldn’t win CAF Africa’s Best Player award?”
Former Eagles midfielder, John Ogu, like many Nigerians, believes Osimhen has done enough to put him ahead of his competitors for the award, and the midfielder, via X, sent a message to the organisers of the award.
“Dear @CAF_Online, I’m sure y’all saw the whole Ballon dor setting last night. This is exactly how we want such an award to be delivered and well organised for our star boy @victorosimhen9 as the Best player in Africa. Thank you in advance,” he wrote on X.
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In a chat with Trust Sports, Super Eagles Coordinator, Patrick Pascal, said it will be injustice if Osimhen is denied the award.
“Osimhen is the only African in FIFA’s top ten best players and that should automatically give him the superior edge over others in the CAF awards.
“It will be complete injustice if he is denied that after all he has achieved. Nigerians are rooting for him and expecting him to win,” he declared.
Another former international, Mutiu Adepoju, told Trust Sports that he is very optimistic that Osimhen will win the award.
“He deserves to win the award after all. I am very optimistic that he is going to win and Nigerians will be happy to see a fellow country man win the award after several years of not winning it.
“His potential win will bring a lot of pride to Nigerians. But if he doesn’t win, which to me is unlikely, it won’t be the end of the world but as I said earlier, I am very optimistic of his victory,” he declared.
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In the same vein, the FCT Football Association Chairman, Mouktar Mohammed, is backing Osimhen to win the award.
“I think he has done enough to win the Africa Player of the Year Award. He deserves it, especially after finishing 8th on the Ballon d’Or list.
“Osimhen was in fine form in the 2022/2023 season, as his 25 league goals helped Italian football royalty Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years.
“He pipped Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao to clinch the Best Striker in Serie A gong.
“Osimhen scored five times in six games for Napoli as they reached the quarter final stages of the UEFA Champions League,” he said.
Nigeria’s U17 women head coach, Bankole Olowookere also said he is solidly behind Osimhen winning the award also.
“This young man has done well for himself and he deserves to be honoured. We all know what he did for his club and how he was celebrated. This is a player who put his all for the national team. He has done well locally and internationally and winning this award will crown his efforts,” he said.
Even as the optimism among Nigerian football stakeholders is quite high, the FCT FA Chairman, Mohammed does not want anyone to throw caution to the win as he said it is not going to be a stroll in the park for the gangling Osimhen.
He reiterated that there were other factors that could count against him such as Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the World Cup last year.
“The World Cup tournament is seen as the biggest platform and Nigeria couldn’t qualify for the showpiece in Qatar.
“Osimhen’s greatest challenge may likely come from Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi who won a title with his club and went all the way to the World Cup semi-finals with his country, which is massive.
“Then there is also Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez who won the treble with Manchester City, the English Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
“You also have to consider the sharp regional divide and vested interest. The Anglophone and Francophone dichotomy has always been in existence, so that is another factor from the political angle.
“But having said that, I still strongly believe that what Osimhen has achieved is incredible and he deserves to win it,” he noted.
Since 1991, only five Nigerians have won the prestigious award. The late Rashidi Yekini won it in 1993, Amuneke (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996, 1999) and Victor Ikpeba (1997).
Manchester United will reportedly attempt to sign a centre-forward during the January transfer window to help the development of Rasmus Hojlund in the Premier League.
The 20-year-old is yet to find the back of the net since his arrival from Atalanta BC over the summer.
He has drawn a blank in each of his seven games in the competition.
Hojlund has scored three times in the Champions League, though, with the Denmark international showing plenty of encouraging signs during the early stages of his time at the club.
Anthony Martial’s struggles mean that Hojlund has become the starting centre-forward this season, and there have been suggestions that the youngster is not ready for that responsibility at this stage of his career.
Martial has only scored once this season and is out of contract next summer.
He is expected to depart in 2024 even if a 12-month extension in his deal is activated.
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United will prioritise a new forward in the winter window, with Brentford’s Ivan Toney, Porto’s Mehdi Taremi and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen seen as options.
Taremi would arguably be the most straightforward of the three to sign, as the Iran international only has a contract with Porto until the end of the campaign.
Manchester United were linked with the 31-year-old over the summer, and Real Madrid are also believed to be interested in a player who has 83 goals in 160 appearances for Porto.
Toney, meanwhile, is widely expected to leave Brentford next year, with the 27-year-old said to be ready to make the step up once he has returned from an eight-month suspension.
The Englishman scored 20 Premier League goals last season, and he will be available for selection once again in the middle of January, when his ban for breaching Football Association betting rules comes to an end.
However, a recent report claimed that Brentford will not allow Toney to leave for less than £100m in January, which would be an impossible deal for Man United at that price.
Osimhen’s future is also being called into question, with his contract talks at Napoli believed to have stalled.
The Nigeria international scored 31 times for his Italian club last season, including 26 in Serie A, playing a leading role in Napoli winning the championship.
The 24-year-old is also believed to be valued by his team in the region of £100m, though, and it would prove very difficult to convince the Serie A champions to sell during the January transfer window.
[EagleOnline]
The draw for this season’s Carabao Cup quarter-final was conducted on Wednesday night, following the completion of the fourth-round fixtures.
Chelsea will host Newcastle United in what is the tie of the round. The Blues defeated Blackburn 2-0, while the Magpies hammered holders Manchester United 3-0.
Liverpool play West Ham who eliminated Arsenal in another all-Premier League affair.
Port Vale welcome Middlesbrough and Everton take on Fulham.
The games will be played in the week commencing December 18, 2023.
Carabao Cup quarter-finals:
Everton vs Fulham
Chelsea vs Newcastle
Port Vale vs Middlesbrough
Liverpool vs West Ham
[DailyPost]
The Confederation of African Football has released the list of nominees for the men’s categories for the CAF Awards 2023, scheduled for December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.
A statement by CAF on Wednesday read in part, “A panel of CAF Technical Experts, African Football Legends, and selected media representatives from several countries put together the preliminary list for the various categories with the performance of the nominees between November 2022 and September 2023 serving as the period under consideration.”
Thirty players made the cut for the top prize; CAF African Player of the Year, whilst 20 players have been nominated for the CAF Interclub Player of the Year.
Coach of the Year, CAF National Team of the Year and Club of the Year have ten nominees each just as CAF Young Player of the Year – for players under the age of 21.
For the first time, CAF has introduced the CAF African Goalkeeper of the Year Category (Men and Women) in the prestigious event that seeks to reward and celebrate exceptional Players, Officials and Administrators during the period under review.
It will be the first time that shot stoppers will be acknowledged for their performances, further expanding the network of winners for the annual event. 10 players have been nominated for the novel award.
The ultimate winner of each category will be decided after votes from a voting panel consisting of CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, Head Coaches & Captains of Member Associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the Interclub competitions.
The Africa’s football governing body said nominees for the Women’s categories will be announced in due course.
Senegal forward Sadio Mane was crowned CAF African Player of the Year whilst Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala was coronated CAF African Women’s Player of the Year for a record fifth time during the last Awards Gala in July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco.
Full List of Nominees (in alphabetic order by Member Association):
Player of the Year (Men)
- Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria and Borussia Dortmund)
- Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Al Ahli)
- Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso and Bayer Leverkusen)
- Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon and SSC Napoli)
- Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon and Besiktas)
- Ibrahima Sangare (Cote d’Ivoire and Nottingham Forest)
- Seko Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire and Al Nassr)
- Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo and Olympique Marseille)
- Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Pyramids)
- Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)
- Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)
- Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)
- Mohammed Kudus (Ghana and West Ham United)
- Thomas Partey (Ghana and Arsenal)
- Serhou Guirassy (Guinea and VfB Stuttgart)
- Yves Bissouma (Mali and Tottenham Hotspur)
- Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain)
- Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco and Olympique Marseille)
- Hakim Ziyech (Morocco and Galatasaray)
- Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco and Manchester United)
- Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
- Yassine Bounou (Morocco and Al Hilal)
- Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco and Sevilla)
- Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Victor Osimhen (Nigeria and SSC Napoli)
- Sadio Mane (Senegal and Al Nassr)
- Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur)
- Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)
- Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Ferencvaros)
Goalkeeper of the Year (Men)
- Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
- Yassine Bounou (Morocco & Al Hilal)
- Andre Onana (Cameroon and Manchester United)
- Ronwen Williams (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Edouard Mendy (Senegal and Al Ahli)
- Oussama Benbot (Algeria and USM Alger)
- Youssef El Motie (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
- Djigui Diarra (Mali and Young Africans)
- Pape Mamadou Sy (Senegal and Generation Foot)
- Landing Badji (Senegal and AS Pikine)
Interclub Player of the Year (Men)
- Aymen Mahious (Algeria and USM Alger/Yverdon-Sport)
- Oussama Benbot (Algeria and USM Alger)
- Zineddine Belaid (Algeria and USM Alger)
- Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Young Africans/Pyramids)
- Makabi Lilepo (DR Congo and Al Hilal/Valenciennes)
- Hussein El Shahat (Egypt and Al Ahly)
- Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)
- Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)
- Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
- Mostafa Fathi (Egypt and Pyramids)
- Djigui Diarra (Mali and Young Africans)
- Yahia Attiyat Allah (Morocco and Wydad Club Athletic)
- Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
- Youssef El Motie (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
- Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)
- Ranga Chivaviro (South Africa and Marumo Gallants/Kaizer Chiefs)
- Ronwen Williams (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Ali Maaloul (Tunisia and Al Ahly)
- Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Esperance Sportive de Tunis /Ferencvaros)
Young Player of the Year (Men)
- Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso and Bournemouth)
- Souleymane Alio (Burkina Faso and New Stars)
- Ernest Nuamah (Ghana & Olympique Lyonnais)
- Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Morocco and Betis)
- Bilal El Khannous (Morocco and Genk)
- Gift Orban (Nigeria and KAA Gent)
- Lamine Camara (Senegal and Generation Foot/Metz)
- Pape Amadou Diallo (Senegal and Generation Foot/Metz)
- Pape Demba Diop (Senegal and Zulte Waregem)
- Amara Diouf (Senegal and Generation Foot)
Coach of the Year (Men)
- Abdelhak Benchikha (USM Alger)
- Marcel Koller (Al Ahly)
- Juan Micha Obiang (Equatorial Guinea)
- Tom Saintfiet (The Gambia)
- Baciro Cande (Guinea Bissau)
- Amir Abdou (Mauritania)
- Walid Regragui (Morocco)
- Chiquinho Conde (Mozambique)
- Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
- Pape Thiaw (Senegal – CHAN)
National Team of the Year (Men)
- Cape Verde
- The Gambia
- Guinea Bissau
- Equatorial Guinea
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Senegal
- Tanzania
Club of the Year (Men)
- CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
- USM Alger (Algeria)
- ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
- Al Ahly (Egypt)
- Raja Club Athletic (Morocco)
- Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)
- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- Marumo Gallants (South Africa)
- Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)
- Young Africans (Tanzania)
FC Barcelona once possessed a midfield that the greats of Europe would envy without a veil. Today, they still possess a team that displays a good level of quality all around. However, there was one component of the midfield of old that truly separated Barcelona from all others.
Sergio Busquets, now a Barcelona icon and former player, was once the backbone of the club’s midfield. The Spanish veteran possessed a unique ability to slow the game and make it run how his legs wanted it to. His contributions to Barcelona allowed the Catalan giants to enjoy their golden peek.
On the other hand, his departure has damaged the club just as much. In terms of a stylistic fit, Barcelona are unable to find any. No amount of money or scouting can enable the club to replace Busquets in the perfect way that they would ideally like. However, they may have just found an answer from within the walls of the club itself.
Heir to Busquets
As highlighted by SPORT, 16-year-old Marc Bernal is a player being looked at as the next big thing. The midfield talent possesses undeniable skill and has a massive potential. So much so that SPORT believes that Barcelona look at him as a possible new iteration of Sergio Busquets himself.
Able to play as a capable defensive midfielder, Bernal possesses great technical ability. Moreover, beyond just his accurate passing and ability to modify the game’s tempo, he also has a dynamic edge to his game. This ‘edge’ has allowed him to not just be a great conductor of the midfield but also act as a spearhead when needed.
Bernal’s own edge
Scoring goals and thwarting opposition defenders are an additional quality of Bernal’s. Currently mainly playing for Barcelona Athletic under the mentorship of Rafa Marquez, he continues to impress in the subsidiary.
Moreover, Barcelona even consider that the player will be able to prove his quality at its best when he travels to Indonesia soon. The Under-17 FIFA World Cup will allow Barcelona the chance to watch Bernal compete against the best of his age.
Traveling with the Spain side competing in the prestigious tournament, Bernal will carry a huge responsibility. Given that he is among the country’s most prominent starlets, he will be expected to lead the side’s midfield as the anchor.
La Masia’s latest
Just like Sergio Busquets before him, Bernal could be La Masia’s newest great. His contributions in the upcoming international tournament could help Barcelona accelerate his continuity even further.
Already impressing at an alarmingly fast rate as he progresses through the Barcelona ranks, Marc Bernal could potentially even reach his dream of playing under Xavi Hernandez depending on how he performs in Indonesia.
[barcanewsnetwork]
- Tchouameni linked with Premier League duo Arsenal and Liverpool
- The 23-year-old subject of enquiries but Real Madrid not interested in selling
- 14-time Champions League winners instead preparing to open new contract talks in 2024
Real Madrid have 'no intention' of allowing Aurelien Tchouameni to leave the club and consider him a key player for the long-term.
The 23-year-old has been linked with a move to Arsenal in recent weeks, with Mikel Arteta looking to boost his central midfield options in 2024, and Liverpool remain long-term admirers after losing out on Tchouameni's signature last year.
90min revealed in the summer that Liverpool had again asked Madrid about Tchouameni's availability ahead of their midfield overhaul, but were told that the Frenchman was not available under any circumstances.
Arsenal have also made contact with Madrid but were given the same message by officials in the Spanish capital.
Sources have confirmed to 90min that Madrid's firm stance on Tchouameni is because they regard him as a key component of their midfield moving forward, and that both club and player are very happy with how he's progressing.
It had been speculated that the arrival of Jude Bellingham could potentially impact Carlo Ancelotti's use of Tchouameni and teammate Eduardo Camavinga, but the Italian was quick to insist that would not be the case.
Aurelien Tchouameni warming up for El Clasico / Alex Caparros/GettyImages
And Ancelotti's guarantee has come to pass so far, with a tactical shift allowing Bellingham, Tchouameni and Camavinga all to feature prominently in Madrid's starting 11.
Bellingham has made a sensational start at the club, scoring 13 goals in 13 games across all competitions, while Tchouameni has established himself as a regular starter in the heart of midfield. Camavinga has flitted between playing in midfield and at left-back - a role he's learned and flourished in over the past 12 months after initially filling in for the injured Ferland Mendy.
Well placed sources have told 90min that Madrid see the trio as centrepieces of the squad for many years to come, alongside Vinicius Junior, who has signed a new four-year contract to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu until at least 2027.
A new deal for Camavinga is close to being finalised and 90min understands that talks over a new deal for Tchouameni are pencilled in for next year.
[90min]
Manchester United players have had to resort to wearing replica kits during matches as the approved Adidas clothing is too tight for them.
As a result, the sportswear giants are now scratching their heads trying to find a solution after a number of complaints from Red Devils stars. None of the United players are believed to have worn the official home socks since the second game of the league season back in August.
According to Mail Sport, the tight kits have been an issue for just about every player in the squad, including goalkeeper Andre Onana. The Cameroon international had initially donned the professional shirt, designed to be tighter than the one made for fans, but sources now claim he has opted to change to the looser, replica fit of the supporters shirt.
Onana stuck with the adidas-approved gear until October's 2-1 win away at Sheffield United. From that point onwards, the £47.5million shot-stopper has bid farewell to the old shirt and welcomed a more comfortable new one.
Ironically, a kit-related issue plagued United's goalkeeper last season when David de Gea claimed his kit was too baggy. Alterations have clearly been made without Onana's wider frame in mind and as a result the 27-year-old is suffering.
A plethora of outfield stars have even gone to manager Erik ten Hag with their complaints over the fact that the socks feel too tight on their calves. A number of United players often cut holes in the back of their socks anyway, but Ten Hag's men have opted to wear the fan-issued socks for now ever since August's 2-0 defeat away at Spurs.
Mauricio Pochettino Speaks On His Confidence To Keep The Squad Happy
Adidas are expected to have sorted the problem within the next month. One source told MailSport the German sports titans are planning to make some "light amendments."
Image:
Michael Regan/Getty Images)It is unclear how much of United's poor form can be put down to the kit troubles, with the Red Devils losing five of their opening 10 league games this term. Their last outing came in the form of a humiliating 3-0 defeat on their own patch against local rivals Man City.
[mirror.]
Alex Greenwood will return to Manchester City for more medical checks after sustaining a head injury in England's defeat by Belgium in the Women's Nations League.
The defender was treated for almost 12 minutes on the pitch after clashing heads with Belgium forward Jassina Blom in Leuven on Tuesday.
She was then taken off on a stretcher but was later seen walking around.
City said Greenwood had "been carefully monitored" since the incident.
They added that the 30-year-old centre-back, who was replaced by Chelsea's Jess Carter, "is alert and well and will return home later on Wednesday ahead of a review with our medical team".
"It was not nice to see her in pain," Lucy Bronze said after the 3-2 loss.
England full-back Bronze told ITV4: "Obviously when it's a head injury, it's something you can't take lightly. The medical team were superb on the pitch, making sure she was safe, so I just wish her a good recovery."
There was concern from team-mates who stood around Greenwood offering support as she received treatment from the medical staff and took on oxygen.
Blom also received treatment on the pitch and her head was bandaged up before she was allowed to continue playing.
At full-time Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman confirmed Greenwood was "conscious and talking" before adding "she's all right - when she's walking, she's all right".
[BBC]
Nigeria’s top-ranked squash players in the men’s and women’s categories Onaopemipo Adegoke and Rofiat Abudulazeez qualified for the third round of the ongoing Prime Atlantic Squash Open, National Daily Newspaper reports.
The second edition of the Prime Atlantic Squash Open – a four-day event, served off at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Surulere, Lagos Tuesday.
Adegoke, who is the defending champion in the men’s category, walked over Matthew Jimoh just as Gbenga Olowoyo advanced to the next round in the absence of his opponent, Femi Shedara.
In other men’s results, Ismail Abubakar defeated Abdulraheem Durosilorun in three straight sets 11-6, 11-6, 11-2.
In the women’s second round, Abudulazeez, Abdulraheem Khadija, Mistura Durosilorun, Blessings Isaac, Riskat Ahmed, Jadesola Olatunji, Grace Okon Udeme James, Awawu Balogun, Ruth Okoro Rebecca Auta and Ibukunoluwa Ajani all qualified for the third round.
Speaking with newsmen after the first round of matches, tournament director, Wasiu Sanni expressed delight at the level of competitiveness of the players.
“The first edition was very impressive and we had Adegoke emerge as champion.
“This edition is more elaborate and that’s why we believe it is going to me more competitive,” Sanni said.
“The quality of performance on display from these players has been terrific and aside that we hope to use tournaments like these to catch them young for the future.
“Now that squash is now an Olympic sport, we hope to nurture them so we can have good representatives for Nigeria in 2028.”
Nigeria’s No.5 in the women’s category, Durosilorun also remained confident of reaching the rounds of 32 when day two of the event serves off on Wednesday (today), National Daily Newspaper gathered.
[NationalDaily]
More...
Former Tottenham Hotspur attacker Darren Bent has insisted that Manchester United would have ‘no chance’ of bringing in Aston Villa manager Unai Emery to replace Erik ten Hag as the club’s new manager.
Ten Hag is under significant pressure at Man United following a slow start to the 2023-2024 campaign.
His team currently sit in the eighth position on the Premier League table after their recent derby defeat to Manchester City.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, are flying under Emery and are fifth in the Premier League, just four points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur.
When asked if Emery could be tempted to swap Aston Villa for United, Bent told talkSPORT: “He wouldn’t leave Aston Villa now. He wouldn’t.
“Not with that mess that’s going on [at Man United]. He is not leaving. No chance. At the minute, he’s at a stable football club who are going in the right direction.
“I don’t know what’s going on at Man Utd. Listen, Man United are a bigger club, I have no doubts about that, but right now Aston Villa are in a more stable position and look better than Man United.”
He added, “Do you think Eddie Howe would leave Newcastle to go to Man Utd? Absolutely not.”
[DailyPost]
Super Eagles and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, has been nominated for the 2023 CAF Men Player of the Year award.
The 24-year-old was instrumental to Napoli’s success last season, as the club won Serie A for the first time in 33 years. Osimhen also won the Golden Boot, scoring 26 goals and becoming the highest-scoring African in the league. He was also named the best striker in the league.
At the 2023 Ballon d’Or award held on Monday, Osimhen ranked 8th on the men’s list, thus becoming the highest-ranked Nigerian player ever.
Also on the list is current holder, Sadio Mane, and Liverpool Forward, Mohamed Salah.
The Awards Gala is scheduled for December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.
See Full List
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria and SSC Napoli)
Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria and Borussia Dortmund)
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Al Ahli)
Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso and Bayer Leverkusen)
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon and SSC Napoli)
Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon and Besiktas)
Ibrahima Sangare (Cote d’Ivoire and Nottingham Forest)
Seko Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire and Al Nassr)
Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo and Olympique Marseille)
Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Pyramids)
Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)
Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)
Mohammed Kudus (Ghana and West Ham United)
Thomas Partey (Ghana and Arsenal)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea and VfB Stuttgart)
Yves Bissouma (Mali and Tottenham Hotspur)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain)
Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco and Olympique Marseille)
Hakim Ziyech (Morocco and Galatasaray)
Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco and Manchester United)
Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
Yassine Bounou (Morocco and Al Hilal)
Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco and Sevilla)
Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)
Sadio Mane (Senegal and Al Nassr)
Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur)
Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)
Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Ferencvaros)
[Vanguard]
The organisers of the annual ‘Warri Again Concert’, Brownhill Investments Company Limited, have dragged David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, to court, demanding N2.3 billion, over an alleged breach of agreement/contract entered into between them.
Naija News reports that Brownhill Investments Company Limited, owned by a former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, filed the suit marked EHC/183/2023 before the Delta State High Court in Effurun.
The claimant, through its lawyer, Kelechi Onwuegbuchulem, is asking the court to award N2 billion as general damages against Davido and his his music label, Davido Music Worldwide Limited.
The organisers also asked the court to award against Davido the sum of N150 million as legal and professional fees and an additional sum of N30 million as the cost of filing the suit.
It also wants the court to order the singer “to tender a public apology on all the 1st defendant’s social media accounts/handles and in two national daily newspapers for four consecutive days, to the claimant and attendees.”
In its statement of claim, the claimant stated that sometime in early 2023, Davido approached Pinnick, when they met at the Abuja Airport and asked to be engaged for the 19th edition of the ‘Warri Again Concert’ event to be held on October 6, 2023.
The claimant said Pinnick was hesitant to grant the request, he eventually did and they agreed on N70 million as Davido’s performance fee.
It said that thereafter, the sum of US$94,500.00 (an equivalent of N70m) was paid on April 6, 2023, and the same was duly acknowledged by the defendants.
It said after the payment, Davido did a promotional video ahead of the event but he eventually failed to show up on the day of the event.
The claimant stated that it expended humongous resources on print and social media adverts and promotions for the event, adding that on September 29, 2023, precisely a week before the slated date of the event, a formal letter of reminder was sent to the Davido in respect of the event, which contained flight itinerary of the private jet chartered to personally convey him and his team to and from Warri, Delta State for the event, thereby incurring additional expenses of $18,000.
It stated, however, that all attempts to reach Davido and his team on the day of the event, October 6, 2023, were futile, adding that it kept the private jet chartered to convey Davido and his team to Warri at the Airport in Lagos on standby should they eventually show up.
Consequently, Pinnick’s company is asking for the payment of $94,500 as full payment for engaging the services of Davido.
Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has confirmed his plan to return to Barcelona.
The 36-year-old admitted that his departure from the Nou Camp in 2021 left a “bitter taste”.
Messi bid farewell to Barca as their financial struggles made it impossible for the club to fund a contract extension.
He joined Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent and when presented a chance to rejoin the Catalans this summer, he opted to sign for Inter Miami.
Messi has not had the chance to bid a proper farewell to Barcelona fans and he has now confirmed his intention to fix that situation after winning his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday evening.
“There was a bitter taste when I left and I don’t like that. I’d like to change the way the story ended.
“I deserve to say goodbye to the people that gave me so much joy. If it happens I’ll be very happy to be there of course,” he told reporters.