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Arsenal will play Tottenham in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong, the first North London derby to be held outside the United Kingdom, the clubs said Monday, while Liverpool will meet AC Milan.
The London rivals will play at the southern Chinese city’s new 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium on July 31.
“Playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the magnificent new Kai Tak Stadium will be a great experience for both teams and supporters, and will be a very important part of our pre-season preparations ahead of the new season,” said Arsenal’s managing director Richard Garlick.
Liverpool will play Serie A giants Milan on July 26 at the same stadium.
It will be a replay of the classic 2005 Champions League final, which the Reds won on penalties after being 3-0 down at half-time.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool are likely to head to Hong Kong as Premier League champions — they are currently 12 points clear with nine games left.
Liverpool will also travel to Japan for the first time during pre-season, the club said, without giving dates.
Hong Kong this month officially opened a major $3.85 billion sports park with futuristic Kai Tak Stadium the centrepiece of it.
The stadium saw its first major event at the weekend when it hosted the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens with more than 110,000 spectators attending over three days.
It is all part of efforts to restore the city’s image, which took a battering after political protests and a Beijing-imposed national security law.
Visitor numbers to Hong Kong also plummeted during almost three years of strict Covid curbs and have only recently begun to recover.
AFP
The Nigeria Boxing Board of Control says boxer Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju, who died in Accra, Ghana on Saturday, was not granted approval for the fatal bout after his initial fight scheduled for Friday was cancelled after being adjudged overweight.
The 40-year-old former National and West African light-heavyweight champion lost consciousness during his bout against Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu at Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League at Bukom Boxing Arena, Accra on Saturday.
The PUNCH learnt that Olanrewaju was leading on points before the tragic incident occurred in the scheduled eight-round light-heavyweight contest against Mbanugu, also known as “Jon Power,” who holds a record of 12 wins, one loss, and one draw, with 12 knockouts.
It took only a few seconds for officials and fans at the Bukom Boxing Arena to realise that something was seriously wrong. Olanrewaju had landed two weak punches on his opponent before Mbanugu responded with a right hand to the Nigerian’s face. After a brief impasse between both men, the Nigerian boxer staggered backwards, fell against the ropes and collapsed, to the disbelief of the fans.
The Nigerian fighter slumped on his side as the referee began the mandatory count. Moments later, he turned face down, with his throat resting against one of the ropes.
His team rushed into the ring, placed him on the canvas, removed his gum shield, and attempted to resuscitate him as he appeared to be gasping for breath. The on-site emergency medical team quickly transported him to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Secretary-General, the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, Remi Aboderin, told The PUNCH that the boxing body permitted Olanrewaju to fight on Friday but the bout was cancelled. According to Aboderin, the late pugilist then decided to fight the next day so he could make some money to clear his debts back home.
“Segun got our approval to fight in Ghana, a fight that was proposed to take place on a Friday. Unfortunately, they did weigh-in on Thursday and he was found to be overweight and they told him the person he was to fight was not his weight.
“They said to do this, they would increase his purse with another $500, which he said was too small, and due to that, there was no agreement.”
Aboderin further revealed that another Nigerian fought that Friday night.
“Saturday morning, they were on their way back to Lagos, they had even left Accra and were at Aflao border when Segun said to the coach that followed him, that’s Diran Alamu, that it was not going to be easy returning home; he left Nigeria with no money and he had debts to pay and needed money. So, he wanted to call the Ghanaians and see if another fight was coming up and told them he was now ready to collect the additional $500 as discussed because he felt it would not pay him if he returned home without money.
“So, they called the matchmaker, who informed him that there was a fight on Saturday night and that they could put the fight for that Saturday, but we didn’t give him the approval for that, and this is where the GBA (Ghana Boxing Association) erred. So, he turned back and went back to Ghana because he needed the money; he owed a lot of people money,” the NBBofC secretary added.
Coach Babatunde Ojo, who trained Olanrewaju, told The PUNCH that he advised the boxer against fighting on short notice.
“He (Olanrewaju) told me they gave him a fight last week. After he informed me, I told him, ‘the fight was at short notice, you are not training and you want to go, you can’t go, leave this fight for a better offer,'” Ojo told The PUNCH.
“He initially told me the fight was on April 1, but he called later to say it was no longer next month but on March 29. So, I told him that it was at short notice but if he wanted us to go together, he should tell the organisers to book flights so we could go there and come back together. He called them and when he got back to me, he said they told him they would get him a car that would take him to Ghana. I said no, that’s not possible. So, he knew I didn’t want him to go.
“After that, he called me that they (NBBofC) had given him a release letter (for the fight). I didn’t hear from him afterwards, so I called him. He said he had been called again for the fight and was going that night. I told him, ‘Success, don’t you think this fight is too early?’ He said he would call me back. The next time I called him, he said he was on his way (to Ghana), and he didn’t call me because he knew I wouldn’t allow him go. That was why he didn’t tell me. He is an adult, so, I could not stop him.
“Now we have this situation, these are the things I advise my boxers against; you can’t pick a fight at short notice, you need at least one month. I am very saddened by his loss; may his soul rest in peace,” Ojo added.
Haaland had seen a first-half penalty saved before Evanilson put the Cherries in front.
The Norwegian made amends by equalising four minutes into the second period before being forced off with an ankle injury.
His replacement, Omar Marmoush, took just two minutes to score the winner from a second assist by the impressive Nico O'Reilly as City booked a semi-final clash against Nottingham Forest.
"Seven times in a row reaching semi-finals in the FA Cup...this is outstanding. This generation of players, they have done this," said City boss Pep Guardiola.
City have been a shadow of the side that won four consecutive Premier League titles this season and Guardiola said prior to the game that even FA Cup glory would not save a miserable season.
The English champions' collapse in the Premier League began at Bournemouth back in November with a 2-1 defeat that kicked off a run of six defeats in eight games.
But Guardiola hailed the difference in attitude in his side between then and now.
"We came here (in November) with the flip flops on against a team that if you don't compete, it is impossible," added Guardiola.
"In football you have to run. People say about my teams 'how good they play' but no, it is how much we run, how much we fight and for many games this season it didn't happen."
Haaland's hat-trick of misses
Haaland should have punished a makeshift Cherries defence missing the suspended Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez with a hat-trick before half-time.
He headed wide his first chance from Matheus Nunes' driven cross.
A Tyler Adams handball then gifted City the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot.
But for the third time in his last six spot-kicks, Haaland failed to find the net as Kepa Arrizabalaga made a fine save.
That miss seemed to be still in Haaland's mind when he dinked over Kepa and over the bar with just the Spanish goalkeeper to beat moments later.
City were then hit with a sucker punch by Bournemouth on 21 minutes.
Nunes, deputising in an unfamiliar right-back role, gave the ball away to David Brooks, whose cross was turned across goal by Justin Kluivert and bundled in from point-blank range by Evanilson.
Guardiola responded by introducing 20-year-old midfielder O'Reilly as a makeshift left-back.
O'Reilly made an instant impact with a rampaging run down the left and inch-perfect cross as this time Haaland did not miss for his 30th goal of the season.
Moments later he was forced off in concerning scenes for Guardiola with City still involved in a battle just to qualify for next season's Champions League in their last nine Premier League games.
But City's January transfer window move for Marmoush is already looking a shrewd deal.
The Egyptian has now scored six times in 11 appearances since a £59 million ($76 million) transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt.
If Kepa was a Bournemouth hero in the first-half, he was at fault for the winner as Marmoush's effort slipped through his grasp from O'Reilly's pass.
"First half we played very well but second half the game was definitely for them," said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
"We couldn't keep the same intensity second half, we were a lot more passive and lacking in energy, especially up front."
AFP
European clubs, including a prominent team from France, are intensifying their pursuit of Stanley Nwabali, the Super Eagles and Chippa United goalkeeper.
BSNSports.com.ng gathered from The South African news outlet, that the interest in the Nigerian international goalkeeper is growing as new suitors emerge.
Already on the radar of South African giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, Nwabali is now attracting serious attention from a French club.
Sources close to the player have revealed that this unnamed French club has made inquiries about Nwabali, who recently played a key role for the Super Eagles during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
“There is definitely interest from a club in France. Initially, the first interest came from Belgium, but this latest inquiry is from France. Every day, there are more clubs interested in Stanley. At some point, Chippa United will have to let him go. We will have to wait and see what happens at the end of the season. However, it’s believed the interest from this French club is significant,” a source stated.
Scouts from the French club have been closely monitoring Nwabali, particularly during Nigeria’s recent World Cup qualifiers, where the Super Eagles secured four points from two matches.
“They have been observing him during the recent games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Due to the inquiries about Nwabali, Chippa United is already considering signing another goalkeeper for next season. Whether he leaves or not, the club is preparing for a replacement when he ultimately departs,” the source declared.
[Leadership]
Former National and West African light-heavyweight champion, Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju, has died after collapsing during a boxing match in Ghana on Saturday.
Olanrewaju lost consciousness while facing Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu at Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League at Bukom Boxing Arena.
PUNCH Online gathered that he was reportedly leading on points before the tragic incident occurred.
PUNCH Online also observed him collapse in a video being shared on social media.
The boxing community has been thrown into mourning following his sudden death.
Olanrewaju, a respected figure in Nigerian boxing, previously held both National and West African light-heavyweight titles.
His contributions to the sport in Nigeria and across West Africa have been widely acknowledged, with colleagues and fans paying tribute to his legacy.
[Punch]
If there is a god of soccer, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, it deserted the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
On the dot of 90 minutes, with only added time of some 5 minutes left to play, Eric Chelle had his plan for winning the match. He replaced a forward with another forward.
He replaced Victor Osimhen, the most consistent finisher in the team, with Boniface who has not scored a single goal for the national team to date. Or has he? If any player was likely to score, it would be Osimhen.
I did not understand the substitution. If Eric wanted the team to ‘shut down’ and run down the match as they did successfully against Rwanda, basic tactics would require that he added a player to the midfield/defense area, get the players to keep possession of the ball as much as possible, and to close up the spaces in the midfield, disallowing the opposing team from doing anything constructive.
That’s what he did during the Rwandan match after the Eagles were two goals up and time was running out.
Against Zimbabwe, however, the situation was different. With only one goal in the kitty, it was dangerous to do what he did against Rwanda. So, his substitution meant, in basic football tactics, that he wanted to score another goal.
But it was clear the Zimbabweans were desperate, had started to throw everything forward, and were unlucky to have been denied what could have been a goal had VAR been available to check where the ball landed when it struck the crossbar and landed either behind or in front of the Nigerian goal line. No one is still certain where the ball landed.
Still the Super Eagles’ intentions were not obvious – to attack or defend the lone goal? They did neither. The Eagles suddenly looked tired. They started to leave yawning gaps in the midfield and allowed the Zimbabweans plenty of space and time on the ball. They also started to lose possession of the ball with ease, with Lookman attempting solo runs with the ball and losing possession, unnecessarily.
That could, surely, not be Eric’s intentions or instructions. I will still ask him whenever we meet what instructions he gave the team as the match drew to an end.
On the other hand, the Zimbabweans deserve credit for how they started to play, pressing, chasing after every ball, passing and attacking the spaces in the Nigerian midfield and defence opening up with every passing second.
Then it happened. Their persistence paid off.
It was almost on the dot of 90 minutes. The Zimbabweans cut through the Nigerian defense with a pass that ended with only William Troost-Ekong to beat. It was what would be called ‘50/50 ball’ in Nigerian football parlance. At this point, it all came down to what he did. The Nigerian captain is a dependable team leader.
At that stage of the match, any defender grounded in the Nigerian psyche, how to play when something like the World Cup ticket is at stake, would not think twice about what to do in that instance!
With the prowling attacker running at him and the ball between them, the typical Nigerian defender would have gritted his teeth, shut his eyes, with determination written all over his action, and with almost reckless abandon, cleared everything in his path – ball and the foot of the attacking player. The sound of that kick would have reverted around that stadium, and the ‘fragments’ of the ball and the foot of the opposing player would be picked outside the Uyo township stadium!
Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but the reality is that a Christian Chukwu, Stephen Keshi, Austin Eguavoen, Sunday Eboigbe, Francis Monidafe, or 10-10 Omokaro, or any one of several Nigerian former Captains and defenders, in Ekong’s shoes, would have booted the ball and the Zimbabwean player into the terraces.
Instead, and, unfortunately, what Ekong did may haunt him for the rest of his life. It could be the moment Nigeria lost the opportunity to go to the 2026 World Cup. It could turn out to be his last chance to attend a World Cup. It was a moment Nigerians, all 250’million of them, will remember forever.
Ekong took his leg off the pedal, probably thinking he might trip the attacker and give away a penalty kick (We will never know now). He let the ball and the opposing attacker go through, a gift to the player who slid the ball under a helplessly sprawling Nwabili for an equalizing goal that pierced the hearts of 250 million Nigerians like a knife.
William Troost-Ekong has since apologised for that poor decision, and Nigerians have no choice but to forgive him.
The bottom line is that Nigeria had no business letting victory slip through their hands with only a few minutes of the match to go. It was a very painful end to what was otherwise a match they had under their control until they scored, and, thereafter, went to sleep.
The silence around the Uyo Township stadium and around the country as a whole, after the match, spoke loudly about the gloom that has since settled over Nigerians.
Last Tuesday was a ‘bad’ day at the market for the Super Eagles. The country would need more than prayers and a miracle to still make it to the 2026 World Cup.
Daily Diary!
The African Women’s Volleyball Club Championship starts on Monday in Abuja. Clubs from 24 countries, including Nigeria, will be participating. Nigeria will be represented by the Nigerian Customs Women’s Volleyball Club.
I shall be there LIVe and shall be keeping a Daily Diary on my experiences of this first-ever championship. Watch out!
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has commended the Super Eagles for their effort in their World Cup qualifier match against Zimbabwe in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom.
Naija News reported that Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup slimmed as they drew with Zimbabwe Warriors.
Victor Osimhen‘s header in the 74th minute that put the Eagles in the lead could not boost the chances of Nigeria as 90th minute strike of Zimbabwe’s 21-year-old Tawanda Chirewa caused a draw.
In a statement on Wednesday, Peter Obi lauded the Super Eagles for their resilience and dedication during the match.
“Yesterday (Tuesday), I traveled to Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, where I joined a host of other sport-enthusiastic Nigerians to support the Super Eagles as they played the Warriors of Zimbabwe in their sixth match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
“As usual, our team demonstrated the true Nigerian spirit of strength, resilience and dedication on the field of play. Football, and indeed sports, has remained a strong unifying factor for our nation battling with disunity. While we may not have clinched the victory on the field of play, our dear players have, again, won our hearts with their obvious display of sportsmanship.
“I sincerely appreciate our dear national football team and, indeed, everyone whose efforts and sacrifices got us far in this journey. Our labours were not in vain,” he said.
The Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, has blamed errors made on the field of play for the inability of his team to defeat Zimbabwe on Tuesday in their 2026 World Cup qualifying match in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Naija News reports Chelle made the submission in his post-match press conference after the Eagles played out a 1-1 draw against their visitors from Zimbabwe.
He also added that it was difficult to speak further on the game because he has yet to review the game.
“We made some mistakes, we were the best team on the pitch. This is football. It is difficult for me to analyze the game right now; we will review it later,” Chelle said
The coach also avoided blaming any particular person for the frustrating draw, noting that the whole team is responsible for whatever outcome they get.
“I don’t want to blame the defenders,” he stated
With the results, Nigeria occupy the fourth position in Group C with just seven points—six adrift of table-toppers South Africa, which leaves the fate of qualification hanging in the balance.
Nigeria will need a dramatic turnaround in their remaining fixtures and hope other results go their way to stand a chance of making it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria failed to beat Zimbabwe in their sixth game of the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
Nigeria played a 1-1 draw with the Zimbabweans before a packed Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo on Tuesday.
A powerful header from Victor Osimhen was cancelled out by a late strike from Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chiwenda to deny Nigeria a crucial victory.
The draw placed the Eagles fourth in Group C of the qualifier, with just seven points from six matches.
For the Zimbabwe tie, Eric Chelle, Super Eagles of Nigeria coach, named the same the line-up that started the team’s 2-0 win over Rwanda on Friday.
Victor Osimhen scored a brace in the previous game and retained his position alongside the trio of Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon.
Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi reprised their roles in midfield in front of an unchanged back four of Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey, William Troost-Ekong and Bright Osayi-Samuel.
The Eagles picked up their dazzling performance where they halted last week. The team flooded the Zimbabweans with quick, vibrant attacking sequences in the early part of the match.
Washington Arubi, the Zimbabwean goalkeeper, produced a couple of impressive saves to keep Nigeria at bay.
The goalkeeper clawed out a swerving header from Osimhen before denying the striker a few minutes later with another acrobatic dive to save a shot fizzing into his top corner.
Then, Samuel Chukwueze’s shot sailed millimetres past the upright after a brilliant pass from Moses Simon.
Nigeria resumed dominance in the second half, but the breakthrough did not come until the 74th minute. Osimhen stole into the far post to head home a cross from Ola Aina.
The Eagles were riding the slim victory until Zimbabwe capitalised on a defensive lethagy to wrestle in an equaliser through Chiwenda.
In other matches in the group, South Africa defeated Benin Republic 2-0, and Rwanda drew 1-1 against Lesotho.
GROUP C STANDINGS AFTER SIX GAMES
South Africa — 13 points
Rwanda — 8 points
Benin Republic — 8 points
Nigeria — 7 points
Lesotho — 6 points
Zimbabwe — 4 points
The Akwa Ibom State Government has made a significant move in support of the Super Eagles by purchasing 30,000 tickets for enthusiastic football fans and supporters ahead of the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe.
This initiative is aimed at galvanizing widespread support for the Super Eagles during the must-win match.
The encounter, where the Super Eagles will face off against the Zimbabwean Warriors, is set to take place at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Tuesday.
This stadium has been the proud host for all of the Super Eagles’ previous home games during the ongoing World Cup qualifiers, reinforcing its importance as a fortress for the national team.
The three-time African champions are eager to secure their second victory in the qualifiers, following an impressive 2-0 win over Rwanda in Kigali last Friday. This victory has significantly boosted the team’s morale and enhanced their chances of qualifying for the World Cup.
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has emphasized the importance of the upcoming match, stating that the team is fully committed to clinching maximum points.
He expressed confidence in the team’s capabilities, affirming, “We are looking forward to a win. The three points are crucial for us. At this pivotal stage in the qualifiers, we cannot afford to drop any more points.”
Troost-Ekong stressed the need for the team to build on their recent success against the Amavubi, saying, “Our aim is to take it one match at a time, collect three points here and there, and fervently hope that these efforts will be sufficient to secure our ticket to the World Cup.”
Note that the Group C match will kick off at 5 PM Nigeria time on Tuesday, March 25.
More...
Former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba has backed Victor Osimhen to break Rashidi Yekini’s all-time Super Eagles goal-scoring record, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Osimhen took his Eagles goal tally to 25 after his brace in Rwanda to become the most prolific Nigeria international after Yekini, who scored 37 goals.
“By the way he is going, Osimhen will soon eclipse the record of Yekini,” Ikpeba said.
“He’s a fantastic lad and a committed player, who gives everything for the country. We will soon see when he breaks this record.”
The 26-year-old striker moved to second place on Nigeria’s all-time scorers list after scoring twice in Friday’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda in the 2026 World Cup qualifier in Kigali.
This achievement surpassed Segun Odegbami’s long-standing record of 23 goals, which had stood for 44 years since the legendary winger retired from international football in 1981.
“Osimhen has finally overtaken me and I think that is good because the record has been hanging on for a very long time. I am very happy for him and I want to say good luck to him,” Odegbami told PUNCH Sports Extra.
“He is still young and he has a long way to go.”
Osimhen, who is currently enjoying remarkable form with Galatasaray where he has scored 20 goals and provided four assists in 20 Super Lig games, now needs 12 more goals to equal Yekini’s record of 37 goals, which has stood since the striker’s last game for Nigeria in 1998.
The Nigerian talisman made his Super Eagles debut in June 2017 in a 2-0 defeat against South Africa and has since established himself as the team’s main attacking threat, including notable performances in AFCON qualifiers where he scored two hat-tricks in 2023.
Following the victory against Rwanda, Osimhen has issued a warning to Zimbabwe ahead of their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier scheduled for Tuesday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
“We are ready. The remaining matches are wars and we must fight them with all that we have to win,” he told reporters at the Victor Attah Airport as the team arrived on Saturday.
A victory against Zimbabwe on Tuesday (today) will take Nigeria to nine points in their World Cup qualification campaign, putting them in firm contention for the ticket, especially if Benin Republic and South Africa cancel each other out in their fixture inside Abidjan’s Stade Félix Houphouet-Boigny.
Cristiano Ronaldo had an eventful game as he scored a goal, and missed a penalty to help Portugal to a 5-2 win over Denmark in a Nations League quarter-final clash, while he was also handed a Guinness World record award.
The encounter ended 3-3 on aggregate after 90 minutes as Portugal avenged their 1-0 loss in the first leg with a 3-2 win.
Ronaldo missed an opportunity to give the hosts the lead in the sixth minute after he was fouled in the box by Manchester United’s Patrick Dorgu but Kasper Schmeichel saved his effort.
Denmark’s Joachim Andersen headed Bruno Fernandes’ corner into his own net just before halftime.
Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside on the stroke of halftime before Rasmus Kristensen made it 1-1 for Denmark after the restart.
The Al Nassr forward finally found joy in the 72nd minute with a close range finish after Schmeichel saved Fernandes’ effort.
Christian Eriksen converted Dorgu’s low cross to make it 2-2 before the game burst into life when Francisco Trincao made it 3-2 in the 90th minute to send the tie into extra time.
He added his second goal of the game in extra time to make it 4-2 before substitute Goncalo Ramos put the icing on the cake for 5-2.
After the game, Cristiano Ronaldo was presented with the Guinness World Record award for the most international wins in history with 132.
Portugal will now take on Germany in the semi-finals of the competition.
In the other Nations League quarter-final fixtures, Germany recorded a 3-3 draw against Italy to advance to the semi-finals despite surrendering a 3-0 lead.
Julien Nagelsmann’s team won the first leg 2-1 to go through on a 5-4 aggregate win, they will battle with Portugal for a place in the final.
Spain defeated Netherlands 5-4 on penalties to seal a place in the last four after the regulation time ended 3-3.
The European Champions earned a 2-2 draw in the first leg and kept their nerves to advance in the shootout to set up a place with France.
Les Bleus overturned a 2-0 loss in the first leg defeat to Croatia in the first leg to qualify for the semi-finals.
Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembele scored in regulation time to give France a 2-0 lead to make the aggregate 2-2 after which Dayot Upamecano scored the winning penalty to send them through.
Germany will take on Portugal on June 4, while France will slug it out with Spain the following day for a place in the final.
…Zimbabwe Vow To Defeat Eagles
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has banned visitors, and Sports Journalists from the team’s camp ahead of the clash against Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
The team’s media officer, Promise Efoghe confirmed that the coach demanded full concentration from the players as the team round up preparations for the encounter.
Efoghe said: “Coach Eric Chelle is not carried away by the win over Rwanda and he is demanding maximum concentration from the players prior to the next game (vs Zimbabwe).
“To this end, he has imposed restrictions in and around the team’s camp, no visitors, no journalists.
“Monday’s session will be open for the mandatory 15 minutes and this will be shortly after the official press conference. Provisions will be made for mixed zone interaction with the players on match day.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe coach, Michael Nees has urged his players to work hard to earn the maximum points against the Super Eagles in Uyo on Tuesday.
Both sides will meet at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo in the second leg of their World Cup qualifiers clash.
The visitors are in search of their first win in the series as they aim to climb out of the bottom position.
Nees admitted that the Super Eagles parade world class players but he is confident that his players can get a positive result if they can fight hard in the encounter.
He said: ”Benin Republic was really strong but with Nigeria and the names they parade is top class and they messed their campaign at the beginning really up, it’s the third coach now involved in this campaign, they won away in Rwanda which was always a difficult opponent so they will come against us with confidence and all their power to turn this campaign around so do we.
“It would be an exciting game, we have to perform to our maximum, but we should expect a really tough opponent who would give everything and must also give everything and we will.”
“We must accept the challenge, the climate, the pace, the conditions, they must accept the challenge and enjoy it, we mustn’t be afraid of anything, we can play football, we will analyze opponents, we would analyze our game, the players don’t need to be nervous. They’ve shown it many times that they are very good players, I’m really looking forward to this match.”
Similarly, Zimbabwe winger Tawanda Chirewa has revealed that the team has no reason to fear the Super Eagles.
He said: “I am just looking at recovery and going again on Tuesday against Nigeria, which is a very good team.
“A lot of players play in England and Europe. Obviously I want to go out there and show what I can do. Our team has got so many good players as well so we can’t fear Nigeria.”
This will be the fourth World Cup qualifier meeting between the two sides, with the Super Eagles emerging victorious in two of the previous three encounters.
![[Full fixtures] UEFA Nations League: 4 teams qualify for semi-finals](/media/k2/items/cache/87d6fe5f2c39b3e30a72c9354c5105e4_XS.jpg)
Germany qualified for the semi-final of the UEFA Nations League on Sunday night, despite drawing 3-3 with Italy.
A Joshua Kimmich masterclass in the first half saw him score a penalty and provide two assists for Jamal Musiala and Tim Kleindienst, as they took a 3-0 lead at the break.
Moise Kean grabbed a double to rattle the hosts, before Giacomo Raspadori converted a stoppage time penalty to give Italy a glimmer of hope.
But Germany survived a spirited second-half fightback to reach the last four with a 5-4 aggregate.
Portugal are also through, thanks to a 5-2 win over Denmark on the night, after losing 1-0 earlier in the week.
France won 2-0 against Croatia in the second leg to draw the tie 2-2 on aggregate, before winning 5-4 on penalties.
Spain were also held to a 3-3 draw by the Netherlands and won the shoot-out 5-4.
Semi-final ties:
Germany vs Portugal
Spain vs France
[DailyPost]