SPORTS
Nigerian-born English winger, Bukayo Saka has stressed that this could be the year his club, Arsenal, finally clinch the Premier League title after a 21-year drought.
Having finished as runners-up to Manchester City in the past two seasons, Arsenal are currently third in the league, tied on points with second-placed City and trailing leaders Liverpool by just a point after six games.
Bukayo Saka, who also experienced the disappointment of back-to-back European Championship final losses with England in 2021 and 2024, is determined to turn the tide and secure silverware this season.
The 23-year-old attributes his unwavering determination to previous near-misses and believes in Arsenal’s ability to compete at the highest level, as evidenced by their recent 2-0 Champions League victory over Paris St-Germain.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on us but I do think that this is the year [Arsenal win the title],” Saka told CBS Sports.
“I think we’ve been close the last two years and we’re getting closer, but this hopefully will be the year.”
In his interview with Amazon Prime, Saka added, “In previous years, I’ve come runners-up a lot. It’s just that spirit in me that I want to win this season and of course, I believe in myself a lot.
“With those two things, it helps. We believe in ourselves, we believe we’re a top team. We showed that tonight [against Paris St-Germain]. I did tell the boys we have to make a statement when big teams are coming to the Emirates.”
The Super Eagles caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen has emphasized the importance of having the right conditions in place for him to consider taking on the role permanently.
As he manages the team for the fourth time, he stressed the need for a long-term contract with patience and realistic clauses, acknowledging that consistent winning is not guaranteed in football.
“It will be a tough one. You have to give me a long-term contract with patience and clauses in that contract because winning is not guaranteed every week or day,” the 58-year-old coach told Brila FM.
“You will give me time to tweak the team till I find what I want.”
Despite the team’s current challenges in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Augustine Eguavoen expressed optimism about their chances.
Eguavoen believes that with a strong mentality and a positive approach, the Super Eagles can still turn their campaign around and secure their spot in the World Cup.
He emphasized the need for the players to treat every upcoming game as a crucial opportunity and to focus on securing victories, even by narrow margins, to achieve their objective.
“It has to be with positive thinking (for Nigeria to qualify for the World Cup),” Eguavoen said.
“We have to approach every game like a cup final, and we have a big chance once we keep winning these remaining games, even if it were by 1-0.”
Augustine Eguavoen is expected to lead Super Eagles of Nigeria in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Libya at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Friday, October 11, with the return leg set to be hosted in Benina four days later.
Super Eagles caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen believes the team can still make it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite their poor run in the qualifiers.
The three-time African champions are second from bottom in their group with three points from four games.
Rwanda, South Africa and Benin Republic are joint leaders in the group with seven points from the same number of matches.
Eguavoen believed the Super Eagles can still turn their faltering qualifying campaign around.
The 58-year-old however said the players must have a strong mentality to achieve the objective.
“It has to be with positive thinking (for Nigeria to qualify for the World Cup),” Eguavoen told Brila FM.
“We have to approach every game like a cup final and we have a big chance once we keep winning these remaining games even if it were by 1-0.”
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski etched his name in Champions League history on Tuesday night, becoming only the second player to score 50 or more goals in the competition after turning 30.
Lewandowski’s 50th goal in this exclusive club follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the record with 68 goals.
The Polish forward achieved the milestone during Barcelona’s commanding 5-0 victory over Swiss side Young Boys at the Camp Nou.
After a disappointing opening day defeat to AS Monaco, the Blaugrana were determined to secure their first Champions League win of the campaign, and they did so in style.
Lewandowski, with Raphinha and Iñigo Martínez, found the back of the net in a first-half blitz, putting Barcelona in firm control of the match.
Lewandowski’s goal not only contributed to his team’s victory but also solidified his place among the Champions League’s elite goal scorers.
With Barcelona eyeing a deep run in the tournament, Lewandowski’s continued brilliance will be key as the Catalan giants look to build momentum in their European campaign.
[TheNation]
Super Eagles Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali breaks silence on failed transfer to Saudi Arabia and Kaizer Chiefs
AFOLABI
Nigeria's first-choice goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali has broken his silence on rumours that linked him with a move to Saudi Arabian clubs and South African club Kaizer Chiefs.
Nwabali was linked with a move following his impressive displays for Chippa United and Nigeria at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 28-year-old helped Nigeria finish second in Cote d’Ivoire and kept 11 clean sheets in all competitions for Chippa United last season.
Despite contact from numerous clubs, Nwabali signed a new three-year deal with the Chilli Boys last month.
“I wouldn’t say I was really affected by what happened after last season and after the AFCON because it’s football,” Nwabali told iDiski Times when asked about the rumours.
“Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t work but as a footballer, one thing is for sure that deals come and deals also crash.
“But one thing I know is that even with all this happening you don’t have to lose your value as a soccer player.
“With everything that happened, I even felt like I was going to leave the club but I’m still with the club so it doesn’t change anything.”
Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua has experienced a significant drop in the heavyweight rankings after his loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on September 21.
Recall that Anthony Joshua was previously ranked third in the Ring Magazine Rankings.
Earlier this month, the former two-time heavyweight champion aimed to solidify his standing as one of the division’s best with a victory over Dubois.
However, the British boxing star faced a challenging bout, ultimately being dropped four times and suffering a stunning knockout in the 5th round, leading to his plummet to seventh place in the latest rankings.
Dubois has now surpassed Joshua, securing the second position behind the current unified champion, Oleksandr Usyk.
The updated rankings also see Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang in third and fourth place, with Agit Kabayel and Martin Bakole in fifth and sixth place respectively, all ranking higher than Joshua.
Meanwhile, the upcoming heavyweight showdown between Usyk and Tyson Fury has sparked discussions about a potential rematch between Dubois and Anthony Joshua, with a tentative date set for early next year.
Despite the one-sided outcome of the September 21 bout, Joshua has expressed his determination to continue fighting, leaving many to wonder when the 33-year-old boxer would hit the ring again.
Atletico Madrid said on Monday they had permanently banned a fan for throwing objects onto the field during the weekend’s heated derby draw with Real Madrid.
Sunday’s match at Atletico’s Estadio Metropolitano was halted for 15 minutes after home fans threw objects including lighters at Madrid players.
Atletico claimed a late point thanks to Angel Correa’s 95th-minute equaliser.
“Our security department continues to work with the police to identify the rest of those involved, who will be permanently expelled as soon as they are located,” Atletico said.
“The club’s firm conviction to eradicate any form of violence and our defence of the values of sport are unquestionable.
“We will continue to work with all our resources with the aim of eliminating this type of behaviour,” they added.
Atletico also announced a change to rules for fans’ clothing inside their ground following the incident.
“The club will imminently incorporate into its internal regulations the prohibition of using inside the stadium any element or garment that prevents distinguishing the face of a person in order to hide their identity, which until now was not contemplated in our regulations,” the 11-time Spanish champions said.
“In the event of non-compliance with this rule, they will be immediately expelled from the stadium.
Atletico’s next home game is October 20’s La Liga match with Leganes.
![Flamingos coach unveils squad for 2024 U-17 Women’s World Cup [Full list]](/media/k2/items/cache/e352d50552db80ae85998ef31f23e380_S.jpg)
Nigeria’s Flamingos head coach, Bankole Olowookere, has announced the 21-player squad set to represent the country at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
The tournament is scheduled to kick off on October 16, with Nigeria facing New Zealand in the opening match.
The Flamingos have been placed in Group A, where they will compete against hosts Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and New Zealand.
Nigeria aims to build on their strong performance in the previous edition of the tournament, where they secured a third-place finish in India in 2022.
Alongside Nigeria, two other African teams, Kenya and Zambia, will also compete in the tournament.
Squad Full List
Goalkeepers
Christiana Uzoma (Edo Queens)
Elizabeth Boniface (Sunshine Queens)
Sylvia Echefu (Confluence Queens)
Defenders
Prisca Nwachukwu (Imo Strikers)
Jumai Adebayo (Naija Ratels)
Taiwo Adegoke (Remo Stars Ladies)
Rokibat Azeez (New Generation Academy)
Hannah Ibrahim (Remo Stars Ladies)
Vivian Ekezie (Heartland Queens)
Ololade Isiaka (Abia Angels)
Midfielders
Taiwo Afolabi (Delta Queens)
Faridat Abdulwahab (Nasarawa Amazons)
Shakirat Moshood (Bayelsa Queens)
Muinat Rotimi (Nakamura Football Academy)
Forwards
Oghenemairo Obruthe (City Sports)
Harmony Chidi (Imo Strikers)
Kudirat Arogundade (Green Foot)
Ramotalahi Kareem (Honey Badgers)
Aishat Animashaun (Naija Ratels)
Peace Effiong (Rivers Angels)
Blessing Ifitezue (Delta Queens)
Chelsea are plotting a January swoop for Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirming the Blues’ interest, The PUNCH reports.
Romano told Caught Offside that Chelsea might be preparing a £40million bid for the Napoli striker when the transfer window reopens in January.
He, however, clarified that no negotiations are currently ongoing despite reports of behind-the-scenes preparations at Stamford Bridge.
Osimhen, who is currently on loan at Galatasaray, has hit the ground running in Turkey, netting twice in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Kasımpaşa last weekend.
The 25-year-old’s brace saw him etch his name in Galatasaray’s history books as the first player to register four or more goal contributions in the first three Süper Lig games since Bafetimbi Gomis in 2017.
The Nigerian international’s future remains uncertain, with his contract with Napoli set to expire in July 2025.
However, RAI Sport journalist Ciro Venerato claims that a €90m release clause allows Osimhen to leave Napoli in January, although it is not valid for Serie A clubs.
Chelsea’s interest in Osimhen could have significant implications for their current striker, Nicolas Jackson. The Senegalese forward, who joined the London club from Villarreal for £32m last summer, has impressed in his debut Premier League season, scoring four goals in six matches.
Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes Jackson has the potential to become a £150m player, saying, “If Nicolas Jackson fulfils his potential, he will be a £150m player. I’m convinced of that.”
Jackson has already outperformed club legend Didier Drogba’s debut season, scoring 14 goals compared to Drogba’s 10 in the 2004/05 Premier League campaign.Meanwhile, Osimhen’s prolific record speaks for itself. The striker has netted 76 goals in 133 appearances for Napoli since his £73million transfer from Lille in 2020. He was also Serie A’s top scorer in the 2022–23 season with 26 goals notched, playing a crucial role in Napoli’s title-winning campaign.
Despite the speculation, Galatasaray vice president İbrahim Hatipoğlu recently stated, “There is no possibility of Osimhen leaving the team in January. We are thinking of having him play with us next season as well.”
As the January transfer window approaches, all eyes will be on Chelsea’s next move. The potential arrival of Osimhen could spark a shake-up in the Blues’ attacking lineup, but for now, the Nigerian striker remains focused on his performances for Galatasaray in both domestic and European competitions.
Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum believes it’s time for British heavyweight Anthony Joshua to retire from boxing, according to reports on GiveMeSport.
The Top Rank founder, who has managed the careers of boxing icons like Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao, says Joshua should retire following a series of tough losses.
Joshua, a two-time world heavyweight champion, has built an impressive resume with victories over top fighters such as Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Dillian Whyte, Alexander Povetkin, and even former MMA star Francis Ngannou. However, Arum feels the 34-year-old has little left to prove after a storied career.
Despite bouncing back with a four-fight winning streak following consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua suffered another shocking defeat on September 14, losing to Daniel Dubois in a highly anticipated IBF heavyweight “Battle of Britain.” fight.
“Klitschko, Andy Ruiz Jr., and now Dubois have all knocked Joshua down in brutal wars or one-sided fights,” said Arum. “Those kinds of battles take a toll on a fighter’s body. At 34, with his legacy already secured, it may be time for him to step away from the sport.”
Arum’s comments echo growing concerns about the physical toll Joshua has endured throughout his career, and the promoter suggests that Joshua should consider retirement to preserve his health and long-term well-being.
[BusinessDay]
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Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has been banned from boxing for at least 28 days.
This is coming after Anthony Joshua was defeated by a lowly rated Briton heavyweight boxer, Daniel Dubois on September 21.
Recall that on the said date, Dubois knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round after the 27-year-old Briton had knocked down AJ four times in front of a massive crowd of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium in London.
As a result of this victory, Dubois successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title, while Anthony Joshua’s future was subjected to uncertainty.
By standard procedure, the British Boxing Board of Control has enforced a 28-day suspension for Joshua, preventing him from entering the ring in the said period.
This action is in line with the regulations of the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, which require fighters to be issued medical suspensions following knockouts (KO) and technical knockouts (TKO).
This means that Anthony Joshua can be permitted to box from November 2024 as he had insisted that he is not thinking of retiring from the sport despite suffering four defeats in the last three years.
After his humiliating defeat to Dubois, Anthony Joshua said, “You’re probably asking if I still want to consider fighting. Of course, I want to continue fighting.
“We took a shot at success and we came up short. What does that mean now? That we’re going to run away? We’re going to live to fight another day. And that’s what I am – I’m a warrior. Always walk with your head high. We rolled the dice for the third time. There have been 13 world title fights; not every one of them has been successful, but everyone has been fun.
“There were a few mistakes in there but that’s the name of the game. Fine margins will cost you at the top level. Also, before I finish, we have to give credit to our opponent, Daniel. When I sign up to fight opponents, I don’t really like them in my head any more. But now that it’s done, I take my hat off to him and say well done.”
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is set to miss a couple of weeks after his club diagnosed him with a hip muscle injury.
Spanish media estimate he will return in mid-October after the impending international break, missing the Champions League visit to Lille on Wednesday and next weekend’s home La Liga match against Villarreal.
“After tests carried out today on our player Thibaut Courtois by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with an abductor injury,” the club said in a statement.
Courtois sustained the injury during Madrid’s derby 1-1 draw at rivals Atletico in La Liga on Sunday, a match in which he was also targeted by home fans of his former club who threw objects including lighters at him.
The Belgian goalkeeper spent most of last season out with a severe knee injury but returned in time to start in Madrid’s Champions League final triumph.
Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is poised to fill in for Courtois as he did last season.
Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag stated that his team must learn from the humiliating 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and focus on self-improvement.
A third defeat in United’s first six league games of the new campaign has left the Red Devils down in 11th and time is surely running out for the Dutchman.
“But we definitely have to learn and make things better. We have to get better in the pressing, and better on the ball because there were situations where we could have played better to find the spare man or play over the press to keep the ball and play from there,” Ten Hag said in the post-match interview.
“We didn’t do that and that’s disappointing,” he said.
“I don’t want to talk about progress after such a defeat. We have to deal with this, show resilience, but don’t talk about in this moment today about progress.
“We just focus now on Porto. We will close this game down, deal with it, and then we move on.
Tottenham showed they were the better side as they made a flying start when Brennan Johnson tapped in from Micky Van de Ven’s storming run after three minutes.
Ten Hag speaking on his side’s lacklustre performance in every aspect of the game said, “It’s a bad start to the game. Tottenham were dominant, we couldn’t get the right press and we also made many mistakes in possession.
“But we could have come back into the game and I think the red card changed the game.”
On the first half performance: “It was no good. It’s not possible for a player from the back can dribble through the whole team and then bring a cross in.
“The press was no good in the first half, but we concede some counter-attacks after we countered and we had some bad decision-making. We had a lot of space.”
“We then lost a little bit of confidence and we were also poor in possession. We can do better there and all the players know this.”
When asked about the referee’s decision to award a red card for Bruno Fernades’cynical tackle, the United boss said
“I don’t think it’s a red card.”
United face daunting trips to Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa on league duty next weekend before a two-week international break that clubs often use to implement managerial change.
The travelling support taunted Ten Hag with chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” during the second half.
United’s new football leadership team handed the Dutchman an extension to his contract less than three months ago.
How quickly they backtrack on that decision now appears a matter of time.
Football fans have a thrilling Sunday ahead, with key fixtures including a Madrid derby among others scheduled across Europe’s top leagues.
In the Premier League, Ipswich Town will face Aston Villa at 14:00. Villa, coming in as the favourites, will aim to secure an important away win.
The spotlight later shifts to a much-anticipated clash between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at 16:30, in what promises to be an intense encounter.
In La Liga, action kicks off at 13:00 as Celta Vigo hosts Girona. Girona enters the match as the favourites, while Celta hopes to upset the form book. Later, at 15:15, Athletic Club takes on Sevilla, followed by Real Betis facing Espanyol at 17:30. Both Sevilla and Espanyol are considered favourites in their respective matches.
The day in Spain wraps up with a blockbuster Madrid derby at 20:00 as Atletico Madrid locks horns with Real Madrid, with Los Blancos tipped to edge out their rivals.
Germany’s Bundesliga offers two key matches, starting with Holstein Kiel against Eintracht Frankfurt at 14:30. Frankfurt is expected to dominate the tie. Hoffenheim will then take on Werder Bremen at 16:30, where Hoffenheim is favoured to come out on top.
Over in Italy’s Serie A, Torino plays Lazio at 11:30, with Lazio tipped as favourites. Later, at 14:00, Como faces Hellas Verona, and Roma battles Venezia, with Verona and Roma expected to triumph. Fiorentina, the favourites, will visit Empoli at 17:00 before Napoli closes the day with a 19:45 fixture against Monza, where Napoli is widely expected to secure a win.
In Ligue 1, Toulouse will host Lyon at 14:00, with Lyon considered favourites. The afternoon will see two simultaneous matches at 16:00, as Reims takes on Angers and Nantes plays Saint-Etienne. Both Reims and Saint-Etienne are expected to take the points.
The day will conclude with Strasbourg facing Marseille at 19:45, with Marseille tipped to secure the victory.
With major teams in action and crucial points at stake, it promises to be an electrifying day of football across Europe.