SPORTS
VIDEO: ‘Eni kure, Ogun kill anyone who doubts my commitment’ - Victor Osimhen fumes over non-appearance for Super Eagles
AFOLABI
Super Eagles and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has fired back at former Super Eagles manager, Finidi George, and individuals doubting his commitment to the Super Eagles.
Osimhen was ruled out of the Super Eagles games against South Africa and Benin Republic.
However, in a live Instagram video on Saturday, Osimhen reacted angrily to some comments attributed to Finidi, stating that he wanted to stay with the players in camp.
He said, “I knew things like these would happen and that’s why I have the videos and screenshots of when I called Finidi while I was with the doctor in Germany.
“I got injured in our (Napoli’s) last game against Lecce and I went to the MRI scan. And I called Finidi there for him to listen to the doctor too.
“I asked Finidi George to allow me stay with the players in the camp, but Finidi asked me not to bother that I should stay with my family.
“I’m not addressing anything, everybody knows I play my heart out whenever I’m playing for the club or national team. I’ll share the screenshot and videos of my conversation with Finidi for the sake of those believing what Finidi said.
“I’ve lost respect for that man because before I disrespect anybody, I always respect them.
“Now after two bad games, everybody is now blaming me.
“I know how many injuries I’ve played with for Nigeria and I played my heart out but after two bad games, everybody is attacking me.”
Media
VIDEO: 'Eni kure, Ogun kill anyone who doubts my commitment', Victor Osimhen fumes over non-appearance for Super Eagles
— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) June 15, 2024
Credit:X //MUDIAGA pic.twitter.com/9m6ZGFWVi8
Ex-Premier League striker Kevin Campbell has died aged 54, his former clubs Arsenal and Everton announced on Saturday.
Campbell, who died after a short illness, holds the record for most Premier League goals, 83, by a player never to win an international cap.
“Everyone at Arsenal Football is devastated to hear of the death of our much-loved former player Kevin Campbell,” said Arsenal.
Campbell joined the Gunners as a schoolboy in 1985, making his first-team debut in 1988. He went on to play 228 times for Arsenal scoring 59 goals and winning a league title, an FA Cup, a European Cup Winners Cup and a League Cup.
“To actually play for the team I supported was a dream come true,” he said.
In 164 games for Everton he scored 51 goals, including nine in five games which saved them from relegation in 1999.
“Everyone at Everton Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the Club’s most popular and much-loved former strikers, Kevin Campbell,” they said on their website.
Campbell, who also played for Leicester, Leyton Orient, Nottingham Forest, Trabzonspor, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff, said one of his favourite memories in football was scoring the winner in the 2000 Merseyside derby, Everton’s last victory at Anfield for 22 years
“It was at the Kop End and my view, which will live with me until the day I die, is the Blues in the Kop going crazy,” he said.
In January 2001, manager Walter Smith made Campbell Everton’s first black captain.
“He made me the first black captain of Everton, which is something that I’m so proud of,” Campbell said.
Campbell moved to West Brom in January 2005 and was part of their “great escape”, as they became the first club bottom of the Premier League at Christmas to survive.
His son, Tyrese Campbell, is a striker who has just been released by Championship side Stoke City after seven seasons at the club.
Nigeria Super Eagles’ coach, Finidi George has resigned from his post as Super Eagles’ coach, two days after the Nigeria Football Federation announced it was going to employ a foreign technical adviser.
A source close to Finidi told Sports Village Square that Finidi sent his resignation letter to Ibrahim Gusau “3o minutes ago.”
Finidi was said to be livid that the NFF leadership met with the sports minister two days ago, but failed to mention that players reported late to the camp and that they didi nothing to mobilise Nigerians in Cote d’Ivoire to come out to support the Super Eagles in last Monday’s match with Benin Republic.
“He complained that the NFF heaped all the blames on him”, said the source.
Calls to NFF officials to verify the information were not answered.
[sportsvillagesquare]
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has identified Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, as one of the smartest players he has coached in his career.
Guardiola coached the Germany international at Man City before the player left for Barca.
They both won several trophies, including the Champions League and the Premier League.
“İlkay didn’t talk much, but when he did, everyone listened to him, including me as a coach,” Guardiola said (via Barca Blaugranes).
“It was clear and direct. He is a very intelligent player, one of the smartest I have ever coached. He was the key to our success.”
[DailyPost]
The least I can say now is that there is confusion in the ‘house’ of Nigerian football.
The last two matches played within a space of a few days, against South Africa and Benin Republic, have thrown the Nigerian Football Federation, custodians of the game in the country, into a state of frenzy.
It is hard for any observer to understand the transformation of the Super Eagles. For almost 10 barren years, with unknown foreign coaches mostly in charge, the Super Eagles grovelled in the dark in search of an answer to her dwindling fortunes in African football.
Five months ago, fortune smiled on the team. At the African Cup of Nations in Cote D’Ivoire, against all odds and with plenty of luck, playing a mostly pressure-laden defensive style of play that ‘killed’ six Nigerians, the team got to the finals before capitulating to the home-team that they had beaten in the first round.
Nigerians were so appreciative of that brief spell of success that brought joy and relief from the hardship of life that the government lavished on the team rewards and awards unheard of in the history of football in the world.
Ironically, the foreign coach was so ‘good’ that Nigeria did not renew his contract. Of course, everything considered, everyone knew Jose Paseiro was not good enough. Yet, in what many people still consider a set-up designed to fail, they settled for his assistant, a Nigerian.
After only two games with Finidi George in charge, the team’s fortunes have plummeted and have set off a chain of reactions that have the strength of a volcano to consume Nigerian football if not handled carefully.
Last Thursday, the Executive Committee of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, rose from its emergency meeting, and limped back to its previous vomit.
With threats hanging over the board like the Sword of Damocles, the board decided it will immediately embark on a search for a new foreign coach and keep Finidi as his assistant again in the technical team. In addition to that, they will heed to wise counsel and look into amending the constitution of the NFF to include some new stakeholders as advised by the government one year ago.
All of these plus a few other matters, of course, are as a result of the shameful performance and loss to Benin Republic last Monday. It shattered the camel’s back.
Indeed, it was the most humiliating football match. The Super Eagles not only failed to win, they played without spirit, like ‘school boys’ on a vacation. It was a massive dent to the country’s image and reputation as a giant in African football. The result of that match left the public baying for blood.
The federal government was going to wield the big stick. The Minister for Sports fired the first salvo by requesting explanation from the NFF. Till now, huge threats still hang precariously over the board.
I am in my observatory high up in the hills of Wasimi. I am trying to work it all out and understand the motivations for the NFF decisions tumbling down accompanied by many begging questions.
What is the nature of foreign coach this time around? Another journey-man coach? Or a ‘world-class coach as many analysts demand? What is the definition of a world-class coach? Who in that category is available and willing? Who will pay their humongous wages?
What will happen to all of Finidi George’s hired technical assistants?
And so on and so forth. Questions, all begging for answers.
However, whilst waiting for the details of implementation of the NFF’s decisions, I shall share a few random reactions of the public on my platform to the match against Benin Republic last Monday night. They make interesting reading. One or two may even be in support of the decisions of the NFF.
I reproduce them here, unedited.
Opeyemi Ajala
Those opposed to indigenous coaches will gleefully appoint a Lagerback who failed to qualify Sweden but would be eager to sack Amodu that qualified the Eagles.
Mancini won the Euros but fell to Macedonia
John Mastoroudes
Segun, I cannot believe we lost to Benin.
It’s as if I was afraid that this might happen when I sent my last message to you!
I am all for a foreign coach, BUT A BIG NAME, who can inspire our selected players, because in our case it’s all about psychology.
If NFA cannot afford it, many well-to-do Nigerians, I am sure, will be willing to sponsor the salary for at least 3 years. This is my personal view.
I have nothing against Finidi whom I respect as a great footballer.
Toyin Imevbere
I’m still too “pissed off”. Whenever I flash back on that embarrassing match, it looks to me like the match was ‘sold’. There was definitely no urge to win on the part of the Eagles.
I’m not happy at all. My son gave up on them. He went to sleep and said he did not want anyone to give him hypertension jare.
Finidi is too soft to handle the national team.
Prof. Seun Omotayo
I have spoken about the need for psychological management of the Super Eagles players. The game is nothing but a mind-game at all levels, including telepathic connections.
Dapo Oguntoyinbo
Segun, we are all saddened by the loss of the Super Eagles to Benin. Finidi may have underrated them. How could he go to the match without his key players: Ekong, Osimhen, etc? In addition, I do not think the players spent enough time together before going for the match. It was a great blunder by Finidi and will be difficult for him to recover from.
Now, everyone is asking for him to be axed. As a new coach, he should have realised that his first matches would be a make or mar affair. All of us who supported the choice of a Nigerian Coach are now licking our wounds !!!
Godwin Akhigbe
NFF wants to hire a foreign coach to boss Finidi George. It reminds me of what Taju Disu said: that the football body will mess Finidi up like all other ex-internationals who have handled the team. The Eagles refused to play for Finidi.
Omotayo Olanrewaju
The search by NFF for a foreign coach is unfortunate and ill-advised. The solution is not replacing Finidi George but about ensuring the application of Sports Coaching Science and Performance Optimization strategies. NFF should support the Finidi-led Technical crew rather than going on another wasteful quest for a Foreign Coach at this point of our Football Development in Nigeria.
NFF should NOT crucify Finidi for the current performance of the Super Eagles, but should rather ensure the adequacy of his back-room staff which is suspect, a situation and concern that I pointed out on a television program about three weeks ago. Who is Finidi’s Match Analyst?Who is Finidi’s Sports Psychologist? Who is Finidi’s Exercise Physiologist etc? I use this opportunity to reiterate my call for the need for all Sports outfits across categories to be put in place as the SPORTS MEDICINE TEAM.
Kalima
I watched the team. There was no hunger, no thirst, and no leader on the pitch. The captain spoke more with the coach than with his fellow players.
The players have individual skills that can be harnessed with humility. Someone must do the dirty job on the pitch. The mid-field was porous.
Yakubu Mohammed
I am a patriot and I want us to be in the USA, Mexico and Canada, but nothing so far has fired my patriotism.
The Flamingos have qualified for the 2024 U-17 Women’s World Cup after beating Liberia 6-1 on aggregate.
Harmony Chidi’s strikes, one goal in each half, ensured Nigeria won the second leg of the encounter 2-0 at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Friday.
The first leg of the encounter had ended 4-1 in Nigeria’s favour, meaning Friday’s victory gave the Flamingos a 6-1 aggregate win to seal their ticket for the competition later in the year.
En route to booking a ticket for the tournament, Coach Bankole Olowookere’s girls scored 25 goals.
They smashed the Central African Republic 12-0 on aggregate in the second round of the qualification series.
The team followed that up with a 7-1 aggregate win over Burkina Faso in the next round.
This year’s U-17 Women’s World Cup will run from October 16 to November 3, 2024, in the Dominican Republic.
Led by Coach Bankole, Nigeria finished third in the last edition held in India in 2022, the second African side to earn that feat after Ghana did so in 2012.
Germany thrashed 10-man Scotland 5-1 as the Euro 2024 hosts kicked off the tournament in style in Munich on Friday, the start of a journey they hope culminates in a record fourth continental title.
Florian Wirtz struck the opening goal 10 minutes in and Jamal Musiala soon doubled Germany’s lead with an emphatic finish.
A greatly awaited night for Scotland went from bad to worse before half-time when Ryan Porteous was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Ilkay Gundogan, with Kai Havertz tucking away the resulting penalty.
Niclas Fuellkrug powered in a fourth midway through the second half after coming on as a substitute and not even a late own goal from Antonio Ruediger could spoil an otherwise perfect start to the campaign for Germany.
There was even time for Emre Can to add a fifth goal with the final kick of the game.
Disastrous Scottish Start
Scotland could surely not have envisioned such a disastrous beginning, but they must regroup quickly with games to come in Group A against Switzerland and Hungary.
After three successive failures at major tournaments, including back-to-back group stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, this was a strong statement of intent from an experienced Germany side.
It is Germany’s first men’s major tournament as hosts since the 2006 World Cup, and they are looking to recreate the magic that helped rekindle the passion for the national team after a spell in the international doldrums.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann had spoken of his players’ hunger to atone for the failures of recent times, with the outlook improving and optimism gradually increasing since his appointment in September.
His counterpart Steve Clarke on the other hand urged Scotland to “fear no one” going into the country’s second straight Euros after more than two decades in the international wilderness.
Almost right away Germany took the game to a Scotland side who arrived in Munich with only one win from their past nine matches — an unimpressive 2-0 victory over lowly Gibraltar last week.
Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn alertly blocked from an offside Wirtz, but Germany did not wait long in grasping the match by the scruff of the neck.
Toni Kroos, coaxed out of his Germany retirement earlier this year, pinged a ball out to Joshua Kimmich, who teed up Wirtz to sweep in from the edge of the area as Gunn could only help the shot in via the post.
Kroos will hang up his boots for good after the tournament, but with him and Gundogan running the Germany midfield they bring a level of knowledge and maturity few can match.
Gundogan threaded a pass through the Scotland defence to Havertz, who worked it back towards Musiala, the Bayern Munich attacker created himself space to crash a strike into the roof of the net.
Germany were initially awarded a penalty as Musiala went down in a heap after getting caught between Ryan Christie and Kieran Tierney, but referee Clement Turpin deemed the foul occurred outside the area after consulting the touchline monitor.
That merely delayed Germany’s third goal, which did eventually come from the spot following another VAR review that led to Porteous being sent off for a crude challenge on Gundogan, who was chopped down attempting to convert the rebound from his own header.
Havertz calmly sent Gunn the wrong way and drained any remaining optimism from Scotland’s once boisterous and sizeable travelling contingent of supporters.
Scotland tried to limit the damage in the second half, but there was no stopping Fuellkrug’s thumping drive into the top corner within a few minutes of his introduction as a replacement for Havertz.
Fuellkrug had the ball in the net a second time, but fortunately for Scotland they were spared further misery when he was ruled offside.
The only bright spot for Scotland came three minutes from time as Ruediger inadvertently diverted Scott McKenna’s header past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
But there was still more punishment to come as substitute Can curled home from 20 yards right at the death to cap a glorious night for the Germans.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has formally confirmed the eventual qualification of Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Algeria’s Lynda Loghraibi from Africa, for the singles event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.
The confirmation was made in a statement issued on Friday by the ITTF with representation from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.
“As the countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games intensifies, ITTF is thrilled to announce significant progress in the qualification process for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
With less than 50 days to the games, this week’s world ranking update saw eight athletes secure their participation based on the selection of continental quotas allocated by World Ranking.
According to the statement, the Men’s Singles draw welcomes African powerhouse, Quadri Aruna from Nigeria, alongside the Americas’ rising talent Nicolas Burgos from Chile.
The list also had Asia’s Kirill Gerassimenko of Kazakhstan and Europe’s Alvaro Robles of Spain, who previously qualified in Mixed Doubles.
The ITTF also said that the Women’s Singles competition would showcase a similar level of global talent with the qualification of Lynda Loghraibi from Algeria (Africa), Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico (Americas) and Singapore’s Zhou Jingyi (Asia).
Also Yang Xiaoxin of Monaco (Europe) can now officially begin their preparations for their Olympic dreams in Paris.”
ITTF stated that the qualification process would reach its penultimate stage with only one more world ranking update scheduled before the final roster for Paris is confirmed.
“Next week’s world rankings will be crucial in determining the final competitors for the highly anticipated Paris 2024 Games, 86 men and 86 women are expected to compete in the singles events of the Olympic Games,” ITTF added in the statement.
Meanwhile, ITTF has named three Africans – Akram Ben Attia (Tunisia), Es-Sayed Elrawdy (Egypt) and Ronald Mugwanya (Uganda) among the umpires for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
![FIFA Ranking: Super Falcons Of Nigeria Remain Top In Africa [See Top Ten]](/media/k2/items/cache/4bb3202b914cd8e6c785ce99b66a567c_S.jpg)
Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Super Falcons of Nigeria have retained the top spot in Africa and the 36th spot in the globe as FIFA releases the latest world ranking.
FIFA arrived at the latest ranking released earlier today, Friday, June 14, 2024, after reviewing the performance of the Super Falcons and other teams in the last three months.
Note that in the said period, FIFA recorded 154 international matches in women’s football alone. Since February 2024, the Super Falcons played four games, two ended in straight victories, while the remaining two ended in goalless draws.
With that, they remain the best-ranked women’s team in Africa as they are set to fight for their first gold medal at the 2024 Olympics which will start for the team on July 25.
The reigning African women’s champions, South Africa are the second-highest-ranked team on the continent. They are ranked 50th in the world, 15 spots below Nigeria.
Below are the top ten ranked women’s teams in Africa and their place in the world ranking according to FIFA in June 2024:
- Nigeria (36)
- South Africa (51)
- Morocco (56)
- Zambia (64)
- Ghana (65)
- Cameroon (68)
- Ivory Coast (71)
- Tunisia (78)
- Mali (81)
- Equatorial Guinea (81)
Below is the top ten highest-ranked women’s team in the world according to FIFA in June 2024:
1. Spain
2. France
3. England
4. Germany
5. USA
6. Sweden
7. Japan
8. Canada
9. Brazil
10. Korea DPR
Note that the next FIFA women’s ranking will be released in August, following the 2024 Olympics.
After Disappointing Performances, NFF Set To Appoint Foreign Technical Adviser For Super Eagles
AFOLABI
The Nigeria Football Federation have announced plans to appoint a foreign technical adviser for the Super Eagles, while under-fire Finidi George is set to return to his assistant role position following the poor start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The Super Eagles drew 1-1 against South Africa in Uyo on Friday before losing to Benin Republic on Monday. The results drew criticisms from Nigerians and the Minister of Sports summoned the Nigeria Football Federation few hours after the loss.
The meeting between the minister of sports, Senator John Enoh, NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau and other members of the apex football body in Nigeria took place on Thursday.
Following the meeting, the NFF announced its plan to employ a foreign technical adviser for the Super Eagles ahead of the Nations Cup qualifiers and the remaining matches in the World Cup qualifiers.
Finidi George is expected to assist the new technical adviser, who will be appointed in the next few weeks.
The NFF also revealed plans to beef up the NFF Technical Department with more qualitative hands. Equally, the Technical and Development Sub-Committee will be re-jigged with immediate effect.
The board also expressed displeasure with the poor attitude of some of the players to the national assignment, and unanimously decided in favour of a more robust scouting programme of outstanding Nigeria-eligible players from across the four corners of the universe, who can add tremendous value to the nation’s flagship team.
The Super Eagles will return to action in September for the Nations Cup qualifiers.
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Argentine football icon Lionel Messi has disclosed that he envisions Inter Miami as the club where he will conclude his illustrious playing career. However, he has no immediate plans to retire.
In an interview with ESPN, Messi, who is under contract with the MLS side until the end of the 2025 season, expressed his sentiments.
“Yes, at this moment, I believe it will be my last club,” Messi stated to ESPN. However, he added, “I’m not ready to leave football either.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner achieved legendary status with Barcelona, securing four Champions League trophies and ten La Liga titles during his tenure.
Messi notably led Argentina to victory in the 2021 Copa America and played a crucial role in their 2022 World Cup campaign. He is preparing to represent Argentina this month in the upcoming Copa America in the United States.
Following his departure from Barcelona after a lengthy tenure from 2004 to 2021, Messi spent two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain before joining Inter Miami last year. He played a pivotal role in the club’s early success, including winning the Leagues Cup.
“It was a challenging decision to leave Europe and come here,” Messi admitted. “Being a world champion influenced my perspective.”
Messi’s arrival has significantly boosted MLS’s profile in the United States, with stadiums consistently selling out and his jersey becoming the top choice among MLS fans.
Looking ahead, Messi contemplates representing Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. He also reflects on the inevitable conclusion of his remarkable career.
“Football has been my life. I love playing. I enjoy training every day, playing matches,” Messi shared. “There’s a bit of fear about it ending, but I try to enjoy every moment. I feel fortunate to have great teammates and friends at my club and the national team.”
Messi emphasized his appreciation for the small football details he knows he will miss once he retires.
Gernot Rohr, head coach of the Benin Republic national football team and former coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, asserted that his team, the Cheetahs, displayed superior discipline compared to the Eagles following their historic 2-1 triumph over Nigeria in a 2026 World Cup qualifier held in Abidjan.
Benin’s victory at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny saw Jodel Dossou and Steve Mounie score after Raphael Onyedika had initially put Nigeria in the lead. This cements Benin’s ascent to the group summit with seven points. Meanwhile, Nigeria languishes in fifth place with only three points from four matches, sparking concerns that they will miss out on a consecutive World Cup appearance since their 2022 disappointment.
In a post-match interview, Rohr praised his team’s organization and hunger for goals, contrasting it with the Super Eagles’ performance.
“These players consistently demonstrate solidarity. They possess a strong belief and scoring ability,” Rohr remarked. “Our organization was spot on. After conceding the first goal, perhaps they thought the game was won, but my team’s reaction and determination were immense to mount a comeback.”
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles expressed regret to Nigerians for their disappointing form in the qualifiers. In a tweet from the team’s official handle, they vowed to rally and secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
“We’ve held discussions among ourselves and are determined to fight till the end to achieve the seemingly impossible task of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.”
The Eagles’ next fixtures in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers are scheduled for March 2025, visiting Rwanda on March 17 and hosting Zimbabwe on March 25.
Super Eagles skilled winger, Ademola Lookman, has been named as Atalanta’s Player of the Month for both May and June.
Naija News reports that Lookman surpassed Gianluca Scamacca and Ederson in the voting process to clinch this prestigious award.
During these two months, the 26-year-old talented winger managed to score six goals and provide three assists, showcasing his exceptional abilities on the field.
Concluding the season with a total of 17 goals and eight assists in various competitions, Lookman truly proved to be a valuable asset for Atalanta.
Naija News reports that Lookman has been a revelation for Atalanta since joining them in 2022.
His contributions have been significant, both statistically and in terms of the team’s overall success:
Lookman has been a prolific scorer. In his two seasons at Atalanta, he’s amassed a total of 30 goals, finishing as Atalanta’s fifth-highest scorer in Serie A during his first season.
Lookman’s biggest moment came in the 2023/24 Europa League final. He single-handedly secured Atalanta’s first European trophy with a stunning hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen, held at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, becoming the first player to achieve this feat in a one-legged European final since 1969.
The Nigerian player brings more than just goals for Atalanta. His pace, dribbling skills, and ability to create chances for teammates make him a constant threat on the wing.
Former international Victor Ikpeba has challenged Super Eagles players to step up their fight to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles have endured a stuttering start to their campaign, failing to record a win in four matches.
Finidi George’s side currently occupy fifth position in Group C with a paltry three points from four games.
Ikpeba, who represented Nigeria at two World Cups, said the players must up their game.
“The players have become too comfortable, they now have to step up and take full responsibility,” he was quoted by SCORENigeria.
“The talent is there in the team for them to turn things around next year.
“History will be kind to them when they fight back and qualify Nigeria.
“We missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and it was a special tournament.”