SPORTS
Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland, is close to agreeing to a new contract with the Premier League champions, according to The Mirror.
The deal will make Erling Haaland the highest-paid player in England’s top flight.
City have offered a staggering £500,000 per week to the Norwegian, which is significantly higher than the current highest-paid player – his team-mate Kevin De Bruyne who is on reported £400,000 per week wages.
Officials from the club recently met Haaland’s family and his agent Rafaela Pimenta and held positive talks over the new deal.
If the contract is signed, it will tie down the player until the end of the 2028-2029 season.
However, there is still one aspect of the terms of the new deal that is delaying the player’s signature on the dotted lines.
The 24-year-old has a £150 million release clause in his current contract, which the club want to remove from the new agreement. But Haaland’s representatives want it to remain.
However, there could be a compromise in the negotiations where both parties agreed to increase the value to £200 million.
Note that since Erling Haaland joined Manchester City about three seasons ago, the Norway international has scored 105 goals and provided 14 assists in 114 games in all competitions.
The draw for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON, will hold on Friday, November 22 in Morocco, DAILY POST reports.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced this on its official website on Sunday.
The Mohammed VI Technical Centre in Sale, Morocco, will host the draw ceremony.
Morocco will host the competition from July 5 to July 26, 2025.
Nine-time champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria, are among the 12 teams that have qualified for the competition.
Banyana Banyana of South Africa won the last edition of the competition in 2022, which was also hosted by Morocco.
[DailyPost]
Cristiano Ronaldo has broken another record after producing a sublime performance during Portugal’s 5-1 win over Poland in the UEFA Nations League on Friday (November 15).
Ronaldo is now the player with the most wins in international football (132).
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus legend scored a brace and provided an assist as Portugal overwhelmed Poland to secure a Nations League quarter-final ticket.
AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes were also on the scoresheet for A Selecao.
Ronaldo was playing in his 215th game for his national team and scored his 134th and 135th international goals, taking his career total to 910.
The win over Poland also meant that Ronaldo has now won 132 matches with the Portugal national team, making him the player with the most wins in men’s international football.
The previous record holder was Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos, who was involved in 131 victories across international competitions during his career with Spain’s national team.
Third on the list is another former Los Blancos star — Iker Casillas — with 121 victories for La Roja.
[DailyPost]
Italian professional football club, Juventus, has terminated Paul Pogba’s contract.
The Serie A club announced this in a statement issued on Friday as the France midfielder prepares to return to action from a doping ban.
In the statement, Juventus said that they and Pogba “have reached a mutual agreement for the termination of their contract as of 30 November 2024.”
The ex-Manchester United player received a four-year suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, but this was reduced to 18 months after he appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Pogba, who led France to victory in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, is expected to play for a club again in March 2025.
The 31-year-old player shared a post on social media after the decision from the Serie A team.
“There are moments when things don’t go the way we want, but one thing is certain: the bond I have with you, dear fans, will remain unforgettable,” Pogba wrote on Instagram.
“You have given me so much, more than I can put into words, and I will always carry with me all the affection you gave me. You’ll be in my heart, always.
“Good luck, Juventus.”
[FULL LIST] AFCON 2025: Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, 13 others secure spots as qualifiers intensify
AFOLABI![[FULL LIST] AFCON 2025: Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, 13 others secure spots as qualifiers intensify](/media/k2/items/cache/af74eece91f9a94fbcd8cd8544748a93_M.jpg?t=20241115_143519)
With 15 teams already securing qualification and 24 set to participate, the battle for the remaining nine spots in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations intensifies.
The tournament, which will be hosted by Morocco next year, December 2025 to January 2026, as obtained from the CAF website, promises fierce competition as the road to the finals narrows.
PUNCH ONLINE reports on Friday that the defending champion and runner up in the last edition, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria have both secured their qualification spots in their respective groups.
Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda all confirmed their places on Thursday, some benefiting from other results in the latest round of qualifiers.
Tunisia clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory over Madagascar, courtesy of Ali El Abdi’s stoppage-time header, ensuring their record 18th consecutive AFCON appearance.
Meanwhile, Gabon qualified from Group B without playing, as their closest rival, the Central African Republic, lost 1-0 to Lesotho.
South Africa and Uganda also advanced without taking to the pitch, cementing the top two places in Group K after Congo fell 3-2 to South Sudan.
For Nigeria, a 1-0 win by Libya over Rwanda earlier in the day secured their top-two finish in Group D.
Later, the Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by Benin, with Victor Osimhen’s late equaliser sparing Nigeria from defeat.
Among other developments, Ghana’s qualification hopes were revived after Sudan suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Niger, setting up a tense finish in Group F.
However, Ghana must win their remaining two fixtures and hope Sudan falter in their last match against Angola.
Elsewhere, Algeria, already qualified alongside Equatorial Guinea from Group E, dropped their first points of the campaign in a goalless draw against Equatorial Guinea in stifling Malabo heat.
So far, these nations have secured their spots at AFCON 2025:
Morocco – Host (Automatic)
Burkina Faso (Group L)
Cameroon (Group J)
Algeria (Group E) – Table leader
DR Congo (Group H)
Senegal (Group L)
Egypt (Group C)
Angola (Group F) – Table leader
Equatorial Guinea (Group E)
Côte d’Ivoire (Group G)
Gabon (Group B)
Uganda (Group K)
South Africa (Group K)
Tunisia (Group A)
Nigeria (Group D)
With Friday’s qualifiers featuring 10 matches across the continent, the race to complete the list of finalists continues.
Teams like Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are poised to claim their places with home victories, while others will fight to keep their dreams alive.
Victor Osimhen scored a second-half goal to secure a 1-1 draw for Nigeria against the Benin Republic in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification match.
The Super Eagles had to dig deep to rescue a point against the Beninese at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Cote d’Ivoire, on Thursday.
Nigeria qualified for the 2025 AFCON before the ball was kicked against the Benin Republic. The team’s participation at the next AFCON was confirmed after Libya defeated Rwanda 1-0 minutes before the game.
However, the Beninese, led by Gernot Rohr, former Super Eagles head coach, needed a win to ensure a place in Morocco, and they made clear to Nigeria that they wanted the game more from the first whistle blast.
Victor Osimhen started his first game for the Super Eagles since the AFCON final in Cote d’Ivoire early this year. His inclusion in the squad added more threat to the Nigerian attack in the first few minutes. He almost assisted a goal for Alex Iwobi, but the Fulham midfielder could not sort his legs out after Osimhen headed the ball down for him inside the Benin Republic goal area.
Shortly after, Kelechi Iheanacho sent Osimhen through on goal, but the Beninese goalkeeper, Danjinou, beat the Galatasaray striker to the ball. The keeper’s flailing boots also caught Osimhen, who was in pain for a few minutes.
Benin Republic leveraged the numerical advantage and grabbed the game’s first goal. A short corner led to a cross floating into the Nigerian goal area. Mohamed Tijani was unmarked, and his header sent the ball between Stanley Nwabali’s leg and into the Nigerian goal.
Osimhen had an opportunity to reply immediately, but his glancing header sailed millimetres wide.
After halftime, Eguavoen brought on Raphael Onyedika and Moses Simon as the Eagles continued to find solutions to the troublesome Beninese defence.
The answer came only after 81 minutes, with Osimhen buying himself a little space inside the box before powering a header off a brilliant cross from Moses.
The strike was Osimhen’s 23rd goal for the Super Eagles. He equals Segun Odegbami’s tally as the second on the team’s all-time goalscorers chart.
With 11 points, the Super Eagles are assured of a top-spot finish in Group D of the qualifier. They face Rwanda in their final game of the qualification campaign in Uyo on Monday.
Davido, the award-winning Nigerian singer, has expanded his business ventures into sports by launching a football club.
Lagos Liga, a Nigerian premier private football league, announced 30BG Sports Club’s unveiling on its Instagram page on Wednesday.
The football league disclosed that the club has been registered to compete in its upcoming season alongside 15 other teams.
“With Davido bringing his energy into Lagos Liga 2024, we have great assurance that if opponents are not careful, there is a timeless promise they could fall because this competition just got risky,” the post reads.
Lagos Liga said the league promises high-stakes matches for non-professional and veteran football players.
The competition is scheduled to begin in December, with a N50 million prize for the winning team.
The singer joins fellow Nigerian music industry giants in the league, including Don Jazzy, who owns Supremos FC, and D’banj, who owns Koko FC.
Reality TV star Tacha also owns Tacha FC, which will compete in the league.
The development comes after Afrofusion star Burna Boy unveiled his football academy for boys aged 4-21.
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has revealed that he decided to dump the Netherlands for Nigeria because he did not see a “clear path” to playing for the Dutch side.
Note that William Troost-Ekong was born in Haarlem, Netherlands to a Nigerian father, hence, he was eligible to play for the Super Eagles even though he had featured for Dutch youth teams.
The opportunity to play for the Super Eagles came during a phone conversation with the late Stephen Keshi, former coach of the Super Eagles, who reached out to him when Troost-Ekong was just beginning to establish his football career.
At 20, after an impressive season in the Eredivisie where he played over 30 matches, Troost-Ekong faced a critical decision of playing for Nigeria or his country of birth.
Despite having represented the Netherlands at the Under-19 and Under-20 levels, he found that opportunities with the senior national team were limited. Hence, he had to settle for Nigeria.
“I had to make this decision early in my career. At the time, I was finishing my breakthrough season and received a call from Stephen Keshi, a legendary figure in Nigerian football. His interest in me was truly inspiring”, Troost-Ekong told The Sports Afterparty Podcast.
“I had just started the season after representing Dutch youth teams, yet there wasn’t a clear path to joining the senior squad. Nigeria offered me a tangible opportunity to step into the international arena. The Super Eagles were changing, and I recognized that they needed fresh talent among their defenders.
“By choosing to play for Nigeria, I was not only seizing a chance to contribute to a team in transition but also enhancing my prospects at the club level. This decision was made with a comprehensive view of my career and growth opportunities.”
Note that since William Troost-Ekong made his international debut for Nigeria on June 13, 2015, the 31-year-old defender has made 71 appearances and scored seven goals
Real Madrid youngster Marc Cucalon has retired from football.
He retired at the age of 19 after falling victim to a rare infection in 2022.
This is according to Sportskeeda.
Cucalon, born in Zaragoza, would not continue playing football after a two-year battle with the bacterial infection in his knee.
The midfielder was captain of the club’s Juvenil A team in 2022 and played alongside the now-Como star Nico Paz in the academy.
Recall that Cucalon suffered a ruptured ACL following a heavy tackle when Los Blancos’ U-19 team faced Celtic in the UEFA Youth League in Glasgow, Scotland in September 2022.
He was 17 years old then, but never returned to a football pitch afterwards.
He underwent surgery to fix the problem, only for bacteria to infiltrate the cartilage used to replace the ACL during the surgery.
This led to a rare infection, which has prevented the midfielder from carrying out any physical exercise on his knee since then.
Cucalon was very highly rated in La Fabrica, where his technical qualities on the ball saw him likened to Xabi Alonso.
Anthony Joshua has surpassed the $200m mark in career earnings, making him one of boxing’s highest earners, surpassing heavyweight rival Tyson Fury and rising star Gervonta Davis, The PUNCH reports.
The former two-time heavyweight champion earned $75m from fights in 2024 alone, placing him second only to Canelo Alvarez in yearly earnings. The Mexican champion matched Joshua’s fight purse but edged him in off-field earnings by $2m.
Fury, 36, collected $50m in 2024, taking his career earnings to $150m, significantly behind Joshua’s impressive haul.
Meanwhile, Davis, 30, has accumulated $50m since his professional debut, with his recent bouts against Ryan Garcia and Frank Martin contributing nearly $20m to his wealth. Garcia himself has emerged as a pay-per-view star, amassing over $40m in career earnings.
Joshua’s financial ascent began notably with his Saudi Arabia rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr., where he pocketed $65m. His subsequent battles with Oleksandr Usyk yielded over $40m for the first two encounters.
The Watford-born pugilist’s earnings were further boosted by his high-profile clash with Francis Ngannou last year, which added $50m to his account. Additional paydays include consecutive $12m purses for fights against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius, plus similar earnings from six spectacular shows at Wembley and the Principality Stadium.
Currently nursing injuries from his recent loss to Daniel Dubois, Joshua, 35, is eyeing a potential clash with Fury. The two-time world champion is waiting for the outcome of Usyk vs. Fury 2 before making his next move.
With one fight remaining on his Riyadh Season contract, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is expected to make a lucrative offer for the all-British showdown, should it materialise.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn recently confirmed the boxer will not return to action until at least May 2024, ruling out an immediate rematch with IBF world heavyweight champion Dubois.
“We got one last chapter in this career that we need to make sure we get 100 per cent spot on,” Hearn told Boxing News. “When he comes back in May or June or whenever that’s going to be, you have to be physically and mentally 100 per cent ready.”
More...
Brighton came from behind to record a 2-1 victory over Manchester City in Saturday’s Premier League contest at the Amex Stadium.
The Citizens entered the clash off the back of three straight defeats and there was huge pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side to bounce back against the Seagulls.
Erling Haaland sent Man City ahead in the 23rd minute, but Joao Pedro levelled the scores before debutant Matt O’Riley won it for the hosts in the latter stages.
Guardiola has now lost four games in a row for the first time in his managerial career, with his team remaining second in the Premier League table, two points behind the leaders Liverpool.
Man City came close to making the breakthrough in the 15th minute of the match through Savinho, but Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was on hand to make a brilliant save.
The Citizens did register in the 23rd minute, though, with Haaland managing to bundle the ball home from close range after the striker saw his first effort saved by Brighton’s Verbruggen.
Mateo Kovacic provided the pass which released Haaland, and the Norway international simply would not be denied, with Man City opening the scoring, but Brighton were a threat, with Danny Welbeck and Kaoru Mitoma carrying the fight to the Citizens.
Brighton had a big chance to level the scores early in the second period through Jack Hinshelwood, but his header was straight at the away side’s goalkeeper Ederson.
Welbeck had another half-chance in the 67th minute, but the ex-Manchester United forward failed to make the most of having the ball inside the box, before Ederson denied Mitoma and Pedro missed the target with a low effort in quick succession.
Brighton were pushing against a Man City side that were again far from their best, and the leveller came in the 78th minute, with Pedro firing into the back of the net from inside the box after the visitors had failed to clear their lines.
In the 83rd minute, O’Riley then completed the turnaround, with the 23-year-old, on his Premier League debut for the Seagulls, scoring following a brilliant Pedro pass.
[DailyTrust]
Liverpool opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League as Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah struck in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
The Reds took full advantage of Manchester City’s latest defeat at Brighton earlier on Saturday to surge further clear of the champions.
Liverpool failed to hit the heights of their second-half humiliation of German champions Bayer Leverkusen in a 4-0 Champions League win in midweek.
But Arne Slot’s men were again defensively solid to protect a sixth clean sheet in 11 league games and take a firm grip on the title race.
Villa’s fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions sees Unai Emery’s men slip to eighth, but only one point off third-placed Nottingham Forest.
The Anfield crowd was fired up by news of City’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton and inspired a fast start from the home side, but it was Villa who had the better chances in the opening period on the counter-attack.
Ryan Gravenberch produced an excellent last-ditch block to repel Jacob Ramsey’s shot before Leon Bailey headed over when unmarked at the back post.
Set-pieces have been one of Villa’s big threats during their two-year rise under Emery, but it was from their corners that Liverpool looked most dangerous before the break.
The opener arrived when Virgil van Dijk’s long clearance caught the visitors under-manned at the back and Bailey would likely have been sent off for bringing down Salah had Nunez not burst onto the loose ball to net his third goal of the season.
Liverpool were then dealt a blow as Trent Alexander-Arnold hobbled off with a muscle injury that is likely to rule him out of England duty in the coming weeks.
Only wasteful finishing from Nunez saw Villa escape from a carbon copy move to the first goal.
This time Salah played in the Uruguayan on the break from a corner, but he slotted high and wide with only Emi Martinez to beat.
The first half story of Villa’s set-pieces continued as Caoimhin Kelleher was twice forced into fine saves from Amadou Onana and Diego Carlos to preserve Liverpool’s lead at half-time.
Morgan Rogers wasted another huge chance for the visitors to level just seconds into the second half when he sliced wide.
Nunez continued to have the best of Liverpool’s opportunities as he headed wide from Andy Robertson’s cross at the other end.
The home side were set for a nervy finale until Salah gave them breathing space six minutes from time.
Carlos’ header was charged down by the Egyptian who raced through on goal to dink in his 10th goal of the season.
Liverpool’s 15th win in 17 games since Slot took charge moves them into a commanding position in the title race.
Arsenal are 10 points adrift of the leaders ahead of a dauting trip to in-form Chelsea on Sunday.
And an out-of-sorts City are next to visit Anfield on December 1 after Liverpool visit bottom-of-the-table Southampton when Premier League action returns following an international break.
Media
An incredible long-range goal from Jamal Musiala took Bayern Munich five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table with a 1-0 win at St Pauli on Saturday, as their major title rivals stumbled.
While Bayern fought hard to win in Hamburg, defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, second-placed RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund all dropped points.
St Pauli, promoted in the summer, fought hard against their heavily favoured opponents and wanted to avoid a repeat of the 8-1 thrashing handed out last time Bayern visited.
Musiala, who scored the only goal in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Benfica, won the ball centrally before advancing and letting fly from just under 30 metres, his shot bouncing in off the crossbar.
The 21-year-old now has scored five in his past four games since returning from a hip injury.
Musiala told Sky Germany he “didn’t know” he could shoot from such a distance, adding: “I’ve practiced a bit in training to shoot from distance… but not that far!
“That it went in today made me happy… It was my first goal from outside the box this season and I’m always trying to work on different things to improve myself.”
RB Leipzig were held to a scoreless draw at home with Borussia Moenchengladbach, the Saxons’ third 0-0 in the league this season.
Gladbach, floating in mid-table, were stronger in the opening half, Germany striker Tim Kleindienst having a shot saved on the 22nd-minute mark and Franck Honorat hitting the crossbar.
Leipzig kicked into gear in the second, Christoph Baumgartner and Lois Openda both spurning good chances for the opener.
The draw means Leipzig have dropped five points in their past six games and are in danger of losing touch with Bayern.
“We threw everything into it but we were missing the last pass, the last bit of quality,” Leipzig striker Yussuf Poulsen told Sky.
“We wanted the win, we had the right attitude but we needed a bit more quality — we’ll work on it over the international break.”
Injury-hit Dortmund suffered yet another setback, losing 3-1 at Mainz after Emre Can was sent off in the 27th minute for a studs-up tackle on Lee Jae-sung.
Can, playing in the unfamiliar centre-back position, was replaced by Felix Nmecha, another midfielder, who was at fault for Mainz’s opener, allowing an unmarked Lee to head in.
Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy won and converted a penalty to level things up but Jonathan Burkardt put Mainz back in front just before half-time, slamming in a Danny da Costa pass from close range.
Paul Nebel added a third early in the second period to put Mainz on course for their first home win.
A frustrated Julian Brandt did not point the finger at his captain, saying “(Can) knows he has to be a bit more careful and he’s annoyed about what he did… but that’s not why we conceded three goals.”
Champions League finalists last season, Dortmund have lost their past six away games in all competitions.
Leverkusen’s title defence continued to stutter with a 1-1 draw at last-placed Bochum, who equalised in the final minute.
Leverkusen were ahead from the 18th minute onwards after Florian Wirtz slid a ball across the turf and into the path of Patrik Schick, who blasted home.
The visitors seemed on track for victory until Bochum’s Koji Miyoshi popped up to grab a loose ball after a mistake from Jonathan Tah and slide it in at the near post.
Leverkusen captain and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky called the late goal “a bitter slap in the face”.
Leverkusen are now nine points behind Bayern and have dropped 13 points this campaign, more than they did across all 34 games last season.
The draw was just Bochum’s second point this season after 10 games in their first match under veteran coach Dieter Hecking.
Elsewhere, Werder Bremen won 2-1 at home against Holstein Kiel thanks to an 89th-minute goal from Oliver Burke.
Media
AC Milan dropped further points in the Serie A title race with an entertaining 3-3 draw at lowly Cagliari on Saturday, despite leading twice.
The 19-time league champions remain seventh but are now four points off the Champions League places and seven behind pacesetters Napoli.
Rafael Leao scored twice in the first half to give Milan the lead after Nadir Zortea’s early opener.
Cagliari struck back soon after the breakthrough Gabriele Zappa before Tammy Abraham restored the Rossoneri’s lead, only for Zappa to score a sensational equaliser in the final stages.
“This draw is clearly a step backwards,” AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca said to DAZN, referencing his side’s midweek 3-1 victory in the Champions League against Real Madrid.
“Our problem today was our defence, we lacked aggression, we let them cross too much, we lost too many aerial duels, it’s not possible to win a match in those conditions.”
For the home side, the draw takes them to 16th place on 10 points, one clear of the drop zone.
Zortea gave Cagliari the perfect start on two minutes as he smashed home from the back post after a corner.
Leao brought Milan level 13 minutes later with a lobbed finish after being sent in behind the defence by Tijjani Reijnders’ excellent lofted pass.
The Portuguese winger then doubled up five minutes before the break as Youssouf Fofana released him with an accurate long ball to his feet and he rounded the goalkeeper to give Milan the advantage.
Nine minutes after the break Fofana was at fault as he inadvertently played Zappa in behind his own defence and the Cagliari player finished past the advancing Mike Maignan.
Abraham looked to have completed the comeback for Fonseca’s side with his second goal of the season when he tapped home on 69 minutes.
But Zappa equalised again for Cagliari with one minute left via a thumping volley from a looping cross that flashed past Maignan before he could react.
Earlier, Parma came from behind to beat fellow strugglers Venezia 2-1 away from home.
Hans Nicolussi Caviglia opened the scoring for the hosts but goals either side of the break from Emanuele Valeri and Ange-Yoan Bonny moved the Tuscans up to 14th, three points clear of the relegation zone.
Venezia remain bottom of the table on eight points after their eighth defeat in 12 outings since being promoted back to Serie A last term.
Later, Juventus will look to close their four-point gap to league leaders Napoli but face a visit from city rivals Torino.
The pick of Sunday’s action is the trip of Napoli to second-place Inter Milan, with Antonio Conte’s side only one point ahead of last year’s champions.