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Arsenal and Chelsea flinch as Osimhen demands wages to surpass Premier League’s highest earners - Report
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Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has informed potential suitors that he wants to be placed on £500,000 weekly wages, Soccernet.ng reports.
Osimhen’s transfer saga has continued to rage on, with the Nigeria striker still in Napoli’s books despite numerous links with some of the top clubs in Europe.
The Nigerian has drawn interest from clubs like Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Al Hilal, but it has been all talks.
This summer, the teams interested in Osimhen appear to have been streamlined to just three, with PSG, Arsenal, and Chelsea in the mix.
Still, the issue has dragged on throughout the summer. Three weeks ago, strong reports emerged that the Nigerian striker had agreed on personal terms with PSG, but the French champions failed to cut a deal with Napoli, who are asking for over £120 million.
Those talks have since cooled off, and it now appears like Arsenal and Chelsea are in the driving seat. Still, none of them have made headway, and it could be due to Osimhen’s massive wage demands.
According to a report from SunSport on Saturday, Osimhen is asking for £500,000 per week, which Arsenal and Chelsea consider astronomical.
£500,000 per week for Osimhen would see him displace Kevin De Bruyne, who is the highest-paid Premier League player with a £400,000-weekly pay.
If the deal goes through, it would also make Osimhen the highest paid player in the history of the English Premier League. With just five days until the end of the transfer market, Osimhen and his camp have to find a solution so he can start playing top level football again.
Former Super Eagles coach José Peseiro has ranked Atalanta star Ademola Lookman as a more technically skilled player than Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
Peseiro, who worked with both players during his tenure as head coach of Nigeria’s national team, offered his insights in a recent interview with SportItalia via Football London.
Peseiro, who led Nigeria to a second-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, praised Lookman’s technical abilities and goal-scoring prowess, suggesting that the Atalanta winger stands out in this regard.
“Ademola Lookman is more technical than Osimhen, more inclined to create the game, and is now also scoring. He is performing very well this year,” Peseiro stated. He credited Lookman’s development to his time under Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini and noted the winger’s high-level performances.
Peseiro also discussed the growth of both Lookman and Osimhen, attributing their progress to the strong tactical systems at Atalanta and Napoli.
“It’s no coincidence that they have both grown this year. This is because they are both within a good system of play. Atalanta and Napoli want the ball; they want to play and attack. In these conditions, players get excited like this. Italian football has changed a lot in the last few years,” he added.
Both Lookman and Osimhen have been linked with a summer transfer move to top European clubs, including Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain. Reports suggest Arsenal are closing in on Lookman’s signature in a significant £42.5 million deal, with defender Jakub Kiwior potentially included as part of the transaction.
[BusinessDay]
Last week, the world was going to end! Or so we thought. Why?
When the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris concluded without any of the 82 Nigerian athletes returning with a medal around their necks, Nigerians were infuriated. They reacted vehemently. It was as if the world was going to end.
The anger was founded. This agonising process has become a recurring decimal in Nigeria’s sports history, a phenomenon described as ‘insanity’ by late German physicist, Albert Einstein in a famous but unverified quote – ‘doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result’.
The world did not end, even as the anger across Nigeria was palpable. The people bayed for blood, demanding the scalp of sports officials. The media was awash with criticism, condemnation, rebuke and abuse. I believe there were no street protests only because the people had just gone through another national protest over hunger and poverty in the land. That protest that hardly took off the ground and yielded nothing, only promises. Any additional march for sports in the land would suffer from protest-fatigue.
So, with tails tucked between the legs, Nigerians, as is wont, gave up the ‘fight’, retired into the cocoon of their other interests and allowed the world to go on jeje, any further attention for the Olympics left in ‘suspense-account’ till June of 2028, one month to the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles beginning 14th July, 2028!
That’s the way things are done here in Nigeria!
That was the situation last week.
This week, the vitriol, awash in most local media, vaporised. The only noise was the faint receding echo of the voice of the very humble and honourable Nigerian sports minister, the only official that publicly accepted responsibility, defended his ministry, and apologised to Nigerians for the unacceptable performance. He pledged to investigate and uproot the causes, identify the culprits and ensure that the heads of guilty officials roll.
The only proviso, however, is that the country will have to wait, and that nothing must disturb and distract the other contingent of Nigerian athletes participating in the 2028 Paralympic Games that start in Paris this week.
This set of Nigerians are expected to win Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in their usual tradition and further douse the receding anger, pain and disappointment, even though it is also an optical illusion of the true state of Nigerian sports development.
So, life goes on, the world will not end!
The EPL resumes
This week, the English Premier League and other European leagues that started last week take firmer root in the soul of Nigerians. The debates and the arguments about Arsenal, Man U, Barca, Real, and so on, dominate the senses, extinguishing the remnant of any lingering thoughts and concerns over Paris 2024. The embers of that fire will only be fanned again and rekindled in 2028 in an annoying cycle that repeats itself like a broken vinyl record every 4 years.
In short, this week, life for the Nigerian sports fan has returned to the status quo, just as football resumes with its all-consuming power, taking over the sports interest of the millions of Nigerians that patronise it.
There are now other issues on Nigeria’s sports radar.
Foreign Coach for Super Eagles
It is a done deal that the Nigerian Football Federation have settled for hiring another White man from Europe to handle the Super Eagles. Some of those that are close to the corridors have been mentioning two names as the most likely candidates. Why the announcement has not been made within a few weeks to the most crucial series of matches that will determine the country’s fate in the African Cup of Nations in 2025, and the World Cup of 2026, no one knows.
A good reason may already have been created for the Super Eagles should they fail to win.
My personal position on the issue of foreign or indigenous coach for Nigeria’s national teams has not changed. Hiring a foreigner to handle the Super Eagles is just postponing Nigeria’s days in football slavery. Until Nigerians with qualification and experience are trusted and given the opportunity to do the job, to gain invaluable experience in the process and to lead the country into international battles, the Super Eagles will continue to find it hard to soar to the highest pinnacle.
The return of Samson Siasia!
He was once acknowledged as FIFA’s coach of the year. That was when he led Nigeria’s Under-20 to the finals of the World Youth Championship in 2005, the Under-23 national team to the finals of the Olympics in 2008, and a third-place at the Olympics in 2016.
In 2019, Samson Siasia was suspended by FIFA for 5 years following unsubstantiated charges of corruption against him.
Having served the suspension, he is now free to return to football. He may have been pencilled down as part of an interim consortium of coaches headed by Director of the Technical Department of the NFF, Austin Eguavoen, to handle the Super Eagles should a foreign coach not be hired in the next week.
That arrangement is laden with danger for Samson.
Should the team fail to win, his name will be added to those of other ‘failed’ Nigerian coaches and the door to a future as head of the Super Eagles will be slammed in his face.
Nigerians are waiting and watching the unfolding drama with interest!
Sports Federation Elections
The elections into national sports federations (with the exception of the Nigeria Football Federation) will likely take place before the end of the year.
Everybody accepts that the present federation constitutions fall short of what are in Nigeria’s best sports interests. The documents have suffered the doctoring of critical articles that render them partial to fair process and inclusiveness of all stakeholders. Best practises have been blurred by ignorance, the absence of experienced administrators in the system as a result of high turnover of experienced personnel in the sports ministry, and the lack of courage by successive sports ministers to confront the inter-loping puppeteers controlling the strings of Nigerian sports.
The Sports Minister has promised reforms.
Nigerians are waiting and watching to see what will happen.
The National Sports Festival!
Nigeria’s National Sports Festival is Africa’s biggest, single domestic multi-sports event. It is designed to feed Nigerian sports with the best budding talents in all sports. It is also the biggest program of the Federal Ministry of Sports development,
The next edition is scheduled to take place in about 6 months’ time in Ogun State.
With the developments on ground now, it will be the greatest miracle since the conversion of water to wine in the holy books should the festival hold next January.
Why? The answer is blowing in the wind.
Nigerians are, however, waiting and watching to see what will happen.
Former Sweden national team coach Janne Andersson has expressed a strong interest in leading Nigeria’s senior men’s football team.
The 61-year-old, who successfully guided the Swedish squad to the quarterfinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has cited his admiration for the Super Eagles’ talent and their potential to excel on the global stage.
As a former forward with a wealth of coaching experience, Andersson sees the Super Eagles as a team brimming with promise. He is eager to leverage his experience and vision to help them achieve new heights in international football.
“It’s a huge footballing nation. I can confirm that I have had a dialogue with the Nigeria Football Federation,” Andersson said.
He added, “It’s a huge footballing nation, so I’m extremely flattered to be in the running to be their next national team coach. Dialogue is ongoing, and I don’t really want to say more than that. I have been in this industry for so long and know that things can happen in different ways. So we’ll see what happens in the future.”
Despite Andersson’s interest, the Nigeria Football Federation has yet to make an official statement on who will lead the Super Eagles as they prepare for crucial matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda in September.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that a new coach will be announced soon, with Augustine Eguavoen being heavily linked to temporarily lead the team in their upcoming clashes.
Former Super Eagles’ captain, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha has confessed that he is still haunted by memories of how he and his colleagues failed to win the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in the year 2000.
Though the Eagles fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Cameroon in the final, they eventually lost the match via penalties under controversial circumstances.
The loss was due to 1995 African Footballer of The Year, Victor Nosa Ikpeba (The Prince of Monaco) putting his hands on his head in lamentation, though his kick had crossed the line, and the match referee adjudged the player as having failed to score.
That meant Nigeria failed to win AFCON for the third time in history and missed what could have been their second conquest on home soil, during a competition they co-hosted with Ghana.
Okocha has now taken his mind back to that agonising day, in which then skipper of the side, Sunday Oliseh wept bitterly, and ‘The Emperor,’ who slso rued his lack of enough silverware as a footballer, confessed that it is a recurring nightmare for him.
“Winning silver at the Nations Cup is a bad memory for me, because it happened at home and due to the way it happened,” said the former Fernebahce of Turkey and PSG of France midfield dazzler.
“I thought we should have won it at home, but it’s not something that is given out … you have to earn it.
“We felt a bit robbed, and I now wish we had VAR back then. Silver was a consolation, just as were three bronze medals that I won in the competition. But, anyway you look at it, the gold medal is the ultimate.”
Okocha, who also played for Eintracht Frankfurt of Germany as well as Bolton Wanderers and Hull City of England, further acknowledged that he did not win many trophies during his playing days.
He also could not win the coveted award for African Footballer of The Year, in spite of placing second twice and being crowned most valuable player at the 2004 Cup of Nations, but Jay Jay submitted that he is always philosophical about having missed out on both personal and team honours.
“I truly may not have won more trophies, but I admit that everybody’s destiny is different. Maybe mine was not meant to win trophies but, at least, I still gained recognition.
“The older I get, the more I accept my fate and understand that some things are not meant to be,” said Okocha, who was named BBC African Player of The Year 2004.
He then concluded with personal experiences that he is using to encourage and motivate players of the current generation in Nigeria’s national team.
“The most important thing for me is that I won hearts when I was playing. For me, that’s priceless.
“I tell myself that I did a job well done, because I’ve always believed that whatever your profession is, you must be committed and give it your best shot.
“If you get appreciated after that, it means you’ve done something good. That’s why I cherish it every time people appreciate the work that I have put in.
“Though I left the game many years ago, it’s a good thing that people still talk fondly shout me,” Okocha rounded off with a tone of nostalgia.
William Troost-Ekong, Super Eagles captain, has joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Kholood FC from PAOK Thessaloniki FC in Greece.
The transfer was announced on the Arabian club’s X account on Friday.
According to Al-Kholood, the 30-year-old defender will play for the club “in the 2024-2025 Saudi Pro League competitions”.
Ekong’s move to the Arabian Peninsula was confirmed a few hours after he posted a heartfelt farewell on social media to PAOK Thessaloniki FC.
The Eagles captain thanked the fans, management and his teammate at the Greek club for making his brief stay “amazing”.
He had only joined the team in July 2023 on a three-year contract.
“Dear PAOK, after an amazing year and season in Thessaloniki, I want to thank everyone for the opportunity to share and be part of those moments with you,” the farewell reads.
“I want to thank the president, club staff, medical team, General Lucescu, assistants and especially my teammates who have become my family, for the belief and hard work that resulted in an unforgettable championship and special European nights.
“To the fans, thank you for the support through difficult times. Toumba is something special, and now I understand what MONO PAOK means. I wish everyone another successful season and I will continue to follow PAOK. All the best.”
During his lone season with PAOK, Ekong led Nigeria to a silver medal-winning campaign at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He was named the competition’s best player after scoring three goals.
Euro 2024 winner and Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino has agreed to become a new Arsenal player ahead of the transfer deadline, according to reports in Spain.
Transfer Expert, Fabrizio Romano, revealed that a verbal agreement has been put in place for the Spanish midfielder to the Premier League side.
Romano in a post on his X handle said €32m plus €5m add-ons with favourable payment terms have been agreed on for the player to move to the Emirate Stadium.
Reports in Spain added that the negotiations between Arsenal and the Spanish club have ended ‘in an agreement’ and Merino ‘did not train on Wednesday with his current Real Sociedad teammates due to lower back pain, according to the official version, but everything indicates that he was already living his last hours as a player for the San Sebastian club, as the agreement for his transfer to Arsenal was being finalised.’
Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay was ‘seen taking a flight to London’ late on Tuesday and now a deal is set to go through for around €35m.
Arsenal are being tipped by a number of pundits and former players to win the title and their pursuit of Spain international Merino could help them achieve their ambitions.
[Leadership]
It has been revealed that Israel Adesanya earned more than Dricus du Plessis after their thrilling UFC 305 main event.
Recall that during the match, Du Plessis successfully defend his UFC Middleweight Championship for the first time, forcing Adesanya to tap out in the fourth round.
The fight, which was the first-ever UFC title clash between two African fighters, held significant historical importance and generated substantial financial rewards for both competitors.
According to reports from The Sportster, Adesanya, a former two-time middleweight champion, was guaranteed $750,000 for the fight, while Du Plessis got $500,000.
With additional earnings from the pay-per-view, both fighters are expected to clear seven figures, though Adesanya’s share of the revenue is projected to be higher due to his status and past achievements in the sport.
In the lead-up to the fight, Du Plessis sparked controversy by claiming to be the “first real African UFC champion,” a comment aimed at previous African titleholders like Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou, who no longer reside on the continent. Adesanya took exception to this remark, viewing it as an affront to his heritage.
However, after securing the win via rear naked choke, Du Plessis extended an olive branch, apologising and referring to Adesanya as a legend while clarifying that he did not intend to disrespect his opponent’s African roots.
The UFC 305 card also saw notable payouts for other fighters. In the co-main event, Kai Kara-France earned a $50,000 bonus on top of his $300,000 base pay for his first-round knockout of Steve Erceg, who pocketed $75,000.
Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot, who engaged in an exciting lightweight contest, each took home $50,000 bonuses on top of their respective $350,000 and $110,000 base pay cheques.
Victor Osimhen is set to snub Chelsea and wait for long-time Paris Saint-Germain, who are now ready to make a final decision on his transfer, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Blues have been seeking the signature of the Nigeria international all summer but were initially rebuffed by Napoli, with the 2022/23 Serie A champions insisting that his £113m release clause must be paid in full.
The 25-year-old is said to be ranking prominently on their wish list to lead their line during the 2024/25 season.
The Lagos-born is one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, having been linked with moves to Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Liverpool, among others, following impressive seasons with Napoli.
Despite the departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid, PSG remained silent on their pursuit of Osimhen, being also reluctant to meet the hefty £113m asking price for the striker and were happy with the duo Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani.
Osimhen was believed to be keen to test himself in the Premier League after making a name for himself in Serie A with Napoli and in Ligue 1 with Lille, whose rivals Paris Saint-Germain were formerly thought to be Chelsea’s main contenders.
However, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg—via The Sun—Osimhen instead has his heart set on joining the French champions, who could now reignite their interest due to a serious injury to one of their strikers.
PSG are expected to rekindle their search for a new striker before the transfer window closes after Goncalo Ramos sustained a severe ankle sprain 20 minutes into Les Parisiens’ opening Ligue 1 game against Le Havre on Friday.
The Portuguese will be out for around three months following surgery, and Osimhen is prepared to wait until the ‘eleventh hour’ to seal his dream move to Paris.
With the latest development, Chelsea’s proposed triple swap deal for the Nigerian has supposedly been plunged into fresh doubt.
Osimhen has amassed 76 goals and 18 assists in 133 matches for Napoli in all competitions since 2022, but he has been frozen out of the squad after it was reported that he requested to leave this summer.
Antonio Conte’s side began their 2024-25 Serie A campaign with a 0-0 draw at the Stadio Bentegodi on Sunday against Hellas Verona.
In a highly anticipated and emotionally charged bout at UFC 305, South African fighter Dricus Du Plessis retained his middleweight title, defeating Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya by submission in the fourth round.
The victory was a significant milestone for Du Plessis as he successfully defended his title in one of the most intense rivalries in recent UFC history.
The fight, which had been fueled by pre-fight tensions over race and identity, ended in a dramatic fashion as Du Plessis secured a rear-naked choke, forcing Adesanya to submit.
Despite trailing 2-1 on the scorecards heading into the fourth round, Du Plessis turned the fight in his favor with a powerful sequence of hooks and jabs, followed by a decisive takedown that led to the submission victory.
Adesanya, a former two-time middleweight champion, entered the bout determined to reclaim the title he lost to Sean Strickland in September 2023.
He showed early aggression, landing sharp counters and cutting Du Plessis on the forehead in the first round.
However, Du Plessis’ relentless pressure and superior wrestling skills began to wear down Adesanya as the fight progressed.
In the second round, Du Plessis took control with effective wrestling, dragging Adesanya down twice.
The third round featured intense exchanges on the feet as both fighters battled for dominance, setting the stage for the dramatic fourth-round finish.
The atmosphere in the arena was tense, stemming from pre-fight comments by Du Plessis, who had referred to himself as the first “real” African UFC champion.
This statement, which alluded to Du Plessis’ South African heritage, did not sit well with Adesanya, who has often represented Nigeria with pride throughout his career.
The animosity between the two fighters was evident throughout the contest, adding to the drama of the night.
With the victory, Du Plessis solidified his position at the top of the middleweight division, while Adesanya faces an uncertain future after the bitter loss
More...
Fulham’s manager, Marco Silva, has argued that his team deserved to beat Manchester United in their Premier League opener on Thursday, August 16, as he blamed a lack of emotional control for the defeat.
Fulham started their 2024-2025 Premier League campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford after putting up a brilliant display, especially in the first half of the encounter.
New Manchester United signing Joshua Zirkzee came from the bench and scored the match-winner for the Premier League giants in the 87th minute.
After the game, Fulham coach Marco Silva explained that his team made adjustments at half-time, improving performance in the second half.
He, however, expressed disappointment that they lost their composure in crucial moments, allowing Manchester United to score.
Silva said: “We started well and had good counter-attacks to score. We adjusted things at half-time and the second half was much better.
“We had good moments, two against one, we should have done better.
“The main thing for us was to keep the emotional control. When the game becomes open we should have kept the balance and kept compact. But in those moments, we lost emotional control, and that allowed them to score.
“The game was open and broken, we tried to rush our decisions. Many times we started to lose the ball too quickly. We let the game go too emotional and we didn’t want that.”
On the other hand, Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, explained why Jadon Sancho was not included in the squad to face Fulham.
Ten Hag emphasized the necessity for squad depth in a demanding season and clarified that Sancho was not fully fit due to an ear infection.
“First of all, we need squad depth. There will be a long season, and it will be survival of the fittest, but I can only put 20 players in the squad, and Jadon in the week had an ear infection. He was not 100 percent fit,” Ten Hag said.
Cacophony fills the Nigerian sports space.
From the ashes of the country’s participation at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games springs the shrill of anger and condemnation. In the past one week, Nigerians have collectively vented their anger and frustration at those they perceive to have caused the country’s failure to return from Paris with a single medal. They are baying for the blood of sports officials, especially that of the Sports Minister, because the buck of the calamitous ‘failure’ of the athletes stops at his desk. They ask: How can a country of over 200 million people that expended N12 Billion Naira fail to win a single medal?
Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Movement, will be quivering in his grave: since when has winning medals become a matter of size of a country, or population, or amount of money spent on the eve of the event, or wishful thinking, or unearned expectations?
Fundamentally, every country goes to the Olympics with all the athletes that achieve the qualifying standards through pre-Olympic competitions, and not on their likelihood to win medals. That’s why Nigeria went with 82 qualified athletes. Of this number, how many, realistically, were expected to win any medal?
In Paris there were 10,500 athletes from 205 countries. How many can win the 329 medals at stake? Are the other over 10,000 athletes failures?
To win any medal is not a stroll in the park. It is earned on the fields of competition. To even get to the Olympics is a painstaking ‘journey’. The 100 metres finals will last only 10 seconds. What is required to get to that point is training hard for 6 to 9 hours every day for several years; surviving health, fitness and unforeseen challenges; competing against hundreds of the best athletes around the world for those many years; securing funds to train, hire personnel and compete in high level events; securing the services of experts to successfully navigate the athlete through the treacherous terrain leading to ultimate success; to be self-motivated and to be favoured by the elements. Which of these did Nigeria do to prepare its sprinters and earn the right of expectation to win a medal?
At the end of all the above, those that successfully navigate the minefields and win medals, hardly ever do so coming from the blues, or by accident. They pass through the crucible of fire.
Sentiments aside, in all facets of life, including sports, Nigeria should be one of the leading lights of Africa, providing leadership that will steer away from under-development into the bright light of success. The evidence of this possibility has always been there, a musical tune that has been played for decades in the corridors of international sports. It is only unfortunate that successive Nigerian governments have been deaf to the lyrics of the song.
Meanwhile, we must not confuse the little incidents that happen during every Olympic Games to all teams as any measure of their success or failure. Administrative lapses will always occur. Without accepting or embracing them as normal, what we should never do is use them as a basis to throw away the baby with the bath water, or to smear the performance of the athletes with that tar. These issues must be separated, each bearing its own responsibility. We have history to take lessons from.
In attending the 1980 Olympics, Nigeria went with the best set of sports administrators in the history of the country – a Sports Ministry and an NSC complete with Isaac Akioye and that whole generation of stakeholders and seasoned administrators.
The world was embroiled in a crisis that rendered the Moscow Olympics one of the worst in history. Nigeria did not even qualify in many sports but were invited to take part at the last minute.
The country did not win a single medal despite having a crack number of great athletes in several sports that were to blossom in latter years.
Yet, what dominated the media on return to the country was a ‘sex scandal’ that never happened, an imaginary relationship between an athlete and an official of the National Sports Commission created by a journalist gathering information from the Olympic Village through the telephone from his hotel room in Moscow.
That report fuelled the anger of Nigerians and was attributed for the country’s failure to win any medal. The country went into a frenzy, calling for heads to roll.
Heads eventually did roll. A judicial panel of enquiry was set up headed by a respected legal luminary. Many innocent administrators were fired and the whole sports architecture of Nigeria, well-founded and running well, were dismantled and destroyed.
Till date, Nigeria has not found its feet again in sports administration for proper sports development.
Since then, Nigeria has been groping, unable to pick the pieces of that moment of madness, seeking answers to the perennial failure, since then, of the sports sector.
Forget 1996, the glorious year of Nigeria at the Olympics. The victory of that campaign was not deliberate or earned by any deliberate policies, or program. People forget easily that even the ‘Dream Team’ that mesmerised the world and created Olympic history went to the Games in administrative shambles. That team was the assembly of some of the most gifted footballers in Nigeria’s history. That’s why they eventually won.
Nigeria’s first ever individual Gold medallist came from the blue, in a totally independent pursuit by a lady wronged and condemned by the system and the country. Chioma Ajunwa was not a product of Nigeria’s successful program.
Nigeria’s sprinters of that generation, both male and female, had for years been demonstrating individual capability on the international circuit prior to the Olympics – Onyali, Ogunkoya, Olopade, Alozie, Egbunike, Ezinwa Brothers, Sunday Uti, and several others, talented athletes that came through the web of Nigeria’s limited development programmes, hinged mostly to training in America, through self-help or federal government scholarships.
Nothing was properly structured before and after 1980 to produce a steady stream of the best sprinters embedded in our genes. That’s why 2012 in London was another perceived ‘failure’. Nothing had changed.
That’s why, as a bona fide member of Nigeria’s pool of Olympians, over 700 strong throughout the country’s history, I appreciate how only a handful have Olympic medals around their necks to show for their place in history. Yet, we all lay claim to being ‘successful’ Olympians.
We must be humble and appreciate all Olympic athletes. Even on the Nigerian Olympians platform, I read strident condemnation of officials and athletes considered ‘failures’ as a result of administrative lapses. These are distractions from the main issue, clouds that hide the real culprit of Nigeria’s failure – a country that does not take sports as seriously as it should. Throwing money at the last minute without a solid development program, not making sports a priority area for the government’s attention, and just hoping that medals will be won, are wishful and unproductive.
Lets step back from what happened at Paris 2024, look again at where the country stands in the area of producing a rich and consistent line of world class athletes, encourage the great performances (even without medals) that some of the athletes put up in some of the sports (recognised by the rest of the world but not Nigeria), do the things we should have done that we know but lack the courage to confront, stop the lamentation and move on to the next steps along the path to deserved success.
The Nigerian government must wake up and take sports very seriously.
The country must demonstrate this by declaring a State of Emergency in the sector.
The President should sign the bill that brings back the National Sports Commission immediately, separating the Ministry of Sports Development from the Commission with clearly defined roles.
A board of the Commission should be constituted comprising tested, experienced and qualified stakeholders, technocrats and private sector players.
Amongst other things, the National Sports Lottery initiative should be re-jigged as a major means of raising funds for Nigeria’s sports development.
The constitution of Sports Federations should be amended under the supervision of the Sports Development Ministry to reflect Nigeria’s best sports interest and needs, with a clear and achievable development agenda.
Nigerians are angry. They have a right and justification to be, but they should not vent their angst against the wrong persons, or for the wrong reasons.
Quote: Forget 1996, the glorious year of Nigeria at the Olympics. The victory of that campaign was not deliberate or earned by dint of any deliberate policies, or program
Chelsea’s new coach Enzo Maresca has a Premier League baptism of fire when champions Manchester City visit on Sunday as the Italian scrambles to form a cohesive team from another chaotic transfer window for the Blues.
In keeping with Chelsea’s transfer policy since a takeover two years ago, fronted by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, the London club have embarked on a spending spree focusing on promising young talent.
Winger Pedro Neto’s £54 million ($65 million) move from Wolves is the standout from nine new arrivals for an estimated £160 million.
But after splashing well over £1 billion on signings over the past two years, Chelsea’s website lists 43 first-team players and over 50 are still contracted to the club when those on loan are included.
Many have been sidelined from Maresca’s pre-season training to focus on finding moves before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
“At the moment if I start to think I have 43 players it is not a good thing,” Maresca said on Friday.
“(Co-sporting directors) Paul (Winstanley) and Laurence (Stewart) they are there in charge of finding solutions for these kind of players. I’m not the guy in charge of finding solutions for loan players, otherwise they have to pay me double!”
To add to Maresca’s task he has to win over a discontented fan base.
Many in the Chelsea support were craving some stability as Mauricio Pochettino turned around a poor start to finish strongly and climb up to sixth in the Premier League.
Instead, the club’s hierarchy had more change in mind as Pochettino departed after just one season in charge.
Supporters are also unhappy at seeing players that have come through the club’s youth system sacrificed to balance the books.
Conor Gallagher is not available for selection on Sunday despite the collapse of his move to Atletico Madrid.
Maresca has been handed a five-year contract following his success in leading Leicester back to the Premier League in his only season at the King Power.
– A ‘double squad’ –
The 44-year-old’s only other senior managerial role was a short-lived stint at Parma in 2021, but his time working alongside City boss Pep Guardiola was also crucial in helping him land the Chelsea job.
“All the managers need time,” said Guardiola on Friday.
“I don’t know if Chelsea is the place to do this but give him time and it will work.”
Despite working at some of the world’s richest clubs, Guardiola’s preference has always been to work with a smaller squad to maintain harmony among his players.
And he has sympathy with the situation Maresca inherits.
“When you see a double squad, yeah it’s a lot!” Guardiola added. “But the reason why they do it is not my business.”
The last time Chelsea beat City was in the 2021 Champions League final.
Just over three years on and only Reece James and Ben Chilwell remain from the Chelsea team that night in Porto.
Maresca believes the Blues are now on the right track to eventually get back to challenging City for the Premier League title.
“The big difference in this moment between us and other teams that are dominating English football, is just a matter of time,” he said.
“Clubs that have worked with the same manager nine years, eight years. We’re working with the same manager for one month.
“For sure with time, we are going to close the gap. Hopefully it can happen very soon.”
The question looming over Chelsea’s season, though, is whether Maresca will get that time to come good given the club’s history of trigger-happy owners.
[Vanguard]
Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has categorically stated that he will do his utmost to see compatriot Victor Osimhen sign for the London club, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The former Super Eagles captain, in a video posted on X, added that another club legend, Didier Drogba, was also in contact with the Napoli striker, as they hoped to convince him to make a switch to Stamford Bridge.
Osimhen’s future remains the subject of intense viral speculations ahead of the final weeks of the summer transfer window. The striker has asked to leave Napoli and has been linked with a transfer to Chelsea in a deal that would see Romelu Lukaku move the other way.
Chelsea have already signed a host of players this summer, including Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, and Filip Jorgensen, but appear ready to continue their spending spree, with the 25-year-old ranking prominently on their wish list to lead their line during the 2024/25 season.
Just a few weeks before the close of the transfer window, Mikel revealed that he would try and help the club land their primary target, whom he believed would be an instant hit in the English Premier League.
“We want somebody who can finish, score goals, the tap-ins. Someone like Erling Haaland,” Mikel said.
“That’s something Victor Osimhen will bring to Chelsea. I hope that Chelsea fans will finally see him come to the club. I’ll make sure I send him those text messages and calls, making sure Chelsea is his top priority! But it seems like he loves the club and wants to come to Chelsea.
“I’m sure he has all the big clubs wanting to sign him. I think if we can secure his signature, it would be fantastic for the club. He’s somebody who will get us goals, and that’s something that we need right now.
“A fantastic guy, a fantastic human being, and I really do hope he comes to the club, and I’ll try my best to make sure that happens. Didier is also speaking to him, sharing his own ideas and what the club means to us. We all want to see Victor come to the club.”
Osimhen has emerged as one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, having been linked with moves to Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Liverpool, among others, following impressive seasons with Napoli.
However, his hefty €130m remains the stumbling block, with PSG, among other suitors, backing off, leaving Chelsea as the only European club still keen on signing him.
[Punch]