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Anthony Joshua was well rewarded for his second-round knockout win over Cameroonian boxer Francis Ngannou in the main event of the “Knockout Chaos” card in Saudi Arabia in the early hours of Saturday morning (Nigerian time).
Joshua won his fourth straight fight with the KO victory over Ngannou in Riyadh.
After securing consecutive victories in 2023 with wins over Jermaine Franklin in April and Robert Helenius with a seventh-round knockout in August, Joshua cruised to a fifth-round technical knockout win over Otto Wallin in December, who had been expected to be a formidable opponent, especially with his southpaw stance.
Joshua has now secured knockout wins over two fighters who took Tyson Fury the distance in Wallin and Ngannou.
The British-Nigerian was already on hand to get $40m (N63.7bn) for the fight but due to his win by a KO, Joshua received an extra $10m (N15.9bn) making a total of $50m (N79bn) while Ngannou pocketed $20m (N31.8bn).
Popular musician, Drake who is accustomed to placing large wagers on high-profile sports games and losing most of those bets was on the losing side again after Joshua defeated former UFC champion Ngannou as the Grammy winner lost a $615,000 (N950m).
If the wager had been successful, the Canadian-born rapper would have won just less than $2m (N3.1bn).
Drake has been known as a curse to athletes as whenever he bets on them, most end up on the losing side. Therefore, athletes prefer he doesn’t bet on them and celebrate loudly when they are able to win despite him betting on them like Israel Adesanya did when he beat Pereira in 2023.
WBC heavyweight champion Fury has hailed Joshua following his victory over Ngannou with Joshua also expressing readiness to face the Brit after the undisputed fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury, who watched the game, said he has a ‘bigger fish to fry’ against Usky and stated that he is available to face Joshua after his rematch in October.
“Me and Usyk have got an undisputed world heavyweight championship coming up. He (Joshua) just had a show fight in Saudi Arabia, which is fantastic for the show, but for the actual real boxing, it is me and Usyk who fight for the number one and number two positions for the undisputed championship of the world,” Fury said.
“So that (the fight with AJ) is on the back burner for now. Great performance from AJ, fantastic, but unfortunately I have got bigger fish to fry in Usyk on May 18, and then we have a rematch in October. So, after that, if he is still available and I’m still available, let’s get it on.”
Fury is scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 in a historic, undisputed showdown, with the winner potentially facing Joshua in the future.
In the post-match conference, Joshua expressed readiness to face the winner of Fury vs Usyk for a chance back at the world heavyweight titles.
“I just want to fight… and that next fight I want is the winner of Fury vs Usyk,” he said.
Manchester United legend, Wayne Rooney has hailed Kobbie Mainoo for his performances for the Red Devils so far this season.
The former England striker said Mainoo always makes the right decision on the pitch of play, adding that the youngster reminds him of former Man United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Mainoo has become a key player in manager Erik ten Hag’s midfield, delivering a number of stellar displays.
“I think he is been incredible at such a young age, the maturity he shows,” Rooney told TNT Sports.
“When you see young players come into any first-team they are normally a bit raw and they normally play off the cuff.
“He reminds me of a young Bastian Schweinsteiger, in how he plays, enticing players in.”
He added, “He always seems to make the right decision. So I think he’s got a bright future.”
[DailyPost]
WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has hailed Anthony Joshua following his victory over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou on Friday night in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua sent the 37-year-old Cameroon-born former UFC heavyweight champion, a two-fight professional boxing novice, to the canvas in the opening round with a straight right to the chin.
The “Knockout Chaos” fight then lived up to its billing in spectacular fashion. Joshua sent him crashing again in the second, first with a right-left combination and then an explosive right after he had beaten the count.
The referee stepped in and stopped the fight, with Joshua declared the winner by knockout victory and Ngannou out cold and receiving treatment before getting back, stunned, to his feet.
Fury, who watched the game, said he has a ‘bigger fish to fry’ against Usky and stated that he is available to face Joshua after his rematch in October.
His words: “Me and Usyk have got an undisputed world heavyweight championship coming up.
“He [Joshua] just had a show fight in Saudi Arabia, which is fantastic for the show, but for the actual real boxing, it is me and Usyk who fight for the number one and number two positions for the undisputed championship of the world.
“So that [the fight with AJ] is on the back burner for now. Great performance from AJ, fantastic, but unfortunately I have got bigger fish to fry in Usyk on May 18, and then we have a rematch in October.
“So, after that, if he is still available and I’m still available, let’s get it on.”
Fury is scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 in a historic, undisputed showdown, with the winner potentially facing Joshua in the future.
[OpinionNigeria]
Former Nigerian winger, Emmanuel Amuneke has put himself in the running to be the next head coach of the Super Eagles.
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, declared the position vacant on Friday following the expiration of erstwhile handler, Jose Peseiro’s contract.
The NFF requested interested coaches to apply for the top job and also listed the requirements.
“Yes I did [apply to be the next manager],” Amuneke told popular journalist Osazu Obayiwana.
The 53-year-old is one of the leading candidates to take over from Peseiro.
The former Barcelona star has handled the Nigeria U-17 side and Tanzania national team in the past.
Nigerian-born British boxer Anthony Joshua showed class once more early Saturday as he recored a brutal second-round knockout victory over his Cameroonian challenger Francis Ngannou.
The highly anticipated heavyweight clash took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and AJ, a Joshua is popularly called, was simply ruthless as he floored his opponent.
Ngannou, the former UFC champion, entered the bout with the aura of his impressive debut against Tyson Fury, but Joshua proved too powerful, solidifying his title aspirations.
Joshua displayed phenomenal power and precision, dismantling Ngannou in a mere two rounds.
Ngannou, who shocked the world by flooring Fury in November before a split-decision defeat, aimed for a repeat against the former two-time heavyweight champion.
The Cameroonian started strong, threatening with his left hook and a looping right.
However, Joshua countered with a devastating straight right in the opening round, sending Ngannou crashing to the canvas.
The second round saw both fighters swinging wildly.
Media
Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen is set to make his 100th Serie A appearance for reigning champions Napoli against Torino.
The Partenopei will entertain Torino at the Diego Armando Maradona on Friday (today).
Osimhen linked up with Napoli from Ligue 1 club, Lille in 2020.
The 25-year-old has featured in 99 league games from a possible 141.
The striker has so far scored 61 goals for Napoli in the Italian top-flight.
He helped Napoli win their first Scudetto in over three decades last season, netting 26 times in 32 league outings.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has declared the Super Eagles head coach position vacant.
Former handler of the side, Jose Peseiro officially left the post at the end of last month.
There were speculations that the NFF was still negotiating with Peseiro but the latest decision by the soccer house suggests otherwise.
Interested coaches, both expatriates and locals are now expected to submit their application to the NFF.
Peseiro guided the Super Eagles to second position at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The NFF also declared the position of the U-17 coach vacant.
Former Super Eagles defender, Nduka Ugbade was last in charge of the team.
Africa’s highest ranked table-tennis player, Aruna Quadri on Wednesday won a second medal for Nigeria at the ongoing 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.
This was after the 35-year-old Quadri fell 4-3 to Egypt’s Omar Assar in the final of the men’s table tennis singles event.
The contest between the two rivals lived up to expectations as they thrilled the audience with breathtaking skills.
Assar took the first set 11-8, while Quadri who is currently the world number 14 ranked player, bounced back to claim the second and third 11-2, 11-2.
The Egyptian clinched the fourth set 11-7 before Aruna won the fifth set 11-9.
Assar then won the last two sets 11-9, 11-0 to claim the gold medal.
Offiong Edem won Nigeria’s first medal on Tuesday when she clinched the bronze medal in the women’s singles event.
(NAN)
LEICESTER City manager Enzo Maresca is a very happy man following the return to fitness of Super Eagles of Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.
The Foxes claimed their first win in four Championship matches last night, beating Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light as Ndidi was introduced in the second half.
The Nigeria midfielder had been out since December, missing out on the Super Eagles’ Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Cote d’Ivoire.
Ndidi’s muscle injury also ruled him out of 10 Leicester City fixtures, four of which they lost.
Last night’s away victory kept Leicester City on top of the English second-tier, three points clear of second-placed Ipswich and five of third-placed Leeds United, with the first two spots guaranteed promotion to the Premier League.
“It’s an important win,” Maresca said in his post-match interview. “Especially after three defeats in a row. Sometimes you have to win games in an ugly way. [In the] first half we were quite good, in the second half we suffered, but in this moment, the win is so important.
“The first half, especially the first half an hour, was unbelievable. We had many chances, we missed and we have struggled to score goals in these games. But at the end, it was important to win the game.”
It was a welcome return for Ndidi in midfield, the Nigeria international managing 20 minutes in his first appearance since the end of December.
“I’m very happy. We need him, Wilf is so important to us so it’s good to have him back,” Maresca added.
[NaijaTimes]
Jude Bellingham has been banned for two LaLiga games for “contemptuous or disrespectful attitudes towards a referee” after he received a red card in the aftermath of Real Madrid’s controversial 2-2 draw at Valencia, Spain’s competition committee confirmed on Wednesday.
The England international was shown a red card for arguing with referee Jesús Gil Manzano, who had already blown his whistle moments before Bellingham scored what would have been a game-winning header.
The referee’s post-match report said Bellingham had shown an “aggressive attitude” and allegedly shouted “It’s a f—ing goal” repeatedly.
The Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee handed Bellingham a two-game ban – the minimum possible for the offence, under its rules – on Wednesday, for what it called “attitudes of disrespect or a lack of consideration towards the referee,” with a €700 fine for the club, and €600 for the player.
In evidence to the committee, Madrid argued that Bellingham had not displayed an aggressive attitude, saying that the player had only spoken once to the referee, and denied that his words were offensive or insulting.
The committee found that the club had not proven their case beyond doubt based on the evidence presented, and so the body consequently had to accept the referee’s interpretation of Bellingham’s conduct.
Bellingham will miss Madrid’s LaLiga games against Celta Vigo on Sunday and Osasuna on March 16, returning for their match with Athletic Club on March 31.
He is set to feature for Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, as they host RB Leipzig in the second leg at the Bernabéu.
Bellingham is also one yellow card away from a possible one-match suspension in the Champions League after picking up two already this season.
[Leadership]
More...
Mohamed Salah has given Liverpool a major boost after the Egypt star travelled to Sparta Prague for Thursday’s Europa League clash following his recent injury lay-off.
Salah joined his Liverpool teammates on the flight to Prague after missing the previous four games due to muscle fatigue.
The 31-year-old has played just 46 minutes for Liverpool since leaving the Africa Cup of Nations early when he sustained a hamstring injury in a group-stage game against Ghana in January.
Salah’s substitute appearance came against Brentford on February 17, the forward scoring at the Gtech Community Stadium before subsequently being sidelined with a muscle issue.
He trained with the rest of the Liverpool squad on Wednesday and could feature in the last 16 first-leg meeting with Sparta.
Salah’s availability is significant for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp ahead of Sunday’s seismic showdown with Manchester City in the Premier League.
Second-placed City will arrive at Anfield one point behind leaders Liverpool in a tense title race.
Quadruple-chasing Liverpool won the League Cup final against Chelsea without Salah and also beat Luton, Southampton and Nottingham Forest in his absence.
But having Salah back is a huge lift for Liverpool heading into the decisive final weeks of Klopp’s last season in charge.
The Egyptian has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season, including 15 in 21 league games.
Klopp has taken his strongest available squad to Prague, with the likes of Darwin Nunez and Wataru Endo in contention to start after coming on as substitutes in last weekend’s win at Forest.
[DailyTrust]
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are set to become significantly richer once their fight in Saudi Arabia is done and dusted later this week.
The two are all set for their contest this Friday and there are tens of millions set to pour into their accounts, no matter who wins.
It’s an important fight for both men, with AJ looking to set up a huge 2024 in which he hopes to become world champion again, while his opponent will want to build on his first professional match against Tyson Fury.
The UFC icon stunned the world when he knocked Fury down before controversially losing via split decision.
It should be a great contest between two men who have stated they plan to be aggressive, and they will both be a whole lot wealthier once the contest is over.
The official figures for the purse and prize money have yet to be confirmed.
However, what is guaranteed is that Ngannou and AJ will make millions from this fight.
The Cameroonian will take home $20million, which works out to around £16m.
This would be the most lucrative fight in his career by a distance and would be double what he earned against Fury.
This purse fee doesn’t include any pay-per-view money or fees for winning or lasting the full distance etc.
So, it’s possible Ngannou could earn well over £20m for a maximum of 30 minutes in the ring.
Meanwhile, this is also set to be one of Joshua’s most lucrative fights.
Reports suggest he will earn nearly £40m.
Again, this doesn’t include PPV fees or any potential prize money.
These figures have not been made public yet, so things could slightly change.
However, what is clear is that Joshua will earn significantly more than Ngannou.
Some might think this is unfair, but the Brit is the more experienced boxer and former two-time unified world champion, so commands a bigger fee.
Meanwhile, this is just Ngannou’s second professional boxing match.
Manchester United are being considered as the frontrunners to sign Napoli forward Victor Osimhen in the summer.
United face stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain, who reportedly want to make a statement in the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils will also have to compete with fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Chelsea to secure the signature of the Nigerian star.
The Nigeria international, who has netted 13 goals in 22 matches across all competitions for Napoli this season while also providing four assists, has a €110m (£94m/$119m) release clause in his existing contract.
For now, the striker remains focused on the Italian side and will be next seen in action for them on Friday when they take on Torino in Serie A.
[Leadership]
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are set to become significantly richer once their fight in Saudi Arabia is done and dusted later this week.
The two are all set for their contest this Friday and there are tens of millions set to pour into their accounts, no matter who wins.
It’s an important fight for both men, with AJ looking to set up a huge 2024 in which he hopes to become world champion again, while his opponent will want to build on his first professional match against Tyson Fury.
The UFC icon stunned the world when he knocked Fury down before controversially losing via split decision.
It should be a great contest between two men who have stated they plan to be aggressive, and they will both be a whole lot wealthier once the contest is over.
The official figures for the purse and prize money have yet to be confirmed.
However, what is guaranteed is that Ngannou and AJ will make millions from this fight.
The Cameroonian will take home $20million, which works out to around £16m.
This would be the most lucrative fight in his career by a distance and would be double what he earned against Fury.
This purse fee doesn’t include any pay-per-view money or fees for winning or lasting the full distance etc.
So, it’s possible Ngannou could earn well over £20m for a maximum of 30 minutes in the ring.
Meanwhile, this is also set to be one of Joshua’s most lucrative fights.
Reports suggest he will earn nearly £40m.
Again, this doesn’t include PPV fees or any potential prize money.
These figures have not been made public yet, so things could slightly change.
However, what is clear is that Joshua will earn significantly more than Ngannou.
Some might think this is unfair, but the Brit is the more experienced boxer and former two-time unified world champion, so commands a bigger fee.
Meanwhile, this is just Ngannou’s second professional boxing match.
[Vanguard]