Former Napoli striker Emanuele Calaio has suggested that Antonio Conte chose Romelu Lukaku over Victor Osimhen because of Lukaku’s leadership qualities. Conte, who took over as manager of the former Serie A champions this summer, made the decision to sideline Osimhen from the first team. As a result, Osimhen joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan, despite interest from Chelsea and clubs in Saudi Arabia. Calaio explained to Napoli Magazine, “Osimhen is stronger than Lukaku, but Conte evidently chose the Belgian because he is a locker room leader.” He added, “Did you see what he did with Monza? It was clear…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Super Eagles caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen remains optimistic that the team can still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite their disappointing performance in the qualifiers. Currently, the three-time African champions sit second from the bottom of their group, having earned only three points from four matches. In contrast, Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin Republic are joint leaders with seven points each from the same number of games. Eguavoen believes there is still an opportunity to turn their qualifying campaign around, but he emphasized the need for a strong mentality among the players to achieve this goal. “It has…
Ademola Lookman delivered a stellar performance as Atalanta secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League group stage clash. The Nigerian winger contributed both a goal and an assist, playing a key role in helping the Italian side earn their first win of the competition. Despite dealing with several injuries, Atalanta started strong, with Lookman assisting Berat Djimsiti for the opening goal in the 15th minute. Djimsiti’s chest control and volley marked his first-ever Champions League goal. After hitting the crossbar earlier, Lookman found the back of the net in the 58th minute, doubling Atalanta’s lead…
Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen has credited Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk as the mastermind behind his loan move to the Turkish club. After a summer transfer window filled with speculation about his departure from Napoli, Osimhen’s move materialized only after the window closed, with the Nigerian striker joining Galatasaray on loan. Since then, he has made an immediate impact, scoring two goals and providing three assists in his first four games. Osimhen, who was linked with Chelsea but saw that transfer fall through, revealed that Buruk played a crucial role in convincing him to join the Super Lig champions. According…
Augustine Eguavoen, currently serving as the caretaker coach of the Super Eagles, has stated that certain conditions must be met for him to accept the role on a permanent basis. The 58-year-old coach, who is also the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) technical director, is managing the national team for the fourth time. He recently led the team in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda and will also oversee the upcoming matches against Libya. Eguavoen has discussed the possibility of taking on the role permanently, emphasizing the need for a long-term contract with specific terms.…
Former Manchester United Assistant Coach Benni McCarthy Criticizes Ten Hag for Lack of Passion and Wasting Ronaldo’s Talent Benni McCarthy, who left his role as assistant coach at Manchester United after their FA Cup triumph last season, has criticized manager Erik ten Hag for lacking passion and charisma. Despite winning the FA Cup against Manchester City, which reportedly saved Ten Hag from being sacked, the Dutchman is now under pressure following a 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham. In an interview with Zero Zero, McCarthy highlighted why he believes Ten Hag might be struggling at the Premier League club. “He lacks…
Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has reportedly endorsed Massimiliano Allegri as his top choice to succeed Erik ten Hag, should the Dutchman be dismissed. Ten Hag is facing immense pressure at Old Trafford after a poor start to the season. Despite finishing eighth in the previous campaign, he was retained due to winning the FA Cup. United’s management had consulted with several other managers during the summer, including Graham Potter, Gareth Southgate, and Thomas Tuchel, before deciding to keep Ten Hag in charge. However, a crushing 3-0 defeat to Tottenham last Sunday has intensified calls for his dismissal,…
Former Super Eagles head coach Finidi George has shared the reasons behind his unsuccessful tenure leading the national team. His appointment generated excitement, following a successful campaign in the NPFL; however, his time in charge was brief and disappointing. Brief StintThe ex-Real Betis winger managed the Nigerian national team for four matches, with only two occurring after he was given the job permanently. His performance in those games ultimately led to his dismissal. As interim coach, Finidi recorded a win against Ghana but suffered a frustrating 2-0 defeat to Mali. Nevertheless, his performance was deemed sufficient to secure the position…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has criticized Ilkay Gundogan’s performance, labeling it the “worst game” he has seen from the midfielder in the last eight or nine years during their match against Newcastle last weekend. Gundogan struggled to make an impact at St. James’ Park as City settled for a 1-1 draw. However, he rebounded impressively, scoring as the Premier League champions defeated Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Guardiola remarked to TNT, “Ilkay Gundogan played at a level that we know he can reach. The game against Newcastle was not really good; it was maybe…
Manchester City cruised to a dominant 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday evening. City took an early lead with goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden, and the Premier League leaders never looked back. Erling Haaland added his usual goal after the break, and young James McAtee sealed the victory with a late strike. Match Recap: Slovan Bratislava nearly shocked City early on when Tigran Barseghyan unleashed a powerful shot that narrowly missed Stefan Ortega’s goal in the opening two minutes. However, City quickly asserted control. Gundogan opened the scoring with a deflected volley from the edge of the…
Arsenal cruised to their first Champions League victory of the season on Tuesday evening, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal a commanding lead, as they dominated the opening 45 minutes, with PSG struggling to threaten the hosts. While the French side showed slight improvement after the break, they rarely tested Arsenal, who kept a clean sheet and extended their unbeaten run this season. Match Recap: Arsenal started brightly, spurred on by an energetic home crowd. Early chances from Gabriel Martinelli and Saka hinted at the breakthrough, which came…
“A successful appeal has overturned the dismissal,” read a club statement. “The midfielder was sent off for serious foul play during the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, 29 September. “Fernandes was initially set to miss our league games against Aston Villa, Brentford, and West Ham, but will now be available for selection following the appeal.” Speaking to the media after the match, Fernandes revealed that even James Maddison admitted it shouldn’t have been a red card. “Apart from slipping when going in, I didn’t tackle him the way people might think,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “I didn’t…
Graham Potter has acknowledged being part of “conversations” amid rumors linking him as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. Ten Hag has come under increased scrutiny following a poor start to the 2024/25 season, with United managing just two wins so far. Their recent loss to Tottenham Hotspur has further fueled speculation about his future at the club. Despite his FA Cup win last season, doubts remain about whether Ten Hag can turn around United’s struggles. Potter, who has been out of a job since being dismissed by Chelsea 18 months ago, has often been mentioned…
Barcelona have announced that Frenkie de Jong is included in the matchday squad for their UEFA Champions League clash against Young Boys this week. The midfielder has only played 45 minutes for Barcelona since early March, as he aggravated an existing ankle injury during an El Clasico loss to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in April. His condition also caused him to miss Euro 2024, despite being initially selected by the Netherlands. However, Hansi Flick has named De Jong in his first matchday squad since taking over, as the Dutch international joins the 23-man group set to face Swiss…
Victor Osimhen, Super Eagles striker, has declared that he is worth over €100 million. In an interview with TuttoSport, Osimhen emphasized that he considers himself among the best footballers in the world at the moment. The 25-year-old played a crucial role in Napoli’s Scudetto win two seasons ago, netting 26 goals in Serie A. This achievement also made him the first African player to claim the Capocannoniere title. However, last season, it became evident that Osimhen was on his way out of Napoli, with rumored interest from clubs like PSG, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Al Ahli. Despite the speculation, no deal…
The Premier League’s official list of match officials for this weekend shows that Michael Oliver will not be refereeing any games. Instead, Oliver will serve as the VAR for Brentford’s match against Wolves. Earlier this week, he officiated Bournemouth’s 3-1 victory over Southampton. Just under two weeks ago, Oliver was at the center of a tense 2-2 draw between Manchester City and Arsenal, where he sent off Leandro Trossard for a second yellow card due to delaying the restart—part of the PGMOL’s focus this season.
Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos has expressed confidence that his fellow Brazilian, Vinicius Junior, will win the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Carlos praised Vinicius for staying calm under pressure and believes he is close to becoming the best footballer in the world. The former left-back made these remarks following Real Madrid’s recent 1-1 LaLiga draw with Atletico Madrid. “Vini is super calm. He knows he’s very close to being the best in the world,” Carlos said (via Madrid Universal). “He had some great performances last season, and this year we’re helping him stay relaxed despite the pressure. The Ballon d’Or is…
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has traveled with the squad for their Champions League match against Lille after recovering from a hamstring injury. The 25-year-old was forced off during Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Alaves on September 24 and was initially expected to be sidelined for around three weeks. He missed last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid but is now fit to return. According to AS, Mbappe feels optimistic about his condition, though a final decision on his participation is still pending. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is absent due to a groin injury, with Fran Gonzalez and Sergio Mestre set…
Former Barcelona midfielder Andrés Iniesta is set to conclude his illustrious playing career. The 40-year-old, regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, will officially announce his retirement on October 8, 2024. Iniesta hinted at the decision through a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, writing, “Coming soon 8/10/24,” generating excitement among fans and the football world. Iniesta’s remarkable career spans over two decades, during which he made 674 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 57 goals and delivering 135 assists. He played a pivotal role in helping the club secure 32 major trophies, including nine La Liga titles,…
Netherlands legend Marco van Basten has criticized Manchester United for their poor start to the season. Speaking on Ziggo Sport, Van Basten argued that Erik ten Hag’s squad lacks match-winning players. United have managed only two wins in the Premier League so far, and their 3-0 home loss to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend dropped them to 13th place in the standings. Van Basten remarked: “Can you name one top player at Manchester United? Every club has a standout player. “(Marcus) Rashford has been very poor. Bruno Fernandes is a good player, and (Andre) Onana is a solid goalkeeper. But that’s…