Zoe Maguire, mother of Harry Maguire, has come to the defense of the England and Manchester United defender following criticism of his performance in a friendly match between England and Scotland. The Three Lions defeated Scotland in Glasgow, by 3-1 on Tuesday night, courtesy of goals from Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. The 30-year-old defender, who came off the bench as a substitute after the first half, put the ball in the back of his team’s net in the 67th minute. An 81st-minute winner was struck by Kane after a brilliant effort by Real Madrid’s midfielder, Bellingham. Following…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Former Super Eagles star Yakubu Aiyegbeni has developed a strong bond with British professional boxer of Nigerian heritage, Anthony Joshua. Former Super Eagles and Everton striker, Yakubu Ayegbeni, has been making waves off the football pitch and has been spotted joining British professional boxer of Nigerian descent, Anthony Joshua, in training session. The ex-heavyweight champion, known as ‘AJ,’ is currently preparing for an anticipated showdown with Deontay Wilder. However, negotiations for the fight’s official confirmation have hit a roadblock. Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn had been reportedly close to securing a deal for a thrilling bout between the two heavyweight fighters…
Manchester United came up with a schedule for Jadon Sancho to address his punctuality issues, obliging him to arrive one hour earlier than team-mates. Sancho lashed out at United boss Erik ten Hag last week after the Dutchman said he had been left out of the squad for the game at Arsenal due to his performances in training. However, it has been revealed by The Athletic that United had grown frustrated with Sancho due to his issues with punctuality, which led to them devising a schedule one hour ahead of everyone else. The scheme had initial success before Sancho ‘fell into familiar patterns’. The…
After four disappointing years, Frenkie De Jong has found a perfect role at Barcelona, and become one of the world’s most effective centre-midfielders. After a challenging initial four years, Frenkie De Jong has discovered an ideal role at Barcelona, establishing himself as one of the most effective central midfielders globally. In mid-August, Frenkie de Jong granted an interview to the Catalonian publication El Periodico. During the extensive conversation, he openly addressed the intense transfer speculation surrounding him in 2022 and his early years of criticism at the club. Importantly, he expressed his unwavering commitment to remaining at Barcelona. While De…
In the wake of Paul Pogba’s failed drugs test at Juventus, France manager Didier Deschamps and Kingsley Coman have rallied to support him. Pogba is currently under provisional suspension by the Italian anti-doping authority due to a positive test for testosterone, a hormone associated with improved athletic endurance. If found guilty, the 30-year-old could face a football ban of up to four years as a result of this random drug test. Reports from Italy suggest that he has until the end of this week to provide a counter-analysis of the test results. Nevertheless, French national team coach Deschamps and fellow…
Harry Maguire posted a popular England fans chant mocking the Scotland football team on social media after England’s 3-1 friendly win. Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane were on target for England while Maguire scored an own goal that proved to be nothing more than a consolation for Scotland as the Three Lions clinched the match 3-1 on Tuesday. Maguire started from the bench and was introduced to the pitch at half-time. Every time the Manchester United defender touched the ball the home fans at Hampden Park jeered at him. But after England’s friendly win, Maguire took to social media to get…
Nigeria proved too strong for their opponents in their final game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Nigeria were too strong for Sao Tome and Principe on Sunday evening as they thumped them 6-0 to send a statement ahead of next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. In wet conditions at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria, Napoli star Victor Osimhen began the slaughter in the 13th minute when he scored from an Ademola Lookman assist. Lookman then went on to get on to the score sheet himself some 14 minutes later as Wilfred Ndidi…
Erling Haaland is a leading contender for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, but even Norway’s national team coach admits Lionel Messi should take the award. Manchester City striker Haaland hit 52 goals across all competitions last season as he helped his club employers at the Etihad Stadium to a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble. Those exploits are considered to have him in the running for a first Ballon d’Or. Messi, though, inspired Argentina to World Cup glory at Qatar 2022 – allowing him to complete a record-breaking trophy collection. The 36-year-old South American has also been starring for Inter Miami since moving to the…
Gabriela Cavallin has urged Manchester United to “remove” Antony from the squad following accusations of domestic violence by her and two other women. The Brazil winger’s ex-girlfriend has criticised United for their slow response to allegations that Antony had attacked her on various occasions between June 2022 and May 2023, urging them to suspend the winger from playing. In a recent interview with the Brazilian website UOL, the DJ and model claimed that her former partner had headbutted her, thrown a glass at her, and threatened to push her out of a moving vehicle, all on separate occasions. Antony has denied all…
England midfielder Jude Bellingham has commented on the Three Lions’ disappointing 1-1 draw with Ukraine last night. Bellingham took to social media after the game to share his thoughts, posting on Instagram: “Not on our level but a point closer to Germany”. It’s a fair summary of the game. Despite the efforts of Saka, Kane, Walker (who scored the equaliser) and Co, England lacked a cutting edge and were sloppy at the back. However, it’s an important point that means they remain unbeaten in qualifying for Euro 2024. England are still top of their qualifying group and on the right path when…
Hansi Flick has insisted he is the right man to lead the German men’s national team, after a humiliating 4-1 friendly loss to Japan. Two late goals from Takuma Asano and Ao Tanaka wrapped up a comprehensive Japan win, Germany’s third straight defeat and their fourth in five matches. It’s an extremely poor record as the country prepare to host Euro 2024 in just nine months’ time, but boss Hansi Flick was full of fighting spirit when talking to reporters in his post-match interview. We and the coaching staff are trying everything,” said Flick, according to Bulinews. “I think we are doing well and…
The moment seemed to have passed him by. With a chance to finally pass the almighty Pele as Brazil’s top scorer, Neymar stepped up to the spot. He missed, rolling a tame effort right at Guillermo Viscarra right after his trademark slow penalty runup. It turned out that Neymar’s ascension would only be delayed by minutes, not days or weeks. The Brazilian star is now the Brazilian goalscorer of all goalscorers. History, on this night, was made. With his 78th goal, Neymar passed Pele’s goal tally to become the Selecao’s best of the best before netting his 79th later for…
The Manchester United midfielder starred to salvage a win after an otherwise disappointing performance from his side. Bruno Fernandes scored a wonderful goal and was a constant source of creativity as Portugal grabbed a valuable away win to bolster their Euro 2024 qualification hopes. He was the difference maker in a night were Cristiano Ronaldo consistently misfired, with the Selecao stumbling to a 1-0 victory. Slovakia enjoyed some promising moments in the early goings, putting two efforts on target in the opening 10 minutes. Portugal responded with a chance of their own, but Bruno Fernandes’ tame effort was easily saved.…
Ilkay Gundogan admitted it is a “big honour” after he was named as the new captain of the Germany mens national team. Manuel Neuer, the former captain, remains sidelined as he is not yet 100 per cent match-fit after he suffered a severe skiing accident in January. While the goalkeeper has not officially retired from international football, manager Hansi Flick has picked his successor in veteran midfielder Gundogan. The footballer took to social media to share his excitement and wrote: “A big honour to be the new captain of the German national team.” Flick announced that Gundogan along with another…
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says he ‘totally accepts’ the one-game extension to the ban he received for his sending off against Newcastle. Van Dijk reacted furiously after being dismissed for denying Magpies’ striker Alexander Isak a clear goalscoring opportunity during Liverpool’s 2-1 win at St James’ Park on August 27. The defender initially refused to leave the field and remonstrated angrily with referee John Brooks. On Friday an FA disciplinary panel handed Van Dijk an additional one-match ban and a fine of £100,000 ($125,000) after concluding that the Dutchman “acted in an improper manner and used abusive and insulting words towards a…
While not quite on a par with Barcelona’s famous financial ‘levers’ the cash-strapped club has found another novel way of raising funds. With parts of the Camp Nou dramatically demolished as the iconic stadium undergoes a much-needed renovation, Barca have ingeniously packaged up sections of the famous turf and made them available for sale as certified items of memorabilia. Sales appear to be going well, with both the €50 (£43/$54) and €420 (£361/$450) versions currently showing as sold out on the club’s official website. The club’s financial problems are well documented. Since the return of Joan Laporta as president, the Catalan giants have…
Manchester United’s new midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has withdrawn from the Morocco squad due to an injury detected before the international break. United finally brought in a midfield reinforcement when they signed Amrabat from Fiorentina on deadline day on an £8 million ($9.9m) loan. However, it appears that the Moroccan midfielder is already injured and has had to withdraw from international duty. United detected a minor back issue during Amrabat’s medical at Carrington, but he was still released to join up with the Morocco squad. It now seems that the issue was slightly more serious than first thought. United boss Erik ten Hag will be…
Following their 1-0 victory over Ecuador Thursday night, Argentina reflected on their performance and the challenges that await them. Lionel Messi’s 78th-minute free kick – a moment of genius – was all that separated Argentina from a very composed Ecuador side who held their ground throughout the entire 90 minutes. Realizing and acknowledging that postgame, Argentina celebrated their success while looking ahead to the road that awaits them. “It was shown in the two friendlies and today, by the points, that this group is not going to relax beyond what it achieved. It was historic, extraordinary,” captain Messi said postgame.…
The manager did everything he could to help the winger get his career back on track but he must come down hard on him for questioning his authority. When questioned about Jadon Sancho’s absence from his Manchester United squad in the match against Arsenal, Erik ten Hag had several possible responses. He could have cited illness, suggested it wasn’t the right match for Sancho, or mentioned the coach’s decision-making. However, he chose to be brutally honest instead. On his performance on training we didn’t select him,” the manager said. “You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United.…
Chelsea are planning to build two eight-foot lion statues outside Stamford Bridge just weeks after scrapping subsidised travel for fans. Chelsea have submitted a planning application to Hammersmith and Fulham Council for permission to erect one of the giant sculptures, with Todd Boehly keen to deliver his promise to upgrade Stamford Bridge’s facilities and appearance. The cost of the sculptures in unknown, but the news comes weeks after Chelsea scrapped a £10 subsidy for supporter travel to away games. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust slammed the decision, especially given the Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership have already spent around £1 billion ($1.2bn) on transfers since…