Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

The kickoff date for the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League season has been postponed AGAIN. This was conveyed in a letter signed by the Chief Operating officer of the NPFL Davidson Owumi on Wednesday September 6, 2023. The 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League season was scheduled to kickoff with a flagoff game between Shooting Stars Sports Club and Plateau United FC on September 9, but that will not hold as earlier scheduled due to the postponement. According to the NPFL board, a new date will be fixed and announced for the commencement of the season. Kickoff date for the 2023/2024…

Bukayo Saka has been voted England men’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Midfielder Jude Bellingham was second in the ballot while captain and all-time goalscorer Harry Kane was third. Saka has scored seven goals in 10 Three Lions appearances in the last 12 months, including three strikes at the 2022 World Cup and a first career hat-trick against North Macedonia in June. He is in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine on Saturday before the World Cup quarter-finalists face Scotland on Tuesday.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday, met with Nigerian and Indian captains of industry on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India. The Nigerian leader was accompanied to the meeting by the Coordinating Minister of Economy and Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; and Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar. President Tinubu, on Tuesday, arrived in New Delhi to the immediate embrace of Gopichand Hinduja, the Chairman and CEO of the Hinduja Group of Companies, a conglomerate with a total asset portfolio exceeding $100 billion U.S. Dollars. The Indian Industrialist was received by the President…

The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel of the Presidential Petition Election Tribunal on Wednesday said the Allied Peoples Movement’s petition challenging the qualification of Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was a pre-election matter. Reading his verdict, Tsammani said the matter ought to have been challenged before the conduct of the presidential election. He said, “The issue of qualification or disqualification is a constitutional one. The issue of disqualification or qualification is a pre-election matter. “It must be determined before the conduct of the election. This court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter and even if it does it is status-barred…

The nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards will be announced on Wednesday, with 30 male and 20 female players set to make the shortlist. The annual prize, given to the best footballer of the year, is widely considered the most prestigious in the sport. On Thursday, 30 nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or and 20 nominees for the Ballon d’Or Feminin will be revealed. There will also be a 10-man list of nominees for the Yashin and Kopa trophies, awarded to the best goalkeeper and best Under-21 player respectively. Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has won the…

Former Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has signed a one-year contract with Belgian side Anderlecht. The 36-year-old was a free agent after leaving Nice by mutual consent last week, which meant he could join a new club outside the transfer window. “Anderlecht is just a massive club,” said the Denmark goalkeeper. “Former team-mates from different places have always talked so highly and warmly of this place. It was something I really wanted to become part of.” Schmeichel made 46 appearances in all competitions for Nice last season after joining the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer from Leicester. The…

Novak Djokovic reached a record 47th men’s Grand Slam semi-final with a straight-set win over Taylor Fritz at the US Open. The Serb, 36, prevailed 6-1 6-4 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium to continue his pursuit of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. Djokovic achieved his victory despite temporarily appearing to struggle with the heat and humidity in New York. The three-time champion faces Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton in the last four. The winner of Tuesday’s all-American quarter-final between Tiafoe and Shelton will now carry the host nation’s hopes of a first men’s singles champion for 20 years following…

American teenager Coco Gauff stormed into the US Open semi-finals for the first time with an impressive victory over Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. Gauff, 19, won 6-0 6-2 in 67 minutes to record her best run at the tournament. She will play 10th seed Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic or Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, the 30th seed, in the semi-finals on Thursday. “It feels great, I’m so happy,” said Gauff. “I lost in the quarter-finals stage last year and wanted to do better this year. I have a long way to go but I’m happy and will get ready for the…

Jorge Vilda, Spain’s Women’s World Cup-winning head coach, has been sacked amid the ongoing Luis Rubiales scandal. Spain’s win was overshadowed by the country’s football federation president Rubiales kissing forward Jenni Hermoso, which she said was not consensual. Most of Vilda’s coaching staff resigned and 81 players refused to play for Spain in the aftermath. Rubiales has refused to resign but has been provisionally suspended by Fifa, football’s world governing body. In a statement, Spanish federation the RFEF did not give a specific reason for Vilda’s dismissal, saying he had been “a promoter of the values ​​of respect and sportsmanship…

CAF has appointed Algerian Lahlou Benbraham to referee  the AFCON qualifying match between Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe on Sunday. The fixture is scheduled to hold at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom. Benbraham will be assisted by fellow Algerians Brahim El Hamlaoui Sid Ali (Assistant Referee 1) and Mohammed Serradj (Assistant Referee 2). He would also have a compatriot as the fourth official in the form of Nabil Boukhalfa while Prosper Addo from West African neighbours Ghana will be the match commissioner. Togolese Komi Konyoh has been appointed as referee Assessor , while Ozoemena Joseph from…

Manchester City will face Club Leon or Urawa Reds in their opening match at the Club World Cup. City have qualified for the first time after winning the 2022-23 Champions League and start their campaign in the semi-finals. Mexican side Club Leon are the reigning Concacaf champions and Urawa Reds of Japan won the AFC Champions League. The tournament takes place in Saudi Arabia between 12-22 December with seven teams involved. Jeddah hosted the draw on Tuesday and all games in the Fifa tournament will be staged in the city. Entry is secured by winning one of the six continental confederation…

USMNT star Christian Pulisic, known as “Captain America,” is standing up for his country by lashing out at celebrities who attended the LAFC vs. Inter Miami match on Sunday night,  He sarcastically stated how someone should tell them they can also watch the “Stars & Stripes” play in person. Pulisic, 24, reposted a video to Instagram Stories, originally shared by the official MLS social media accounts, of the various celebrities in attendance at BMO Stadium for Messi’s first performance in Los Angeles. “Let them know they’re invited to US national team games too,” Pulisic captioned the post While Pulisic could be…