Sports

Tokyo, June 14, 2019 Japanese striker Takefusa Kubo joined Real Madrid on Friday, with the Spanish La Liga club hailing the 18-year-old as “one of the most promising youngsters in world football’’. Details of the deal were not disclosed but Spanish newspaper Marca said Real Madrid have paid FC Tokyo …

                                                                                            Madrid, June 13, 2019 …

London, June 12,2019 (Reuters/NAN) Anthony Joshua is finished as a boxer after losing his world heavyweight titles to Andy Ruiz Jr, fellow-Briton Tyson Fury says. Fury, also a previous IBF, WBA and IBO champion, fights German underdog Tom Schwarz in a non-title bout in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The …

Rome, June 11, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Fifteen of Serie A’s 20 clubs have voted against a proposal to create a semi-closed UEFA Champions League from 2024 onwards, according to a statement released in Rome. The clubs backed a resolution which said qualification for UEFA club competitions such as the Champions League …

Suleiman Ibrahim has emerged the 2019 Champion in the U-16 category of the just-concluded NNPC/SNEPCo Junior Tennis Tournament held at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club. Ibrahim from Junior Secondary School, Durumi in Abuja, came back after losing his first set 3-10 against David Dawariye from Faith Baptist High School, Diobu, Rivers State, finishing 10-4 …

London, June 6, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Chelsea forward Eden Hazard is set to join Real Madrid after a deal worth 100 million euros plus add-ons was agreed between the two clubs on Thursday. This was based on British and Spanish media reports on Thursday, but there was no official word from …

Paris, June 4, 2019 Gianni Infantino was re-elected FIFA president unopposed at the congress of world football’s governing body in Paris on Wednesday. His re-election was marked by a round of applause from the congress after the statutes were changed earlier in the day to no longer require a vote …

By Stanley Nwanosike Enugu, June 2, 2019 The President of Nigeria Para Power-lifting Federation, Queen Uboh, says Enugu State has been given the right to host the Para-Powerlifting World Cup slated for February 2020. Uboh made this known to newsmen in Enugu on Sunday after the first Annual General Meeting …

Sao Paulo (Brazil), June 2, 2019 Brazil football player Neymar has denied accusations of rape contained in a Sao Paulo police report seen by Reuters, He said he had been the victim of an extortion attempt by a lawyer claiming to represent the woman he is alleged to have assaulted. …

Madrid, June 1, 2019 An early Mohamed Salah penalty kick and a late strike by Divock Origi gave Liverpool a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s all-English UEFA Champions League final match in Madrid. But it was more the story of their coach, Juergen Klopp, finally getting his hands …

Abuja, May 31, 2019 Nigeria’s final preparations for the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which will hold in Egypt is set to begin on Sunday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said on Friday. Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, said in a statement that the preparations would begin when …

Nigeria advanced to the knockout stages of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, but the Flying Eagles have taken their fair share of criticism for their performance in the tournament to this point. Nigeria settled for a 1-1 draw against Ukraine on Thursday, which was a lackluster result given the side’s …

By Victor Okoye Abuja, May 30, 2019 Ukraine and Nigeria played out a 1-1 draw at a chilly Bielsko-Biala Stadium on Thursday to close out Group D at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland. Employing their tried-and-tested strategy of congesting the middle with three central defenders, Ukraine frustrated …

Chelsea hammered their London rivals Arsenal 4-1 to win the Europa League thanks to two goals from Eden Hazard on Wednesday in Baku, Azerbaijan. Hazard possibly making his last appearance for the Blues scored twice and one apiece for Olivier Giroud and Pedro. Chelsea destroyed Arsenal with four second-half goals …

By Olayinka Owolewa Ilorin, May 28, 2019 Salisu Ogbe saved three spot kicks to help Kogi United book next round ticket of 2019 Aiteo Cup after beating Akure City FC in the Round of 64 encounter on Tuesday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the match was played …

By Monday Ijeh Abuja, May 27, 2019 The Federal Government on Monday redeemed its pledge to provide a house for Mr Clemence Westerhof, the Technical Adviser that led the Super Eagles to victory in the 1994 African Nations Cup competition. Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing …

By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus Ilorin, May 26, 2019 Super Falcons’ strikers Asisat Oshoala and Chinwendu Ihezuo have arrived the Super Falcons’ Avita Resort camp in Austria, completing the final squad of 23 players. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team’s Head Coach, Thomas Dennerby, had earlier picked 21 …

Prominent Former Nigerian Internationals have praised Rivers State Governor,  Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for promoting sports for the empowerment of youths in the state. In an interview with journalists at the Government House Port Harcourt on Friday night,  they called on Governor Wike to sustain the investment in sports. Former Nigerian …

Former Super Eagles Players and other prominent  footballers on Friday honoured Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike at a novelty football in Port Harcourt. Governor  Wike,  his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike , Deputy Governor Ipalibo Harry Banigo and other prominent  Rivers leaders watched the match. Kanu Nwankwo,  Taribo West, …

By Aderonke Ojo Abuja, May 24, 2019 Asisat Oshoala, Desire Oparanozie and Onome Ebi headline the 23-player list of Super Falcons players heading to the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France. Ademola Olajire, the Director of Communications at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), in a statement on Friday …

Barcelona (Spain), May 24, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Lionel Messi has said FC Barcelona’s biggest mistake was failing to compete during the 0-4 defeat at Liverpool which sent them crashing out of the UEFA Champions League. The Argentina forward compared the loss to the 0-1 loss his national team suffered against Germany …

Accra, May 22, 2019 Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan has bowed to a presidential request to make himself available for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations, just 48 hours after announcing his international retirement. Gyan quit the national team on Monday, seemingly unhappy at having the captaincy taken away from him …

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Super Falcons for putting up a superlative performance that saw them emerging the 2019 WAFU Women’s Cup Champions, with an unbeaten record throughout the tournament. President Buhari, in a statement by Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant  (Media & Publicity), commended “the Falcons for their fighting …

London, May 18, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick as Manchester City crushed Watford 6-0 in the English FA Cup final match on Saturday at Wembley. They have now become the first team to win the English treble of league championship and both domestic cups in spectacular style. The …

By Olanrewaju Akojede and Kemi Ajayi Lagos, May 15, 2019 Some soccer fans and journalists have expressed divergent opinions on Super Eagles’ 25-man provisional list for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) just released by Coach Gernot Rohr. The preparation of the senior national team toward AFCON heated-up when Rohr …