Sports

Turin (Italy), July 12, 2020 Cristiano Ronaldo converted two penalty kicks, both awarded for handballs and the second in the last minute on Saturday, as Serie A leaders Juventus twice hit back to draw 2-2 with Atalanta. The draw helped the defending champions to move closer to a ninth successive …

Barcelona (Spain), July 8, 2020 FC Barcelona kept up their pursuit of leaders Real Madrid in the La Liga title race by beating city rivals Espanyol 1-0 at home on Wednesday. The slim win also condemned their neighbours to relegation from the top flight. Luis Suarez struck the only goal …

Barcelona (Spain), July 7, 2020 The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected Brazilian club Santos’ case against FC Barcelona, the Spanish club said in a statement on Tuesday. Santos had dragged the La Liga champions to CAS in relation to the signing of Neymar in 2013. They had …

Manchester (UK), July 5, 2020 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is confident the club will win their appeal against a two-year UEFA ban from European football. Manchester City’s appeal against the ban was heard last month at the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) and a decision is expected by …

London, July 3, 2020 Apart from Liverpool wrapping up the Premier League title, the only other inevitability about the restart of the season has been VAR controversy, and this week has provided it in spades. West Ham United Manager,Davis Moyes, was “spewing” after Tomas Soucek’s strike was chalked off for …

Sheffield (UK), July 2, 2020 Tottenham Hotspur manager, Jose Mourinho on Thursday questioned the point of having referees on the pitch, saying VAR was bad for the game. His comments came after his side were victims of a controversially disallowed equaliser in a 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United in the …

Barcelona (Spain), July 3, 2020 FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has called off negotiations over renewing his contract with the club, according to a report by Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Friday. The report added that the Argentina captain was even ready to leave the Catalans when his current …

Madrid, July 2, 2020 Spain’s secretary for sport, Irene Lozano and La Liga President, Javier Tebas have categorically ruled out fans returning to matches before the end of this season to minimise the risk of the novel Coronavirus spreading. Tebas said last month that fans should be allowed back once …

By Victor Okoye Abuja, June 25, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Liverpool finally emerged champions of the English Premier League (EPL) on Thursday, after winning their first English football top-flight title in three decades. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with Liverpool holding a massive lead of 23 points at the …

Birmingham (UK), June 21, 2020 Second half goals from Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud secured for Chelsea a 2-1 comeback win at relegation-threatened Aston Villa in the English Premier League (EPL) on Sunday. The victory boosted Chelsea’s hopes of securing UEFA Champions League football next season. The result left them …

Bremen (Germany), June 16, 2020 Bayern Munich have clinched an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title by winning 1-0 away to Werder Bremen to go 10 points clear of Borussia Dortmund, who have only three games left to play. Robert Lewandowski’s 31st goal of the season sealed the latest championship for Bayern, …

Manchester (UK), June 15, 2020 UEFA are set to complete the Champions League with a ‘Final Eight’ tournament held over 10 days in Lisbon, according to a plan which will be presented to their executive committee for ratification on Wednesday. According to Reuters, the proposal is expected to be agreed …

Turin (Italy), June 13, 2020 Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty kick as hosts Juventus were held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man AC Milan on Friday. But the Turin side still squeezed into the Coppa Italia final as the season restarted following a three-month stoppage for the novel coronavirus. Juventus …

Football is the greatest instrument that unites Nigeria. Whenever the national team, the Super Eagles, is on song all Nigerians become united in an astonishing togetherness. There was the Nigeria-Biafra war of 1967-70 that could have divided the country forever. At the end of the war in 1970, then Head …

Munich, June 10, 2020 Robert Lewandowski netted a second-half winner as holders Bayern Munich remained on course for a domestic double after beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final for the third straight year. Despite a superb first half, in which they took the lead …

Barcelona (Spain), May 31, 2020 FC Barcelona will recommence their bid to defend the Spanish title on June 13 away to Real Mallorca, after a three-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organisers La Liga, while announcing this on Sunday, also said Real Madrid will host Eibar on June 14. …

Monaco midfielder, Cesc Fabregas has given his thoughts on Arsene Wenger, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho who were his managers at one point in his career. Arsene Wenger was his manager at Arsenal, Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. Asked how the trio differed in an interview …

Manchester United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is uncertain if Nigerian striker Odion Jude Ighalo would remain at the club until the end of the season or beyond the 2019/2020 season. Odion Jude Ighalo joined Manchester United on loan from Chinese Super League side, Shanghai Shenhua, during the winter transfer window and …

Berlin, May 25, 2020 Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara has been ruled out of Tuesday’s Bundesliga top game against Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich’s coach Hansi Flick said on Monday. This came to light after the playmaker, who had already missed Saturday’s 5-2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, failed to recover from …

Liverpool (UK), May 20, 2020 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp believes it is the right time for England’s Premier League (EPL) to resume after a two-month stoppage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Premier League hopes to restart its season in June, having been suspended since mid-March. Its plans were given …

  Madrid, May 20, 2020 La Liga will use a video analysis programme to help it determine if a player is likely to have infected a team mate or opponent. According to a draft protocol drawn up by the league, this will be put into use if the player tests …

Manchester (UK), May 18, 2020 Premier League clubs will return to training on Tuesday after agreeing to allow “small group” sessions to begin, the first step on the road to a return to competitive action. The league held a conference call for all 20 clubs on Monday where the move …

  Nyon (Switzerland), May 17, 2020 UEFA has a plan to finish the 2019/2020 season by August, including the Champions League and Europa League campaigns, the European football governing body’s president Aleksander Ceferin said on Sunday. The majority of European league seasons were suspended in March due to the COVID-19 …

Berlin, May 17, 2020 From social distancing substitutes using airport stairs, to disinfected balls and a potential television audience of one billion, the 2019/2020 Bundesliga enjoyed a chequered restart on Saturday. It was the first major sports league to resume amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The German top two divisions, suspended …

  By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus Ilorin, May 15, 2020 The world football governing body, FIFA says the host(s) of the 2023 Women’s World Cup will  be announced on June 25, 2020 by the FIFA Council. According to a statement from the body on Friday, the four bidding member associations will know …