FORMER Chelsea and Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, in an interview with ObiOne Podcast has revealed why he turned a fine attacking midfielder Mikel Obi into a defensive midfielder. Known for his long-range pass and silkiness on the ball during the early stage of his career, the former Super Eagles captain saw his role reversed under the Portuguese manager at Stamford Bridge. Only bettered by Lionel Messi at the 2005 U-20 World Cup in Holland, Mikel finished as the second-best player of the tournament following a fine performance where he helped Nigeria to a second-place finish with his two-goal contributions.…
Author: Peter Noah KC
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PLATEAU United forward Albert Hilary stole the show on match-day 14 of the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League with a hat trick as Plateau United compounded the woes of Bayelsa United with a 5-1 defeat at the New Jos Stadium on Sunday. He scored a brace inside two minutes before adding the third in the 61st minute to take his season’s tally to five goals while Silas Nenrot and Chimezie Izuchukwu rounded up scoring for the hosts who also recorded their third win in a row. Bayelsa United’s only goal came from Ekeson Okorie in the 28th minute when they…
MATCHDAY 14 of the Nigerian Premier Football League stages a spectacular showdown in Lafia with Lobi Stars welcoming Doma United in a clash that could have significant implications in the top four race as these two titans lock horns having a point to prove. Doma are bidding to extend their unbeaten run in the NPFL to 10 games in the encounter that hosts, Lobi are also aiming to return to winning ways and also extend their winning home streak to seven games. Lobi are yet to drop a point at home this season – one of the few clubs to…
NIGERIAN defender, William Troost-Ekong, has expressed his determination to secure victory in the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. The Super Eagles find themselves in Group B alongside tournament hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau for the AFCON campaign. Despite strong competition from teams like Senegal, Egypt, and Morocco, Troost-Ekong remains resolute in his ambition to claim the championship and win Nigeria’s fourth AFCON trophy and a first since 2013. While not recently featuring for Jose Peseiro’s squad in the last four games, concerns have arisen regarding his inclusion in the upcoming tournament. Nevertheless, the…
BASKING from the euphoria of winning the CAF Footballer of the Year prize, Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen says the Nigerian side are in “high spirits” for the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Osimhen broke a 24-year jinx to become the first Nigerian to win Africa’s most coveted individual prize since 1999. Buoyed by that win, the Napoli star says the Super Eagles will do well when the competition begins in Cote d’Ivoire next month. “We are ready and preparing very well,” Osimhen told CAF. “The squad is in high spirits. We are raring to go and hope…
NEWLY crowned CAF 2023 African Player of The Year, Victor Osimhen, on Tuesday penned a gratifying message to celebrate his top prize. In an extended message posted on his X account, the Napoli striker told an inspiring story of how he started as a hawker on the streets of Olusosun in Lagos to becoming a global icon in football. On Monday, the Napoli striker beat Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah to the star prize at the awards ceremony in Marrakech. Reflecting on his journey to stardom, the 24-year-old wrote, “As a young boy who came from the streets…
FORMER Super Eagles winger and 1994 AFCON winner, Emmanuel Amuneke, insists he didn’t vote in the poll for the 2023 CAF Player of The Year award, which was won by Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen. Amuneke made this known in the wake of a backlash from Nigerians, after a video shared by CAF showed the Nigerian legend picking Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah — another of the final nominees along with moroccan Hachraf Hakimi — in the pecking order. Amuneke, who also coached Osimhen and his teammates to Nigeria’s fifth U-17 World Cup triumph in Chile 2015, has come under fire over…
FOOTBALL fans across Africa are in for a treat as pay-TV platform, StarTimes, secured the rights to broadcast the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup. The highly anticipated tournament kicks off on December 12th (today) in Saudi Arabia and will feature seven of the world’s top club teams vying for the coveted trophy. UEFA Champions League winners Manchester City, Copa Libertadores de América winners Fluminense, CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly and Karim Benzema’s Al Al Ittihad will lead the football show. The first match between Al Ittihad and Auckland City kicks off today at 7pm. All the matches will air…
VICTOR Osimhen has been crowned the 2023 African Footballer of the Year in a momentous event that solidified his status as one of the best players in the world. Monday’s award capped off a sterling year for the Super Eagles forward whose historic feat in the imperial Moroccan city of Marakesh ended Nigeria’s 24-year-old wait for Africa’s top individual prize. Legendary Kanu Nwankwo was the last Nigerian to win the award and that was in 1999. The prize is a recognition of Osimhen’s exploits for his Napoli club side and the national team where he is a key member. He…
NIGERIA’s Asisat Oshoala has added another feather to her cap, winning the illustrious African Women’s Player of the Year for a record-extending fifth time. The Barcelona star was crowned as the winner of the 2023 CAF Women’s Player of the Year to earn the feat. THE SIXTH! “This night, I would love to use this opportunity to thank everyone who has been part of my journey from grassroots football to the national level to the club side. Because without you, my coaches, and my teammates, there will be no me,” Oshoal said in her acceptance speech. “Football is a team…
THE traditional ruler of Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River, Etiyin Maurice Edet, was on Sunday night abducted by gunmen at his residence in the council area. It was gathered that an aide to the traditional ruler was shot dead in the process of the kidnapping. The spokesperson of the state Police Command, SP Irene Ugbo, confirmed the incident but said details were unknown to her as of press time. A source, however, said that the traditional ruler’s aide was killed as he tried to prevent his principal from being abducted. Akpabuyo, notorious for criminal activities, is less than…
NIGERIAN football legend and former national team captain, Christian Chukwu, has lamented the current condition of the Super Eagles, saying that the country does not have a team for now. Chukwu, who was a guest on Channels Sports Sunday monitored by News Point Nigeria, also said that the Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, should be based in the country to be able to discover local football talents to complement the foreign-based players. “Our coach should come and stay with us in Nigeria. We have a lot of talents in Nigeria, in our local league and when you don’t camp and…
NIGERIAN football stars shortlisted for the 2023 Confederation of African Football Awards are expected to arrive in Marrakech, Morocco on Sunday (today). Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen who is the favourite to clinch the award for the first time is nominated for the prestigious award alongside Egyptian captain Mohammed Salah and Achraf Hakimi from Morocco. The 24-year-old has been in fine form for Napoli in the past 12 months guiding the Serie A club to their first league victory in 33 years and scoring a league-high 26 goals in 32 Serie A games last season, and 31 goals across all…
DOMA United duo, head coach Akinade Onigbinde and goalkeeper Kingdom Osayi, have been named winners of the League Bloggers Awards for the coach of the month and player of the month respectively in November, for their excellent run in the Nigeria Premier Football League, Saturday PUNCH reports. Both coach and players were announced on Friday, the eve of their highly anticipated clash against former champions Kano Pillars in the Nigeria Premier Football League. Onigbinde edged last month’s winner and Remo Stars coach Daniel Ogunmodede, Lobi Stars Eugene Agagbe and Sunshine Stars Edith Agoye. Onigbinde guided Doma United to an unbeaten…
KANO Pillars captain Rabiu Ali has revealed why he prohibits his children from playing football even if they have the potential of becoming footballers in the future. The 43-year-old started playing football from his primary school days in Fagge, Kano and he also acknowledged that his children’s only chance of playing the game is also in school. “Although we faced difficulty from our parents during our time and for me, I said my children won’t play football as well because even in my house I don’t allow it,” Ali told this newspaper. Ali has been active in the Nigeria Premier…
SOME unknown gunmen on Thursday opened fire on the Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure along the Benin-Ore Expressway. News Point Nigeria reports that the hoodlums shot at the bus conveying the team to Benin City, Edo State capital, where they were going to honour the Match Day 13 of the Nigeria Premier Football League against Bendel Insurance FC of Benin. It was also learnt the team manager, Mr. Seun Betiku, and an official of the team whose identity had not been confirmed as of the time of filing this report, were injured in the attack. The Media Officer of…
THREE officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) were injured when they repelled a gunfire attack at a forest in Edo State. NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying armed hoodlums blocked all roads at Opuje community, in the Owan West Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State to prevent the anti-narcotic operatives from accessing the forest warehouses where tons of processed psychoactive substances have been stored for distribution nationwide ahead of the coming Christmas and New Year season. “Some of the warehouses containing about 6,000kgs of cannabis were first taken down in…
NEW Heartland coach Kennedy Boboye can finally heave a sigh of relief after guiding the Naze Millionaires to their first victory of the season in the Nigeria Premier Football League, thanks to a shock 1-0 win over Bendel Insurance in Owerri on Wednesday. Austin Osayande’s 51st minute goal ensured victory for Heartland to put an end to their run of 11 games without a win. Heartland’s first win of the season came three games into the reign of Boboye, who took charge of the team on match-day 10 and began with a 1-0 defeat at home to Enyimba, before forcing…
SUPER Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has added yet another award to his growing list of accolades after scooping the Footballer of the Year prize for 2023 at the AIC Oscar del Calcio Awards. Osimhen was instrumental for Napoli as they raced to their first Serie A title in 33 years earlier in the year. The Nigerian scored 26 league goals to land the gong at the Italian Footballers’ Association Footballer of the Year award ceremony on Monday night. “Victor Osimhen is the 2022/23 Footballer of the Year,” the awardees tweeted while announcing the 24-year-old as the winner. Apart from winning…
SOME Nigerian football stakeholders say they are set to engage former and current officials of the Nigeria Football Federation in a fresh legal battle over alleged corruption and misappropriation of football development funds. News Point Nigeria reports that the funds, according to the stakeholders, include FIFA’s $8.6m 2014 World Cup grant, $10m 2018 World Cup grant among other streams of FIFA and CAF developmental funds, as well as sponsorship money from corporate bodies between 2014 and 2022. Chairman of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria Task Force, Harrison Jalla, in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Monday, alleged that the…