Author: Timi-Zacchaeus Oluwaferanmi

The football world continues to mourn the tragic loss of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota, whose sudden death in a car accident on Thursday sent shockwaves across the global sporting community — including among Nigerian footballers at home and abroad. Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva died in the early hours of Thursday morning following a high-speed crash on the A-52 highway near Palacios de Sanabria in Spain’s Zamora province. According to Spanish authorities, the vehicle suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking, causing the fatal accident around 12:40 am local time. The Portugal international was returning to Liverpool…

Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered a moment of brilliance to set up Gonzalo García’s winning goal as Real Madrid edged past Juventus 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. In a closely contested match in front of 62,149 fans, it was Alexander-Arnold’s superb second-half cross that separated the two European giants. The England international, making his fourth consecutive start under Xabi Alonso, swung in a pinpoint delivery which García powered into the top corner with a well-timed header in the 54th minute. The goal marked García’s third of the tournament and…

Arsenal have completed the signing of Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea for a reported fee of £5 million, marking the end of the 30-year-old’s eventful six-year stint at Stamford Bridge. Kepa has signed a three-year contract with the Gunners and is expected to compete for the number one shirt alongside fellow Spaniard David Raya. The deal brings a new chapter for Kepa, who arrives at the Emirates Stadium after a season-long loan at Bournemouth, where he featured in 35 matches across all competitions. He now joins Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, a team pushing for Premier League and European glory after…

Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo has pledged his future to the club by signing a new contract extending his stay at Vitality Stadium until the summer of 2030. The 25-year-old Ghanaian forward’s commitment comes after an impressive rise since joining the Cherries from Bristol City in January 2023. Semenyo’s new deal underlines his importance to Bournemouth’s plans as they prepare for another Premier League campaign. Having already signed a long-term contract 12 months ago, this extension offers both the club and player added stability amid increased attention from some of England’s biggest clubs. Since arriving in Dorset, Semenyo has become a…

Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich cruised into the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup with a 4-2 victory over Flamengo at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The England captain delivered a masterclass in clinical finishing, netting once in each half to ensure the German champions outclassed the Brazilian giants in a thrilling Last 16 encounter witnessed by over 60,000 spectators. It took Bayern just six minutes to get on the scoresheet, though it came through an unfortunate moment for Flamengo’s Erick Pulgar, who diverted the ball into his own net following a cross from the right.…

Kwara United made history on Saturday by clinching their first-ever President Federation Cup title after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over surprise finalists Abakaliki FC at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos. The closely contested final ended goalless after regulation time, but Kwara United held their nerve in the shootout to triumph 4-3, bringing decades of disappointment to an emotional end. The win also secured their qualification for the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup, alongside Abia Warriors. Head coach Tunde Sanni, clearly overwhelmed by the achievement, praised his players and fans for their commitment and revealed just how crucial the victory…

Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has launched a scathing attack on the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, calling it “the worst idea ever implemented in football” and warning of dangerous consequences for player welfare. Now head of global football at Red Bull, Klopp’s criticism comes just days after one of Red Bull’s teams, RB Salzburg, was eliminated in the group stage of the newly expanded 32-team tournament in the United States. In an interview with Welt am Sonntag, the 58-year-old German doubled down on long-held concerns over fixture congestion, player fatigue, and the governing bodies’ failure to prioritize recovery time.…

Paulinho came off the bench to score a brilliant extra-time winner as Palmeiras edged fierce rivals Botafogo 1-0 in a tense all-Brazilian affair to reach the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals. The former Bayer Leverkusen winger cut inside from the right and rifled a low strike into the bottom corner in the 100th minute, securing a hard-fought win in front of 33,657 fans at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia. His second goal of the tournament sent Palmeiras through to a last-eight clash with either Chelsea or Benfica — a matchup that could pit 18-year-old star Estêvão Willian against his soon-to-be new…

England Under-21s clinched back-to-back UEFA European U21 Championship titles after edging Germany 3-2 in an enthralling final that went to extra time in Bratislava. A dramatic header from substitute Jonathan Rowe just two minutes into the added period secured the title for Lee Carsley’s Young Lions, who now join the elite company of successive U21 champions — a feat not achieved since Dave Sexton’s class of 1982 and 1984. This latest triumph underlines Carsley’s remarkable stewardship since taking the helm in 2021, and with his contract freshly extended until 2027, the Football Association may now have a task on their…

Paul Pogba fought back tears as he officially signed a two-year deal with AS Monaco, marking his emotional return to competitive football after serving an 18-month doping suspension. The 32-year-old former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder has been without a club since November 2023, when he and Juventus mutually agreed to terminate his contract in the wake of a provisional suspension. That suspension followed a failed drug test after Juventus’ opening match of the 2023–24 Serie A season against Udinese. In his Monaco unveiling, Pogba expressed gratitude and determination. “Thanks for the trust,” he said in a heartfelt video message…