Author: Timi-Zacchaeus Oluwaferanmi

Lando Norris topped the timesheets for McLaren in Friday’s second practice session at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda suffered a dramatic crash late in the day. Tsunoda, who recently stepped into the Red Bull seat vacated by Liam Lawson, lost control at the final corner of the Jeddah Street Circuit. After clipping the inside wall, the Japanese driver was launched into the barriers on the outside, bringing an abrupt end to the session’s long-run simulations. Norris led a dominant McLaren performance, clocking a time 0.163 seconds quicker than teammate Oscar Piastri. The pair continued to…

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has hailed the significance of securing new contracts for Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, and says keeping the current squad intact — including right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold — would already make this a “big summer” for the club. Slot confirmed that while deals for Van Dijk and Salah have been wrapped up, Alexander-Arnold’s future remains unresolved with his contract expiring this summer. The 26-year-old, long considered one of the Premier League’s finest full-backs, has attracted strong interest from Real Madrid. “It’s already a big summer now,” Slot said in his pre-match press conference. “By holding on…

Burnley took a giant stride towards automatic promotion to the Premier League after a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory over Watford at Vicarage Road on Friday night. Goals from Zian Flemming and captain Josh Brownhill cancelled out Mamadou Doumbia’s early opener for Watford, as the Clarets extended their remarkable unbeaten run to 30 Championship matches — equalling a club record and becoming only the second team in the league’s history to achieve such a feat in non-playoff games, after Reading. The win lifts Scott Parker’s side three points clear at the top of the table, ahead of Leeds United’s late fixture…

Aaron Boupendza, a promising forward for Gabon, tragically passed away at the age of 28 after reportedly falling from a building in China. The football world is in mourning following the announcement of his death by Gabon’s football federation (Fegafoot) on 16 April 2025. Boupendza had recently joined Chinese club Zhejiang FC, based in Hangzhou, from Romania’s Rapid Bucharest in January. Boupendza, known for his speed and skill, represented Gabon in 35 international caps, making a notable impact during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Cameroon, where he scored the winner against Comoros. Despite his team’s exit in…

Declan Rice delivered the performance of his career as Arsenal stunned Real Madrid at the Bernabeu to book their place in the Champions League semi-finals. After a 3-0 first-leg win at the Emirates, the Gunners completed the job in Spain with a 2-1 win, thanks in no small part to a midfield masterclass from Rice, who has now firmly placed himself among the best in world football. “He turned the game around,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “He was immense. He made the difference.” The £105m signing from West Ham was everywhere on the night—breaking up play, controlling the tempo,…

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has confirmed that goalkeeper Andre Onana will return to the starting lineup for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon at Old Trafford. The 29-year-old Cameroon international was dropped for the Red Devils’ 4-1 Premier League defeat to Newcastle last weekend, with Altay Bayindir stepping in for his league debut. However, Amorim says the decision was intended to give Onana a mental break and has now reaffirmed his faith in the former Inter Milan shot-stopper. “We had one weekend where I felt it was better for Andre not to play,” said Amorim. “He will…

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has signed a new two-year contract, committing his future to the Reds until the summer of 2027. The 33-year-old Dutchman, whose previous deal was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, becomes the latest senior figure to pledge allegiance to the club following Mohamed Salah’s contract extension last week. Van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018 for a then-world-record £75 million fee for a defender. Since his arrival, he has made 314 appearances and played a vital role in one of the club’s most successful modern eras — helping them…

Neymar’s return to the pitch was marred by a heartbreaking injury as the 33-year-old forward was forced to leave the field in tears during Santos’ match against Atletico-MG on Wednesday. The Brazilian international had been out for six weeks due to a thigh injury and was making his first start in the Brazilian Serie A this season. Wearing a special “100” shirt to mark his 100th appearance at Santos’ Vila Belmiro stadium, Neymar’s comeback seemed promising until disaster struck. Just 34 minutes into the match, Neymar appeared to gesture towards the bench following a goal by Alvaro Barreal that put…

Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has voiced strong opposition to proposals to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams. The idea, put forward by South America’s Conmebol, has already been met with criticism from multiple football authorities, including Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The 2030 World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, with the opening matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. While the 2026 World Cup will expand to 48 teams, Conmebol’s proposal aims to mark the centennial anniversary of the tournament by further increasing the number of participating teams. Montagliani…

Manchester United’s hopes of a strong finish to their season have taken a major hit with the news that forward Joshua Zirkzee could miss the rest of the campaign due to a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old Dutch international limped off during the second half of Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United and has since undergone tests to assess the damage. Early indications suggest the injury is severe enough to potentially sideline him for the remainder of the season. United manager Ruben Amorim is expected to provide further clarity during Wednesday’s press conference ahead of the crucial Europa League quarter-final second…