Author: Timi-Zacchaeus Oluwaferanmi

West Ham United have officially confirmed that veteran forward Michail Antonio will not be returning to the first team for the upcoming season, ending a decade-long playing career at the club. Discussions, however, are ongoing regarding a potential off-field role within the club’s academy setup. The 35-year-old Jamaican international, who joined the Hammers from Nottingham Forest in 2015 for £7 million, last played for the senior side in December before a horrific car crash nearly cost him his life. Since then, Antonio has focused on rehabilitation and recovery, with West Ham continuing to provide support throughout the process. In a…

Senegal’s head coach Souleymane Diallo has credited his team’s unity, discipline, and tactical intelligence for their hard-fought 1-0 win over Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles in their opening Group B fixture at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Zanzibar. The victory, secured by a late strike from Christian Gomis, marked a perfect start to Senegal’s title defence and extended their impressive run of form in the competition. The match, played at the Amman Stadium on Tuesday night, was a tightly contested affair with few clear-cut chances. However, Senegal’s organisation and game management proved decisive, particularly in the final 20 minutes…

Former Arsenal and Ghana international footballer Thomas Partey has been granted conditional bail after appearing in court to face multiple sexual offence charges. The 32-year-old midfielder appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with five counts of rape involving two women and one count of sexual assault against a third woman. The alleged incidents are said to have occurred between 2021 and 2022 during his time at Arsenal. Dressed in a black zip-up jumper and black trousers, and carrying a navy blazer, Partey stood in the dock with his arms behind his back. He confirmed…

A potentially transformative legal battle is unfolding as over 100,000 current and former professional footballers challenge FIFA over long-standing transfer regulations they claim have unlawfully restricted their careers and earnings. Described as a “seismic confrontation” by former Fulham midfielder-turned-lawyer Udo Onwere, the class action lawsuit was launched this week by Dutch foundation Justice for Players (JFP), in what could become the most significant legal challenge to football’s global governing body since the landmark Bosman ruling in 1995. JFP’s case, which also targets the football associations of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, argues that FIFA’s transfer rules have violated…

Ademola Lookman has intensified his push for a move away from Atalanta by refusing to attend training on Monday, raising tensions between the Nigerian international and his club. The 27-year-old forward is keen on joining Serie A rivals Inter Milan this summer and is now resorting to stronger measures to make the move happen. According to multiple sources, Lookman was absent from Atalanta’s training session at the Zingonia complex, with no official reason provided by the club. His absence comes just a day after he submitted a formal transfer request and published a lengthy Instagram post accusing the club of…

Son Heung-min, one of the Premier League’s most admired and accomplished forwards, is on the brink of completing a sensational transfer to Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC in a deal potentially worth around £20 million. The South Korean icon announced over the weekend that he would leave Tottenham Hotspur after 10 unforgettable years at the club. Now 33, Son appears poised to bring the curtain down on a glittering European career, with his move to LAFC potentially eclipsing the MLS record fee of £22.5 million paid by Atlanta United for Emmanuel Latte Lath earlier this year. While final…

Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have once again shown their dominance on the African continent after pulling off a dramatic 75–68 comeback victory against Senegal in the semi-finals of AfroBasket 2025. The win, secured on Saturday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, marks Nigeria’s fifth consecutive appearance in the tournament final and extends an incredible unbeaten run that has lasted for a decade. Trailing by eight points at the start of the fourth quarter, D’Tigress rallied in spectacular fashion to overturn the deficit and close out the game with a commanding performance. The victory is their 28th consecutive win in the AfroBasket…

Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas has been arrested and charged with running a high-stakes illegal poker ring out of his Los Angeles-area mansion, according to a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday. The 43-year-old, best known for his playing days with the Washington Wizards and his nickname “Agent Zero,” now faces three federal charges: operating an illegal gambling business, conspiracy, and making false statements to federal investigators. Arenas pleaded not guilty during a court appearance and was released on a $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to stand trial on 23 September and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted…

West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paquetá has been cleared of spot-fixing allegations by an independent regulatory commission, ending a two-year Football Association (FA) investigation that threatened to derail his career. The 27-year-old Brazil international was facing four serious charges that could have led to a lifetime ban from football. The charges were related to alleged deliberate bookings in four Premier League matches: against Leicester City (12 November 2022), Aston Villa (12 March 2023), Leeds United (21 May 2023), and Bournemouth (12 August 2023). However, following a detailed hearing, the commission ruled that the charges were “not proven.” The FA initially…

A gunman who killed four people in a Manhattan skyscraper on Monday night was reportedly targeting the National Football League (NFL) over a brain injury he blamed on playing football, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has revealed. The attacker, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura from Las Vegas, opened fire in the lobby of 345 Park Avenue — the same building that houses the NFL headquarters. However, Tamura mistakenly went to the wrong office after taking the wrong elevator, Adams said. He later turned the gun on himself. “This was a senseless act of violence, and our city is grieving…