The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has said a diaspora recruitment framework is already in place to identify athletes interested in representing Nigeria, following Professor Pat Utomi’s call for efforts to secure Barcelona academy prospect Destiny Kosiso Ejiofor’s international future, STUDNG.com reports. Utomi, a political economist, had expressed concern that Nigeria could lose the youngster, also known as Destiny Kosiso, to Spain. “I recently discovered that this little boy is Nigerian. What efforts are we making to ensure that he doesn’t end up playing for Spain tomorrow?” he wrote. “If we are not careful, we will…
Author: Johnny Edward
FC Porto coach Francesco Farioli says defender Sanusi Zaidu was substituted off at half-time against Estoril as a precaution, but he expects the Nigerian to be available for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Napoli. Porto won the game 4-0 to maintain their unbeaten start to the Portuguese league from 10 games. The Nigerian defender’s withdrawal raised concerns over his fitness level, but Farioli said he had acted to avoid unnecessary risks. “Zaidu against Napoli? I think so. I didn’t want to take any risks. I believe he will be available,” Farioli told O Jogo. Zaidu joined William Gomes, Oskar Pietuszewski…
Nigerian defender Calvin Bassey ranks fourth on the English Premier League’s passing chart with 658 passes so far this season, STUDNG.com reports. The Fulham defender trails leader Rúben Dias, who has registered 819 passes, by 161. He is the only African ranked in the top 10 after eight Premier League games. Jan Paul van Hecke occupies second place with 809 passes, while Elliot Anderson sits third with 675, just 17 ahead of Bassey. Bassey has played 810 minutes across nine appearances and is Fulham’s only representative among the seven players listed. Beyond his passing contribution, the Nigeria international has…
A US court ruling denying Aaron Greenspan’s request to seek limited discovery from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and consulting firm DCI Group has drawn criticism on social media, even as the underlying dispute over access to federal records remains unresolved. US District Judge Beryl A. Howell rejected the discovery request on October 30 but required further proceedings on federal agencies’ justification for withholding records under the Freedom of Information Act. The ruling neither dismissed the records-access lawsuit nor ordered the immediate release of the disputed documents. It also made no findings concerning Tinubu’s criminal liability. Some X (formerly Twitter)…
Estêvão Willian has been named in Chelsea’s starting line-up for Saturday’s lunchtime clash with Manchester United, while Bruno Fernandes returns to the visitors’ side as captain following clear-the-air talks with manager Michael Carrick. The Chelsea winger gets his chance after manager Xabi Alonso ruled out a January loan move for the Brazilian despite his limited playing time this season. Fernandes, meanwhile, returns after being dropped to the bench for United’s defeat to Bournemouth last Sunday. His omission followed comments about Carrick’s tactics after the loss to Como. Estêvão joins Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and Morgan Rogers in Chelsea’s attack,…
A 15-year-old Ghanaian boy, Javits Frimpong, has been shot dead while on his way to school in the Bronx, New York City. Javits was reportedly chased before he was shot on Thursday morning, a year after arriving in the United States to reunite with his father. The New York City Police Department said officers responding to a shooting report near Corona Park at about 9.24am found the teenager with a gunshot wound to his stomach. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said no arrests had been made as of Friday, adding that investigators…
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has ruled out a January move for Estêvão Willian but has said the Chelsea youngster must adapt to his style of play before earning a regular spot in the team. The debate around Estêvão’s role gathered momentum this week, with the noise growing after the 19-year-old watched as an unused substitute as Alonso’s side lost to Liverpool on penalties in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. The Brazilian became an instant hit with Chelsea fans after joining from Palmeiras last year and there are fears that the winger could look to leave after starting twice in…
African Action Congress Presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has called on World Athletics to sanction the organisers of the Ikogosi Marathon in Ekiti State after they barred him from participating in the race, alleging they were complicit in attacks on him and members of his team. Sowore also demanded international sanctions against Governor Biodun Oyebanji and the organisers, led by Makinde Araoye, while calling for an independent investigation into the incident. His demand followed a statement by the Ikogosi Marathon Initiative announcing his exclusion from the 17.5-kilometre race scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2026, on grounds of security and what it…
African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that those who attacked him and his associates in Ado-Ekiti on Friday came from the Ekiti State Government House and received tracking and operational support from the Department of State Services. He also accused DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, of pressuring media organisations to suppress or downplay reports of the incident, alleging that police and DSS operatives had taken CCTV footage from the restaurant where the attack occurred. The Ekiti State Police Command confirmed that Sowore sustained injuries and was receiving treatment at the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti. It, however, described the…
The Confederation of African Football has abandoned plans to stage the Africa Cup of Nations every four years, restoring the tournament’s traditional two-year cycle following a review of the proposal. CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, said the reversal was aimed at “advancing, protecting and promoting” the interests of African football. The decision comes about 10 months after Motsepe announced that the continent’s flagship national team competition would move to a four-year cycle from 2028. CAF consulted its 54 member associations on whether to proceed with the change or retain the biennial format before its executive committee voted to restore the existing…