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compiled by: Monilola Babatunde Arike published by: Adebiyi Yetunde Abimbola France's Stephanie Frappart will become the first woman to referee a match at the men's World Cup after being selected to take charge of Thursday's clash between Germany and Costa Rica. The 38-year-old will lead an all-female on-field team for the Group E match at Al Bayt Stadium, with Brazil's Neuza Back and Mexican Karen Diaz Medina chosen as her assistants. Frappart has already made history at the tournament, having become the first female official for a men's World Cup match when she was fourth official for the goalless draw between Mexico and Poland last Tuesday. FIFA named three female referees on its list of 36 for the competition, with Rwanda's Salima Mukansanga and Yoshimi Yamashita of Japan also in Qatar. The French official has already written her name into the history books. In March 2021, she became the first female referee to take charge of a men's World Cu...

compiled by: Babatunde Monilola Arike Phil Foden has been handed his first start of the World Cup alongside Kyle Walker, Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson in a refreshed England line-up to face Wales. Having stuck with the same starting XI in his first two games, Gareth Southgate has rung the changes, making four alterations, on the back of England's below-par draw with the USA on Friday, with qualification for the last 16 still not assured. Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Kieran Trippier and Mason Mount drop to the bench. Foden's absence during the USA stalemate was widely criticised, but the Manchester City man will now get his chance from kick-off against Wales in Al-Rayyan. Walker arrived at the World Cup still recovering from a groin injury which ruled him out of the final few weeks of Manchester City's domestic season ahead of the tournament. He was only deemed fit enough for a place on the bench in England's first two games, and will play...

compiled by: Babatunde Monilola Arike Manchester United are reportedly in talks with Cody Gakpo's agents as they look to swoop for the PSV star. Cristiano Ronaldo has been dealt a major blow in his search for his new club after leaving Manchester United, with Bayern Munich ruling out the prospect of signing him. Chris Wilder has thrown his hat into the ring for the vacant Queens Park Rangers job. Chelsea boss Graham Potter and owner Todd Boehly are considering a move for a No 1 goalkeeper in the summer, placing the futures of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy in doubt. The departure of Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli from the club is being seen as a serious blow to attempts to revive the European Super League. Danny Kerry, who only joined Eddie Jones' staff as a training coordinator last month to try and improve the culture in England's dressing room, is already considering his position. The RFU's plans for a 20-team competition involving teams from the P...

  Byline: Akande Barakat Omobolanle    Editor: Israel Oluwafemi    Penrith's star half-back combination will be on opposing teams when reigning champions Australia face a Samoa team seeking to make history in Saturday's Rugby League World Cup final at Old Trafford (kick-off 4pm). Thursday 17 November 2022    Australia's Nathan Cleary and Samoa's Jarome Luai have guided Penrith to the last two NRL titles Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary. The Lennon and McCartney of the NRL. The heartbeat of a Penrith Panthers team which has thrown of the tag of being the competition’s nearly men to become back-to-back Grand Final winners. But now, for Saturday afternoon only, rivals. Because the Panthers' half-back duo will be on opposing teams aiming for the sport's biggest prize as Australia and Samoa go head to head at Old Trafford in this year's Rugby League World Cup final. Not since his junior days playing fo

  By:Aremu lukmon Lisandro Martinez has only been in the Premier League for a matter of months, but his redemption arc is already complete. After a sloppy display on his debut against Brighton, the pundits were quick to stick the knife in, with Jamie Carragher infamously quipping that short kings like him would never make it in England. 'The Butcher' did not let this negativity affect him though, and has since gone on to calm things down at the heart of the Manchester United defence. He may not have been perfect since joining from Ajax, but the bouncebackability he's shown deserves massive credit.

By: Aremu lukmon Another example of Newcastle's smart recruitment since their takeover, Kieran Trippier just edges out the imperious Ben White for GOAL's Team of the Season so far. The right-back has bounced back strongly from the metatarsal injury that saw him miss a decent portion of the previous campaign, notching goals and assists at a very impressive rate for a defender. More than that, his experience and leadership have been vital in helping the Magpies see out several mightily-impressive results this season. He has also been handed the role of de-facto captain in the absence of Jamaal Lascelles.

  By: Aremu lukmon Arsenal fans have had to wait an eternity to see William Saliba pull on the red shirt, and he has not hesitated in making up for lost time. It is no exaggeration to say that the Frenchman has been the best defender in the league so far, combining near-perfection on the ball with a reading of the game the defies his relatively-tender years. He's even chipped in with some goals, nodding home to make the breakthrough against Brentford and also adding some gloss to the scoreline in the Gunners' victory over Bournemouth. Still only 21, the sky's the limit for Saliba, who is seeing his patience rewarded this season. And to think, there's was even talk of Arsenal parting ways with him in the not-so-distant past...

By: Falowo Oluwaseun Lawrence The Costa Rica football Federation canceled their team's World Cup warmup against Iraq scheduled for Thursday due to an issue with the passports stamps at the border between Kuwait and Iraq. The Costa Rican delegation, which was travelling to the match on Wednesday night by bus, had requested the Iraqi government not stamp its passports upon entry the country, but local border authorities did not honor the agreement and the side returned to its training camp in Kuwait The match against Iraq was suspended," the Costa Rican federation said in a statement. "An agreement that was made with the non-stamping of passports was not respected and for this reason it was decided not to enter Iraq and cancel the match." The friendly against Iraq was the last opportunity for coach Luis Fernando Suarez to test his players and give star goalkeeper Keylor Navas some playing with his teammates since they beat New Zealand in a World Cup playoff...

By: Falowo Oluwaseun Lawrence The Portugal forward made headlines earlier this week after telling Talk TV he felt "betrayed" by the club. The first part of the full interview was released on Wednesday in which he gave more detail on his version of events at Old Trafford. "Honestly, it was close," he said of potentially joining City. Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford from Juventus in August 2021 - 11 years after he left the club to join Real Madrid. At the time it was reported he was wanted by City boss Pep Guardiola and, although Ronaldo confirmed the interest, he said he decided to sign for United after speaking with his old manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The 37-year-old added: "As you know, my history in Manchester United, your heart, you're feeling the way that you did before, makes the difference. And of course, Sir Alex Ferguson. "I spoke with him. He said to me, 'it's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'. And I say ...

  By: Falowo Oluwaseun Lawrence Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been charged over more than 200 breaches of betting rules by the FA; the 26-year-old last week admitted he was assisting the FA with its investigation into historical breaches of gambling rules; Toney has until November 24 to respond to this charge which was levelled against him  After a report in the Daily Mail claimed he had been the subject of an FA investigation, he tweeted on November 5: "I'm aware of a story about me in a national newspaper today. "I have been assisting the Football Association with their enquiries and will not be making any comment until such investigation has reached its conclusion. When asked about not being included in the England World Cup squad ; he said "I am a proud Englishman and it has always been my childhood dream to play for my country at a World Cup finals."

By: Akanbi Abiodun Zainab Edited by: Fredrick Akinlabi Sadio Mane will miss Senegal's "first games" at the World Cup because of a leg injury, an official from the country's football federation has said. The Bayern Munich forward was named in the Teranga Lions squad for Qatar despite being forced off in a club game last week. The German champions said the 30-year-old had an injury "to his right fibula", but Senegal coach Aliou Cisse said Mane does not need an operation. The West Africans begin their Group A campaign against the Netherlands on Monday, with games against hosts Qatar (25 November) and Ecuador (29 November) to follow. "We will have to rely on playing the first games without Sadio and win without Sadio," Senegal football federation (FSF) board member Abdoulaye Sow told AP. "No-one would have wanted it, but that's what's happened to us."

By; Akanbi Abiodun Zainab  Edited by: Fredrick Akinlabi. Cristiano Ronaldo has hit out at former team-mate Wayne Rooney following his recent criticism of him. Rooney called out the Portugal superstar for his behaviour this season but Ronaldo has now struck back. The Manchester United’s all-time highest goalscorer felt the Portuguese could still be an asset for the Red Devils if he ‘got his head down’ . Rooney and Ronaldo led one of the fiercest United attacks for five seasons and the former was not happy over the latter’s disregard for manager Erik ten Hag when he refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham last month. The 37-year-old stormed down the tunnel before full-time and left the stadium even before the end of the match and was punished by Ten Hag. Rooney hailed the Dutchman for stamping his feet of authority at the club and described Ronaldo’s conduct as ‘unacceptable’. Rooney went further to suggest that United were a better team withou...

By: Animashahun Adewale Edited by:Fredrick Akinlabi.   A win would have seen Roma leap to third in the standings Follow Sports Brief on Twitter for more trending and breaking news! Jose Mourinho did not hold back in his criticism of one specific player during his post-match interview after Roma endured a frustrating 1-1 draw against Sassuolo on Wednesday, November 9.  Roma looked to be on course for victory after Tammy Abraham scored his first Serie A goal since September as he awaits his first England call-up with a brilliant header in the 80th minute. However, it was Sassuolo who had the last laugh as Andrea Pinamonti scored five minutes later from a swift counterattack for the game to end in a 1-1 draw.   As reported on Sky Sports, the former Chelsea boss brutally criticized an unnamed player, saying his efforts betrayed the whole team. "It disappoints me because the effort the squad made was betrayed by one player because of an unprofessional att...

By: Animashahun Adewale Edited by: Fredrick Akinlabi.  Sadio Mane: Senegal to Consult Witch Doctors To Speed Up Recovery Ahead of World Cup. General Secretary of FIFA has revealed that Senegal will consult witch doctors to help Sadio Mane go to the World Cup Sadio Mane picked up an injury while playing for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in a game against Werder Bremen  The 30-year-old Africa Cup of Nations winner has reportedly been ruled out of the team for the World Cup Follow Sports Brief on Twitter for more trending and breaking news! Senegal will resort to the help of witch doctors to speed up the recovery of talisman Sadio Mane for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.  The Bayern Munich star was ruled out of the World Cup after picking up an injury during the Bundesliga game against Werder Bremen on Tuesday night. However, General Secretary of FIFA, Fatma Samoura, who hails from Senegal has disclosed plans to involve witch doctors in the player's treatment. Senegal...

By: Animashahun Adewale Kennedy Gareth Southgate has named a 26-man squad for England heading to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup  The squad is dominated by Premier League players, with stars drawn from Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United Some big names also missed out, with Reece James, Fikayo Tomori and West Ham's Jarrod excluded Follow Sports Brief on Twitter for more trending and breaking news! England head coach Gareth Southgate has finally announced his 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup. The squad comprises top players predominantly from the Premier League, with Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford making the cut. In the goalkeeping department, Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale is in the team, but there was no place for Man United shot-stopper Dean Henderson.  England manager Gareth Southgate speaks to his players during a training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre. Photo by Alex Morton. Source: Getty Images Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw headline the defe...

Compiled by: ODUSANYA SAHEED OLAMILEKAN NFL picks, predictions against the spread Week 8: Bills blow out Packers; Seahawks outrun Giants; Cardinals creep past Vikings Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season had a couple considerable upsets, but otherwise, good teams played up to the potential and bad teams continued to fade. In theory, after a strong week of picks and predictions against the spread, Week 8 sets up for continued fine results. The slate of games goes back up to 15 with only the Chargers and Chiefs having a bye. That's another good opportunity for extra success. As the data points and team identities come more into focus ahead of midseason, there should be growing confidence. But with injuries and other factors coming into play, there's due diligence required for plenty of remaining games.

Compiled by: Abubakar Ganiu Olayiwola Welcome to the 13th edition of the Official #Tribe23 Recruiting Thread! FSU’s 2023 class has 15 commitments as the Seminoles enter the home stretch of the 2022 football season before beginning bowl game prep.  Only two game day recruiting weekends remain before December, when FSU will undoubtedly host a couple of big weekends prior to the Early Signing Period. Who’ll be the next to visit, commit, or decommit? As always, head below for all the links to our recruiting content, check out the comment section to keep up to date on the latest Florida State Seminoles football recruiting news, and be sure to post any questions, mock classes, or comments. Tomahawk Nation also rolled out a podcast channel called Everything Noles, which includes our rebranded recruiting podcast, The Florida State of Recruiting Podcast: The Three Stars.

Compiled by:Abubakar Ganiu Olayiwola Published by: Adebiyi Yetunde Abimbola As we hit mid-November, weather becomes a much bigger factor for fantasy football owners. Poor conditions can be an issue even in September, but as temperatures drop, snow starts dropping, and winds really start howling, there's an even bigger risk of weather-related issues. Our Week 11 fantasy kicker rankings make special note of players who won't have to contend with the elements this week. First, let's say goodbye to Ryan Succop, Jason Meyers, Jason Sanders, and Riley Patterson, all of whom are on bye this week. Sanders and Succop entered Week 10 as the Nos. 2 and 3 kickers, respectively, in fantasy points per game, so losing them is a big loss. Fortunately, there are always plenty of alternatives. This week, there are a host of indoor kickers. Matt Gay (@ Saints in Week 11) is the best combination of favorable matchup and ideal conditions, but Younghoe Koo (vs. Bears), Wil Lutz (vs. ...

Compiled by: Adedoja Asiata Sarina Wiegman has wished the England men's team "very good luck" at the World Cup in Qatar as they bid to emulate her Lionesses by winning a major trophy.  Wiegman guided the England women's team to victory at Euro 2022. It is more than 56 years since the England men's team last won a significant piece of silverware -- the 1966 World Cup. England's men begin their Qatar campaign against Iran on November 21 as they look to improve on their World Cup semi-final showing of four years ago and an agonising penalty shoot-out loss to Italy in last year's Covid-delayed Euro 2020 final at London's Wembley Stadium.  "We have spoken a little bit -- not very recently, but we have," Wiegman told Sky Sports of her conversation with men's team manager Gareth Southgate.  "I would just like to wish them very good luck," said the Dutchwoman, who played 99 times for the Netherlands and then coached her nati...

Compiled by: Lawal Zeenat Yetunde Portugal national team will start preparations for their friendly against the Super Eagles on Monday, November 14. According to Portuguese daily newspaper Diário de Notícias, their first training session at Cidade do Futebol is scheduled to begin at 1700 hours under the guidance of manager Fernando Santos, with the first fifteen minutes open to the media.  Santos has named a 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup, headlined by wantaway Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, and all the players are expected to report for training today.    The Portuguese are using the friendly against Nigeria as preparation for their World Cup opener against Ghana on November 24. Portugal's other opponents in Group H of the World Cup are Uruguay and South Korea.    The 2016 European champions will take on three-time African champions Nigeria at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon on Thursday, November 17, and the ...

Compiled by:Adedoja Asiata Cristiano Ronaldo may have burnt his bridges at Manchester United once and for all after giving an explosive interview in which he hit out at the club and claimed he would ‘never respect’ Erik ten Hag. The 37-year-old was axed by his manager and made to train with the youth team – as well as being fined two weeks’ wages – after refusing to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham last month, instead storming down the tunnel before full-time. Ronaldo appeared to have been reintegrated back into the team after Ten Hag drew a line under the incident, but the Portuguese superstar has now reignited the drama by slamming the Dutch coach as well as hitting out at the club. Cristiano Ronaldo may have burnt his bridges at Manchester United once and for all after giving an explosive interview in which he hit out at the club and claimed he would ‘never respect’ Erik ten Hag. He wasAsked about Ten Hag, Ronaldo told Piers Morgan Uncensored on Sunday nigh...

Compiled by:Adedoja Asiata Following her record-breaking feat during the course of the year, incredible Nigerian athlete Tobi Amusan has made the Women's 2022 World Athlete Award final list. During the World Athletics Championships, the 25-year-old shocked the globe by setting a new world record in women's 100m hurdle  The Commonwealth gold medalist has been named among the five finalists for the prestigious international award, according to a statement released by World Athletics on Monday. Amusan and four others were confirmed for the prestigious prize, ahead of the 2022 World Athletics Awards.  According to World Athletics, a record 1.3 million votes were registered by emails and online voting, via the World Athletics social media platforms. A three-way voting process to determine the finalists for the 2022 women's award was concluded on October 31, and the winner will be announced on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early December.  Amusan also c...

Compiled by: Adegbenro Hammed Ademola Lookman was among the goals as Atalanta suffered a 3-2 Serie A defeat by Inter Milan at the Gewiss Stadium on Sunday The 25-year-old Nigeria international put Atalanta ahead in the 25th minute after stepping up to convert from the penalty spot. He picked his spot well to send Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana the wrong way. However, Edin Dzeko levelled matters for Inter in the 36th minute before he made it 2-1 in the 56th minute Jose Luis Palomino then scored into his own net to gift Inter the third goal but he made amends to reduce the deficit for Atalanta in the 77th minute This is the second goal Lookman has scored for Atalanta from the penalty spot in this campaign. The first came in the 2-1 defeat against table toppers Napoli at the same venue on November 5

Compiled by: Lawal Zeenat Yetunde Terem Moffi continues his superb form in front of goal, as he netted again in Lorient’s 1-1 draw away to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Sunday, It is Moffi’s 10th goal in 14 appearances for Lorient in the French elite division this season. He has now scored in back-to-back games and has also found the back of the net four times in his last five games. The 23-year-old Super Eagles striker gave Lorient the lead in the fifth minute before Mouhamadou Diallo equalized for Strasbourg just three minutes left to play.

Compiled by: ODUSANYA SAHEED OLAMILEKAN MANCHESTER UNITED starlet Alejandro Garnacho emulated a legendary Lionel Messi celebration after stunning Fulham with a last-gasp winner. Garnacho, 18, came off the bench to earn United a dramatic 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage as he hit the back of the net in the third minute of stoppage time. Manchester United ace Alejandro Garnacho scored a late winner against Fulham Manchester United ace Alejandro Garnacho scored a late winner The winger led the celebrations and decided to remove his shirt and raise it to the crowd in West London. The teenage sensation mimicked his fellow Argentine Messi, who did the exact same thing in 2017 when he still played for Barcelona. The now-Paris Saint-Germain superstar led Barca to a stunning 3-2 victory over rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu with a late winner in the second minute of stoppage time. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner then removed his shirt and defiantly showed the back of i...

  Compiled by: Lawal Zeenat Yetunde Super Eagles returned back home on Saturday night after a gallant display against the Costa Rican Men’s National Team at the Estadio Nacional in San Jose on Thursday. The team touched down at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja aboard Turkish Airline. Despite losing 0-2 , the team made up of home based players put up an impressive performance against the World Cup bound Central American team. A team of 18 players and officials led by coach Salisu Yusuf were received at the Airport by officials of Nigeria Football Federation at the airport and were taken to Chida Hotel. The players and officials and are expected to dispatch to their various destinations on Sunday.

Compiled by:ODUSANYA SAHEED OLAMILEKAN Published by: Adebiyi Yetunde Abimbola Floyd Mayweather's exhibition with Youtuber Deji ends by stoppage inside six rounds After finishing an exhibition with Deji inside six rounds, Floyd Mayweather said, "I'm glad that he landed a good shot. This is a part of fighting, this is a part of entertainment"                      Photo credit: Google Floyd Mayweather has performed in his latest exhibition in Dubai Floyd Mayweather ended his exhibition with Youtube personality Deji by stoppage. How Mayweather, one of the modern greats in world boxing, 'The Best Ever' by his own estimation, ended up in the same ring as Youtube personality Deji is something of a mystery. That they did not belong in the same ring together was abundantly clear as Deji could not contain Mayweather even in an exhibition and was stopped in sixth rounds.

By Damilola Animasahun.                 Credit: Youtube/UFC Scoring controversy aside, Karolina Kowalkiewicz came away from UFC 281 with a cleardecision win over Silvana Gomez Juarez. Former strawweight title challenger Kowalkiewicz righted the ship in her last fight, after a rough five fight skid.  Her opponent at UFC 281 would be Entram Gym trainee Gomez Juarez, a striker known for her knockout power but a deficiency to grappling, having been armbarred in her first two UFC fights before scoring an impressive, eighty-two second knockout over Liang Na in her last fight. Despite being the same age on paper as her opponent at thirty-seven years old, Kowalkiewicz was much older in fight years having fought in major promotions like KSW and Invicta starting in 2012 and in the UFC since 2015.  The question was if that experience could win out against the hard hitting newcomer. The athletes came out trading jabs, with Juarez b...

By Soliu Mohammed.  Israel Adesanya of Nigeria is one of the world’s most dangerous martial artists. Not only has the Stylebender competed in MMA, but he has also competed in professional boxing and professional kickboxing. Adesanya has only been knocked out once in 108 professional fights in combat sports involving striking. Guess who has that honour? Alex Pereira. Pereira has fought Israel Adesanya twice and beaten the Nigerian twice. The last time they both met over at Glory Kickboxing was when the Brazilian became the first (and only) man to finish Izzy, knocking him out cold with a left hook in the third round and sending him scampering away from Kickboxing into MMA. But Alex Pereira has followed him there and is now after Adesanya’s most prized possession, the UFC middleweight championship. Both fighters trod slightly varying paths to UFC title contention. While Adesanya had 16 overall MMA fights (all wins) and 6 in the UFC to land an undisputed title shot, Pereir...

By Tolulope Onifade.          (📸 PHOTO: BT SPORT) Alex Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya via technical knockout in the fifth round to claim the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s middleweight title, ending Adesanya’s reign atop the division and likely setting up a rematch sometime in the future. Adesanya was likely up on the scorecards, three rounds to one, when he slipped in the middle of the octagon. He tried to recover but it was the beginning of the end.  As Adesanya retreated to the fence, Pereira followed and peppered him with punches to the face, stunning him and nearly knocking him unconscious.                   (📸PHOTO: BT SPORT) Referee Marc Goddard ended the fight as Adesanya’s body went limp, though Adesanya protested the stoppage as he attempted to regain his composure. It’s Adesanya’s first loss in the middleweight division and only his second loss in mixed martial arts....

By Tolulope Onifade.  Edited by: Soliu Mohammed            (📸PHOTO:MMA JUNKIE) The UFC returns to New York on Saturday for its annual event at Madison Square Garden with UFC 281, which has a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+. A doubleheader of championship bouts is featured at the top of the card, with middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) set to take on former two-time kickboxing rival Alex Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the headlining act. The co-main event will see strawweight champion Carla Esparza (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) attempt to kick off her second reign in positive fashion when she meets former titleholder Zhang Weili (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC). For more on the numbers behind both title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 281. ISRAEL ADESANYA       (📸PHOTO...

By Boluwatiwi Animasahun. Watch out for all updates of the match on all our platforms. The women’s strawweight title fight between Esparza (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Weili (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is locked in after both women made weight at Friday’s official weigh-ins at the UFC host hotel in New York. Madison Square Garden hosts Saturday’s card, which airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+ .

By Oluwasegun Olawale Edited by: Blessing Ogundare The Super Eagles of Nigeria lost against Costa Rica in an international friendly, played in San Jose in the early hours of Thursday morning.  It was the first time both nations met at the senior level, and the North Americans had a field day. Los Ticos is feature in this coming world cup that will kick off on the 20th of November.  Kendall Waston and Oscar Duarte scored in each half to secure the victory. Both goals were assisted by Joel Campbell formal Arsenal star, who impressed for the duration of the encounter. The game's first goal came in the 7th minute courtesy of a clinical strike by Duarte, and then Waston doubled the lead in the 73rd minute. Costa Rica got off to a good start as they returned to winning ways, with their friendly against South Korea in September ending in a 2-2 draw. For the Super Eagles however, it is now a third consecutive defeat. The Super Eagles squad for the encounter was...

By Azeezat Oyeleke  Lolade Edited by: Blessing Ogundare. Roberto Martinez has named Belgium's 26-man World Cup squad, with a strong Premier League contingent; Belgium play Croatia, Canada and Morocco in Group F and begin their campaign on November 23. Belgium finished third at the 2018 World Cup, beating England in the third-place play-offThe striker, who is currently on loan at Inter Milan from Chelsea, has had an injury-hit start to the season. Lukaku has been suffering with a hamstring injury which, coupled with a thigh problem earlier this season, means he has played just twice since August for the Serie A side. Martinez had previously said he would only take Lukaku if he could play in at least one group game, adding after the announcement: "He is not completely fit medically, that is clear, but the last three days has been very positive.  We will give Romelu every second to be fit.At this stage, we feel he will be able to take part in at least one of those three (G...

By Azeezat Oyeleke Lolade Gareth Southgate is ready to gamble on fitness issues rather than surprise call-ups for his World Cup squad. Southgate regards Manchester City pair Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips as integral to his England set-up which is why he has been prepared to give them every chance of making it to Qatar.  But Southgate is determined not to make the same mistakes as previous England managers who gambled on taking half fit players to tournaments which perhaps best explains the exclusion of Reece James. You can only take a punt on so many players especially with James still likely to be three weeks’ away from being fit again after his knee injury.  Southgate is likely to name a squad very similar to his last for the Nations League, although Marcus Rashford looks set to return and his versatility could mean heartbreak for Ivan Toney and possibly Callum Wilson. It also seems unlikely that James Maddison will be in and it is worth remembering that Englan...

By Mohammed Soliu Cricket has been included in the Netball and 21st National Sports Festival as, Teqball, and Mixed Martial Arts. The inclusion of cricket in the forthcoming 21st National Sports Festival (NSF) in Asaba, Delta has been approved by the National Council on Sports (NCS) . This statement was disclosed on Wednesday by Muhammed Manga, Director of Press of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD). Adding that this development was part of the resolutions of a virtual meeting held by the council on Wednesday to deliberate on issues surrounding the 2022 NSF. The meeting, which also Include Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development in attendance, approved that para-sports will no longer feature in the Games. “The council approved that the three compulsory para sports in the NSF, namely; Para Athletics, Para Powerlifting, and Para Table Tennis would no longer feature in the Festival. “The members also approved the inclusion of crick...

By Shonibare quam omotayo Formula One's governing body has fined Red Bull for breaking the sport's budget cap during Max Verstappen's championship-winning 2021 season. The FIA and Red Bull agreed on a fine of $7 million (€7.04 million) and a reduction in their aerodynamic research time by 10% over the next year. The UK-based constructor now has 30 days to pay the fine, and must also cover the costs of the investigation. The FIA found that Red Bull had overspent in 2021 by $1.8 million (€1.81 million) but said: "there is no accusation or evidence that RBR has sought at any time to act in bad faith, dishonestly or in a fraudulent manner, nor has it wilfully concealed any information from the Cost Cap Administration". Red Bull has blamed a clerical error for their misspend on various services. The penalties announced on Friday are unlikely to please those who had called for harsh penalties, including stripping Verstappen of last year’s title or reducing R...

By Shonibare quam omotayo Edited and published by: Adebiyi Yetunde Abimbola French financial prosecutors have raided the headquarters of the 2023 Rugby World Cup organising body. The searches were conducted on Wednesday as part of a probe into possible corruption and other irregularities. Prosecutors said they opened a preliminary investigation last month into charges of favoritism, influence peddling, corruption and any other related offence relating to the management. Raids took place at the headquarters in Paris and at other locations. No formal charges have so far been brought. The chief executive of the 2023 Rugby World Cup committee, Claude Achter, was dismissed last month following a separate investigation into his workplace conduct. The tournament is set to begin in 10 months' time in the French capital. Source: www.completesport.com

By Agbaogun Sodiq published by: Adebiyi Yetunde Abimbola Hakim Ziyech has been included in Morocco's World Cup squad for the 2022 tournament taking place later this month. The attacker has had an on-and-off history with his country after falling out with previous head coach Vahid Halihodzic and missed the African Cup of Nations earlier this year.  The manager has since been sacked though and Ziyech is included in the plans, this time Walid Regragui has made the call. Ziyech has only made eight appearances in all competitions this season, starting just two - including the 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.  He fell out of favour with Thomas Tuchel towards the end of his tenure and has failed to make much of an impact on Graham Potter. Only hours before the squad was named Ziyech could have had two assists at the Etihad but poor finishes from Lewis Hall and Christian Pulisic meant it was another frustrating night for the 29-year-old. Z...

By Azeezat Oyeleke Lolade. World Cup 2022 takes place in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, England will face Iran on the second day of the tournament, Benjamin White and Conor Gallagher also included but no place for Ivan Toney, Fikayo Tomori or Tammy Abraham. Neither player has featured for England since 2019, but recent club form has seen them earn a call-up for the Qatar tournament, which begins on November 20. Discussing Maddison's inclusion, Southgate said: "He is playing really well. We think he can give us something slightly different to the attacking players that we've got.        ( 📸 Photo: PL@Twitter) "He's playing as good as any of the attacking players in this country. He is a little bit different to the others. I think we could need that." Maddison last played for England in November 2019 while 2020 Wilson's last international cap came a month before in October 2019.Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers was delighte...