Football
Tyronne Ebuehi targets Super Eagles return after recovering from injury
Twente right-back Tyronne Ebuehi is eager to return to the Nigeria national team after recovering from a career-threatening injury. The 24-year-old signed for Portuguese giants Benfica following his showings for the Super Eagles at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The defender was one of the standout performers for Nigeria as they were eliminated in the group stage of the global tournament. Ebuehi, however, ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments in July 2018 and subsequently missed the whole of 2018-19 season. The former ADO Den Haag right-back was also not part of the Super Eagles team that finished third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. Ebuehi, who recently joined Twente on loan to reignite his career, has appreciated the support he received during his difficult period and now look...
Leo Messi assures Ronald Koeman of his commitment after first training
Ronald Koeman and Lionel Messi’s first meeting since the six-time Ballon d’Or winner decided to stay at Barcelona this season was very positive for everyone involved. Messi was set to leave the club this summer after becoming disillusioned with life at the Nou Camp but after being told he couldn’t leave for free he relented and has decided to stay this season. After missing training last week, the forward returned for his first pre-season session on Monday and met with the new manager before joining in. According to Mundo Deportivo, Koeman told the 33-year-old he was happy for him to be back but warned he only wanted players committed to the club. The newspaper reports that Messi told the manager he was committed and promised him that he’d return to his best form for the team this season. ...
Victor Osimhen thrilled by Gennaro Gattuso’s coaching style
Nigeria and Napoli star, Victor Osimhen, is overwhelmed by the coaching techniques of Gennaro Gattuso, as he described Italy’s former international as a no-nonsense man. Gattuso had constituted new attacking options for Osimhen in other to blend with the strength of the team. The BOSS and his boy✊🏽 @sscnapoli pic.twitter.com/jBIEsfjCfv — victor osimhen (@victorosimhen9) September 8, 2020 The Super Eagles forward has been enjoying himself in Naples, scoring at will in the friendly matches played so far with Napoli after the coach had helped him to settle down properly. “Osimhen is a forward who gives us so many options in attack in terms of our style of play. We can try to play a more direct brand of football because he knows how to attack space, is physically strong, and wil...
Philippe Coutinho to remain at Barcelona after Ronald Koeman call
Philippe Coutinho will remain at Barcelona for the upcoming 2020/21 season, according to his agent Kia Joorabchian. Coutinho spent last term on loan at Bayern Munich, making 38 appearances as they won the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB Pokal. The 28-year-old was offered to several Premier League clubs – including Arsenal and Newcastle – but Joorabchian claims that new head coach Ronald Koeman has since persuaded him to stay. “Coutinho to stay at Barça? Yes,” he told Talksport. “Koeman called him right after the Champions League victory with Bayern and told him he’s very much in his plans and would like him to return. “Coutinho was due to return on September 7th, but he began training earlier because he didn’t want to lose his momentum and fitness.” Coutinho has made 76 appearances fo...
Everton in ‘pole position’ to sign Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori
Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori is reportedly close to making a loan move to Everton following his breakthrough campaign in the Premier League. After loan spells at Brighton and Hull, Tomori impressed as he spent the 2018/19 season at Derby County, featuring in 55 games in all competitions for then Rams boss Frank Lampard. Lampard would go on to return to his spiritual home at Stamford Bridge following the departure of Maurizio Sarri to Juventus, the club legend not showing any fear in handing a number of opportunities to a number of young players. While Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount were instantly thrust into the Chelsea side by Lampard, Tomori would be handed his chance in the fourth game of the season after the Blues sluggish start to the season, having conceded seven goals in the openin...
Premier League to broadcast all September fixtures live in the UK
Premier League clubs agreed on Thursday that all 28 fixtures in September will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom and around the world. The move comes to ensure supporters in the UK will still legally be able to watch their teams while matches are being played behind closed doors. Sky Sports will air an additional six matches live in the UK in September, with BT Sport broadcasting three extra and one each going to the BBC and Amazon Prime. This means that three kick-off times have now been changed on the opening weekend of the season … West Ham v Newcastle will now take place at 20:00 BST on Saturday 12 September. Sheffield United v Wolves has been brought forward to 18:00 BST on Monday 14 September. And Brighton v Chelsea gets under way at 20:15 BST on Monday 14 September. The Premie...
CONCACAF postpones start of World Cup qualifying until 2021 due to pandemic
CONCACAF has confirmed that the body’s member nations will have to wait until 2021 in order to begin qualifying for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The federatin announced in August that the competition’s first group stage would commence with four rounds of fixtures to be played in the October and November international windows. Six qualifiers would then advance to the second round, from which a further five teams are planned to advance to the final stage alongside top-seeded CONCACAF nations Mexico, United States, Costa Rica, Honduras and Jamaica to determined the region’s 3.5 spots for Qatar. Now, though, the tournament faces further rescheduling as it was deemed that the planned 2020 fixtures will not take place due to the lingering danger of the coronavirus pandemic. “CONCACAF has held recen...
Galatasaray confirms loan negotiations for Peter Etebo
Galatasaray have made public their interest in signing Super Eagles midfielder Oghenekaro Peter Etebo. The club confirmed in a social media post on Tuesday that they have begun negotiations with Stoke City over the future of the player. Etebo has agreed to terms with the former Turkish Super Lig champions and he’s expected to put pen to paper in the new few hours. “Official negotiations with the football player and club Stoke City FC have started regarding the temporary transfer of professional footballer Oghenekaro Peter Etebo to our club,” the club tweeted. Galatasaray is reportedly interested in signing Etebo on a season-long loan with an option to buy at the end of the season. Etebo who is 24-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at LaLiga club Getafe and he’s not in th...
Spanish born Carlos Kevin ready to pledge his international future to Nigeria
Spanish-born Nigerian forward, Carlos Kevin Omoruyi says he is open to representing Nigeria at the international level. Kevin who was born April 10, 2001, in Spain to a Nigerian father currently plays for newly promoted side Huesca and the forward is excited to start his new adventure in the Spanish top flight. While speaking on his international future, Kevin said he is father has the biggest influence on his career and he wants to make him proud by playing for Nigeria. “My father has been motivating me to be a great footballer and I want to make him proud by being a top player in LaLiga and would be proud to play for Nigeria if invited. Of course, If Nigeria invites me, I would be very happy to honour the invitation,” he said. Kevin also disclosed that he has a good relationship with ano...
Everton sign Abdoulaye Doucouré from Watford
Everton have confirmed the signing of Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré. The Frenchman joins the likes of Allan and James Rodriguez as summer recruits for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The 27-year-old has signed on a three-year deal with an option for a fourth. 🇫🇷 | And another one… Bienvenue, @abdoudoucoure16! 🔵#BienvenueDoucouré pic.twitter.com/pHYJ0w2b86 — Everton (@Everton) September 8, 2020 “I have been waiting a long time to come here and now it has happened so I am very happy,” Doucoure told evertonfc.com. “I had some interest from other clubs but from the beginning when Everton showed an interest in me I told my agent to focus on Everton. “It was the only club I wanted to join. “Everton has a big history in English football and it is a good club for me to have...
Eberechi Eze makes PFA Championship Team of the Year
Crystal Palace new signing Eberechi Eze has been included in the PFA Championship Team of the Year. The PFA made the announcement which was published on their verified Twitter handle on Tuesday. Eze’s inclusion is due to his impressive performance for former club Queens Park Rangers last season. The 22-year-old scored 13 goals and provided eight assists in 45 Championship appearances for QPR. He was voted QPRs Players’ Player of the Year, the Supporters’ Player of the Year and the club Player of the Year. The PFA Championship Team of the Year was dominated by newly promoted Leeds United who have four players: Luke Ayling, Ben White, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Philips. Other players in the list are Brice Samba of Nottingham Forest, West Bromwich Albion’s Romaine Sawyers, Aleksandar Mitrovic and...
Victor Osimhen’s pre-season goals counts for nothing – Napoli coach
Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso has praised Victor Osimhen for his recent form on front of goal, and has advised him to continue working hard. Osimhen has scored six goals in two pre season matches for Napoli in the last few days, with the latest hat-trick coming in 4 – 0 win over Teramo on Friday. The 21-year-old is expected to lead the line for Napoli when they begin their adventure in the forthcoming 2020-2021 Italian Serie A season. Gattuso is delighted with how the player has adapted to his new environment, but he insists the 21-year-old must keep improving, in order to be ready for the new season. “Osimhen is a quiet guy who has to work a lot. He has a lot of physicalities but he doesn’t have to be satisfied. The goals he scores right now don’t count for anything, but he fits in very we...
