Sports

"To the youth of Africa I say: Never give up. Turn pain to power." Ademola Lookman's journey to being voted the men's African footballer of the year has been full of ups and downs, yet the Nigeria international knows his recent success provides inspiration. After failing to impose himself following a big-money move to the Premier League as a teenager, the forward had several loan spells before his rebirth in Italy since joining Atalanta in August 2022. "Four years ago my career felt down but now I'm here as the best player in Africa," Lookman, 27, said on stage when…

BREAKING: Ademola Lookman named 2024 CAF men’s player of the year Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, has been crowned 2024 CAF men’s ‘Player of the Year.’ He was announced the winner of the gong at the gala held in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Monday. The 27-year-old was Nigeria's key creative force at the Nations Cup, inspiring the Super Eagles' attacking unit alongside Victor Osimhen, and showcasing his inventiveness as the Super Eagles reached an unexpected final. Troost-Ekong was named Player of the Tournament, but it was Lookman's double against Cameroon in the Last 16, and winner against Angola in the quarter…

Super Eagles AFCON 2013 winner Brown Ideye has sealed a deal to join nine-time Nigerian premier football league champions, Enyimba, until the end of the current season for an undisclosed fee. Enyimba’s Sporting Director and former Super Eagles forward Ifeanyi Ekwueme said Ideye will feature for the People’s Elephant, Channels Television reported. “We have been discussing with him for several weeks and he agreed to play for us. We are very happy to have a legend in our club” Enyimba said “Ideye will be with us until the end of this season and we believe he will strengthen our team’s…

The Cheetahs of Benin captain Steve Mounie has criticised the poor treatment he and his teammates faced during their trip to Libya for the final game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Benin secured qualification following the team’s 0-0 draw against the Mediterranean Knights in Tripoli, finishing second with goal difference ahead of Rwanda in Group B. Following the game, Libyan fans disrupted celebrations of the Gernot Rohr-led Benin team’s AFCON qualification by hurling objects at the players at Tripoli National Stadium. Also, some Libyan security personnel allegedly attacked the team’s bus as they left the stadium, leaving…

  Aba, Abia State – The NANS JCC Inter-Campus Unity Cup kicked off with excitement on Tuesday at Abia State Polytechnic Field in Aba, where businessman, politician and philanthropist, Mayor Lucky Igbokwe, Founder of the Don Lulu Foundation, led the opening ceremony with a ceremonial kickoff. Organized by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Joint Campus Council of Abia State, the event aims to unite students from different campuses through sports and community-building. Mayor Igbokwe’s team, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, celebrated a victory in the opening match, securing a win by one goal against their opponent. His presence…

Manchester United have appointed Ruben Amorim as their new head coach. The 39-year-old Portuguese, who will move to Old Trafford from Lisbon club Sporting on 11 November, has signed a contract until June 2027. Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who took charge on an interim basis after Erik ten Hag was sacked on Monday, will stay on for the club's next three fixtures. Amorim, is the sixth permanent manager United have appointed since Sir Alex Ferguson's 26-year reign ended with his retirement in 2013. In a statement, the club said that "Ruben is one of the most exciting and…

  Abdelhakim Al-Shalmani, President of the Libyan Football Federation, has tendered his resignation. According to The Libya Observer, Al-Shalmani’s resignation was announced during a regular meeting of the Federation’s General Assembly on Sunday. “I do not want to be part of the failure in Libyan sports,” Al-Shalmani stated. While expressing gratitude to his colleagues, he forgave those in the sports sector. “I thank all members of the General Assembly, and I forgive everyone from all segments of the sports sector,” he added. The resignation comes at a time when the Super Eagles of Nigeria are accusing the Libyan football authority…

The Super Eagles have arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano State, after their ordeal in Libya ahead of the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifier. The Super Eagles, who departed Nigeria on Sunday, had their flight unexpectedly diverted to a remote airport far from the match venue, resulting in an additional three-hour road journey to their destination. The situation worsened as the players, pilots, and other personnel were stranded at the Libyan airport for over 15 hours without access to necessities like food, water, or a place to rest. Photos of the team sleeping on benches went…

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the Super Eagles have pulled out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya. This follows a frustrating 12-hour ordeal at Al Abraq International Airport in Libya, where the team has been stranded since their arrival on Sunday afternoon. Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, said he and his teammates decided to boycott the AFCON qualifier after the saga. “As the captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this game.” he tweeted. Confirming the decision via a statement on Monday, the NFF explained that…