Sports

Nigeria’s D’Tigress have started their Paris 2024 Olympics campaign on an impressive note, stunning world number three Australia in the women’s basketball event of the Games. The Nigerian girls won the Monday basketball encounter 75-62 in the French city of Lille. The D’Tigress had an 11-0 run to end the first half on a good note, getting a 13-point advantage. That proved to be okay to keep the Opals of Australia at bay with Amy Okonkwo getting a triple to make things better for coach Rena Wakama’s charges. Nigeria’s Ezinne Kalu was impressive on the day and fired 19 points,…

Nigerian striker Emmanuel Umeh marked his debut for FC Zurich with a goal on the opening day of the Super League season in Switzerland. Umeh, who featured at last year’s U20 World Cup in Argentina, has came off the bench to score in his first official game for the Swiss since his transfer from Bulgaria. FC Zurich won 2-0 at Yverdon-Sport. It is a complete change of fortune for FC Zurich after they lost twice 3-0 at the same team last year. The Flying Eagles star joined FC Zurich from Bulgarian club, Botev Plovdiv, signing on a five-year contract. The…

Gareth Southgate has left his role as England manager. The news comes two days after England's Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain. The 53-year-old had been Three Lions boss for eight years and exits the role after a fourth major tournament in charge. Southgate stepped up from the U21s to take charge of the senior side following Sam Allardyce's abrupt exit in September 2016 and guided England to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. The former England defender then led his side to the final of Euro 2020 - which they lost on penalties to Italy at Wembley -…

Former Flying forward, Emmanuel Umeh has signed for Swiss club, FC Zurich. Umeh, who joined FC Zurich from Bulgarian club, Boev Plovdiv put pen to paper on a five-year contract. The 19-year-old spent two years at Botev Plovdiv having arrived at the club from Russian outfit, FDC Vista. The striker won the Bulgarian Cup with Botev Plovdiv last season. Umeh scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 47 appearances for Botev Plovdiv. The Right2Win graduate featured for the Flying Eagles at last year’s FIFA U20 World Cup in Argentina.

The board of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has sanctioned Enyimba FC with forfeiture of three points and goals for refusing to conclude the match against Enugu Rangers on Sunday. The NPFL matchday 35 fixture was abandoned in added time after Rangers were awarded a controversial penalty at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium in Enugu. After 90 minutes, with the game tied goalless, the home team got the spot-kick seven minutes into added time following a foul that prevented its attacker from pouncing on a loose ball in the box. The decision prompted protests from Enyimba players who confronted the…

Championship side Plymouth Argyle have appointed former England captain Wayne Rooney as their new head coach. The 38-year-old succeeds Ian Foster, who was sacked on 1 April after a poor run of results. It is Rooney's first role since he was sacked by Birmingham City on 2 January after a disappointing reign of less than three months in which he lost nine of 15 games. Blues, who were in the Championship play-off places when Rooney took over, were relegated to League One earlier this month. The Pilgrims job is a fourth head coach role for Rooney - who was England's…

The Board of Nigeria Football Federation on Monday approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to appoint former ace winger Finidi George as Head Coach of the Senior Men National Football Team, Super Eagles. George, who spent 20 months as assistant to José Santos Peseiro before the Portuguese voluntarily left the post following the accomplishment of Africa Cup of Nations runner-up position at Cote d’Ivoire 2023, took charge of the squad in interim capacity during two friendly matches in Morocco last month. His squad edged Ghana 2-1 in the first match, ending an 18-year winless streak against the…

Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, who plays for Turkish club, Fenerbahçe, was seen knocking a violent pitch invader to the ground during a chaotic on-pitch brawl on Sunday night. Tension escalated at the end of Fenerbahce’s 3-2 victory over Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig. Former Manchester United player, Fred, netted two goals in the first half, as Fenerbahce secured the victory with a late 87th-minute goal from Michy Batshuayi. Fenerbahce players gathered in the middle of the pitch to celebrate their victory when suddenly, a single Trabzonspor fan made his way onto the pitch to taunt them. A security…

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR says the old Rangers players are living legend who deserves nothing short of celebration for making the Nigerian nation proud in their playing days Governor Soludo made the assertion when some of the players paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor's Lodge, Amawbia. The Governor who was delighted to receive the ex-players described Rangers Football club as part of the Nigerian identity, the pride of the people who galvanized and lifted the spirit of the people of the Eastern region after the civil war. The Governor relived the days when football…