By: Ganiyu Olayinka Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Georgian teenager Andria Bartishvili after the highly rated youngster successfully completed his medical ahead of the proposed move to north London. The Gunners are expected to finalise the transfer this weekend after beating off competition from Liverpool and a number of prominent European clubs…
By: Tunji Okunlola The National Sports Commission (NSC) is set to put forward names for an eight-member Normalisation Committee to FIFA, but the world football governing body will carry out extensive background checks on the nominees before determining who will lead the committee, The Guardian has learnt. NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko recently led a delegation…
By: Tunji Okunlola National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Shehu Dikko, travelled from Abuja to Zurich yesterday alongside two Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials for talks with senior FIFA officials, with the meeting scheduled to take place today. Joining Dikko on the trip are the NFF’s Acting Secretary General, Emmanuel Ikpeme, and Okey Obi from the…
By: Ganiyu Olayinka Marli Salmon has put pen to paper on his first professional deal with Arsenal, though the young defender’s long-term future at the club may still involve a temporary switch elsewhere. The club announced the news on Saturday, which coincided with Salmon turning 17. The centre-back, who can also cover at right-back, described…
By: Ganiyu Olayinka Nigeria’s hopes of extending their WAFCON dominance to an 11th title took an early hit on Tuesday, as tournament newcomers Malawi pulled off a stunning 3-2 win over the defending champions in their opening Group C fixture. The Scorchers put in a commanding display to hand the ten-time African champions a defeat…
By; Tunji Okunlola The National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officially handed over the Federal Government’s promised rewards to the Super Falcons on Tuesday, in recognition of the team’s 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) triumph. The handover took place in Rabat, Morocco, just ahead of Nigeria’s tournament opener against…
By: Ganiyu Olayinka FIFA has expressed confidence in Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, saying the Super Eagles possess the talent required to return to football’s biggest stage but warning that long-term stability will be the deciding factor. In its assessment of Nigeria’s prospects ahead of the next qualification campaign, football’s…
By: Ganiyu Olayinka Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has returned to South African side Chippa United ahead of the 2026/27 season, five months after leaving the club. The 30-year-old rejoins the Chilli Boys after spending several months away from competitive football following his 2026 departure – a spell out of the game that cost him…
By: Tunji Okunlola England manager Thomas Tuchel admitted his side were “lucky” to edge past Norway 2-1 after extra time to reach the World Cup semi-finals, even as he hailed Jude Bellingham’s match-winning performance as “world-class.” There was little celebration from Tuchel despite England securing only their fourth World Cup semi-final appearance. Bellingham struck twice…
By: Ganiyu Olayinka UEFA has strongly criticised FIFA’s decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban handed to United States striker Folarin Balogun following his red card, allowing him to feature in the USMNT’s FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against Belgium. Balogun, the United States’ leading scorer at the tournament with three goals, was…
