England manager Thomas Tuchel has named his first 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, kicking off a new era with a mix of unexpected selections and intriguing returns. The announcement, made earlier today, has sparked plenty of debate among fans and pundits. One of the standout inclusions is Newcastle United’s Dan Burn, who at 32 has earned his first-ever call-up to the national team, a reward for his consistent performances in the Premier League. Arsenal’s 18-year-old starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly has also received his first call-up, signaling Tuchel’s intent to blend youthful talent with seasoned…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
A lone strike from fringe midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gave Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night. Combined with their 2-1 win in Denmark last week, the result secured a straightforward progression into the Conference League quarter-finals. While possession and chances were fairly balanced throughout the match, Dewsbury-Hall’s goal ten minutes into the second half proved to be the difference.
Bruno Fernandes starred with a hat-trick, leading Manchester United to a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad at Old Trafford on Thursday, sealing a 5-2 aggregate win and booking their spot in the Europa League quarter-finals. The match saw three of Fernandes’ goals come from the penalty spot, following an early strike from Mikel Oyarzabal that gave Sociedad the lead. Fernandes quickly equalized from the spot and then netted another penalty in the 50th minute to give United the advantage. He completed his hat-trick with a clinical finish for his 15th goal of the season, putting United in control. Diogo Dalot…
There was a moment of confusion and controversy during Wednesday’s Champions League shootout between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid when Julian Alvarez’s penalty was cancelled. Atletico, who had lost the first leg 2-1 at the Bernabeu, managed to level the tie with Conor Gallagher’s early goal. After 120 minutes of play without further goals, the match was decided by a penalty shootout. The turning point in the shootout came with the fourth penalty, taken by Alvarez. With Real Madrid leading 2-1, Alvarez slipped as he struck the ball. Initially, it seemed that his shot had counted as it flew into…
Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has made a change to his 23-man Super Eagles squad ahead of the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Forward Nathan Tella, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, has been ruled out due to injury and will miss the upcoming fixtures. To fill the gap, coach Chelle has called up defender Jordan Torunarigha. The team confirmed the change on Thursday morning, wishing Tella a swift recovery. “Jordan Torunarigha has been called to replace injured Nathan Tella. We wish Nathan a quick recovery,” the team announced on their X account. This adjustment comes…
Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, has explained why he chose not to let Endrick take the final penalty in their 4-2 shootout victory over Atlético Madrid in the Champions League round of sixteen on Wednesday. The experienced Italian coach revealed that the original plan was for the Brazilian youngster to take the decisive penalty. However, after noticing Endrick’s facial expression, Ancelotti decided to shift the responsibility to someone more confident—Antonio Rüdiger. Speaking to the press after the game, Ancelotti shared his reasoning: “On the final penalty, there was a doubt about who should take it between Rüdiger and…
Amaju Pinnick, the former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), lost his bid to retain his seat on the FIFA Council during the Confederation of African Football (CAF) General Assembly elections in Cairo on March 12, 2025. He was defeated by a single vote. Souleiman Waberi of Djibouti emerged victorious with 29 votes, narrowly beating Pinnick, who received 28 votes. Pinnick had been a member of FIFA’s decision-making body since 2021. The election reshaped Africa’s representation in FIFA, with other winners including Fouzi Lekjaa of Morocco (49 votes), Hani Rida of Egypt, and Djibrilla Hamidou of Niger (35 votes…
Eight teams remain in the hunt to become the fourth-ever winners of UEFA’s Conference League. The quarter-final draw, made alongside the last-16 ties last month, has now set the matchups for the next stage. The semi-finals were also drawn at the same time, completing the entire knockout bracket. Chelsea remain strong favorites to lift the trophy this season. After overcoming Copenhagen in the last 16, Enzo Maresca’s side will now face Legia Warsaw in the quarter-finals. Real Betis and two-time Conference League finalists Fiorentina are expected to pose the toughest challenge to Chelsea’s continental ambitions, but the Blues cannot meet…
Santos president Marcelo Teixeira has described Neymar as “happy,” “joyful,” and “committed” to his Brazilian boyhood club, despite growing rumors linking him to European clubs. Neymar returned to Vila Belmiro during the winter window after an underwhelming stint at Al Hilal, signing a short-term contract until June 30. A serious ACL injury interrupted his 18-month spell in Saudi Arabia, but his strong start back in Brazil has caught the attention of clubs across Europe. Barcelona, where Neymar previously played, has been heavily linked with re-signing the winger, while Bayern Munich has also emerged as an unexpected contender. However, Santos is…
Liverpool are reportedly considering Borussia Dortmund centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck as a potential summer target amid ongoing uncertainty over Virgil van Dijk’s future. Van Dijk’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and he recently stated that anyone claiming to know his future plans is “lying,” adding that he has no idea whether he will remain at the club next year. This was followed by reports suggesting a significant contract offer from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, which Van Dijk is reportedly contemplating. With the possibility of losing Van Dijk this summer, Liverpool have started exploring…