Category: Sports

Marcus Rashford could play in a Manchester United shirt for the first time in 20 months after being named in Michael Carrick’s squad travelling to Poland for their last preseason friendly.

Rashford could face his former head coach Ruben Amorim when United take on AC Milan on Saturday.

Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez are also part of the squad.

Benjamin Sesko, who has returned to Carrington, is not in the squad. He is yet to feature for Man Utd in preseason.

Sesko is still working his way back to full match fitness after recovering from a shin injury over the summer. He is expected to be fit for United’s Premier League opener against Hull.

Mason Mount and Mattijs de Ligt are also returning to Carrington.

Mount picked up an injury 20 minutes into United’s game against PSG last weekend and did not feature against Leeds this week.

Preseason: Rashford in Man Utd squad for AC Milan friendly

Warri Wolves have strengthened their squad with 12 new players, DAILY POST reports.

The newly signed players are James Akawu, Ubah Cyracus, Blessing Ndubisi, Alex Aguodoh, Auwal Abubakar and Okon Samuel.

Other are Sani Ahmed, George Ekong, Wisdom Tom, Eventus Towo, Kennedy Anslem and Ezegbu Divine Justice.

All the players were unveiled at the club’s headquarters in Asaba.

Warri Wolves are expected to announce more signings before the start of the 2026-27 season.

The Seasiders will begin their league campaign with a clash against Bendel Insurance at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, on Sunday, 30 August 2026.

NPFL: Warri Wolves sign 12 players ahead new season

Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has reacted to Nigeria’s dismal outing at the ongoing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON.

Nigeria crashed out in the quarter-finals following a 1-0 defeat to the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.

Justine Madugu’s side also failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The 2-1 defeat to the Banyana Banyana of South Africa denied the 10-time African champions the chance to earn a berth at the inter-confederation playoffs.

Ajibade reckoned that women’s football is fast changing in Africa, and stated that it is important for the Super Falcons to prepare well for subsequent tournaments.

“To be honest, my biggest lesson is just gratitude. We should be grateful,” Ajibade said after the game against South Africa.

”We should learn not to be lax because the competition is fierce now. We must realize we’re not invincible; we just need to prepare more, get better, and demand more of ourselves individually and collectively.”

WAFCON 2026: Ajibade laments Super Falcons’ disappointing outing

Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho, has opened up on the mentality issues within the squad, which ultimately contributed to his departure from the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013, three years after his arrival.

The Portuguese coach joined Real Madrid following a treble victory with Inter Milan in 2010 and spent three seasons at the Bernabeu.

Despite failing to secure the UEFA Champions League, Mourinho achieved a remarkable La Liga title in 2012, breaking Barcelona’s three-year dominance in the league.

However, not everything was harmonious behind the scenes at the Bernabeu, as reports of player discontent and unrest surfaced.

Reflecting on this, Mourinho, who has returned for a second term this summer after a 13-year hiatus, shared his insights on Netflix regarding then Madrid captain, Iker Casillas.

He stated, “The first thing he told me was, ‘I’ve come to ask for more vacation time for the national team players.

“In the second conversation, he requested that I postpone training by an hour due to heavy traffic in Madrid at the time I intended to commence the session.

“In the third, he mentioned that the players preferred not to go to the hotel and instead wanted to meet on matchday and head directly to the stadium. Mentally, they were in a very poor state.”

Mourinho also addressed the rumors of unrest in the dressing room, saying, “I believe the players had grown weary of me as a leader, and I felt the same towards them. I was frustrated with them, not just the other way around. I was fed up with the players and the media. I wanted to leave. I sensed that my time was up.”

Following his departure from the Bernabeu, Mourinho has managed clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United and AS Roma before making his return to his former club.

LaLiga: ‘I was fed up’ – Mourinho reveals who forced him out of Real Madrid

​Former England footballer, Chris Waddle has advised Bradley Barcola to choose Liverpool over Arsenal. 

He said that the PSG player would thrive more under Andoni Iraola’s management at Liverpool than under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.

In an interview with Tribal Football, Waddle said Barcola would play freely at Liverpool, benefiting from the autonomy provided by Iraola. 

He suggested that Arteta might be overly concerned about Barcola losing possession, which would hinder his ability to showcase his skills on the field.

He said, “If I were to advise Barcola, I would recommend he join Liverpool, as he would have greater freedom to express his game under Andoni Iraola.

“He needs the opportunity to perform at his best, which is why clubs are willing to invest significantly in him.

“At PSG, he often takes on defenders, but if he were to join Arsenal, Mikel Arteta would likely be too apprehensive about the risk of him losing the ball.

“This would drastically diminish his effectiveness, potentially by 50% or even 75%. In contrast, if he plays for Liverpool, Iraola would encourage him to challenge defenders, drive at opponents, and create scoring opportunities. 

“Such an approach may be too risky for a manager like Arteta. If I were in Barcola’s position, choosing between the two clubs, I would opt for Liverpool.”

Both Arsenal and Liverpool are pursuing Barcola this summer.

The French international is eager to leave the Ligue 1 club for regular playing time, a fee of €140 million being quoted.

Transfer: Bradley Barcola told to reject Arsenal 

Manchester City manager, Enzo Maresca, is keen to sign two Chelsea players, Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto, for the Cityzens.

Maresca wants to reunite with Fernandez and Neto at Man City, having coached both players during his time at Chelsea.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Fernandez and Neto are both on Maresca’s radar this summer transfer window.

Maresca’s side are interested in Fernandez, but Chelsea’s £120 million valuation remains a major stumbling block.

Neto, on the other hand, could be viewed as a potential replacement for Savinho, who is set to leave the Etihad Stadium for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Portugal international joined Chelsea from Wolves in 2024, while Fernandez joined the Blues from Benfica in 2022.

EPL: Maresca to sign two Chelsea players for Man City

Shooting Stars have wrapped up the signing of Chikamso Okechukwu for the new campaign, DAILY POST reports.

Okechukwu signed a deal that will keep him with the Oluyole Warriors until 2028.

The defender makes a return to the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, after a stint in Bahrain with Al Shabab club.

Okechukwu previously played for the nine-time NPFL champions Enyimba.

He won the NPFL title with the People’s Elephant during the 2022-23 season.

The defender is the latest arrival at the Ibadan club ahead of the new season.

Shooting Stars finished third in the NPFL last season, securing a place in the CAF Confederation Cup.

NPFL: Okechukwu joins Shooting Stars on two-year deal

Real Madrid have reportedly put two of its players up for sale amid the ongoing summer transfer window.

According to AS, the two players are Ferland Mendy and Raul Asencio.

Mendy’s injury record has encouraged the Los Blancos to make him available, while Asencio is also considered surplus to requirements.

The report added that Real Madrid have so far made little progress in finding buyers for the two players.

The LaLiga giants will now hope interest emerges before the summer transfer window deadline as they look to trim their squad under manager Jose Mourinho.

Transfer: Real Madrid put two players up for sale

Super Eagles defender, Sadiq Ismail is attracting interest from Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, side Kano Pillars.

Ismail is reported to have linked up with the Sai Masu Gida at their pre-season training camp in Katsina.

The right-back proved his quality with Remo Stars during their NPFL triumph in the 2024/ 2025 season.

Ismail won the Remo Stars’ Player of the Season award during that successful campaign.

His experience will be vital for Daniel Ogunmodede’s side next season.

The transfer is expected to be completed before the start of the new season.

NPFL: Super Eagles defender nears move to Kano Pillars

Nigeria will clash with South Africa in a 2027 Women’s World Cup play-off fixture on Thursday night.

Both teams have a second shot at qualifying for the tournament, after they were eliminate from the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Banyana Banyana lost 2–1 to hosts Morocco, while the Super Falcons suffered a narrow 1–0 defeat to Cameroon.

The kick-off for the match between the two rivals is 9pm West African time.

The winner will advance to a six-team preliminary round in the Inter-Confederation play-offs. From there, two teams will progress to a final play-off phase alongside four nations that receive direct byes.

DAILY POST will bring you live updates from the Super Falcons’ match against Cameroon.

____________________________________________________

SOUTH AFRICA XI: Swart, K.Dhlamini, Gamede, Mbane, Magama, Jane, Motlhalo, Motau, Magaia, Donnelly, Kgatlana

NIGERIA XI: Nnadozie, Ohale, Demehin, Alozi, Oladipo, Abiodun, Echegini, Ajibade, Kanu, Oshoala, Ordega

____________________________________________________

FIRST HALF: There are no goals between Nigeria and South Africa in the opening half.

HALF TIME. It remains 0-0 as the two teams go in for the interval.

SECOND HALF: Kgatlana gives Bayana Bayana the lead. South Africa lead 1-0.

A shot deflects into the net via Ucheibe. It’s now 2-0 to South Africa.

Nigeria have pulled one back from the penalty spot. 2-1.

FULL TIME: The Super Falcons have lost 2-1 to South Africa and will not be at the 2027 World Cup.

Nigeria vs South Africa: Live updates from 2027 Women’s World Cup play-off