Category: Sports

Abakaliki FC has announced the retention of 26 players ahead of the 2026/2027 Nigeria National League, NNL, season.

The club confirmed the decision in a statement signed by the secretary, Barr. Chris Akukwe after a management meeting.

The De Rice Boys fixed players’ areturn to camp on July 25, 2026, which was the earlier scheduled date of resumption.

Training sessions for the new campaign will commence Monday, 27 July , 2026.

The players are expected to return to camp accordingly as Abakaliki FC begins preparations for the NNL season.

The retained list includes Elochukwu Paschal, Oma Joseph, Onuoha Promise, Alo Friday, Jude Aleke and Izuchukwu Ogbodo.

Other players retained are Uche Promise, Nwankpa Chinedu, Uche Amarachi, Hamzat Sheriff, Joseph Onwuzuruigbo and Okeke Chinaza.

Korzer Modester, Udom Chikezie, Onwe Ebuka, Muftaudeen-Abdulganiyu, Nwafor Chigozie, Augustus Dorbarilee, Ugochukwu Ujah, Okpali Chukwujekwu and Micheal Oforkans also made the cut.

Emeka Ugwu, Ifeanyi Ede, Ekuma Ndubuisi and Kalu Collins complete the 26-man list.

NNL: Abakaliki FC retain 26 players for 2026-27 season

Liverpool icon, Alan Hansen has expressed his criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo’s performances during the 2026 World Cup, where Portugal finished second in their group after a goalless draw against Colombia on Saturday, June 27, in Miami.

At 41 years old, Ronaldo faced a challenging start to the tournament, with a frustrating 1-1 draw against DR Congo, where he recorded two shots that missed the target and had 25 touches. He showed improvement in the subsequent match against Uzbekistan, scoring twice in a 5-0 victory, thus becoming the first player to score in six World Cups and the oldest to achieve a brace.

However, in the match against Colombia, the Al-Nassr forward struggled to make an impact, managing only two touches in the opponent’s box, one of three shots on target, losing possession eight times, and being caught offside twice, according to ESPN.

During a post-match analysis on ESPN Podcasts, Hansen, a former defender, commented on Ronaldo’s declining speed and tendency to be offside:

He said, “In this World Cup, he has been offside more times than I can remember because he knows he needs to get a quick headstart on the defenders because he doesn’t have the pace, so he’s running offside.

“And then he ends up in a wide area … because he’s not beaten anybody, he can’t go past anybody, so the only place he has to be is in the penalty box, but even then he’s pretty much invisible.”

Ronaldo and his teammates are set to face 2018 finalists Croatia in a significant Round of 32 match on Thursday, July 2, in Toronto.

World Cup: ‘He has no pace, can’t go past anyone’ – Liverpool legend about Ronaldo

Portugal head coach, Roberto Martinez, has remained coy about leaving Cristiano Ronaldo out for the last-32 clash against Croatia at the 2026 World Cup.

Ronaldo started all three matches during the group stages and scored only twice – both goals against Uzbekistan.

There have been calls for the 41-year-old to be dropped, over concerns about his effect on the general team play.

But Martinez refused to commit to benching his top goalscorer in the knockouts.

He said: “Cristiano is used to being in the right place at the right time. He is very disciplined in his position, and he also creates space for his teammates.

“His physical and mental condition is not in question. We may need to make changes in the next match, but we base every decision on the information and data we have.”

2026 World Cup: Portugal coach, Martinez speaks on dropping Ronaldo against Croatia

Argentina head coach, Lionel Scaloni, has said that his legendary forward Lionel Messi left him “speechless” following their 3-1 victory over Jordan in the 2026 tournament.

Argentina recorded a 3-1 win in their final group-stage match, finishing first in Group J.

La Albiceleste played against Jordan at the Dallas Stadium on Sunday morning, with Giovani Lo Celso opening the scoring in the 19th minute, followed by Lautaro Martinez converting a penalty in the 31st minute.

Musa Al-Taamari netted one for Jordan in the 55th minute, but Lionel Messi added a free-kick goal in the 80th minute.

The 39-year-old began the match on the bench and entered the game in the 59th minute. After the match, Argentina’s head coach commended the eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient.

He said via Mundo Albiceleste, “I spoke with Leo and we both agreed that him being substituted into the match in the second half was the best thing for today, that shows what he means to the group. About Leo, I see what you all see. It’s even uncomfortable for me because he’s left me speechless.

“He chose today to think about his team mates who are getting minutes rather than those numbers that so many people talk about to boost his record. That says a lot about what his team mates and the Argentina national team mean to him,” he added.

With his goal against Jordan, Lionel Messi became the first player to score in seven consecutive matches.

World Cup: ‘It’s uncomfortable for me’ – Argentina coach, Scaloni on Messi’s performance

The Nationwide League One, NLO, has rescheduled the aborted play-off match between FC Ebedei and Yewa FA, DAILY POST reports.

The game was postponed due to a serious on-pitch accident that forced an immediate stoppage.

The NLO acknowledged the incident necessitated halting play to ensure player safety and medical attention.

FC Ebedei player (Kehinde Abdulquadri and Yewa FA GK (Olalere Ridwan) collided with the latter remaining unconscious and rushed to the hospital

The NLO expressed deepest empathy to affected players and both club’s managements for what it called a challenging time.

The NLO ordered the remaining minutes to be completed at a neutral venue in Ajegunle, Lagos.

The game was stopped in the 45th minutes with a goalless scoreline.

The encounter which will resume from the exact point it was interrupted with same minute, scoreline and on-field referees.

Kick off is set for Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM prompt to determine a definitive winner.

Both clubs were directed to have players and officials at the venue at least one hour before kick off.

The NLO said it will provide necessary security and medical logistics to ensure smooth conclusion of the encounter.

NLO reschedules aborted Ebedei vs Yewa FA play-off tie

Granada has announced the signing of highly rated Nigerian striker, Chinaza Marvellous Onouha Okonyia, who scthereby enhancing their squad with a promising young attacking talent.

The forward, born in 2005, joins the team following an impressive season with UP Plasencia, where he played a crucial role in the club’s successful promotion campaign.

The Cáceres-based team secured the championship title in the Primera Extremeña, which granted them a spot in the Tercera RFEF, with Chinaza standing out as one of the key performers throughout the season.

The Nigerian forward had a remarkable season, netting 34 goals in all competitions.

This total comprised 23 goals in league matches, seven in the Copa Extremadura, and four during the two promotion playoff games.

His remarkable consistency in scoring allowed him to finish as the top scorer in the division, achieving 23 goals in 23 league appearances and maintaining an impressive one-goal-per-game ratio.

His contributions were instrumental in UP Plasencia’s successful promotion effort.

Chinaza will start his journey with Granada by joining the club’s reserve team, which faced challenges in their attacking performance last season.

Transfer: Granada sign 34-goal Nigerian striker, Chinaza

Super Eagles forward, Tolu Arokodare, has been advised to begin seeking new opportunities elsewhere following the signing of Mexican striker, Raul Jimenez, by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Chris Gallagher said that the arrival of the North American player could signify the end  of Arokodare’s stay at Wolves.

Arokodare joined Wolverhampton Wanderers after a successful period in Belgium, where he netted 23 goals and provided seven assists in 45 matches across all competitions.

Nevertheless, the Nigerian international was unable to replicate that success in the Premier League, as Wolves faced a disappointing season that culminated in relegation to the Championship.

In his article for Football League World, Gallagher suggested that Arokodare’s difficulties might have arisen from the club’s failure to effectively leverage his strengths, noting that the Super Eagles talent could regain his top form in the Championship.

He said, “It could be argued that Wolves didn’t play to Arokodare’s strengths, and, in the Championship he could be more effective.

“But, with Raul Jimenez joining, the Mexican is certain to be the main number nine. Plus, Sasa Kalajdzic is back at the club, and Peixoto may want to bring in his own players,” he added. 

Transfer: Super Eagles Tolu Arokodare told to leave Wolves

Scottish side, Celtic may encounter challenges in retaining Kelechi Iheanacho in their squad next season as the club’s option to extend his contract for an additional season has lapsed, resulting in uncertainty regarding the future of the Super Eagles striker.

The 29-year-old was not present when the Scottish champions resumed pre-season training at Lennoxtown. According to The Scottish Sun, Iheanacho is currently in Nigeria, training on his own while he seeks clarity about his next steps.

The Super Eagles forward, who has previously played for Manchester City and Leicester City, is interested in staying at Parkhead after making a significant impact during Celtic’s title-winning season.

Celtic boss, Manager Martin O’Neill is also reportedly keen to keep him on the team.

Nevertheless, no formal negotiations have occurred regarding a new contract, which heightens the uncertainty surrounding the striker’s future with Celtic.

As Iheanacho is now a free agent, Turkish clubs have already started to make attractive offers in an attempt to secure his services.

Transfer: Celtic set to lose Iheanacho as Turkish clubs offer big money

Sunderland captain, Granit Xhaka, could be set for a shock move to Chelsea this summer.

According to the Daily Mail, the Blues are keen on signing the Swiss midfielder.

The Black Cats are however insisting that Xhaka is not for sale and they have not received any offers.

Xhaka played for new Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso, at Bayer Leverkusen and the new boss is looking to add players with proven Premier League experience.

However, Xhaka turns 34 in September, so Chelsea would not want to pay too much.

He is under contract at the Stadium of Light until 2028 but is understood to be keen on linking up again with Alonso and being part of a new project.

Sunderland signed him for £13million last summer and he played a key part in keeping the club in the Premier League.

Transfer: Xhaka in shock move to Chelsea after Xabi Alonso’s demand

Ligue 1 club Stade Rennes have joined the list of clubs interested in Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez, DAILY POST reports.

Fernandez, who arrived Ibrox last summer from League One club Peterborough United for around £3.5m has developed into one of the best defenders in Europe.

The 24-year-old won Rangers’ Player of the Season award , and was also named in the Scottish Premiership Team of the Season.

The centre-back has also earned recognition at the international level with three caps already for Nigeria.

According to Ouest-France, Fernandez is on  Rennes’ three-man shortlist of defensive targets.

Feyenoord, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund among the clubs tracking the Nigeria international.

Transfer: Ligue 1 club plot move for Fernandez