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Arsenal left-back, Oleksandr Zinchenko, says he’s optimistic the Gunners are capable of wrestling the Premier League title from Man City this season.

Recall that Arsenal are currently on top of the Premier League table with two points ahead of Manchester City, who are in the second position, after their latest victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

However, in a chat with Evening Standard, Zinchenko stated that Arsenal are looking beyond just the top four but the Premier League title.

“I got used to hearing that Arsenal were top four. I would say that I really want to kill and destroy this stereotype. We need to look further and I think this team, this group of people, the fans, they deserve more. That is what we need to do. We need to work hard on this and let’s see at the end of season,” Zinchenko said (via Evening Standard).

He added, “You ask me if we can challenge Manchester City and stuff. Of course, they are an amazing team, but you never know what can happen in football. We need to go step by step with every single game.”


Source:https://www.completesports.com/zinchenko-arsenal-capable-of-challenging-man-city-for-epl-title/

Former Chelsea stars, Glenn Hoddle has praised midfielder, Denis Zakaria after the player’s impressive outing on his first appearance for the west London club.

Zakaria, who joined Chelsea on loan from Juventus in the summer, scored a goal as Graham Potter’s side defeated Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge.

Giving their verdicts on Zakaria’s display, Hoddle said the Swiss star is the perfect partner for Jorginho in Chelsea’s midfield.

Speaking on BT Sport after the match, Hoddle said, “I liked his character and his demeanour on the pitch, it was his first game for Chelsea and he looked as if he felt at home.”

“I think he was the perfect partner for Jorginho. While Jorginho provided a bit of experience in there next to him, he was getting around putting his foot in and to get a goal would’ve been a bonus.”

Style of play

Due to his characteristics and playing style has led Zakaria to be compared with former France international Patrick Vieira as well as Paul Pogba. Zakaria has been described as a midfield powerhouse due to his pace, strength, athleticism and aggressive playing style. He is also known for being a composed passer and for making surging forward runs from midfield. Primarily a defensive midfielder, he is also capable of playing as a central midfielder, in a holding role, or a box-to-box role, and has even played as a central defender.

International career

Zakaria played for various Swiss youth national teams. He could have represented either Switzerland, South Sudan or Congo at a senior level due to being born in Switzerland and having a South Sudanese father and a Congolese mother.

Zakaria made his debut for the senior Switzerland national team in a friendly 2–1 loss to Belgium on 28 May 2016. He was part of the squad for the 2016 European Championships. Zakaria was included in the 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

In May 2019, Zakaria played in the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, where his team finished fourth. He was named in the 26-man Swiss squad for the UEFA Euro 2020. On 2 July 2021, he scored an own goal in Switzerland’s quarter-final match against Spain, which they went on to lose on penalties.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/zakaria-can-form-perfect-partnership-with-jorginho-hoddle/

The Olympic Eagles will take on Guinea in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final round qualifiying fixture in March 2023.

The Eagles will host the Guineans in the first leg at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan between March 20- 28.

The reverse fixture will take place in Conakry a week later.

The overall winners will qualify for the U-23 AFCON which will be hosted by Morocco in November 2023.

The competition will serve as the qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games which will be stage in Paris, France.

The Olympic Eagles failed to advance beyond the group stage at the last edition of the U-23 AFCON hosted by Egypt.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/u-23-afcon-qualifier-nigeria-to-host-guinea-march-2023/

Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp has tipped Napoli has favourite to reach this season’s final of the UEFA Champions League.

Klopp said that Napoli are the team in form in Europe at the moment, adding that the Serie A side plays incredible football.

The German spoke at his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League group stage match-day six tie with Napoli on Tuesday night at Anfield.

“It is a pretty quick turnaround since Leeds, so I am not fully aware of the situation with the players,” said Klopp.

“We don’t want to take risks, but Napoli is in incredible shape, plays incredible football and is maybe the best team in form in Europe at the moment.

“It’s not a game for rotation, probably. We want to win the game, but the result at the moment is not really important.

“I have to make the lineup later today, maybe tomorrow morning, and we will go from there.

“Yes, if they continue to play like this, they can go to the final. They are the in-form team in Europe.

“Did they copy our style? No, [their manager Luciano] Spalletti is a very experienced coach.”


Source:https://www.completesports.com/klopp-tips-napoli-to-reach-champions-league-final/

The home based Super Eagles started preparation for the international friendly against Costa Rica in Ibadan on Monday.

The game is billed for San Jose on November 10.

A number of U-23 players, who were part of the squad that face Tanzania in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers trained under the supervision of Salisu Yusuf.

The team is based at the Owu Crown Hotel.

A number of foreign-based players are expected to link up with the team later.

The players and their officials are expected to travel to San Jose for the game on Thursday.

Costa Rica will use the game as part of their preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/home-eagles-begin-preparation-for-costa-rica-friendly/

Nigeria’s Bayelsa Queens lost 2-1 to champions Mamelodi Sundowns in their Group B opening game at the 2022 CAF women’s Champions League in Morocco on Monday.

Lelona Daweti bagged the first brace of this year’s edition as her goals in each half put Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 up.

Mary-Magdalene Anjor pulled a goal back for debutants Bayelsa Queens late in the game which was only a consolation effort.

In action for Bayelsa Queens was Falconets forward Flourish Sabastine.

Bayelsa Queens will hope to bounce back from the defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns when they face DR Congo’s TP Mazembe on Thursday.

The Congolese will kickoff their campaign against Wadi Degla of Egypt later on Monday.

In Group A games which was played on Sunday, Green Buffaloes of Zambia hammered Determined Girls of Liberia 4-0 and hosts AS Far of Morocco pipped Simba Queens of Tanzania 1-0.

The maiden edition of the CAF women’s Champions League held in Egypt in 2021 was won by Mamelodi Sundowns.

The South Africans beat Ghana’s Hasaacas Ladies 2-0 in the final.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/2022-caf-wcl-bayelsa-queens-lose-to-champions-mamelodi-sundowns-in-group-opener/

Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has praised the Flamingos after the team finished in third position at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India.

The Flamingos defeated Germany 3-2 on penalties on Sunday afternoon to win bronze in the biennial competition.

Bankole Olowookere’s side led 3-0 in the game but the Europeans fought back to level scores at 3-3.

The game went into penalties with Nigeria outscoring Germany 3-2.

It was Nigeria’s best ever finish in the history of the competition.

Peseiro took to the social media to celebrate the girls on the remarkable achievement.

“Congratulations to the Flamingos, who won the bronze medal in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in a penalty shootout against Germany,” Peseiro tweeted.

“The future of women’s football in Nigeria is bright. Congratulations to all the players, staff and directors for this notable achievement!


Source:https://www.completesports.com/2022-u-17-wwc-peseiro-revels-in-flamingos-bronze-medal-success/

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s 1-1 draw against Girona in Sunday’s La Liga game.

Vinicius Junior put Real ahead at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 70th minute , before Cristhian Stuani netted from the penalty spot 10 minutes later to level, when Marco Asensio had handled a shot.

Toni Kroos was sent off in stoppage time, his first red card in his career.

Ancelotti said, “I don’t like to talk about referees but I will today. the first situation is a clear one. It’s not a penalty because he doesn’t touch it with his hand. I asked Asensio and he said he never touched it with his hand, it came off his chest. The left hand was in an odd position. If he’d have touched it with his hand, there may have been doubts around it. He didn’t handle it, they’ve made it up.

“The second move is more open for debate. If the goalkeeper gets the ball in his hand, you can blow the whistle, or not. I won’t talk about that one. I’m most surprised by the penalty. It came at a crucial time because the game was all but wrapped up. We struggled to score goals, we didn’t play brilliant football and we found it tough to win the ball back. We had the chance to make it 2-0 through Asensio. This situation has cost us two points in the table.

“We could have scored in other moments. This episode impacted the game. We could have played differently, been more convincing, aggressive, quicker, but it’s tough at this stage of the season to deliver a high level. It was a difficult game. Through our hard work, the game looked to be going in our favour.”

He added, “We’re not at the level we showed last season due to a few issues. We’ve got injured players coming back but they haven’t played much: Kroos, Modric, Rodrygo, Valverde, Tchouameni was out. We’re dealing with all of that right now. We have an awful lot of games, it’s a tough spell which hasn’t affected us too much yet. On Wednesday we could finish top of the group. Everything is still in our hand.”


Source:https://www.completesports.com/ancelotti-upset-with-real-madrid-after-girona-draw/

Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag has described Diogo Dalot as an exceptional player after his impressive display against West Ham.

Recall that the Portugal international displayed an outstanding performance to help the Red Devils beat the Irons 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday.

England international, Marcus Rashford scored the only goal, heading home a fine cross from Christian Eriksen in the second half.

West Ham made several attempts to equalise the game late on but the likes of Dalot, David de Gea, Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire were outstanding in the back.

“I’m really happy with the development of Diogo,” Ten Hag told Sky Sports.

“His defensive positioning is growing from game to game, his time, also duels, are better from game to game and in possession I think he’s really good.

“He [Dalot] has the breath to go up and down [the flank] so the development is really good.”


Source:https://www.completesports.com/hes-simply-exceptional-ten-hag-hails-dalot/

Paul Pogba has reportedly sustained a muscular injury in training and he is increasingly unlikely to make the France squad for the World Cup.

The former Manchester United man has not yet made a competitive appearance for the Bianconeri since returning to Turin as a free agent over the summer.

He tore the meniscus in his knee during pre-season training in the United States back in July and tried conservative therapy, which did not work, until he eventually had to accept going under the knife was the only feasible option.

Pogba has been back in training in Turin and working towards a full recovery so he could play for Juventus in 2022, but also to be ready for the World Cup, which kicks off on November 20.

However, La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Pogba has been diagnosed with a thigh injury caused by the long period off the field and will have to stay out for another 10 days.

It is very difficult now for France to consider risking Pogba as part of their squad for the tournament in Qatar.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/pogba-doubtful-for-qatar-2022/

Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is expected to return to action against holders Manchester City this weekend.

Ndidi has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since Leicester City’s 4-0 win against Nottingham Forest at the King Power Stadium early this month.

But the Nigeria international is fully fit again and is in contention to face the defending champions, according to manager, Brendan Rodgers.

“Wilfred Ndidi has been back training with the squad,” Rodgers was quoted by the club’s official website.

“The most important thing is he’s back training in the squad and he’s looked fine with the players.

“Availability is the important thing and thankfully he’s available.”

The 25-year-old has made eight league appearances for the Foxes this season.

Leicester City are 17th on the table with 11 points from 12 matches, two points clear of the relegation zone.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/rodgers-ndidi-fit-to-face-manchester-city/

Jamie Carragher has urged England manager, Gareth Southgate to ensure Jude Bellingham makes the squad for the 2022 World Cup.

The 19-year-old star is having a great season with Dortmund and has scored 8 goals in 17 games for his team. While he is expected to feature in Gareth Southgate’s final World Cup squad, Carragher believes he should play a key role in the Three Lions’ squad.

He told Sky Sports: “He’s a different type of player.

“He takes you back to a Steven Gerrard type of player, who’s going to go forward and supplement the attack, creating chances and scoring goals.
“What he makes you think about is England playing 4-3-3 a lot more than three at the back. When England play three at the back, they play two sitting midfield players and I don’t think that’s his game.

“It’s almost Declan Rice and one other and Jude Bellingham is at that stage where he has to play. Certainly his performances over the last few internationals, in the Nations League, deserve that.

“He’s more of an attacking midfield player than a sitting midfield player. Could he play central midfield? Of course he could. And if you’re playing that back three, Bellingham can go forward and you’ve still got the back-three defence, plus Declan Rice – four players behind the ball – and maybe one of the wing-backs as well.

“But in an ideal world, how he plays for Borussia Dortmund is in a 4-3-3 and he’s one of the attacking No8s. That’s him at his best.”


Source:https://www.completesports.com/2022-world-cup-bellingham-must-play-key-role-for-england-in-qatar-carragher/

Chikelue Iloenyosi, a former Nigeria international and Chairman of the Anambra State Football Association has continued to seek divine guidance in his task of developing football in the South- East State, Completesports.com reports.

Nigeria Dream 2 defender to The Sydney 2000 Olympics on Wednesday visited the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship, Most Reverend Paulinus Okafor as he sought divine guidance and direction in his assignment.

Iloenyosi was confirmed as Anambra State FA Chairman on July 28 by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.

Ever since, Iloenyosi, who is affectionately called ‘General’, apparently following his no-compromising stance while on the pitch during his playing days, has hit the ground running, embarking on several activities that have revived the game in the state.

Last Saturday, he held a church service at the Awka City Stadium in memory of fallen footballers and athletes of Anambra State.

He followed this up Wednesday with a visit to the Catholic Bishop of Awka, His Lordship, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor.

While hosting the Anambra Football Association chairman in his St. Patrick’s Cathedral Awka residence, Bishop Ezeokafor advised him to use his wealth of experience to make Anambra State football great again.

He urged Iloenyosi to put in the same zeal that saw him play for all the categories of the Nigerian national football teams; U-20s, U-23s, and the Super Eagles, to work as the Anambra FA Chairman.

“Football activities will surely redirect the youths and take them away from vices, ” the Bishop noted.

He assured that “the church will collaborate and assist the Anambra FA in their activities”.

Responding, Iloenyosi, former Fenerbahce of Turkey defender, expressed gratitude to the Bishop for finding time to receive him.

“I’m also grateful for all the advice you gave to me, ” Iloenyosi said before highlighting the various activities he has undertaken within the three months of his assumption of Office.

Such activities, he pointed out, include memorial service for late footballers and administrators of Anambra State extraction, amongst others.

He assured the Bishop that he will not disappoint him as regards the expectations and confidence reposed in him.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/ex-eagles-defender-iloenyosi-seeks-divine-guidance-as-anambra-fa-boss/

Former Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher has advised Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic to leave Stamford Bridge during the January transfer window.

Pulisic is only 24, but his career appears to have stagnated, as he cannot get regular game time at Chelsea.

In a chat with CBS, Carragher, stated that Pulisic has been underutilized under Graham Potter.

“100 per cent [Pulisic should consider a smaller club].

“A lot of footballers are different, I do scratch my head when I see certain players at clubs for a long time and they never really get into the team.

“And that’s why I think Thierry [Henry] is saying he respects Timo Werner. Rather than just sitting on the bench another year or two he’s gone back to somewhere where he’s going to play week in, week out.

“And I just think Pulisic is sort of at that stage now where there’s been a few managerial changes.

“It looks like he’s getting more of a chance with Potter, but not just him, I think Graham Potter is a manager who changes it every game so everyone is getting a chance.

“So he may feel like he’s getting more of an opportunity to prove to the manager he can be in that recognised 11.

“But he’s been there a few years now, it hasn’t quite happened for him for whatever reason, and maybe Dortmund is a level down from Chelsea who are a team who are trying to win the Champions League – we know Pulisic was part of that win.

“But eventually you have to make that decision. I don’t think you can continue to be in that position that he’s been in for the last two or three years.”


Source:https://www.completesports.com/your-potential-has-been-underutilised-at-chelsea-carragher-tells-pulisic/

Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry believes it will take mother-luck for the Gunners to wrestle the Premier League title away from Manchester City.

According to the former striker, Arsenal only have hope at the moment amid the Premier League title, adding that Liverpool’s inability to keep pace with Man City in recent seasons should serve as a warning to Mikel Arteta’s side.

The Frenchman said he would wait until after the 38 Premier League games are played before he can celebrate.

“It’s 11 games, you celebrate the title after 38 games, not before that,” Henry told CBS Sports.

“That is me, I have always had that mentality. What we are talking about right now with Arsenal is hope.

“Manchester City can talk, Man City can be loud because we have seen it before with them and we know what it takes for a team to stay with them.

“Look at Liverpool… twice they tried to maintain the rhythm of Man City but could not do it. So, let’s see what’s going to happen to us.

“I won’t get carried away. But we have hope and I have a lot of hope at the minute.”

Arsenal currently sits on top of the Premier League table with two points ahead of second position Manchester City.

The Gunners will face Nottingham Forest in their next Premier League tie on Sunday after their next Europa League clash with PSV on Thursday night.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/henry-it-will-be-tough-for-arsenal-to-wrestle-epl-title-from-man-city/

Confederation of African Football (“CAF”) has re-opened the bidding process for the hosting rights of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2025 (“AFCON 2025”).

CAF today sent a notice to the Member Associations to express their interest in hosting the AFCON 2025 including the process that will be followed in the selection of the host country or countries.

AFCON 2025 Bidding Process Timeline

– 11 November 2022: Deadline for submitting the Declaration of Interest form

– 16 November 2022: Deadline for CAF to send the hosting documents to Member Associations that have declared their interest.

– 16 December 2022: Deadline for Member Associations to submit their final bid, including all bidding and hosting documents (hosting agreement, host cities agreement, Government guarantees)

– 05-25 January 2023: Inspection visits

– 10 February 2023: Appointment of Host Country/Countries by the CAF Executive Committee


Source:https://www.completesports.com/caf-re-opens-bids-for-2025-afcon-hosting-rights/

Chelsea winger Callum Hudson- Odoi has not ruled out the possibility of representing the Black Stars of Ghana in future.

Although he has already played three times for England, new Fifa rules mean that if those appearances happen before a player is 21, which is the case with Hudson Odoi, he can switch allegiance.

Asked if talks had taken place with Ghana, Hudson-Odoi, on-loan at Bayer Leverkusen, told BBC Sport: “Nothing I would say at the moment on camera, I would love to tell you, but I couldn’t say.

“At the moment it’s more just focusing on the best I can do here. You never know what will happen in the future.

“Obviously the Ghana-England situation has been on my mind for a while. But I think right now it was more of the focus of coming here, really getting myself back into shape, playing a lot of games and just feeling like myself. Right now my mind is just open.”


Source:https://www.completesports.com/hudson-odoi-coy-on-ghana-commitment/

Flamingos defender, Miracle Usani is confident the team will beat Colombia in their semi-final encounter at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Nigerian girls will face the South Americans in the semi-final encounter at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa on Wednesday.

The encounter will start at 4pm (12noon Nigeria time).

“I believe we can get to the final,” Usani said in an interview with FIFA.

“If we can beat USA, I don’t see any obstacle standing in our way.”

USA enjoyed the better stats against Nigeria, but Usani said her team were focused on winning to go through to a historic semi-final after three failed attempts previously.

“It was just about winning the game,” she said. “That’s exactly what we had to do, and that was the key to our victory.”

The Flamingos defeated United States of America 4-3 on penalties to get to this stage of the competition.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/2022-fifa-wwc-flamingos-can-beat-any-team-usani/

Nigerian champions Bayelsa Queens arrived Casablanca, Morocco on Monday ahead of the 2023 Women’s Champions League.

The Restoration Girls are already lodged at the Magic Village Sports Centre in Casablanca.

Domo Okara’s side will continue their preparations for the competition which will kick-off this weekend.

Bayelsa Queens will confront defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in their first game on Sunday at the Stade Grande de Marrakech.

The Nigerian girls will face TP Mazembe of Congo Democratic Republic in their second group game three days later.

Their final group game will be against Egypt’s Wadi Degla at the Stade Prince Heritier, Rabat on November 6.

The top two teams in the group will proceed to the semi-finals.

The winner of the competition will smile home with $400, 000, while the runners-up will earn $250,000. The two losing semi-finalists will get $200,000 each.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/bayelsa-queens-arrive-morocco-for-caf-womens-champions-league/

Vice-chairman of West Ham United Karren Brady believes that Bayern Munich forward, Sadio Mane’s pedigree and influence on the pitch are transforming The Teranga Lions of Senegal into ‘the lion’s den of African football’ and is looking forward to seeing how Aliou Cisse’s team could live up to big expectation at 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Mane has scored nine goals and registered one assist from 18 games in all competitions for Bayern Munich this season.

In her column for The Sun, Brady lauded Mane’s qualities going into the winter World Cup.

“Sadio Mane’s second place in the FIFA player rankings is another sign that Senegal is fast becoming the Lion’s Den of African football,” Brady wrote.

“It will show whether the growl is bigger than the bite at the World Cup starting next month.

“Mane Is the player with claws– darting, challenging, and quick to expose loose defending. Undoubtedly, he’s the headline act.”

Mane has scored 34 goals in 93 games for Senegal. He has scored five goals in 11 Bundesliga games so far this season.

Senegal are in Group A of the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Qatar, Ecuador, and the Netherlands.

The Teranga Lions have qualified for three FIFA World Cup finals; Korea/Japan 2002, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/manes-class-making-senegal-the-lions-den-of-african-football-brady/

Graeme Souness has issued a stern warning to Liverpool and Chelsea that may fail to make the top four of the Premier League if they continue to lose points.

Recall that both Chelsea and Liverpool are currently outside the top four places on the table.

The Blues have drawn their last two fixtures to slip to fifth, while the Reds are just eighth after winning just four of their 11 league matches.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United climbed into fourth spot, after beating third-placed Tottenham on Sunday.

Souness has claimed the Magpies could “easily” claim a top-four spot ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool.

“The normal order of things is changing. You have to say that Liverpool are in danger, you have to say maybe Chelsea are in danger – so there is an opening there for Newcastle.

“The teams I’m watching right now, and you can’t guarantee it, but I fancy Newcastle in terms of performances and attitude.

“They don’t suffer a load of injuries either and they could easily end up in the top four,” Souness said on talkSPORT.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/epl-chelsea-liverpool-may-struggle-to-make-top-four-souness-warns/

William Troost-Ekong is in buoyant mood after scoring his first goal for Sky Bet Championship club Watford this season.

Troost-Ekong was on target in the Hornets 4-0 drubbing of rivals, Luton Town on Sunday at the Vicarage Road.

The centre-back poked the ball in from close range just before half-time after Keinan Davis had opened scoring for the Hornets.

Joao Pedro and Senegal forward, Ismaila scored the other goals for Slaven Bilic’s side.

”I’m still buzzing to be honest; the adrenaline is still going and it’s everything we wanted from the game today,” Troost-Ekong told the club’s official website.

“It’s a party in the dressing room at the moment. We spoke about a lot of things this morning when we all got together. We said, guys, there’s no more time to talk, it’s time for action.

“It was amazing [to score]. I felt a bit lost when it went in and I didn’t know what to do with the celebration, but I was just buzzing. All goals count, I think I was about half a meter away and put it into the roof of the net – I almost put it over!”

The 29-year-old has made six league appearances for Watford.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/it-was-amazing-to-score-troost-ekong-thrilled-to-open-goal-account-for-watford/

Manchester United will allow Cristiano Ronaldo to leave in the January transfer window, the Sun reports.

But first Ronaldo will sit down for crunch talks with Erik ten Hag on Monday.

The 37-year-old caused fury last Wednesday when he refused to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham.

He then walked down the tunnel and left Old Trafford before the full-time whistle blew.

He was slapped with a ban by Ten Hag – forcing him to sit out of yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea – and fined £720,000.

SunSport revealed Ronaldo may well have played his last game for the Red Devils after burning bridges with any remaining allies at the club.

Ronaldo is under contract until the end of the season, but the Mirror report United are keen to get him off the books as soon as possible.

However, that relies on the Red Devils finding a club who want to stump up the money for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner – although Chelsea are reportedly considering a swoop.

SunSport revealed it would cost the Old Trafford side £10million to rip up his contract early due to his mammoth £360,000-a-week wages.

Ten Hag wants to see evidence of genuine remorse and an apology before allowing Ronaldo to rejoin first-team training.

The pair are set to sit down for a meeting to discuss the next steps.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/man-united-to-allow-ronaldo-leave-in-january/

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has declared that Man United star, Casemiro is the real defensive brain of the team after his brilliant performance against Chelsea.

Recall that Chelsea took the lead after Jorginho’s second half penalty, but United got level through a terrific late Casemiro’s header.

In a chat with BBC Match of the Day, Keown stated that Casemiro is an absolute class who knows when to sniff out danger.

“Absolute class. I think he’s a player they’ve been missing for years. Conducts everything in that midfield. The real defensive brain of the team, and he can pass as well.

“He’s never ruffled. He sniffs out danger. He senses things really well, he anticipates. If you give it to him in a tricky situation he can find a pass. You see people doing that in front of you, it’s brilliant. His positioning is first class.

“He’s always in the right place for his team. When they need him most he comes to the fore, takes responsibility, That is a wonderful header, his first goal for United. Look what it means to him.”


Source:https://www.completesports.com/casemiro-is-the-real-defensive-brain-of-man-united-keown/

Tottenham Hotspur manager, Antonio Conte, has warned fans not to expect miracles from him due to the number of players that are injured.

He made this known on the backdrop of his team”s 2-1 loss to Newcastle United in Sunday’s Premier League game.

The Italian tactician also stated that he needs time because he has just started the process of building a strong squad.

“The fans have to understand we are doing our best in every moment. The commitment was really high. It is a difficult moment for us as we don’t have three or four players in the squad; then you are in trouble. We have to try to manage and overcome this situation together. This squad can’t allow us to lose four players.

“You see the title contenders in these periods when you play every three days because you need to have depth in your squad. A strong squad with great quality. We have only just started our process. From the Conference League, we are now playing Champions League. We are trying to improve step-by-step, but you need time and patience. With my experience, we are doing well, not the best, but we need time and patience. And to understand ways we can overcome problems in the future.

“If we play one game every six or seven days, we can fight for something important. To play a lot of games every three days, we need to build our path and patience. We can’t invent wins or do a miracle.

“We have just started the process. If someone doesn’t want to listen, it’s not my problem. From my experience we have to have patience. These players want to work a lot but it’s not enough. If we have many injuries it affects our season,” Conte said.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/dont-always-expect-miracles-conte-warns-spurs-fans/

Cristiano Ronaldo has been dropped for Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday.

The move to drop Ronaldo is punishment for refusing to go on as a late substitute and for leaving early in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Tottenham.

Ronaldo was named among the substitutes against Spurs as United earned an impressive victory over Spurs thanks to goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes.

Erik ten Hag’s decision not to bring Ronaldo on prompted a public display of frustration as the 37-year-old walked down the Old Trafford touchline and up the tunnel before the full-time whistle.

Ronaldo is now expected to train away from the first-team squad.

Speaking after the game, Ten Hag insisted he would “deal with” Ronaldo on Thursday, where it was confirmed he would not feature in Saturday’s trip to Stamford Bridge.

A club statement read: “Cristiano will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture.”


Source:https://www.completesports.com/ronaldo-dropped-for-man-uniteds-trip-to-chelsea/

Olympic Eagles head coach Salisu Yusuf has unveiled an 18-man squad for the team’s U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania.

Yusuf named a number of unknown foreign-based players in the squad.

Former Flying Eagles striker, Success Makanjuola, Promise David, who plays for Sirens FC of Malta and FC Vizela of Portugal’s Adeyemo Emmanuel are some of the foreign-based stars, who make the cut.

The players and their officials will travel to Dar es Salaam for the first leg today.

The first leg will take place on Saturday, while the reverse fixture is billed for the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan a week later.

THE FULL LIST

1. isaiah Ejeh – Mjallby, Sweden.

2. Promise David – Sirens FC, Malta.

3. Michael Ologo Inainfe – Istanbulspor, Turkey.

4. Ogunniyi Oluwatimileyin Abiodun – Fk Auda, Latvia.

5. Adeyemo Oluwapelumi Emmanuel – FC Vizela, Portugal.

6. Success Makanjuola – CD Diocesano, Spain.

7. Hezekiah Okirikpo – Dundalk FC, Ireland.

8. Naziru Auwalu Ibrahim – Rangers Int’l.

9. Munir Idris – Niger Tornadoes.

10. Edidiong Enobong Ezekiel – Remo Stars.

11. Daniel Wotlai – Abia Warriors.

12. Christopher Nwaeze – Plateau United.

13. Evans Ogbonda – Akwa United.

14. Qudus Olamilekan Akanni – Remo Stars

15. Nathaniel Nwosu- Water FC Abuja.

16. Dominion Ohaka – Water FC Abuja.

17. Amah John – Box-to-Box FC.

18. Bamayi Calocho – Yum-Yum FC


Source:https://www.completesports.com/u-23-afcon-qualifier-salisu-unveils-18-man-squad-for-tanzania-clash/

Former Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant has revealed that the Gunners will fail to maintain the momentum for the title race when the Premier League returns after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Recall that Arsenal are still top of the league table after 10 matches.

During an appearance on talkSPORT, Pennant said: “I think that Arsenal, after Christmas, will cookie crumble like they did the year before to drop out of the Champions League spots.

“I’m gonna get criticised and battered by Arsenal fans being an ex-Gooner!”

He added: “What [Mikel] Arteta has done at Arsenal, where they were two, three seasons ago and what they are doing now, is absolutely amazing.

“We are giving Arsenal a lot of praise about where they are going and how they have conducted themselves in the first ten games. But it is all about will they maintain that, will they continue that after Christmas?

“We have seen a lot of teams come flying out the blocks and then as soon as the Christmas period comes and the games come thick and fast, they slip over easily.”

Personal life

In February 2004, Pennant was given a 16-month driving ban after being caught drink-driving in Paddington, West London. On 23 January 2005, he was arrested and again charged with drink-driving, and driving while uninsured, after crashing his Mercedes into a lamp-post in Aylesbury while still serving the ban for the first offence.

During questioning, Pennant initially identified himself as his friend Ashley Cole. Pennant pleaded guilty to drink-driving and driving while disqualified, and was sentenced to 90 days in prison on 1 March. He was released on parole after 30 days and immediately returned to playing for Birmingham City, although he had to wear an electronic tag at all times, including while on the pitch. It emerged during the trial that he was illiterate.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/pennant-arsenals-epl-title-challenge-will-collapse-after-2022-world-cup/

Asisat Oshoala was voted Player of the Match in Barcelona’s 9-0 home win against Benfica on match day one of the UEFA women’s Champions League on Wednesday, Completesports.com reports.

Oshoala was announced as the best player on UEFA’s women’s Champions League Twitter handle.

The Super Falcons star scored two goals and provided two assists as Barcelona got their campaign in Group D off to a perfect start.

Oshoala set up Barca’s first and second goals before scoring her side’s third and eight goals.

She has now scored three goals in all competitions for the former European champions this season.

The reigning Africa women’s Player of the Year was the top scorer in the Spanish topflight with 20 goals term.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/uefa-oshoala-named-player-of-the-match-in-barcas-9-0-win-vs-benfica/

Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala scored two goals and provided two assists, as Barcelona hammered visiting Benfica 9-0 on match day one in Group D of the UEFA women’s Champions League, Completesports.com reports.

Oshoala’s brace took her goals to three in all competitions this season.

Barcelona got off to the perfect start as Oshoala set up Patri Guijarro for the opener just one minute into the game.

Oshoala then provided her second assist for Barcelona’s second goal scored by Aitana Bonmati on 14 minutes.

In the 34th minute Oshoala made it 3-0 and got her second goal and Barcelona’s eight with six minutes left.

On Monday, Oshoala placed 16th in the 2022 women’s Ballon d’Or award which was won by her Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas.

The award which was held in Paris, France, also saw Barcelona youngster Gavi claim the KOPA trophy (best young player award).


Source:https://www.completesports.com/uefa-wcl-oshoala-bags-brace-provides-two-assists-as-barcelona-hammer-benfica-9-0/

Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Uzoho’s head coach at Omonia Nicosia Neil Lennon has been sacked by the Cypriot club side after seven months in charge.

Omonia Nicosia made the announcement soon after a 1-0 home defeat by Nea Salamis that leaves them seventh in the Division One table.

Former Celtic boss Lennon led Omonia to Cypriot Cup success in May.

Last week Lennon almost guided Omonia to a shock 0-0 draw against Manchester United in the Europa League but eventually fell to a 1-0 loss thanks to a Scot McTominay late strike.

The statement from Omonia read: “We inform you that we have agreed with Neil Lennon to stop our collaboration,” the club said in a statement on their website.

“Unfortunately, the ongoing competitive instability and the significant losses of points in the championship are the main reasons that made us decide to end our partnership.

“Mr Lennon has written his name in the history of Omonia and deserves the respect and recognition of all of us. Our paths separate, but the memories of our collaboration will unite us forever.

“We sincerely thank Mr Lennon for his contribution and wish him every success in his future career.”

Lennon signed a deal to take him up to the end of the 2023-24 campaign when he was appointed by Omonia in March.

He had been out of management since stepping down from his second managerial spell at Celtic Park just over a year before that.

Lennon led Celtic to 10 major trophies across his two stints as manager, winning two league titles, two Scottish Cups and a League Cup having returned to the club in February 2019 following the departure of Brendan Rodgers.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/uzohos-coach-at-omonia-nicosia-lennon-sacked/

Abia Warriors have completed the signing of four new players ahead of the 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League season.

The four players are; Femi Thomas, Iwu Emmanuel, Aniekwe Ugonna and Isah Saidu.

Veteran goalkeeper Thomas swapped Heartland for the Promise Keepers after just one season with the Naze Millionaires.

Thomas is one of the most experienced shot stoppers in the NPFL .

The former home-based Super Eagles goalkeeper once had stint with Nasarawa United, Ocean Boys, Rivers United, Enyimba and Enugu Rangers.

Emmanuel, Ugonna and Saidu linked up with Abia Warriors from Kwara United, MFM and Ottasolo FC respectively.


Source:https://www.completesports.com/npfl-abia-warriors-sign-four-new-players/