Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

Thierry Henry is set to be appointed the new head coach of the France U-21 team. According to ESPN, the French Football Federation (FFF) has decided to appoint the 46-year-old over Sabri Lamouchi, Jocelyn Gourvennec and Julien Stephan. Henry’s last coaching job was as the Belgium assistant at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He will now replace Sylvain Rippoll following France’s poor outing at the Euros this summer, where they were eliminated by Ukraine at the quarter-final stage. Henry has struggled during his short managerial career following unsuccessful spells in charge of Monaco and Montreal. It is believed Henry…

Chelsea have completed the signing of Belgium midfielder Romeo Lavia from Southampton for an initial £53m. The 19-year-old has signed a seven-year contract in a deal which could rise by a further £5m with add-ons. Lavia made 34 appearances in all competitions last season but could not help prevent Saints’ relegation from the Premier League. “I’m really happy to join Chelsea and be a part of this exciting project,” said Lavia. “It’s an amazing football club with a great history and I’m really excited to get started. “I can’t wait to meet all my new team-mates and build a chemistry…

Liverpool have signed midfielder Wataru Endo from Stuttgart for a fee of about £16.2m (19m euros), subject to a work permit and international clearance. The 30-year-old Japan international has agreed a four-year contract. Liverpool have brought in Endo after missing out on Ecuador international Moises Caicedo and Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia to Chelsea. Endo can also play at centre-back but has been signed primarily as a central defensive midfielder. “It feels amazing,” he said. “It’s always been a dream to play in the Premier League and with one of the biggest clubs in the world. It’s a dream come true…

Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34 after his contract with Southampton expired. Walcott has made the decision to call it quits after his contract with Southampton expired at the end of last season. The 34-year-old brings down the curtain on a glittering career at the highest level that saw him make a total of 563 career appearances at club level, scoring 129 goals. He won the FA Cup twice during his time with Arsenal, while he earned 47 caps for England, scoring eight times at international level. In an emotional…

Nigeria’s first lady, Oluremi Tinubu has rewarded Super Falcons players with $10,000 each for their exploits at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Super Falcons made it to the Round of 16 at the competition before bowing out on penalties against the Three Lionesses of England. The nine-time African champions caught the eye with their impressive performance in the competition. Tinubu hosted the players in Abuja this week and praised them for their “unbreakable spirit and unwavering strength”. Defender Osinachi Ohale eulogized Tinubu for her kind gesture. “We are grateful for this unexpected gesture because for several years we’ve…

Nigeria International, Wilfred Ndidi could be heading to Bayern Munich this summer. The Bavarians are looking to sign a defensive midfielder as Thomas Tuchel is keen to bolster his squad Kicker reports that Leicester City’s Ndidi is among the players being considered for the role. Bayern are also looking at Ibrahim Sangaré of PSV Eindhoven, Benfica midfielder Florentino and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni. Leicester City were relegated to the English second tier competition last season and has lost most of their valuable players Ndidi has just one year left on his contract and City may be looking to cash-in on…

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has been cleared of doping violations with the provisional suspension on her lifted. This means the Nigerian medal hopeful will take part in the World Championship billed for Budapest, Hungary. A statement by Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, noted that Tobi Amusan has not committed any offence and therefore, her “provisional suspension has now been lifted with immediate effect.” A panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal, by majority decision, has today found that Tobi Amusan has not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period,” the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said in a…

Lionesses coach Sarina Wiegman would be considered by the Football Association (FA) as a possible successor to England men’s manager Gareth Southgate. Wiegman was appointed to the role in 2021 and has led England to the Women’s World Cup final a year after they won Euro 2022. With Southgate’s contract expiring in 2024, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham has suggested the Dutch coach will be in the frame when they consider options to take over as Three Lions boss. Bullingham said on Thursday: “People always say it is the best man for the job or the best Englishman. Why does…

Ousmane Dembele has taken up the number 10 jersey at Paris Saint-Germain after Neymar’s departure. The French star joined the French champions last week in a long-drawn and rather farcical move away from FC Barcelona. Dembele had originally chosen the No. 26 jersey, however, after the departure of Neymar to Al-Hilal, the winger has now taken over the number 10 jersey. Demeble’s move to PSG came under a lot of scrutiny over the last few weeks after Barca and the player went back and forth regarding the release clause, so much so, that Dembele’s agent Moussa Sissoko is reportedly planning to…

US head coach Vlatko Andonovski has resigned after the team’s worst performance at a Women’s World Cup. The four-time winners were knocked out by Sweden in the last 16 on penalties at this year’s tournament. It was the team’s earliest exit from a World Cup – they had finished at least third at every other edition. “Vlatko worked tirelessly for this team and has been a strong and positive leader for our women’s program,” sporting director Matt Crocker said. “We’re grateful for everything he has contributed to US Soccer and know he has a bright future in the sport.” Andonovski…

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has had “successful” surgery on a knee injury he picked up in pre-season, the club announced on Thursday. The Belgian international “has successfully undergone surgery today to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee,” Real said in a brief statement. The club added that Courtois will start his recovery programme “in the coming days” but did not specify how long it would be before he is able to play again, amid fears that he may be out for almost the entire season. Courtois was injured in training a week ago and his…

Former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lionel Messi has been nominated alongside Man City’s duo of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne for the 2022–23 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award. Messi scored four goals and made four assists in seven games for PSG as they crashed out in the round of 16 last season. He led Argentina to their World Cup success in December 2022. Erling Haaland scored the first goal in the 5-4 penalty shootout win over Sevilla in the Super Cup on Wednesday. The Norwegian scored 12 goals to finish as the top scorer last season as City…