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Category: Sports

  • Nwaneri open to Eagles call-up

    Nwaneri open to Eagles call-up

    Arsenal’s new kid on the block, Ethan Nwaneri, has left his international future wide open, as he is said to be open to playing for either Nigeria or England, The PUNCH reports.

    Born to a Nigerian father and an English mother, Nwaneri is eligible to play for both countries and the latest hint suggests that the 17-year-old will represent the first country that approaches him—whether England or his parent’s country, Nigeria.

    “A family source close to Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri tells me that the youngster will honour whichever country—Nigeria or England—approaches him first. What is the NFF waiting for?” UK-based Nigerian journalist, Shina Oludare posted via X.

    The 17-year-old has featured for England at the youth level.

    If the Nigeria Football Federation makes a move to switch his nationality, he will follow the steps of Alex Iwobi, who also chose to represent Nigeria while playing for Arsenal in 2015.

    Aside from Nwaneri’s closest example, other Nigerian players that have made the switch for foreign countries include William Troost-Ekong, Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey, reigning African Player of The Year, Ademola Lookman, among others.

    Nwaneri plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger and has featured prominently for Arsenal in the 2024/25 season, filling the void of the injured Bukayo Saka.

    In Saka’s absence, the player has achieved some milestones with the Gunners.

    On Tuesday, Nwaneri etched his name in Champions League history, becoming the third-youngest player to score in a knockout stage match as the Gunners dismantled PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in their last-16 encounter.

    At 17 years and 348 days, Nwaneri now sits behind only Bojan Krkic (17 years, 217 days) and Jude Bellingham (17 years, 289 days) as the youngest players to score in a Champions League knockout match.

    During Arsenal’s 2-0 Premier League win against Leicester City in February, Nwaneri became the youngest player to complete five or more dribbles and assist a goal in a single match, aged 17 years and 331 days as per OptaJoe.

    The record was previously held by Saka at the age of 18 years and 164 days against Newcastle in 2020.

    The 17-year-old joined Arsenal at the age of eight and has scored eight goals in 27 games across all competitions this season.

  • ‘Osimhen’s wage enormous for United’

    ‘Osimhen’s wage enormous for United’

    Manchester United chiefs are unlikely to agree a deal with Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen over his wages which would be around £20m per season, as the club look to bring down their wage bill which stood at £365m last season, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

    Osimhen has been linked with a move to Old Trafford ahead of the summer transfer window as he is expected to depart Napoli for good after the 2024/25 season.

    Currently on loan at Galatasaray after falling out with the Italian club’s hierarchy, the Nigerian international attracted persistent interest last summer, with Chelsea coming closest to sealing a deal before it fell through.

    The 26-year-old has been coy on his next destination, but he has strongly been linked with United just as Arsenal were said to be ready to pay his €75m release clause.

    As the rumours about a move to United continue to gather momentum, former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson has said United are unlikely to agree a deal for the 26-year-old due to his “enormous” wages.

    “I think there are two aspects to the Osimhen deal,” Borson told Football Insider.

    “One is whether they could do it, so do they have the cash to do it? I suspect that they don’t have the cash to do it and that they would need more money to be put in by the shareholders or to borrow more under their various facilities.

    “Now, whether that’s feasible or not, who knows? But put that to one side, I think there are enough indicators that a player like Osimhen is absolutely not the type of target that Manchester United are pursuing in this current phase.

    “That’s for two reasons. One, because his fee would be higher than they’d want to pay, even at £62m. His age is probably borderline as to whether he’s the right age that they’d want to look at, but most of all, his wages would be enormous.

    “He’s another one of these players that potentially falls into the £20m a year bracket. I don’t see that being where United are going to go. Clearly, a striker is going to have a different earning profile to others.

    “But I just don’t see that they’re going to invest again at these sorts of very big levels while they’re in the middle of effectively a retrenchment and restructuring of the organisation.

    “I think United will be looking for more players of the type that they’ve been buying over the last couple of windows, so younger, lower salaries and building back up to the salary bracket that they have now.

    “I think you’ll see some quite dramatic falls in annualised wages at United.”

    Osimhen has registered 22 goals and five assists in 28 appearances for Galatasaray this season.

  • Falcons retain Africa’s top spot, 36th in global rankings

    Falcons retain Africa’s top spot, 36th in global rankings

    The Super Falcons are unmoved in the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday, retaining their status as Africa’s best women’s football team and 36th in the world, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

    The inactivity of the nine-time African champions between December and now didn’t affect their position on the continent and on the global stage even as their African rivals dropped a few places.

    Reigning WAFCON champions South Africa are second in Africa behind Nigeria but they are 18 places below the Falcons globally after dropping four spots in the global rankings to the 54th position.

    Morocco completed the continent’s top three, sitting in 60th place worldwide, while Zambia dropped two places to 64th but remain the fourth-best in Africa.

    The latest rankings come a few months before the 2024 WAFCON tournament which will be played from July 25 to 26 in Morocco.

    At the next championship, the Super Falcons will hope to win a 10th title after placing fourth at the last edition in 2022.

    The likes of South Africa, Morocco and Zambia will be eager to deny Nigeria another continental title.

    Globally, the United States continue to lead the standings, with reigning world champions Spain in second.

    Germany and England retain third and fourth places, while Japan climb to fifth, pushing Sweden down to sixth.

    Elsewhere, Kenya recorded one of the biggest gains on the continent, jumping seven places to 142nd, while Tunisia endured the steepest fall, dropping 11 spots to 89th after losing 43.79 points. Djibouti achieved their highest-ever ranking, climbing to 195th position.

    The next FIFA women’s world ranking will be released on June 12, with the Super Falcons aiming to climb higher ahead of the highly anticipated WAFCON tournament.

  • Man Utd plotting Mateta move – Friday’s gossip

    Man Utd plotting Mateta move – Friday’s gossip

    Manchester United eye surprise move for Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, Arsenal to miss out on Joshua Kimmich and Harvey Elliott could leave Liverpool on loan.

    Manchester United are considering a summer move for Crystal Palace’s French forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, 27. (Sun – subscription required), external

    Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Tottenham are all interested in Bournemouth’s Spain Under-21 defender Dean Huijsen, 19, who would cost £50m. (Mail – subscription required), external

    West Ham and Crystal Palace are among the clubs looking to sign Southampton’s England defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, 23, this summer. (Football Insider), external

    Atletico Madrid are expected to bid about 60m euros (£50m) to sign Marseille and England forward Mason Greenwood, 23, at the end of the season. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

    Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich, 30, looks set to stay at Bayern Munich this summer despite interest from Arsenal and Paris St-Germain. (Sky Germany)

    Chelsea are interested in Real Betis’ Spain Under-19 winger Jesus Rodriguez, 19, who has a £42m release clause, with Liverpool also monitoring his progress. (Mail), external

    Manchester United and Liverpool have asked about the availability of Atalanta’s Brazil midfielder Ederson, although Manchester City also have a strong interest in the £50m-rated 25-year-old. (Caught Offside), external

    Manchester United hope to make summer sales before activating the 80m euro (£67m) release clause in the contract of RB Leipzig and Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko, 21. (Caught Offside), external

    Liverpool also want to make Sesko part of their planned summer overhaul. (Give Me Sport), external

    Liverpool could send England Under-21 midfielder Harvey Elliott, 21, out on loan next season in order to play more first-team minutes. (Football Insider), external

    Barcelona are prioritising agreeing a new contract with Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 27, after interest in him from Arsenal. (Sport – in Spanish)

  • Neymar returns to Brazil squad after 17-month absence

    Neymar returns to Brazil squad after 17-month absence

    Neymar has been recalled to the Brazil squad after a 17-month absence for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina.

    The Santos forward has not featured for the Selecao since sustaining a knee injury against Uruguay in October 2023.

    However, after an underwhelming spell at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, he has caught the eye since moving back to his boyhood club in January.

    The 33-year-old has registered three goals and three assists in seven appearances in the Brazilian top flight.

    Only Cafu (142) has more caps for Brazil than Neymar (128) – who is his country’s record scorer with 79 goals, two more than Pele.

    Brazil, who are fifth in the Conmebol table with 18 points from 12 games, host Colombia on 21 March and then visit leaders Argentina five days later.

    Liverpool and Manchester City goalkeepers Alisson and Ederson are among an 10-strong contingent of Premier League players included in Dorival Jr’s squad.

    Arsenal and Nottingham Forest centre-backs Gabriel and Murillo have also been picked, along with Wolves duo Andre and Matheus Cunha, and Newcastle pair Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.

    Brighton’s Joao Pedro and Manchester City winger Savinho are among the attacking options.

  • Littler triumphs as Brighton sees two nine-darters

    Littler triumphs as Brighton sees two nine-darters

    Luke Littler won night five of the Premier League in Brighton on an evening which saw two nine-dart finishes.

    The 18-year-old claimed his second night victory of the year with a 6-3 win in the final over Nathan Aspinall.

    Defending champion Littler hit five 180s as he triumphed again, four days after thrashing James Wade 11-2 to win the UK Open.

    “I’ve always been confident in my own ability, but the way my darts are going at the minute, it’s probably the best I’ve ever played on a consistent basis,” Littler told Sky Sports.

    World number one Luke Humphries hit the first Premier League nine-darter of 2025 in the quarter-finals but was beaten by Rob Cross, who went on to seal his own perfect leg against Aspinall before losing a decider.

    The pair both receive a set of solid gold darts, worth an estimated £30,000 each, from league sponsors Bet MGM.

    Littler’s victory sees him cut the gap on league leader Humphries to two points from seven, with the pair meeting in Nottingham next week.

    In a rematch of January’s world final, where Littler become darts’ youngest champion, he came out on top again in Brighton with a 6-2 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals.

    The Dutchman, a seven-time Premier League champion, has yet to make a final in this year’s competition.

    Humphries hit the perfect leg with two 180s before a 141 checkout to go 2-0 ahead against Cross.

    But the 30-year-old, who was seeking his third nightly win of the campaign, ended up losing 6-4 to his fellow Englishman.

    It was the 17th perfect leg in the Premier League since its inception in 2005.

    But 2018 world champion Cross hit seven 180s of his own and averaged 111.19 as he grabbed the victory.

    Littler was far from his best in his opener against Chris Dobey, where he trailed 5-4 before levelling and clinching the decider with a 110 finish.

    Gerwyn Price paid the price for missing doubles as he went down 6-3 to Van Gerwen, while Stephen Bunting remains without a point after a fifth consecutive defeat, beaten 6-2 by Aspinall, who averaged 106.

    Sky repeatedly apologised to viewers after their TV pictures cut out at various stages during the early part of the evening.

    Premier League Darts Night 5 results

    Final

    Luke Littler 6-3 Nathan Aspinall

    Semi-finals

    Michael van Gerwen 2-6 Luke Littler

    Rob Cross 5-6 Nathan Aspinall

    Quarter-finals

    Gerwyn Price 3-6 Michael van Gerwen

    Luke Littler 6-5 Chris Dobey

    Rob Cross 6-4 Luke Humphries

    Stephen Bunting 2-6 Nathan Aspinall

    Premier League Darts table
    Premier League Darts format and points system

    Premier League Darts is played across 16 initial weeks in the league stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.

    Each of the eight players is guaranteed to face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks 1-7 and 9-15, with the weeks 8 and 16 fixtures done off the table. It means we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots potentially on the line.

    Players earn two points per quarter-final win, an additional point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.

    The top four players after the group stage progress to the play-off night at London’s O2 Arena on 23 May, with first facing fourth and second against third in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is the best of 21 legs, follows.

    If players are level on points after the 16 weeks then places are decided by nights won and then matches won.

    Premier League Darts Night 6 order of play

    Nottingham, 13 March, 19:00 GMT

    Luke Humphries v Luke Littler

    Rob Cross v Chris Dobey

    Stephen Bunting v Gerwyn Price

    Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen

  • Raducanu ‘didn’t feel anxious’ in Indian Wells loss

    Raducanu ‘didn’t feel anxious’ in Indian Wells loss

    Emma Raducanu struggled in a testing Indian Wells wind as she was beaten on her first appearance since being targeted by a stalker during a match.

    The 22-year-old Briton was unsure if she was going to play in the California tournament following the incident at the Dubai Tennis Championships on 18 February, where she spotted a man who she had reported for what WTA officials described as “exhibiting fixated behaviour”.

    After deliberating whether to take an extended break from the WTA Tour, Raducanu decided to make the journey to Indian Wells – one of the biggest events outside of the four majors.

    However, the world number 55 was out of sorts as she lost 6-3 6-2 to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.

    “I didn’t feel anxious about any of the scenarios that have happened recently,” Raducanu told BBC Sport.

    “I think I had a good preparation with good people around.”

    Raducanu, who has been given increased security at the WTA event in California, walked on court with a solemn expression and glanced several times around the vast arena.

    Throughout the match she showed little emotion and, unsurprisingly given the defeat, quickly left with a despondent look.

    Later, speaking in her post-match news conference, she added: “I didn’t have what happened in Dubai in my head at all today.

    “I think today was just a bit of a curveball. I guess it’s just nice, I’m just going to move on.”

    Raducanu looking to improve ‘everything’ in her game

    In tricky conditions created by a brisk wind in the Californian desert, Raducanu looked uncomfortable throughout as Uchijima adapted impressively.

    The 2021 US Open champion made a host of errors to allow Uchijima, a tenacious opponent who continued to put balls back into court, to come out on top of the often scrappy rallies.

    Raducanu faced break points in her opening six service games, a result of the pressure created by a lack of accuracy as she looked to be aggressive.

    Five of those games ended in Raducanu losing serve as she trailed by a set and a break to the 52nd-ranked Uchijima.

    The Briton cut a subdued figure after she could not convert any of three chances to break back for 3-3.

    After Uchijima dug deep to hold, Raducanu did not win another point and trudged off court having lost for a sixth time in her nine matches this year.

    Raducanu was watched from the stands by Slovakian coach Vladimir Platenik, who has linked up with the British number two on a trial basis.

    Platenik, 49, was coaching New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun when she beat Raducanu at Wimbledon last year, while he has also worked with top-10 players Dominika Cibulkova, Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetova.

    When asked which areas of her game she wanted to work on with Platenik, Raducanu smiled and said “everything”.

    “I’ll need to improve starting the point. That’s a big part of tennis. I can do that a lot better,” she added.

    “I could improve being more aggressive and having a better quality of shot going forward into the court.

    “I could improve every area of my game after today’s performance.”

    Shortly after Raducanu’s exit, British number three Sonay Kartal did move into the second round, making the most of being given a ‘lucky loser’ spot having been beaten in qualifying.

    Kartal, 23, won 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 against 38-year-old American qualifier Varvara Lepchenko and faces Brazilian 16th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia next.

    In the men’s draw, Jacob Fearnley was unable to set up an all-British clash with Jack Draper after losing to rising star Joao Fonseca.

  • Real Sociedad 1 1 Manchester United

    Real Sociedad 1 1 Manchester United

    Joshua Zirkzee scored his first goal in Europe for Manchester United but the Red Devils were held to a draw by Real Sociedad to leave their Europa League last-16 tie in the balance.

    Dutch forward Zirkzee deservedly put the visitors ahead in Spain 12 minutes into the second half with a low strike from the edge of the box that caught out home goalkeeper Alex Remiro.

    But Real Sociedad equalised through a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty, awarded after a review by the video assistant referee for a handball by Bruno Fernandes.

    Manchester United will feel disappointed not to have won after they dominated the game for almost an hour, with Andre Onana not having had a save to make before the hosts were given the penalty.

    Fernandes had a goal-bound strike cleared off the line by Aritz Elustondo in the first half, while the United captain also sent a free-kick just wide.

    But Real Sociedad’s equaliser appeared to unsettle Manchester United and Onana had to dive to his right to palm away Brais Mendez’s 25-yard curler, before Orri Oskarsson prodded wide from close range.

    Oskarsson then had a chance to win it deep into added time but Onana pushed away his goalbound effort with a strong left hand.

    “One thing that I am sure – they’re anxious to score goals and win games,” said Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.

    “They are doing their best and sometimes they want to do their best, but they’re not deciding the best way in their position.”

    The second leg will take place at Old Trafford on Thursday, 13 March.

    Trophy hopes remain alive for Man Utd

    Despite the disappointment of conceding an equaliser, Manchester United will feel confident of progressing to the quarter-finals on home soil.

    But the pressure will be on them as they look to keep alive their sole route to trophy success this season, with last Sunday’s penalty shootout loss to Fulham in the FA Cup ending their hopes of any domestic glory.

    While there is no hiding the fact this campaign has been a hugely disappointing one, the Europa League has been the one shining light for Manchester United.

    They have not lost a game in Europe this season, recording five wins and four draws, while only Galatasaray (19), Lazio and Tottenham Hotspur (both 17) scored more goals than their 16 in the League Phase.

    This was an unusual encounter in which they looked so comfortable for so long, but could easily have succumbed to defeat, with Real Sociedad’s penalty changing the momentum of the game.

    And should Real Sociedad go out in a week’s time then Oskarsson will no doubt rue his late opportunities in this game.

    It was a good save by Onana to deny his strike from a narrow angle in added time, but the Icelandic forward should really have put away his big chance a few minutes earlier, when he toe-poked wide from six yards when in the middle of the goal.

  • Son hopes for ‘wake-up call’ before ‘biggest game’

    Son hopes for ‘wake-up call’ before ‘biggest game’

    Tottenham must take their 1-0 Europa League defeat by AZ Alkmaar as a “wake-up call” going into their “biggest game of the season”, says captain Son Heung-min.

    Spurs lost their last-16 first-leg tie in the Netherlands – through Lucas Bergvall’s own goal – with a lacklustre performance, and their sole chance of silverware now hanging in the balance.

    Ange Postecoglou’s side created few clear-cut chances and were fortunate to have only a one-goal deficit to overturn in next Thursday’s second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

    “It’s nowhere near where we should perform,” Son told TNT Sports. “It was very disappointing that we performed like this, including me. It’s a big wake-up call because next week is the biggest game of the season.

    “We didn’t create anything in the first half, sloppiness, not performing the way we should.

    “Everyone is very disappointed about the individual performance and the team performance.

    “There are no excuses, we were not good enough. It’s just 1-0, it’s still not finished, and next week we have to be much better.”

    Former Celtic boss Postecoglou pointed out in September that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a team.

    That is true of all his jobs where has been in charge for two full years.

    But failure to win next Thursday and that streak will be over. Spurs sit 13th in the Premier League and are out of both domestic cups.

    “It was nowhere near the level it needed to be,” Postecoglou said of his side’s performance in Alkmaar.

    “It wasn’t great from us tonight, pretty much all facets of the game. We didn’t really get to grips with any part of the game. We struggled to gain any momentum with the ball, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be without the ball.

    “I don’t think it’s a matter of effort or attitude. I don’t think it is going out there and not trying, but, like I said, we didn’t really come to grips and have the right mindset to tackle an away fixture in Europe.

    “You are going to face some pressure when you play away from home in Europe and weather the storm and get to grips with it, but we never really did so that was a disappointment.”

    Striker Dominic Solanke, a 72nd-minute replacement for Son, went off injured late on his return to action after seven weeks out with a knee problem.

    “It looks like a knock, but I haven’t really seen it – hopefully nothing too bad,” Postecoglou added.

  • ‘Calm down, it’s not over’, Mourinho warns Rangers

    ‘Calm down, it’s not over’, Mourinho warns Rangers

    If only Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce players had delivered a performance as accomplished as the one he offered up.

    After watching his side burgled in their own home by an increasingly familiar Rangers away Europa League display, the Portuguese landed far more blows on the visitors than his team had managed.

    Rangers should “calm down”. The tie is “not over”. Fenerbahce were “bad everywhere”. They made “incredible, incredible mistakes”.

    The Scottish Premiership side were “as pragmatic as I was expecting”. They defended “basically well” and wasted time with “20 injuries”. Goalkeeper Jack Butland “took 30 seconds every time he had the ball in his hands”.

    But despite that, Mourinho said, this 3-1 loss in Istanbul was “a good result” because the defeat “could have been bigger”.

    He was referring to the fact Rangers had two Cyriel Dessers goals ruled out for offside after VAR reviews as the hosts struggled to quell their threat on the break.

    Ultimately, Barry Ferguson’s side had to settle for a Vaclav Cerny double to add to Dessers’ early opener.

    But, despite their domestic troubles, they are still well placed to set up a last-eight tie with either Roma or Athletic Bilbao. Not that Mourinho agrees, of course.

    “For me, I have to say that we deserved a punishment of this result,” he said. “But if someone wants to ask me if it’s over, no, I don’t think it’s over.

    “The only thing I tell this is don’t celebrate too much, because there is a second match to play, that’s my only advice.

    “If they celebrate after the second match I will congratulate them but now calm down because it’s not over.”

    ‘We’ll enjoy tonight then try to fix Ibrox problem’

    Rangers interim head coach Ferguson agreed, albeit his words carried a little less flourish than those of his feted counterpart.

    Little wonder. This was a man in just his third game as Rangers manager and with only some underwhelming stints in the Scottish third and fourth tiers to call upon.

    He might have won his first match after replacing Philippe Clement – his side coming from two down at Kilmarnock just eight days ago – but that was followed by an abject home defeat on Saturday at the hands of struggling Motherwell.

    However, Ferguson and his coaching team watched their selection decisions pay off, with the move to a back three not only making them more robust but also giving them options on the break.

    “I just thought I had to change the shape and it was a gamble I was prepared to take because I thought we could get a result,” the former club captain said.

    “It’s easy, when you score a couple of goals and they get disallowed, to start feeling sorry for yourself. But they kept going and stuck to the game plan.

    “We’ve got to remember, it’s only half-time in the tie because Fenerbahce have got one of the best managers that’s ever been.

    “There’s no way we think we’re into the last eight. Playing at Ibrox has been a bit of a problem, but we’ll enjoy tonight and then try to fix that problem.”

    What they said

    Double goalscorer Vaclav Cerny: “We said what we want and how we want to get it. We did our job. You see the power we have when we stick together.”

    Opening scorer Cyriel Dessers: “This is a very good feeling. It was a beautiful night but we’re well aware we’re only halfway there. We have to enjoy this evening. To come to a difficult place against a good team and win should give us confidence.”

    Former Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield on Sportsound: “Everybody looks down on Scottish football and clubs and players that play in Scotland but it’s proven time and time again that this club rises to the occasion in Europe.

    “You just come to expect it on a Thursday night… I said they just have to stay in the tie, but they’ve done more than that. They are in the driving seat now.”

    Former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst on TNT Sports: “Perfect, perfect performance. Really proud of the team, really proud of Barry and his staff.”

    Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton on TNT Sports: “They always had that threat. Barry Ferguson surprised a lot of people with that formation but it worked an absolute treat.”

    Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist on TNT Sports: “Wee Barry should be and he will be extremely proud of those boys.”

    BBC Scotland chief sports writer Tom English: “When this Rangers team are asked to break down a defence, they struggle. When it’s a toe-to-toe encounter and there’s space and a freedom to counter, they’re a completely different animal.”

    Have your say

    What did you make of Rangers’ performance? And what do you think about Jose Mourinho’s comments?