Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche has provided a positive injury update on Ola Aina, reports Completesports.com.

Aina sustained a hamstring injury while on international duty with Nigeria in September.

The 29-year-old is gradually working his way back to full fitness.

Read Also:RB Leipzig Interested In Nigerian Midfielder

The former Chelsea star recently featured for Forest’s U-21 side against Millwall.

Dyche said the defender is now more involved in team training, but it is important to manage his recovery.

“Ola is halfway through his progress in fitness, training more regularly with the team now, so that is good. Obviously, it’s been a long-term injury, so we have to be careful with that one,”

Aina has made three league appearances for the Tricky Trees this season.

By Adeboye Amosu

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By JACK BEZANTS, US DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR

Published: 14:23 EST, 18 December 2025 | Updated: 14:42 EST, 18 December 2025

Danica Patrick appears to have found love again, judging by her latest social media post.

The former Nascar driver, 43, shared a picture of herself cosying up to an unnamed man. She has her head resting on his shoulder, while his hand is on her leg.

But Patrick kept the man’s identity a mystery and didn’t tag him in her post. All she wrote as a caption was: ‘After 16,000,000 twinkling lights… I am a little more ready for Christmas.’

The man also appears in another picture shared on Patrick’s post where she is surrounded by friends. 

Patrick famously dated the current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers – who she described as ’emotionally abusive’ – but was believed to be single this year.

Last September, she shared a picture oif her kissing a man at Burning Man festival but in June, she insisted that she was not in a relationship.

Danica Patrick has seemingly gone public with her new boyfriend, but his name is a mystery

The couple also appeared together in a picture that Patrick shared alongside her friends

The 43-year-old Patrick, a former NASCAR driver, revealed she was single back in June

In an appearance on Ty Dillon’s ‘Believe in the Good’ podcast, she was quizzed on her love life but confirmed she was not dating anyone.

‘Are you single right now?’ Haley asked. Patrick asnwered ‘Yeah.’ 

‘I’m going to be interested to see who’s sliding into my DMs to get to your DMs,’ Haley joked back. 

Patrick has previously spoken of her heartbreak at her split with Rodgers after two years of dating ended in July 2020.

In an appearance on ‘The Sage Steele Show in May, she described it as her most painful experience.

‘Because it was so sudden,’ she reflected. ‘It felt like it was my life. So when you live with somebody, it’s your whole life.

‘And because the nature of the relationship was emotionally abusive, so that wore me down to nothing.’ 

After Rodgers, Patrick dated entrepeneur Carter Comstock but they broke up in 2022.  

Last year, Patrick hit the campaign trail to support Donald Trump before the election

Patrick also once said her breakup from Aaron Rodgers was her most painful experience in life

In the past 18 months, Patrick has become known for her political support of Donald Trump as well as her motorsport background.

Patrick revealed last year that she voted for the first time in her life to help Trump return to the White House. 

She made the revelation on stage with the now vice-president, JD Vance, at a rally in North Carolina.

‘I just want to say I’ve never voted before, but this time around, I have to vote,’ she told the crowd.

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Former Nascar driver Danica Patrick reveals new mystery boyfriend in holiday Instagram post

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The Super Eagles of Nigeria have landed in Morocco in eye-catching fashion as preparations intensify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The players and coaching crew travelled from Egypt, where they had been based in Cairo following Tuesday’s international friendly against the Egyptian national team. With that fixture concluded, attention has now fully shifted to the continental showpiece in North Africa.

Super Eagles of Nigeria head coach, Eric Chelle.

As is customary at major tournaments, the Nigerian delegation made a cultural statement on arrival. Dressed in coordinated deep green traditional outfits, the players stepped onto Moroccan soil wearing short-sleeved tunics adorned with neat embroidery, matched with tailored trousers.

Native caps crafted from the same fabric completed the look, while footwear ranged from leather slip-ons to casual trainers.

Confirming the team’s arrival, Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe said, “The Super Eagles have touched down in Fes, Morocco.”

Nigeria join several African nations already in the host country. Teams including South Africa, Comoros, Mali and Zimbabwe arrived earlier in the week, with Benin and Senegal also checking in as the tournament countdown gathers pace.

Drawn in Group C, Nigeria will face Tunisia, Tanzania and Uganda in the opening phase of the competition. The three-time champions are widely regarded as one of the sides to watch after coming within touching distance of the title at the last edition, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat to hosts Cote d’Ivoire in the final.

This time around in Morocco, the ambition is clear. The Super Eagles begin their campaign against Tanzania on December 23 at the Fez Stadium in Fes. A heavyweight encounter with Tunisia follows three days later, before a final group game against Uganda on December 30.

Only the top two teams in each group are guaranteed a place in the round of 16, with four additional third-placed sides also progressing.

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Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos says his side are well equipped for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The competition will get underway in Morocco this weekend.

South Africa finished third at the last edition of the competition hosted by Cote d’Ivoire.

Broos declared that his charges are well on schedule regarding their preparations.

Read Also:AFCON 2025: Egypt Have Quality To Win Title — Marmoush

“This team has experience,” Broos said as per the Star.

“So, I am not worried about that. But we will feel and see that opponents will play in a totally different way than they did two years ago.

“We are far ahead in terms of our preparations.

“The finishing touches will be done by the end of the week. If you look at teams like Cameroon, Senegal, and Morocco, they only started their preparations yesterday.

“We can’t complain. The only thing is that we don’t have three players we could count on, but I don’t take that as an excuse for why we shouldn’t perform at AFCON — certainly not.”

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Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, have departed for Fez, Morocco, ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The team left on a chartered flight from Cairo, Egypt, with the journey expected to last between 5.5 and 6 hours.

Upon arrival in Morocco, the Super Eagles are scheduled to hold their official team photoshoot, which is expected to take place either today or tomorrow.

The team recently concluded a preparatory friendly match in Egypt, where they suffered a 2–1 defeat against the host nation.

Attention has now shifted fully to the AFCON campaign, with the technical crew focusing on improving the squad ahead of the tournament.

Official training is expected to begin from tomorrow, with Nigeria scheduled to have eight training sessions before their opening group stage fixture against Tanzania.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru during a Super Eagles training session. Photo | X

Nigeria has been drawn in Group C, where they will face Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda.

The Super Eagles will open their campaign against Tanzania before taking on Tunisia in their second group match on December 27.

The Super Eagles depart Cairo for Fes.#Naija4TheWin #LetsDoItAgain pic.twitter.com/V8BIksx8ul

— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) December 18, 2025

Also read: Football Gave me a career! Ahmed Musa’s ‘Deep’ Farewell from Super Eagles

Their final group game will be against Uganda, set for December 30.

Meanwhile NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau has made the team’s expectations clear, stating that head coach Eric Chelle has been mandated to guide Nigeria to the final of the competition.

“We are going to reach the final in Morocco, by the grace of God. The mandate given to Eric Chelle is to get to the final of the AFCON,” Gusau said.

Nigeria reached the final of the last AFCON tournament in 2023, where they narrowly lost to hosts Ivory Coast.

With that experience still fresh, the Super Eagles will be aiming to go one step further this time and bring the AFCON trophy back home.

As preparations intensify in Morocco, all eyes will be on the Super Eagles to see if they can live up to expectations and deliver success on the continental stage especially after the team lost the FIFA InterContinental World Cup Qualifiers Playoffs Final.

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The clock had ticked past 7.30pm in Jupiter and problems were threatening to snowball at Trump National Golf Club: the heavens had opened and the atmosphere in the bleachers was flat. As for the commentary coming through the on-course speakers? So faint as to be almost unintelligible.

Imagine what was going through the minds of those in charge of the inaugural Golf Channel Games. They had brought eight of the world’s biggest names together for a series of challenges that were supposed to represent golf’s answer to the All-Star Weekend.

And then Shane Lowry stepped on to the tee and sprayed six drives almost everywhere except the target area. It was quite the start. But, in a curious twist, Lowry’s struggles ended up lighting the fuse. Before long, the noise had ratcheted up from both the speakers and the stands. It turns out sports fans quite enjoy watching star players squirm.

Week after week, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Co dismantle different courses around the world. It can be sterile and tournaments are often decided by tiny margins of spin and roll and the hidden gradients of greens.

This was a rare chance to see them struggle. To see the world’s greatest golfers knocked out of their routine. To watch them hit shots they haven’t honed over hours on the range. When was the last time McIlroy took putter from 170 yards? When is anyone in a hurry to finish a hole on the PGA Tour? 

Jupiter is home to many top golfers – McIlroy’s $21million mansion is a few hefty drives from this course. But at times on Wednesday night, he, too, looked hilariously out of his comfort zone. The result was comical chaos at primetime.

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler captained teams in the inaugural Golf Channel Games

Kai and Eric Trump watch on alongside US golf star Sam Burns on a crazy night in Florida 

Kai and McIlroy take a moment to catch up amid the drama between the greats of golf

Team Rory plays the 9th hole relay in 27 seconds thanks to an incredible shot from the drop zone by Haotong Li. 🔥😳

📺 Golf Channel | USA Network pic.twitter.com/J5zNt0GQYQ

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) December 18, 2025

Golf has made a number of attempts over recent years to lure in new fans with gimmicks and glorified exhibitions. Some have made a splash – TGL, the indoor tournament played on a simulator and drop-in green, returns for a second season later this month. But many other formats have flopped.

So who can blame all those fans that were cynical about another effort to reinvent the wheel? En route to Trump National, one VIP branded the challenges ‘stupid’ and said only ‘suckers like [him]’ had paid for tickets.

This certainly won’t have been to everyone’s taste and there were plenty of teething problems. But under the lights in Palm Beach, it was all rather fun. 

For the uninitiated: two teams – captained by McIlroy and Scheffler and filled with Ryder Cup rivals – competed over five fast-paced challenges. 

It could hardly have been more different to that vicious, brutal battle at Bethpage Black. But it birthed a star in 22-year-old Luke Clanton and it has cheerleaders among the first family.

‘I absolutely love it,’ Eric Trump exclusively told Daily Mail while watching beside the green. ‘Golf needs a lot more of this… it keeps golf young, keeps golf fun. It seems like every sport has a skills challenge other than golf, it’s awesome to have the first one here.’

His niece, Kai Trump, was part of the broadcast and Eric wants this to become an annual event. ‘It works incredibly well… these guys love it too. They’re having a blast. 

‘Golf can be a formal game, but also golf needs a little bit of informality… you need that in order to make a sport mainstream. Golf has never been hotter.’

McIlroy’s teammate Shane Lowry sprints to putt the ball during the chaotic relay challenge

Lowry was not the only player to come close to being struck by a ball during the relay challenge

The two teams were separated by an inch, with Team Scheffler triumphing in a playoff

The challenges included timed competitions of driving and putting and chipping. But also a 14-club challenge, which saw teams attempt to hit the green with every club in the bag. 

The biggest hit of all, however? The relay. That saw teams race to finish a hole in the fewest shots and shortest time possible.

Players were dotted between the tee and green and they struggled to see the ball as it flew over the lights and down towards them. Both Scheffler and Lowry came within inches of being struck by a teammate.

That might have prompted a few awkward conversations. As it was, the players loved it and so did the 2,000 or so fans who had forked out a collective $400,000 to be here.

Not everything went down so well, however. This event was made for TV and that meant it wasn’t always a great spectacle for fans in Jupiter.

No matter that some had reportedly forked out more than $1,300 for VIP tickets. No matter that one man had driven for six hours from Savannah to South Florida. 

While TV viewers were given the treat of seeing stars like Scheffler emerge from their shell, no one here could hear the players chat with announcers and each other.

The scoring system was convoluted and pace of play proved a problem, too. Not during the challenges themselves – how refreshing it was to see players hurried into mistakes. But commercial breaks often halted momentum and it took more than three hours for a winner to be crowned.

US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley celebrates after chipping in during the timed challenge

In the end, the two teams were separated by an inch. By the time Scheffler triumphed in that playoff, however, many fans had left or retired to the Grand Ballroom.

So plenty of challenges remain if this is to become more than another one-off. It should be wrapped up within a couple of hours, for instance.

And more fundamental still: can this format continue to survive on its own? How long before these challenges lose their novelty? Should this be pegged on to another event in a similar fashion to the pre-Masters par-three tournament?

Questions for another day, perhaps. On Wednesday night, fans enjoyed watching stars at their best and their worst, often out of breath and out of their comfort zone. Sometimes blunders make for better viewing than birdies.

‘We tried something new,’ said McIlroy, whose team was made up of Lowry, Luke Donald and Haotong Li. ‘Sometimes when you try something new it doesn’t work out.

‘But I think this one really did… it was an awesome night…. look at what YouTube golf’s done and you see the amount of people that watch that and enjoy that. This is sort of a hybrid of that. I certainly think there’s a place for it.’

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With the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) just days away, respected French sports daily L’Équipe has released what it believes to be the strongest possible starting XI for the tournament.

The lineup features a strong Senegalese presence, with four players from the reigning champions making the cut. At the heart of the team is Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, whose recent form continues to draw global attention.

The Galatasaray forward scored 26 goals in all competitions last season and remains Nigeria’s most potent attacking threat heading into the finals.

Between the posts, Senegal’s Edouard Mendy is trusted to provide calm and authority. Now with Al-Ahli, Mendy boasts an impressive international record, including 29 clean sheets in 70 caps, and is widely regarded as one of Africa’s most reliable goalkeepers.

The defence blends power and finesse. Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi brings pace and creativity from full-back, having registered 12 goal contributions for Paris Saint-Germain last season. He is joined by Roma’s Evan N’Dicka, Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly, and Algeria’s rising star Rayan Aït-Nouri, now plying his trade at Manchester City.

In midfield, Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr partners Brighton’s energetic Carlos Baléba, a duo praised for their balance of grit and ball progression.

The attacking line is packed with pedigree. Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez, Egypt captain Mohamed Salah and Senegal icon Sadio Mané complete a fearsome front four alongside Osimhen.

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Bayelsa Queens head coach, Whyte Ogbonda has expressed satisfaction with his team’s win over Pacesetter Queens in a Nigeria Women Football League, NWFL, matchday four encounter.

The Prosperity Girls edged out Pacesetter Queens 2-0 at the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa on Wednesday.

Ogbonda admitted that the Ibadan-based club gave them a good run in the game.

“It’s a good thing that we won, we actually needed more goals which we couldn’t get, but what is of utmost importance is the 3 points and we got it”, Ogbonda told Bayelsa Queens media.

“The team we played derailed our plan in the second half and that really destabilized us, also my girls were too much in a hurry that was why they missed lots of scoring chances.”

Bayelsa Queens will battle with Ibom Angels in their next league fixture.

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Egypt forward Omar Marmoush insists the Pharaohs can win the title at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, reports Completesports.com.

The North Africans will be gunning for a record-extending eighth title in Morocco.

The Pharaohs were eliminated in the group stage at the last edition of the competition hosted by Cote d’Ivoire.

Marmoush said they have the quality to conquer the continent again.

Read Also:AFCON 2025: Kalou Backs Super Eagles To Win Title

“We are going to win the Africa Cup of Nations, of course, and then the World Cup,” Marmoush was quoted by Foot Africa.

“With the players, the squad, and the quality we have as the Egyptian national team, we are the best team in Africa. We don’t just want to make a name for ourselves by saying: ‘We played in the World Cup’—that’s not enough.

“We’re going to the World Cup to get out of the group stage and show the world who we are.”

Hossam Hassan’s side are drawn in Group B with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Angola.

They will face the Warriors of Zimbabwe in their opening fixture next week Monday.

By Adeboye Amosu

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Ahmed Musa has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to a fifteen-year career.

Musa made the announcement through his official social media handles, where he shared an emotional message addressed to Nigerians and the Super Eagles.

Musa’s Farewell

“Dear Nigerians, dear Super Eagles family, after a lot of thought, I have decided to retire from international football, bringing to an end almost 15 years with the Super Eagles. From the very first call up, wearing the green and white meant everything to me,” Musa wrote.

The 33 year old leaves the national team as Nigeria’s most capped player, having earned 111 appearances since making his debut in 2010 at just 17 years of age.

Over the years, Musa became a symbol of dedication and leadership, eventually wearing the captain’s armband for the Super Eagles.

Ahmed Musa. (Photo by Mark RALSTON / AFP)

In his statement, Musa took time to appreciate those who supported him throughout his journey, including teammates, coaches, administrators, and fans across the world.

“Football gave me a career, but Nigeria gave me meaning. To my teammates over the years, the coaches, backroom staff, and administrators, thank you for believing in me,” he said.

He also paid tribute to Nigerian fans both at home and abroad, acknowledging the role their support played in his career.

“To the fans in stadiums and in front of their TVs, your support meant more to me than you know,” Musa added.

Reflecting on his decision to step away from international football, Musa expressed gratitude and confidence in the future of the national team.

“As I step away from international football, I do so with peace and gratitude. I know I gave my best. I know the Super Eagles will continue to move forward. And I know that this bond will never be broken. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle,” he stated.

I wore this badge with pride for 15 years.
From a 17-year-old boy answering every call 🇳🇬 to becoming the most capped Super Eagle with 111 appearances.
AFCON champion 🏆
Nigeria’s highest World Cup goalscorer ⚽️
Captain. Servant. Believer.

I gave everything.
Thank you Nigeria…… pic.twitter.com/Ri34E3UuAl

— Ahmed Musa (MON) (OON) 🎖️🎖️ (@Ahmedmusa718) December 17, 2025

Ahmed Musa was part of Nigeria’s squad that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and featured at the FIFA Confederations Cup the same year.

He played in all of Nigeria’s matches at the 2014 World Cup, scoring two goals as the team reached the knockout stages.

At the 2018 World Cup, he scored another two goals, becoming Nigeria’s highest goal scorer in the competition’s history.

As captain, Musa led the Super Eagles to a bronze medal at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and a silver medal finish at the 2023 edition, leaving behind a legacy of commitment, leadership, and national pride.

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