England player Cole Palmer enjoyed a festive night out with his new girlfriend at Winter Wonderland on Thursday – and she looks exactly like his ex. 

The footballer, 23, who split from nail technician Connie Grace in July, headed out for a date with beauty specialist Olivia Holder, 23, and she bears a striking resemblance to his old flame. 

Cole went incognito in a balaclava and a hoodie for their romantic evening, at London’s Hyde Park. 

The pair were spotted enjoying the attractions, with the duo managing to scoop two big prizes as they carried huge stuffed animals around the park. 

Olivia looked glamorous as she wrapped up warm in a brown fur coat which she teamed with a pair of distressed jeans and Ugg boots. 

She runs a beauty clinic alongside her aesthetics nurse sister which offers treatments such as semi-permanent makeup and injectable skin treatments in Bromley. 

England player Cole Palmer enjoyed a festive night out with his new girlfriend Olivia Holder, 23, at Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park on Thursday

The footballer, 23, split from his ex Connie Grace (pictured left) in July with aesthetic nurse Olivia Holder (pictured right) bearing a striking resemblance to his old flame

It is unknown how long Olivia and Cole have been dating, with her sharing photos to Instagram from Stamford Bridge earlier this week. 

Cole and his influencer ex Connie unfollowed each other on social media just days after the Chelsea star won the Club World cup in July.

The Chelsea star and his partner also removed all pictures of one another from their respective accounts. 

He starred in the Club World Cup final, scoring two goals and claiming an assist for Joao Pedro, as Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain to become world champions.

Grace had travelled to the US during the tournament but was not among the wives or girlfriends who celebrated the win on the pitch at the MetLife Stadium. They later unfollowed one another on Instagram.

Cole said afterwards that he was looking forward to being reunited with his girlfriend, but that he first wanted to visit St Kitts and Nevis.

Daily Mail Sport exclusively accompanied the footballer as he returned to his ancestral Caribbean homeland for the first time, where his paternal grandfather was born. 

He was given a hero’s welcome as he arrived on the island, 4,000 miles from the Manchester suburb of Wythenshawe where the Chelsea and England star grew up.

Cole tried to go incognito in a balaclava and a hoodie for their romantic evening, at London’s Hyde Park

The pair were spotted enjoying the attractions, with the duo managing to scoop two big prizes as they carried huge stuffed animals around the park

Olivia looked glamorous as she wrapped up warm in a brown fur coat which she teamed with a pair of distressed jeans and Ugg boots

She runs a beauty clinic alongside her aesthetics nurse sister which offers treatments such as semi-permanent makeup and injectable skin treatments in Bromley

It is unknown how long Olivia and Cole have been dating, with her sharing photos to Instagram from Stamford Bridge earlier this week

Cole and his influencer ex Connie unfollowed each other on social media just days after the Chelsea star won the Club World cup in July (pictured in November 2024) 

Meanwhile, Connie continued to enjoy a holiday in Miami, posting a picture of herself in the city on her Instagram. 

Cole and Connie went public together in November last year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards.

Grace is a nail technician and Instagram influencer who is also from Manchester. The duo met when they were 17 through mutual friends.

In March she said: ‘Cole now is still the same Cole that I met when I was 17. Obviously, he’s changed, he’s grown up, and his life now is completely different, but he’s still the same boy, he’s still laid-back Cole.

‘Cole will adapt to whatever situation he’s in. He’s not bothered that he’s that far from home because all he wants to do is play football and if it means leaving home and being in a place which is completely different to where he’s from, he’ll do it.

‘He’s not bothered about the whole fame side of it and he’s not bothered what people think of him. 

‘He is only just bothered about scoring goals and doing well for his team, doing well for his country, and you’ve got to love him for that.’ 

Palmer was born in Wythenshawe, Manchester, in 2002 to Marie and Jermaine, with two older sisters.

His hero growing up was Wayne Rooney but he was scouted by Manchester City at the age of eight and came through their academy to make his debut in September 2020.

In 2023 he took the bold step of joining Chelsea for £42.5million, penning a seven-year deal at the opposite end of the country.

Cole starred in the Club World Cup final, scoring two goals and claiming an assist for Joao Pedro, as Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain to become world champions

Connie had travelled to the US during the tournament but was not among the wives or girlfriends who celebrated the win on the pitch at the MetLife Stadium

In the documentary, he opens up on how moving to Londoner has been something of a culture shock.

‘Going from Wythenshawe to meeting people in Chelsea, it’s different ends of the spectrum,’ he said.

‘The accent, the size of it, the people. No one knows each other in London because it’s so big. 

‘Even on my road, if that was Wythenshawe, people would be stood in the garden in pyjamas and that, you know what I mean? Just chatting to each other and having a cup of tea. But obviously here it’s a completely different way.

Connie added: ‘Cole couldn’t become a Londoner, are you crazy? Have you ever spoken to him? That accent isn’t changing. No, he’s a Manchester boy.’

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Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has released his predictions for a busy Premier League weekend, with Newcastle United tipped to claim a narrow home win over Chelsea at St James’ Park.

Writing on BBC Sport, Sutton has gone for a 2-1 victory for Newcastle in Saturday’s early kick-off, a result that would heap more pressure on both sides as the season edges towards its midpoint.

The former England international also expects Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool to cancel each other out in North London, while backing Manchester City to see off West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal are tipped to grind out a slim away win at Everton, and Sutton believes Aston Villa will be too strong for Manchester United on Sunday evening.

Below are Sutton’s full predictions:

Newcastle United 2-1 Chelsea

Bournemouth 2-0 Burnley

Brighton 1-0 Sunderland

Manchester City 3-1 West Ham United

Wolves 1-1 Brentford

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Liverpool

Everton 0-1 Arsenal

Leeds United 1-1 Crystal Palace

Aston Villa 2-0 Manchester United

Fulham 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Premier League Matchday 17 fixtures and kick-off times

Saturday

1:30 p.m.: Newcastle United vs Chelsea

4 p.m.: Wolves vs Brentford

4 p.m.: Manchester City vs West Ham United

4 p.m.: Brighton vs Sunderland

4 p.m.: Bournemouth vs Burnley

6:30 p.m.: Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool

9 p.m.: Leeds United vs Crystal Palace

9 p.m.: Everton vs Arsenal

Sunday

5:30 p.m.: Aston Villa vs Manchester United

Monday

9 p.m.: Fulham vs Nottingham Forest

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Born on the 27th of August 1952 in Lagos, Patrick Olusegun Odegbami remains one of the most iconic figures in Nigerian and African football. The ex-captain of the Nigerian Green Eagles and sports journalist, who played as a forward, won 46 caps and scored 23 goals for the Nigeria national team which he guided to its first Africa Cup of Nations title at the 1980 tournament in his homeland. The “Mathematical” as he is fondly called, is admired not only for his brilliance on the pitch, but for the discipline, intelligence, and restraint that defined his game

Related: SPORTS PLANET Podcast…EPISODE 40: The Mathematical Segun Odegbami Football Journey

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Complete Sports is Nigeria’s No1. Sports daily. Its is published by Complete Communications Limited (CCL). Complete Sports is the most widely read paper in Nigeria in the newspaper category (Media Fact 2012). Other products from CCL is Complete Football magazine, i-Soccer, Total Chelsea and our website www.completesports.com. CCL also has Complete Sports studio; a Hi-Def studio which is fully functional. Complete Sports Studio produces Sports Planet which is a 15 minutes radio show, it is aired on The Beat fm 99.9FM thrice a week; on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:45pm and on Nigeria Info 99.3FM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday at 5:45pm. For enquiries send e-mail to [email protected]

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By MICHAEL PAVITT, SPORTS REPORTER

Published: 06:42 EST, 19 December 2025 | Updated: 06:54 EST, 19 December 2025

Legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted it could take ’10 or 11 years’ for the club to return to the summit of the game, but has offered his backing to current boss Ruben Amorim.

Ferguson had led Man United to 38 trophies in his 26-year reign, including delivering 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League triumphs.

Man United are yet to win either competition since Ferguson’s retirement at the end of the 2012-13 season.

The Red Devils endured a nightmare 2024-25 campaign which saw Amorim – who was appointed mid-season – lead the club to a 15th placed finish, their worst in the Premier League era.

Amorim’s side have shown signs of improvement this season and currently lie sixth in the table, two points shy of the top four and guaranteed Champions League qualification.

Speaking to Press Box PR in Bahrain, Ferguson offered his backing to Amorim amid the challenge of trying to restore Man United’s status at the top of English football.

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted it could take Man United ’10 or 11 years’ to win the Premier League title again

Ferguson offered his backing to Man United boss Ruben Amorim in his efforts to turn around the club’s fortunes

He cited the example of Liverpool, who endured a lengthy title drought, when reflecting on how long it could take for his former club to win the Premier League again. 

‘He [Amorim] is a good personality, it is not easy,’ Ferguson said.

‘I remember looking back on my own time there, starting off when Liverpool were the bee’s knees. They were a fantastic club winning the European Cup four times and all that, but then it took them 31 years to win the league again.

‘We are now in the same situation. It could be ten years, could be 11 years, because of that cycle. 

‘It has to be thought out carefully and we have to make sure the recruitment is going to be better than what it was.’

Ferguson has suggested Man United’s summer recruitment has helped their improved form so far this season.

The 83-year-old recently lauded the addition of goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who joined from Royal Antwerp in a £21.7million move.

The Belgian shot-stopper has established himself as Man United’s first choice goalkeeper and has made several impressive stops in his 10 Premier League appearances to date.

Ferguson repeated his recent praise for Senne Lammens and suggested the goalkeeper could become ‘inspirational’

Ferguson again praised Man United’s decision to sign the 23-year-old, suggesting he could be an ‘inspirational player’, while also highlighting the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

‘I think the appointment of the goalkeeper [Lammens] has made a difference,’ Ferguson added.

‘He’s young at 23, he’s quick, a big lad, good feet and hands, and I think that helps. I think they have needed that player. United have always had inspirational players over the years. I think that has helped.

‘The other two, [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Matheus] Cunha, they look as if they will contribute to the recovery of our form.’

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Sir Alex Ferguson offers warm backing to Ruben Amorim but admits it could take ’10 or 11 years’ for Manchester United to recapture the glory days

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Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has launched a blistering critique of Nigeria’s build-up to AFCON 2025, accusing the Nigeria Football Federation of failing to get its house in order weeks before the tournament begins.

Speaking on his ObiOne podcast, Mikel said he was deeply unimpressed by the state of preparations for the finals in Morocco, which kick off on Sunday. He questioned how a national team coach could still be owed salaries at such a sensitive moment for Nigerian football.

“I’m not impressed at all with the preparation. After everything that happened with the World Cup qualifiers, you would expect things to be better,” said Mikel, who has previously called for the resignation of the NFF board following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

“How do you owe a coach money at this stage? It’s shameless! This is not how serious football nations operate. When issues like this are in the public space, it affects everyone, the coach, the players and even the fans.

“This was supposed to be the time to save face and show that lessons were learned. Instead, it’s the same story again. You can’t go into the AFCON with unresolved problems. Everything must be sorted now. Nigeria deserves better. Our football deserves better.”

Reports had claimed that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle was owed three months’ salary and bonuses by the NFF ahead of the 2025 AFCON.

However, Naija News reports that the National Sports Commission chairman, Shehu Dikko, revealed on Monday that the commission had stepped in to cover Chelle’s wages, despite not being a party to his contract.

“The NSC have been paying the salaries of Eric Chelle (Super Eagles coach) on behalf of the NFF even though we’re not a party to the contract,” Dikko said on Arise Television. “This is part of our support to the NFF.”

Nigeria will compete in Group C at AFCON 2025 alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, with their opening fixture against Tanzania scheduled for December 23 in Fès.

The Super Eagles head into the tournament on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Egypt in their only pre-AFCON friendly, played on Tuesday in Cairo.

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Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche has said Ola Aina is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury, DAILY POST reports.

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

The 29-year-old was left out of the Super Eagles squad to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations due to the injury.

The full-back featured for Forest’s U-21 side against Millwall this week in a bid to build his fitness.

Dyche revealed Aina is recovering fast from the injury.

“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,”

The former Chelsea star is expected to return to action for Forest in the new year.

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Welcome to Complete Sports Update, where we bring you the trending stories in the world of sports. Today, we’re doing a match preview of the Super Eagles AFCON 2025 opener versus Tanzania. We’ll also cover technical insights into the Super Eagles coach; Eric Chelle’s tactics.

Topics Discussed in Video;
* The Super Eagles Of Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 Campaign Set To Kickoff With An Opening Match Against Tanzania
* A look at the Eagles’ past meetings at the AFCON with their group opponents; Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda
* Expectations of the team prior to their clash with the Kilimanjaro Stars of Tanzania

Related: Which Players Should Make The Final List For Nigeria 2025 AFCON?

USEFUL LINKS

AFCON 2025: Morocco Buzzing, Ready To Host Rest Of The Continent
✅ https://www.completesports.com/afcon-2025-morocco-buzzing-ready-to-host-rest-of-the-continent/

AFCON 2025: Super Eagles To Hold Two Training Sessions On Friday
✅ https://www.completesports.com/afcon-2025-super-eagles-to-hold-two-training-sessions-on-friday/

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Complete Sports is Nigeria’s No1. Sports daily. Its is published by Complete Communications Limited (CCL). Complete Sports is the most widely read paper in Nigeria in the newspaper category (Media Fact 2012). Other products from CCL is Complete Football magazine, i-Soccer, Total Chelsea and our website www.completesports.com. CCL also has Complete Sports studio; a Hi-Def studio which is fully functional. Complete Sports Studio produces Sports Planet which is a 15 minutes radio show, it is aired on The Beat fm 99.9FM thrice a week; on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:45pm and on Nigeria Info 99.3FM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday at 5:45pm. For enquiries send e-mail to [email protected]

#CompleteSports #Nigeria #SuperEagles #CAF #AFCON2025 #EricChelle

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The DR Congo has issued a strong response to Nigeria following a formal complaint submitted by the Nigerian Football Federation to FIFA over alleged player eligibility violations.

Nigeria’s petition accuses DR Congo of fielding ineligible players during World Cup qualifiers, claiming that FIFA was misled through incomplete or inaccurate documentation.

The complaint has now sparked a public exchange between both football federations and senior officials, drawing continental and global attention.

DR Congo’s players celebrate. (Photo by SIA KAMBOU / AFP)

In a statement posted on the official DR Congo national team X account, the Congolese Football Federation dismissed Nigeria’s move as unsporting and unnecessary.

The statement read:

“If you cannot win on the pitch, do not try to win from the back door. The World Cup must be played with dignity and confidence, not with legal tricks. Bring it.”

The response did not stop there. DR Congo’s Director of Football, Hérita Ilunga, also weighed in with a pointed message aimed directly at Nigeria. According to Ilunga, FIFA’s criteria are clear and not rooted in domestic legal interpretations of nationality.

“FIFA does not consider legal nationality but sporting nationality. If that is true, I advise you, dear Naija brothers, to focus on AFCON instead,” he said.

The reaction from DR Congo came shortly after the Nigerian Football Federation’s General Secretary publicly confirmed that a petition had been submitted to FIFA.

He argued that DR Congo deceived the world football governing body by providing misleading or incomplete information regarding the players in question.

“That is why FIFA cleared them,” he explained. “FIFA rules state that once you have a passport from your country, you are eligible. However, our concern is that FIFA was deceived into granting that clearance. It is not FIFA’s responsibility to ensure that Congo’s internal laws are followed. What we are saying is that there was fraud.”

At the heart of the dispute is not football performance but legal documentation and nationality status.

The case centers on whether the players involved genuinely met the eligibility requirements under both Congolese law and FIFA regulations.

Under the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo, nationality is governed by strict legal procedures.

Foreign nationals can only become Congolese through defined routes such as naturalization, marriage, option, or adoption. Even then, citizenship is not automatic.

The process must be approved in the national interest and pass through the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers, and finally the President.

Nigeria’s argument suggests that these constitutional requirements may not have been fully met, raising questions about whether the players were legally Congolese at the time FIFA granted clearance.

This issue comes at a time when FIFA has reinforced its zero tolerance stance on eligibility fraud.

Recently, Malaysia was sanctioned with a three point deduction for breaching player eligibility regulations, a precedent that adds weight to Nigeria’s complaint.

Also read: Super Eagles Depart for Fez Ahead of 2025 AFCON Campaign

FIFA is now reportedly conducting a detailed investigation into the DR Congo case.

The outcome could have significant implications for World Cup qualification FIFA InterContinental Playoffs Final and may set another important precedent in African football governance.

Both Nigerians and Congolese watches closely as FIFA determines the final verdicts ,if Dr Congo will lose their place in the FIFA InterContinental Playoffs qualifiers and Nigeria will qualify.

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Enzo Maresca pointed to his players as one of key reasons he is ‘happy’ at Chelsea on Tuesday night, attempting to offer reassurance following his headline-grabbing comments on the weekend.

The Italian had claimed after Chelsea’s win over Everton that he had experienced ‘the worst 48 hours’ of his tenure, citing a lack of support from ‘people’, something he is yet to clarify.

While Maresca sought to reduce the noise by thanking Chelsea’s fans for their support and declaring he was ‘falling more in love with the players’, a star known for generating his own headlines had continued his quiet progress on the pitch.

Alejandro Garnacho had been called upon by Maresca to help his much-changed side overcome League One high-flyers Cardiff, who had frustrated the Blues in the first half.

Garnacho, who came on with Joao Pedro at half-time, made a telling contribution by scoring twice to help Chelsea earn a 3-1 victory to book their place in the semi-finals.

The Argentine’s double furthered his cause to be Chelsea’s first-choice on the left wing, with £52million summer signing Jamie Gittens having struggled during the first half.

Alejandro Garnacho, left, scored twice in Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Cardiff on Tuesday

Garnacho is starting to show signs he could prove to be a bargain signing at £40million

While Garnacho has scored just four times since his £40m summer move from Man United – also notching against Sunderland and Qarabag – there is a view that he could prove to be a bargain addition by the Blues.

Maresca had largely used Garnacho off the bench in his early weeks at Chelsea having noted he had not arrived in the best condition after being consigned to Man United’s ‘bomb squad’. 

The winger has made more starts in recent weeks and appears content with his role in the Chelsea squad, despite only completing the full 90 minutes once since signing.

‘They brought me on and I tried to help the team,’ Garnacho told Sky Sports following Tuesday night’s victory. ‘Me, Pedro and the rest of the players did that, we are really happy.

‘As a group we are doing really well. Sometimes you have to start games and sometimes you have to help from the bench. We don’t focus on this, we just try to help the team.

‘We’ll try to compete for everything, and the semi-final is the next one so we’ll try to win.’

Garnacho’s comments may have raised an eyebrow among Manchester United fans given the nature of his exit from the club over the summer.

The winger had courted controversy in the immediate aftermath of the Europa League final defeat by Tottenham, largely due to his complaints about being left on the bench for the season-defining match in Bilbao. Garnacho’s brother Roberto had also accused Amorim of ‘throwing him under the bus’ in a social media post.

Garnacho’s uneasy relationship with Man United boss Ruben Amorim played out in public last season

‘Obviously it’s hard for everyone,’ Garnacho had said. ‘Our season was s***. We didn’t beat anyone in the league. We lacked a lot of things. When you don’t score goals, you always need more. 

‘Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today – I don’t know. I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next.’

In response Amorim was reported to have brutally told Garnacho ‘You better hope you have a good agent this summer’, with the winger consigned to the Man United bomb squad.

On reflection, Amorim’s comment might have been hasty, as Chelsea had emerged as suitors for Garnacho from the moment his Man United career appeared in doubt after he had been axed for the Manchester derby in December over a show of dissent to Amorim.

While many would have been put off by Garnacho’s history – from liking social media posts criticising Erik ten Hag, sharing another post after being substituted against Ipswich and his Europa League final outburst – the Blues maintained their interest.

Man United’s willingness to part with Garnacho may have also enabled the Blues to snare him for a bargain £40million price. 

Despite the obvious concerns, the fee offered clear value for a full Argentina international with eight caps, especially one who has won the Copa America, League Cup and FA Cup, and had made 93 Premier League appearances at such a young age prior to his arrival at Chelsea.

While Garnacho was signed to add to Chelsea’s attack and has been known for producing the spectacular on occasion during his career, most notably his Puskas award winning overhead kick for Man United against Everton, it is another area of his game that has impressed Maresca.

Garnacho is understood to have impressed Enzo Maresca with his defensive work, reflected by his introduction at half-time against Arsenal after Chelsea had been reduced to 10-men

Daily Mail Sport understands the Chelsea boss has been impressed with Garnacho’s willingness to help out defensively, which has helped his cause when pushing to make the left wing berth his own.

When Chelsea were reduced to 10-men against Arsenal last month, Garnacho would unlikely have been the first name that came to mind for fans to help the Blues against the league leaders.

However, Garnacho was the first player Maresca turned to on his bench with the winger coming on at half-time in place of Estevao. 

In addition to his defensive work, Garnacho’s speed on the break helped Chelsea retain a threat against Arsenal.

Perceptions of Garnacho are likely to remain coloured for some time by his spell at Man United, as evidenced by one pundit recently criticising how he dresses when turning up for matches.

However, Maresca spoke of Garnacho’s desire to learn and described the winger as being ‘easy to work with’ earlier this month. 

‘He can give much more, but it’s not only Alejandro. I think all the players, we try to work every day with them to improve,’ Maresca said.

‘It’s been easy to work with him because he wants to learn, has an open mind, and works hard on and off the ball. 

Perceptions of Garnacho remain from his time at Man United with a pundit recently criticising how he dresses when arriving for matches

Maresca has described Garnacho as being ‘easy to work with’, challenging the publicly held view of the winger

‘Some games he is better, some games he has struggled a little bit, but overall he is doing very well.’

Maresca’s comments lend weight to a view from those who know Garnacho well, who had suggested to Daily Mail Sport earlier this year that he has been deeply misunderstood and does not possess the ego many online purport him to have.

Garnacho had returned the compliment to Maresca earlier this month by expressing how the Italian speaks with him ‘every week’ and is helping to build his confidence. The 21-year-old declared that he had ‘no regrets’ about leaving Man United and believes Chelsea can help him to ‘show people the player I am’. 

Garnacho will have a further cause to push to make the position on Chelsea’s left wing his own with the World Cup on the horizon.

The 21-year-old faces an uphill battle to force his way into Argentina’s World Cup squad ahead of their title defence in the United States, Canada and Mexico last summer.

Garnacho had been frustrated after missing out on their squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when his impressive form as an 18-year-old at Man United had not been enough earn inclusion at the last minute.

With his Man United career having hit the buffers last season, Garnacho’s last appearance for the national team came in November 2024.

If Garnacho is to avoid missing out on a second consecutive World Cup, continued progress at Chelsea and grabbing headlines – of the right kind – will be essential. 

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, as one of the headline performers at the opening concert of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Naija News reports that CAF disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, noting that the highly anticipated concert will usher in the continental football fiesta scheduled to kick off in Morocco on Saturday.

According to the football governing body, Davido will share the stage with global hip-hop star French Montana, Moroccan singer Douaa Lahyaoui, French-Moroccan hitmaker Lartiste, and fast-rising artiste Says’z.

Announcing the line-up, CAF said, “The Confederation of African Football has officially announced the artists set to headline the opening concert of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 in Rabat.”

CAF described the selection of performers as a reflection of the tournament’s cultural diversity and global appeal.

“Global hip-hop star French Montana and Nigerian Afrobeats icon Davido will lead an exciting international line-up, joined by Moroccan sensation Douaa Lahyaoui, French-Moroccan hitmaker Lartiste, and rising artist Says’z,” the statement read.

It added that the blend of African and international acts underscores AFCON’s celebration of African culture, music and global influence.

The opening concert, which will take place in Rabat, is scheduled for Saturday, a day before the first ball of the tournament is kicked.

CAF said the event is expected to set the tone for what promises to be a memorable edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

“The opening concert is scheduled for Saturday, just a day before the tournament kicks off, setting the tone for what is expected to be an unforgettable AFCON in Morocco,” CAF stated.

With the countdown already on, CAF noted that excitement is building among football and music lovers across the continent.

“Fans in Rabat and across Africa are eagerly counting down to a night where football and music unite on a grand stage,” the statement concluded.

The 2025 AFCON is expected to draw millions of viewers worldwide, blending Africa’s rich football heritage with world-class entertainment.

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