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NPFL: Kwara United get injury boost ahead Bayelsa Utd match
Kwara United have received a timely injury boost ahead of their Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, Matchday 18 fixture against Bayelsa United.
The Harmony Boys will welcome back a quartet of players — Olarewaju Abdulrahman, Issa Gata, Aule Johnmark, and Obiora Kingsley — for the game.
The players have returned to training in preparation for the clash against Bayelsa United.
The return of the four players is a major motivation for Suleiman Ashifat’s side as they aim to get back to winning ways following their recent defeat to Enyimba.
Kwara United will face Bayelsa United at the Rashidi Yekini Mainbowl Stadium in Ilorin on Sunday.
Both teams will be seeking to secure maximum points from the encounter.
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has unveiled Mr. Chef as its Official Food Seasoning Partner.
Mr. Chef is a product of Sweet Nutrition Limited.
The partnership underscores Sweet Nutrition Limited’s commitment to supporting Nigerian
football.
It is also aimed at bolstering the Super Eagles participation at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Mr. Chef will align closely with the national team’s journey, celebrating nourishment, togetherness and the shared passion of millions of Nigerian football fans as the official seasoning partner of the NFF.
“We are proud to partner with the Nigeria Football Federation and stand behind the Super Eagles at the AFCON,”RoopKumar Venkatesh, Head of Marketing of Sweet
Nutrition Limited stated.
Read. Also:CAF Increases AFCON 2025 Prize Money
NFF’s Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, Mr. Alizor Chuks, echoed the sentiments of Venkatesh, saying Mr. Chef is renowned for being a trusted football seasoning product and will put good seasoning into the Super Eagles’ campaign for a fourth continental crown.
Managing Director of the company, Kumar Venkataraman added: “Mr Chef is a proudly Nigerian brand, and this partnership reflects our belief in supporting national excellence and moments that unite Nigerians everywhere.”
Kumar Venkataraman, the company’s Managing Director, added that “Mr Chef is a proudly Nigerian brand, and this partnership reflects our belief in supporting national excellence and moments that unite Nigerians everywhere.”
NFF’s General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said that the collaboration reflects a shared vision of excellence and national pride.
“The Super Eagles represent resilience, unity, and ambition—values that strongly align with Sweet Nutrition Limited and the Mr. Chef brand. We are delighted to welcome them as an official partner as we head to the Africa Cup of Nations finals,” Sanusi declared.
The collaboration will feature integrated visibility across NFF platforms and AFCON-related
communications, bringing fans closer to the team while celebrating the spirit of Nigerian
football. While wishing the Super Eagles a successful outing at the AFCON in Morocco, the NFF looks forward to a rewarding partnership with Sweet Nutrition Limited.
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Frank Lampard issues apology after sparking post-match melee with sarcastic gesture to Southampton fans calling him a ‘s*** Steven Gerrard’
Frank Lampard has apologised after sparking a huge post-match melee at the end of his Coventry side’s draw at Southampton.
The Chelsea legend was on the receiving end of taunts by a raucous home crowd inside St Mary’s, who labelled him a ‘s*** Steven Gerrard’ at full time.
Lampard has the Sky Blues six points clear at the top of the Championship heading into Christmas and they held on for a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon despite going down to 10 men early in the second half.
Clearly delighted at his team’s performance, the Coventry boss then took to the pitch and sent a sarcastic thumbs-up gesture in the direction of the home crowd – who had reportedly been shouting at him throughout the match.
But that only served to infuriate Saints star Leo Scienza, who became embroiled in heated discussions with Lampard on the pitch – triggering dozens of players and staff to have a go at each other.
The brawl saw players and staff from both teams falling and pushing each other around for almost 30 seconds, before Lampard left the scene and walked in the direction of the away support to applaud them.
Frank Lampard sent a thumbs-up in the direction of the Southampton support after the game
It sparked a huge brawl between dozens of Coventry and Saints players and staff on the pitch
Asked about the ordeal by Sky Sports post-match, the former Chelsea and Everton boss explained: ‘I’ve got no problem with… it’s fine. I understand when a player, in front of their own fans, defends the situation.
‘But we’ve got this modern day phenomenon where the fans can say anything to you for the last 10 minutes on the line, but you’re not allowed to walk on the pitch when you’ve got emotions high.
‘Heart on sleeve, I feel a bit calmer now. I apologise for my language, and maybe that stand will apologise for their language. I’m well and truly over that one and it got a bit heated but sometimes you take that 99 minutes and you’re hanging on and seeing the players do what they do, and I feel I live it with them.
‘I went on the pitch, that’s my prerogative. I can look back and reflect on it but yeah, like I say, fans can say one thing, but we’re the ones in the arena fighting for something and we got a point.’
Lampard’s Coventry side were hit by a flu crisis before the match and managed to hold on despite Jay Dasilva receiving a straight red in the second half.
The Sky Blues are next in action when they host Swansea City on Boxing Day.
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Frank Lampard issues apology after sparking post-match melee with sarcastic gesture to Southampton fans calling him a ‘s*** Steven Gerrard’
Former Super Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh has backed the team to have a positive outing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, DAILY POST reports.
There are doubts on the chances of team making a meaningful impact at the AFCON following their failure to qualify for the 2026FIFA World Cup.
Oliseh has been critical of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, in recent times.
But the former Ajax midfielder has backed the Super Eagles to go all the way in Morocco.
“Contrary to what many may think, I am very optimistic about our chances at the AFCON,” he told The Observer.
“To start with, the players one goal in mind, which is the AFCON.”
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi says he is ready to play for his country at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after recovering from an ankle injury, reports Completesports.com.
Hakimi sustained the injury, while playing for Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League last month.
The injury put the right-back’s participation in the competition in doubt.
The 27-year-old has however declared he is ready for action.
Read Also: AFCON 2025: Cold Weather In Morocco Affecting Some Of My Players –Tanzania Head Coach
“I feel good. I’m following the programme with the doctors and the coach (Walid Regragui). After that, we’ll see what the coach decides. You can ask him,” he told reporters.
“I was scared after my injury. I didn’t want to miss this Cup of Nations that we are hosting.
“I wanted to be there with the team. I don’t know when I’ll play, but I feel ready.”
Morocco will take on Comoros in the competition’s opening game on Sunday (today).
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ASHES PLAYER RATINGS – THIRD TEST: England duo each given a TWO after ‘mental disintegration’ in Adelaide while Australian hero nearly scores a perfect 10 – but his team-mate is ‘out of his depth’
England’s quest to win an Ashes series Down Under has failed once again after losing the third Test by 82 runs to condemn them to a 3-0 defeat with two Tests remaining.
In a slightly rain-affected day five in Adelaide, Australia claimed the four wickets they needed by the afternoon session to successfully retain the Ashes.
Despite showing some second innings resilience, it was too little too late for the tourists who have now extended their winless run in Australia country to 18 matches.
Daily Mail Sport’s LAWRENCE BOOTH was at the Adelaide Oval to run the rule over both sets of players.
England
Zak Crawley 7
Still no Test hundred against a major team since the 2023 Ashes, but his second-innings 85 was one of England’s best innings of the trip. He may survive the post-series shakedown after all.
Zak Crawley may survive being culled from the England side after his second-innings 85 score
Ben Duckett 2
The extent of Duckett’s mental disintegration was evident in his lame second-innings poke in the last over before lunch on day four. Six innings in this series have brought him 97 runs. He looks shot.
Ben Duckett’s mental disintegration was evident in his lame second-innings poke on Saturday
Ollie Pope 2
His first-innings dismissal was a dereliction of duty, just when England needed their No 3 to take the game by the scruff. Victim of a superb slip catch by Labuschagne in the second, but only after another of his off-stump jabs. His Test career is long past its sell-by date.
Joe Root 5.5
Twice he got in, twice he was drawn into nibbles outside off by Cummins, who has now removed him 13 times in Tests – twice more than anyone else. Despite the Brisbane hundred, that shot remains Root’s red flag in Australia.
Harry Brook 6
He mainly honoured his pre-match pledge to ‘rein it in’, but scores of 45 and 30 summed up his lack of fulfilment, and he chose the wrong ball to reverse sweep in the second innings. His drop of Khawaja on the first morning proved costly.
Harry Brook failed to kick-on after getting into both innings and dropped a crucial catch
Ben Stokes 6
Gutsed it out for five hours to make 80 in the first innings, but fell to Starc and Lyon, who have now dismissed him a combined 22 times in Tests. Invited criticism from Ricky Ponting after his exhaustion ruled him out of bowling on the third day, when he over-bowled Jacks.
Jamie Smith 6.5
All too easily bounced out in the first innings, he at least showed gumption in the second, with a maiden Ashes fifty. Attracted criticism for losing his wicket trying to hit a fifth successive four, but England were hardly going to block their way to 435.
Will Jacks 6
It wasn’t his fault he was picked as England’s first-choice spinner, when he is little better than a part-timer. Battled hard with the bat for the second game in succession.
Brydon Carse 6
Added five wickets to his series tally, but he wasted the new ball on the first day and struggled to locate his length. Fought hard with the bat on the last day.
Jofra Archer 8.5
Provided a near-perfect riposte to his increasingly obsessive band of critics, fighting a lone battle during Australia’s first innings, then improving his career-best with the bat for the second game in a row. England’s best bowler of the tour.
Jofra Archer silenced his critics with an impressive showing with both bat and ball this Test
Josh Tongue 6.5
England’s second-best seamer after Archer, Tongue deserved better than one wicket in the first innings, and plugged away in the second for a haul of four. He has to play at Melbourne.
Australia
Travis Head 9
Made up for a loose stroke on the first morning with a carefree 170 in the second innings, and now has 379 runs in the series, more than 100 clear of the field.
Travis Head continues to be a thorn in the England side – as shown with his second-innings 170
Jake Weatherald 2
It’s hard to shake off the suspicion that Australia’s latest opener is out of his depth, though he didn’t help himself by failing to review his second-innings lbw when the ball pitched outside leg stump.
Despite an Ashes series win, Jake Weatherald looks seemingly out of his depth for Australia
Marnus Labuschagne 6
Played arguably the worst shot of the series when he pulled Archer’s first ball after lunch on the first day straight to midwicket. Squared up by a good one from Tongue in the second innings. But earns extra points for his sensational slip catching.
Usman Khawaja 7.5
Made the most of being dropped on five by Brook to make a redemptive 82 after his recall, and kept the boot on England’s throat on the third day with a careful 40. Mind you, he fell twice to Jacks.
Cameron Green 4
The IPL’s most expensive overseas cricketer continues to be a conundrum at Test level, with two cheap dismissals offset only partially by the wicket of Brook.
Alex Carey 9.5
Life at No 6 suits Australia’s wicketkeeper, and innings of 106 and 72 confirmed him as one of the players of the series. The fact that he is not walker, like almost his compatriots, did not come as news.
Alex Carey is up there for player of the series after another excellent performance for Australia
Josh Inglis 5
Playing as a specialist No 7, Inglis feels just short of Test class, and looks like the spare part who will make way once Steve Smith returns for Melbourne.
Pat Cummins 8.5
Looked like he’d never been away, and took six big wickets, including Root twice. Few cricketers in the world deliver so regularly when their team are most in need.
Mitchell Starc 8
Kept England in the field with his second fifty of the series, and took important wicket in each innings: Stokes in the first, Smith and Jacks in the second.
Mitchell Starc took key wickets for Australia and left England toiling in the field with another 50
Nathan Lyon 8
Made two vital contributions in his comeback match before injuring his hamstring in the field. First he got rid of Pope and Duckett in his first over. Then, on the fourth evening, he knocked over Brook, Stokes and Crawley at a personal cost of seven runs in 20 balls.
Scott Boland 7.5
So hard to get away, as Crawley acknowledged on the fourth evening. He wrapped up England’s first innings, and gave them nothing to hit in the second.
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Australia WIN the Ashes after just 11 days of cricket as England’s fightback is too little, too late – now Pat Cummins’ side seek a whitewash to crush Bazball, writes LAWRENCE BOOTH
Australia have regained the urn after just 11 days of cricket – the joint-swiftest Ashes triumph since 1921 – after completing an 82-run victory on the fifth day in Adelaide.
There was English resistance after they resumed on 207 for six, still needing an improbable 228 more to extend their hopes to Melbourne and Boxing Day. But the doggedness of their lower order only accentuated the failures off those higher up. Despite England’s stubbornness, the result was never in much doubt.
The coup de grace came at 2.11pm, when Josh Tongue flashed Scott Boland to second slip, where Marnus Labuschagne held his fourth catch of the innings.
As the Australians rejoiced, it was a sad truth that England’s fight has come too late to save the series – and perhaps too late to save one or two careers, both at administrative level and within the dressing-room itself.
At 3–0 up, Australian thoughts will now turn to the whitewash. Their previous 5–0 Ashes wins took place in 1920-21, 2006-07 and 2013-14, and the mood is ripe for another – not merely to etch their own names in history, but to crush Bazball, which has developed into a national obsession these past few weeks.
England’s only realistic goal on a gloomy final morning was to restore some of the pride that has evaporated steadily ever since their second-day collapse at Perth.
Pictured: The Aussies celebrate in wild scenes after Josh Tongue’s downfall sealed a dramatic 82-run victory in Adelaide – and gave them the series victory
Scott Boland (left) roars with teammate Josh Inglis after taking Tongue’s wicket to stave off a fine fightback from the Three Lions
Mitchell Starc (left) and Jake Weatherald celebrate the victory, which saw the hosts seal the series win in just 11 days of play
And for a while, Jamie Smith and his Surrey team-mate Will Jacks provided it. Smith swung Nathan Lyon over midwicket for six, then pulled Cameron Green for six more – calculated, not indiscriminatory, hitting.
Rain stopped play for 40 minutes, and soon after the resumption, Lyon hobbled off after saving two runs with a diving stop on the fine-leg boundary. He will surely now face a race to be fit for the fourth Test at the MCG, with Matt Kuhnemann and the uncapped Corey Rocchiccioli both in the frame to replace him.
Smith began to get into his stride in what was comfortably his best innings of the tour, timing Pat Cummins through extra cover, then lifting him over mid-off to bring up his first Ashes 50.
But when, on 60, he tried to pull Mitchell Starc over midwicket for what would have been his fifth four in five balls, he succeeded only in getting a big top-edge, easily held by the backpedalling Cummins; a valiant seventh-wicket stand of 91 had come to an end.
Smith’s dismissal got fans going again on social media, but England were never going to block their way to 435, and he had clearly decided their best bet was if he had a good half-hour. It was hardly the loosest moment of the tour, though the bar has been set low.
England kept fighting. They reached lunch at 309 for seven, after which Brydon Carse slog-swept Travis Head for six.
When he glanced Scott Boland for four to bring up the 50 stand, the target dropped below three figures.
Nathan Lyon is pictured after returning to Adelaide Oval on crutches. He is in extreme doubt to return for the Boxing Day Test after a hamstring injury in the first session left him unable to take any further part in the match
The Aussies overcame the stunning loss of Steve Smith just before the start of play on day one, and the injury to Lyon, to seal England’s fate
Pictured: Jamie Smith tries to hit his fifth boundary in a row – but skies the ball to be caught out by Cummins in one of the turning points of the final day’s play
The reintroduction of Starc did the job, as Jacks – on 47 – drove at a bit of width and edged low into the cordon, where for the second time in two days Labuschagne hurled himself low to his left and flung out a hand. The ball stuck, and England were 337 for eight.
They needed a miracle, and it wasn’t forthcoming. Jofra Archer flayed Starc to wide third man to make it 349 for nine. Moments later, Tongue fell, and Adelaide Oval roared its approval.
The result left England to ponder several what-ifs from the game’s four and a half days. What if Harry Brook had caught Usman Khawaja five runs into his first-innings 82. What if Alex Carey hadn’t been reprieved by the technology? What if England had batted with a bit more urgency on a second day of 40-degree heat? And what if they hadn’t lost three quick wickets to Lyon on the fourth evening.
None of those questions, though, could disguise Australia’s superiority in the moments that mattered most. Worthy winners, they can now turn their attention to an obliteration.
Former Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, has named Brazil as the country to beat in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
But he believes that Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal is the country that could beat Brazil to win the World Cup.
Ferguson sees Brazil, now managed by former Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, as one of the favourites for the title.
He believes the South American football powerhouse has all it takes to win the World Cup.
Ferguson, who dominated the Premier League for many years, told Press Box PR how he worked with Brazilian twin, Rafael and Fabio at Manchester United.
“Portugal have got good players. I always think of Brazil at the World Cup. The Brazilian players—I had the two young lads, twins, Rafael and Fabio,” he said.
“I think whoever beats Brazil will win the World Cup.”
Argentina defeated France to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with the focus being on two superstars from Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Genoa head coach Daniele De Rossi believes that Atalanta will miss Ademola Lookman when the sides meet in Serie A this weekend and during the AFCON, describing the Nigerian winger as a decisive presence.
Genoa host Atalanta on Sunday in a matchday 16 encounter, with the visitors travelling without Lookman, who has departed to represent Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.
De Rossi openly admitted the Atalanta winger is the kind of player every coach wants available, regardless of form.
“I confess that if I were to coach Lookman, I’d always want him on the pitch because in Serie A he can make the difference and shift the balance,” De Rossi said, as per FCInter19008.
“We’ve also seen how dangerous the other players on the bench are, but having him or not certainly changes things.”
Atalanta sit 12th with 19 points, well below expectations, whilst Genoa are 16th on 14 points, uncomfortably close to the relegation zone.
Former Nigerian international Leon Balogun has disclosed that playing for the Super Eagles prepared him for the big task at Rangers.
Balogun, who was an integral part of the Super Eagles. most especially in the defence alongside William Troost Ekong, stated this in an interview with the Footballers Unfiltered Podcast.
The Aris Limassol defender also stated that the demands of donning the senior national team shirt strengthened him mentally for his club career.
“I was born in Germany, so I wasn’t in touch with the Nigerian culture like the other boys who grew up in England Alex Iwobi, Lookman, Ola Aina and Kelvin Bassey. You know you have more Nigerians in UK than in Germany.
Read Also:AFCON 2025: Super Eagles’ Group Opponent Boycott Training Over Allowance Dispute
“I remember my first camp, there was big John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses and a few other top guys. These were guys I used to see on Play Station.
“There was always that dedication to the country, they would welcome you. It was a really nice time. But at the same time, when things didn’t go well, it was tough.
“Playing for the Super Eagles prepared me for the level of expectation at Rangers because losing is not allowed.
“Basically, you’re Nigeria, the king of Africa, and it doesn’t matter whether there’s Cameroon, Senegal, or Egypt. You just have to win.”
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Hosts Morocco will officially kickstart the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) against Comoros inside the iconic Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat today from 8pm local time.
It is the first time that Morocco will be returning to host the continental football showpiece since 1988 when Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions defeated the Super Eagles in a controversial manner to pick the trophy. The Atlas Lions have only won the trophy once and that was as hosts in 1976 when they defeated Guinea in the final to win their only AFCON title to date. The closest that they have come to winning the trophy was in 2004 when they finished as runners up. They have just one bronze also.
Of course, the Moroccans have moved on to become the first country in Africa to reach the semi final of the World Cup in Qatar, the Atlas Lions have not hidden their intentions to host and win this tournament. They showed this determination when they breezed through the AFCON 2025 qualifiers without dropping a point. They won all six matches. They are now unbeaten since August, and that includes winning the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar last Thursday. The Atlas Lions have not been beaten on home soil since 2009!
However, will Morocco be able to emulate last hosts Côte d’Ivoire who ended the jinx of past hosts or co-hosts not winning the trophy since Egypt 2006?
Undoubtedly, tonight’s opponents Comoros pose no threat to the hosts. Comoros are enjoying their trip to Morocco for their second appearance at the AFCON. They lost in the Round of 16 in the 2021 edition. The Coelacanths are definitely going to struggle against a more compact Moroccan side brimming with experience and skill. Comoros will be more than fulfilled, defeated by a slim margin by the hosts.
Before the first whistle is blown today, Morocco will set the mood of what to expect at this edition of AFCON with a musical concert last night.
Nigeria’s Music Icon, David Adeleke (aka Davido) took the centre stage when Morocco opened the AFCON festivities with a major concert at the OLM Souissi Fan Zone in Rabat. Davido was in company with French Montana and a star-studded cast of African and international artistes. According to CAF, TotalErnegies and Moroccan officials, it was designed to transform the buildup to AFCON 2025 into a celebration of African culture, creativity and youth. Davido’s presence provided a strong Nigerian and Afrobeats signature.