SPORT
EPL: They’re in good position – Gary Neville names team to win title
Former Manchester United captain, Gary Neville, has is sticking with his prediction that Arsenal will win the Premier League.
Neville, speaking on Sky Sports, was adamant that the Gunners will not bottle it this time around.
He predicted that Mikel Arteta’s men will extend their lead at the top in February and March.
Mikel Arteta’s men are currently two points clear of Manchester City after the latest round of fixtures.
Arsenal picked up a 1-0 win at Everton over the weekend after City thrashed West Ham 3-0.
“I think Arsenal are in a good position. Coming out of the new year, I feel like going into February, March, Arsenal will extend their lead,” Neville said.
“I feel it’s their year, I’m not sure this Arsenal team will bottle it this time.”
Taifas Stars of Tanzania head coach Manuel Gomandi has said his players are more than ready to take on Nigeria’s Super Eagles in their AFCON 2025 Group C opener on Tuesday.
Tanzania will take on the Super Eagles for the first at the AFCON since 1980 in Nigeria.
The Taifas Stars lost 3-1 in the encounter 45 years ago with the late Christian Chukwu-led Nigerian team going on to become African champions for the first time.
Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: To Play In Super Eagles Midfield This AFCON Will Be A Challenge –Akinsanmiro
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Monday, Gomandi said the game against the Super Eagles will be a nice challenge for his side.
“We are very well prepared, we are excited to be patt of this AFCON and we are more than ready for tomorrow’s game. We have a very difficult game but it’s a nice challenge for us,” the Argentine said.
On how he plans to contain a star-studded Nigerian attack led by Victor Osimhen, he believes his players will go the extra mile to get a positive result.
“We need to be very careful, work in perfect situation and I’m sure my players will put in extra effort to contain the threat from Nigeria.”
He added: “We need to be realistic, when you see the qualities in the Nigeria team you need to put in more than 100 percent effort to try to neutralize them.
“But our mentality is to try to play and attack as well, we need to be tactically discipline and there should not be any room for mistakes because if you don’t avoid such mistakes the qualities in the Nigerian team can punish you.”
By James Agberebi in Fes, Morocco
Super Falcons forwards, Jennifer Echegini and Rinsola Babajide made decisive contributions on Wednesday night as the 2025/2026 UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase concluded across Europe.
Jennifer scored her first UEFA Women’s Champions League goal of the 2025/2026 season, finding the net in Paris Saint-Germain’s 1–1 draw away to Benfica in Portugal.
Echegini struck early, opening the scoring in the 5th minute, giving PSG a dream start on Portuguese soil.
However, the French side were unable to build on that momentum, as Carole Costa equalised from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute, converting a spot-kick won by Lucia Alves.
Despite the draw, the result brought little consolation for either side. Both PSG and Benfica had already been eliminated prior to kick-off, and neither managed to secure a single victory throughout the league phase.
-
PSG finished 17th on the table
-
Benfica ended the phase 16th
-
Both teams recorded two points from six matches
For Benfica, Super Falcons midfielder Christy Ucheibe remained an unused substitute, while Nigeria captain Rasheedat Ajibade continues her spell on the sidelines due to injury.
Rinsola Babajide Assists as Roma End Campaign on a High
In Italy, Rinsola Babajide delivered a standout performance, providing an assist as AS Roma claimed their first win of the UWCL league phase, thrashing St. Pölten 6–1.
Babajide teed up Alayah Pilgrim for Roma’s opening goal. By halftime, the Italian side were already 2–0 ahead, firmly in control of the contest.
The second half belonged to Evelyne Viens, who completed a hat-trick, sealing a comprehensive victory and giving Roma a much-needed morale boost at the end of a challenging European campaign.
Super Falcons defender, Shukurat Oladipo also featured from the start for Roma, playing her part in a performance that saw the Italian club climb to 14th place in the final league-phase standings.
Read More: Nigerian Stars Suffer Early Exit as Roma, PSG Crash Out of the Champions League
Read More: Chelsea Collapse While Liverpool Rise on a Champions League Blockbuster Night
Read More: Champions League GW 6: Arsenal Shine, Man City Stun Madrid & PSG Held in UCL Day 2
League Phase Wrap: Top Four Advance Directly
With the league phase now complete, the competition’s hierarchy became clear at the summit of the table.
The top four teams, who progressed directly to the quarter-finals, are:
-
FC Barcelona Femení
-
Olympique Lyonnais
-
Chelsea FC Women
-
Bayern München
Meanwhile, Atlético de Madrid and UWCL debutants OH Leuven claimed the final knockout play-off spots, keeping their European dreams alive.
Attention now turns to the knockout play-off draw, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 18 December 2025.
From that stage, the race to succeed Europe’s elite intensifies, with the remaining contenders battling for a place in the quarter-finals.
SPORT
Cricket star Andrew Strauss, 48, gets married to PR executive 18 years his junior – seven years after the death of his wife Ruth from lung cancer
Former England cricket captain Sir Andrew Strauss has married for the second time – almost seven years to the day after the tragic passing of his first wife Ruth, the Daily Mail can reveal.
The 48-year-old walked down the aisle with Antonia Linnaeus-Peat, 30, on December 17, in the wine town of Franschhoek, South Africa, the country of his birth.
Photos from the ceremony showed the happy couple surrounded by family in the sunshine at the La Clé vineyard around 50 miles east of Cape Town.
The new Mr and Mrs Strauss, who got together around two years ago, looked delighted on their big day last week.
There was also a poignant, and warm, picture of them smiling with his sons Samuel and Luca, who lost their mother on December 29, 2018.
Fans and friends have reacted with great joy to the news that Strauss has found love and happiness again after the tragic death of his first wife Ruth.
She died aged 46 following a battle with a rare form of lung cancer – just one year and 19 days after being diagnosed.
A happy Sir Andrew Strauss, 48, with his new wife Antonia Linnaeus-Peat, 30, on their wedding day last Wednesday
The happy couple with Sir Andrew’s sons, Luca (left) and Samuel (right)
Only close family attended the ceremony in a South African vineyard last Wednesday
Sir Andrew with his first wife Ruth (right) who died aged 46 following a battle with lung cancer
Sir Andrew has dedicated much of his energy to the Ruth Strauss Foundation, which supports families facing the incurable cancer diagnosis as well as funding research into non-smoking lung cancers.
It has raised millions of pounds each year since it was founded.
The new Strauss wedding was planned by Mosaic Weddings and photographed by Celeste Prince at La Clè Vineyard.
Flowers were by Botanica and hair and make up by Danielle Jacobs.
Strauss revealed on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast in November that only family had been invited to the ceremony, held last Wednesday.
The former England captain is not in Australia for England’s disastrous the Ashes series because of his wedding.
The happy couple were first spotted together in public two years ago after leaving an exclusive restaurant in London, understood to have been in a relationship already for several months.
The couple were also seen together in the Royal Box at this summer’s Wimbledon Championships, joining a host of sports stars on day six from footballer Jamie Redknapp to Olympics hero Dame Laura Kenny.
Ms Linnaeus-Peat, who used to work as a PR executive and now is a company director of Linnaeus Fine Art Advisory Limited, grew up in Hong Kong and attended £40,000-a-year St Mary’s Calne school for girls.
The former England captain’s new marriage comes seven years after his first wife Ruth McDonald died aged 46 following a battle with a rare form of lung cancer on December 29, 2018.
Married to Ruth for 15 years, Strauss had two sons with the Australian actress, Samuel and Luca, who are now aged 19 and 17 respectively.
England cricket legend Andrew Strauss, 48, fell in love with the PR exec around two years ago
The couple are pictured at this summer’s Wimbledon Championships in the Royal Box
She grew up in Hong Kong and attended £40,000-a-year St Mary’s Calne school for girls
Shortly after his wife’s upsetting death, Strauss founded the Ruth Strauss Foundation in her memory in 2019, a charity which supports families facing the death of a parent from the illness and funds vital research into non-smoking lung cancers.
The foundation’s annual ‘Red for Ruth’ campaign has become a regular fixture in the cricketing calendar, with players, coaches and fans encouraged to wear red in support of the charity during an England Test match in July.
Strauss has been open about how his wife’s death just days after Christmas in 2018 wholly changed his outlook on life.
Sharing how grief has affected him in a 2023 interview with The Telegraph, he said: ‘Our time is limited, and therefore I need to be more conscious about what I do and don’t do.
‘This might mean experiencing things that weren’t appealing to me before, or saying no to things even though I don’t want to let people down. But most of all, it means keeping the people most important to me happy.’
The former England captain went on to urge others to open up more in a message of support for those struggling.
‘It’s is still far too much of a taboo,’ he added. ‘Many people feel very uncomfortable, not knowing what to say to those who are going through it. They shudder, almost wanting to pretend that it’s not going on.
‘It’s absurd, because we’re all going to be touched by death in life. Grief still feels very beneath the surface to me. And that has to change, because otherwise there will be people devoid of support or knowledge.
‘You can be in your own little room grieving, without knowing where to turn.’
In a statement revealing Ruth had passed away, Strauss said in 2018: ‘Anyone who has met Ruth will know how loving, caring and passionately protective she was of her family and it gives us huge comfort that she was in Australia, the land of her birth, surrounded by those who love her, in her final moments.’
Strauss and Ruth had two sons, Samuel (right) and Luca (left) – pictured in May 2022
The Ruth Strauss Foundation’s annual ‘Red for Ruth’ campaign has become a regular fixture in the cricketing calendar, with players and staff encouraged to wear red in support of the charity
Meanwhile in Australia, away from the happy Strauss wedding, the Ashes cricket has been an unmitigated disaster for England.
Sir Andrew, the last England captain to win an away Ashes series 15 years ago, has warned removing Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes will not be enough to change a ‘depressingly one-sided story’ in Australia.
Strauss led a remarkable 3-1 triumph in 2010-11 but the trail has gone stone cold ever since, with England losing 16 and drawing just two of the last 18 Tests Down Under.
The heat is now on McCullum as head coach, while Stokes may find it hard to stay if their current 3-0 predicament becomes a 5-0 whitewash.
But Strauss has urged those within the game to look beyond the short-term fix of firing and hiring.
In the aftermath of England’s previous defeat in Australia, a 4-0 loss in 2021-22, he was employed by the England and Wales Cricket Board to conduct a high-performance review into the domestic game.
His eventual report made numerous suggestions, including cutting the number of first-class matches and restructuring the County Championship divisions and focusing on incentivising elite player development, but they were largely thrown out by the counties themselves.
Although he made no reference to the review in a wide-ranging post on the social network LinkedIn, he appears to be arguing for a fresh look at such proposals.
Strauss wrote: ‘So there it is, another ambitious set of England cricketers made the journey to Australia, full of hope and optimism only for their dreams to come crashing down around them after only 11 days of cricket.
‘McCullum and Stokes and will come under extreme scrutiny for the decisions they took in preparation for this tour in the same way that (Ashley) Giles and (Chris) Silverwood did after the last tour. And Andy Flower after 2013-14 and Duncan Fletcher after 2006/07.
‘While they will know that this goes with the territory, none of the above are responsible for England losing so incredibly consistently in Australia since 1986-87. We have been badly mauled time after time over there because Australia are a better team, served by a better high performance system.
‘If we are genuinely serious about changing this depressingly one-sided story, then we need to look beyond sacking England coaches and captains and ask whether we are genuinely willing to make the changes necessary to break the trend.’
Strauss served as director of cricket at the ECB after retiring and later acted as a strategic advisor to the board, parting ways in May 2023 after his reforms were rejected.
SPORT
Osimhen Apologises To Nigerians Over World Cup Failure, Promises Super Eagles Fightback At AFCON
Victor Osimhen has apologised to Nigerians for the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup and has urged fans to keep faith as the team targets a strong run at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Galatasaray striker’s comments were shared on Sunday by Pooja, a Confederation of African Football-accredited photojournalist, via 𝕏.
Osimhen acknowledged the weight of expectations placed on the Super Eagles but insisted the squad remains calm and confident, pointing to the depth of quality within the team.
“The expectation is really high, not just within the camp but also from the Super Eagles fans all over the world. I think since the expectation is high, there is no single pressure among my teammates, myself and also the coach because we know the kind of quality we possess,” Osimhen said.
He described the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a chance for redemption after the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup, stressing that the players are eager to restore belief among supporters.
“This AFCON is an opportunity for us to try to right our wrongs, to try to make the Super Eagles fans all over the world believe that there is so much more that we can give,” he said.
Osimhen also offered a heartfelt apology to Nigerians over the failed World Cup qualification, admitting that the setback was painful for both players and fans.
“We’re so sorry, we have to use the opportunity to say we’re so sorry for not getting the World Cup ticket. I know the disappointment on the faces of a lot of Nigerian fans. Life has happened, so we have to keep it moving,” he added.
Despite the earlier setback, the 25-year-old remains upbeat about Nigeria’s prospects at the continental showpiece, emphasising the importance of hard work and focus.
“This AFCON is an opportunity for us to do well and try to make sure that we win the tournament. Of course, it’s not going to be easy; we have to fight for every game, we have to fight for every ball. We have to try to win every game and try to see if we can get to the final, and that’s where we’ll win it,” Osimhen said.
Maduka Okoye has apologised to Udinese following the club’s heavy defeat to Fiorentina, reports Completesports.com.
The Zebras were thrashed 5-1 by the hosts in their Serie A clash on Sunday.
Okoye was sent off in the eighth minute of the encounter.
Referee Maurizio Mariani gave the Nigeria international a straight red card for a rash challenge on Moise Kean.
Read Also:Nigerian Midfielder Set To Join MLS Club Colorado Rapids
Udinese capitulated after his dismissal conceding thrice before the break.
Okoye is expected to suspended for three games.
The 25-year-old took to the social media to express his regret over the incident.
“I’m sorry, Bianconeri,” the former Watford shot stopper wrote on Snapchat.
By Adeboye Amosu
As football fever builds across the continent, Goldberg has unveiled a new collective set to capture the pulse, passion and personality of Nigerian fans like never before.
Introducing The Golden Clan, a carefully curated circle of cultural tastemakers assembled to amplify the heartbeat of Nigerian football through storytelling, humour, emotion and lived fan experiences.
The Golden Clan brings together four distinct voices who represent different sides of Nigerian culture and fandom:
- Kunle Remi,
- Shaffy Bello,
- Brown Ideye and
- Broda Shaggi.
Together, they will serve as the faces and voices of Goldberg’s Feel the Beat. Taste the Gold. campaign, spotlighting how Nigerians experience football beyond the pitch, from viewing centres and streets to chants, rituals and shared moments of joy and heartbreak.
At the centre of the campaign is a simple truth: football in Nigeria has never been just about the game but about community, sound, movement, banter, pride and belief.
Through the Golden Clan, Goldberg is leaning into these realities, telling football stories through people who genuinely live and understand them.
Actor and cultural tastemaker, Kunle Remi brings warmth, depth and contemporary storytelling to the Clan, capturing match-day moments and fan connections with sincerity and style.
Veteran actress, Shaffy Bello adds elegance, gravitas and cultural pride, reflecting the generational bond Nigerians share with football.
Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye offers insider perspective, experience and emotional resonance from someone who has worn the green and white on the biggest stages.
Rounding out the Clan is comedian Broda Shaggi, whose street-smart humour and unfiltered energy mirror the voice of everyday fans across the country.
Throughout the campaign, the Golden Clan will come alive across viewing parties, fan engagements, digital content and surprise moments, documenting how Nigerians feel the beat of football and celebrate the culture that surrounds it.
With the Golden Clan, Goldberg is stepping into the crowd, standing with fans, and turning match-day moments into stories worth sharing, because when Nigerians gather around football, the energy is unmistakable, and the vibe is always golden.
Ayoub El Kaabi netted an outrageous overhead kick as hosts Morocco opened the Africa Cup of Nations with victory over Comoros in Rabat.
The 32-year-old scored an early Goal of the Tournament contender 16 minutes from time, to put the shine on a 2-0 win in front of Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, who was proudly watching on.
Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz had opened the scoring for the Atlas Lions, who are the top-ranked side in the competition, 10 minutes into the second half, to settle the home crowd’s nerves after Soufiane Rahimi’s missed penalty during the first half.
Noussair Mazraoui found the forward unmarked in the penalty area, and he made no mistake in sliding the ball past Yannick Pandor.
Comoros then threatened to tarnish their opening night party, but Yassine Bounou did well to deny Rafiki Said with his legs.
Then came the sensational strike from substitute El Kaabi, who managed to swivel and leap up to meet Anass Salah-Eddine’s clipped cross and nail an acrobatic effort into the top corner.
Ayoub El Kaabi netted a stunning overhead kick as Morocco opened AFCON with victory
The striker settled the nerves of the home crowd against Comoros 16 minutes from time
The striker then raced away in celebration before being mauled by his team-mates, who were just as shocked as the 60,000 adoring fans in the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
While the victory was far from vintage, it was Morocco’s 19th on the spin, adding to their already world record run, which started back in March 2024.
Mali and Zambia are the hosts’ two remaining games in Group A as they seek their first AFCON title since 1976.
Share or comment on this article:
Watch sensational overhead kick as hosts Morocco secure nervy victory to open AFCON
Ruben Amorim has admitted Bruno Fernandes could be sidelined for some time after the Manchester United captain was forced off during Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
Fernandes has started every league match this season for Manchester United, but that unbroken run now looks set to end. The 31-year-old appeared to suffer a hamstring problem just before the interval at Villa Park, initially attempting to play on before failing to return for the second half.
Amorim has already ruled the midfielder out of the Boxing Day meeting with Newcastle United and admitted there are serious doubts over his availability for the remainder of the festive programme.
“It’s a soft tissue. I think he’s going to lose some games. I don’t know for sure, so let’s see,” Amorim said.
“You never control these things, so we’ll see. He is a guy who is always fit, so he can recover quite well, but I don’t know.”
Fernandes’ setback has added to United’s growing injury list. England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was already absent against Villa with a calf issue.
The 20-year-old had been a major talking point in the build-up after his half-brother wore a ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’ T-shirt during Monday’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
Mainoo would have been in contention to make his first Premier League start of the season against Newcastle, but he is now also set to miss out.
“I will see what we are going to do,” Amorim said. “I think Kobbie Mainoo is out, Bruno is out, so we will see. We are going to find solutions. No excuses.
“We need to win the next game, and we will try to win the next game.”
There is some relief with Casemiro returning from suspension, but the squad remains stretched. Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are away at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), while Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are also unavailable.
The mounting absences have inevitably prompted questions about January reinforcements, yet Amorim insists the club will not act rashly in the transfer market.
“We need to deal with that,” he said. “What we cannot do is to reach January and try to do everything in urgency and make mistakes, and then ‘here we go again’ with a lot of mistakes.
“I’m not going to say ‘we need a lot of players’ because we have a plan. If we have to suffer, the club comes first.
“Of course, we are in a moment where we need points, but we need to find solutions, and we are going to continue with our plan.”
Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has urged his teammates to fight for every ball ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, opener against Tanzania on Tuesday.
Osimhen also encouraged Eric Chelle’s squad to strive for victory in each match as they aim to reach the 2025 AFCON final in Morocco.
“This AFCON is an opportunity for us to do well and try to make sure that we win the tournament,” Osimhen told Pooja Media.
“Of course, it is not going to be easy; we have to fight for every game, fight for every ball.
“We have to try to win every game and see if we can get to the final and win it.”
Osimhen will now hope to lead the Super Eagles to claim the trophy this time around in Morocco after Nigeria finished runner-up in the last edition in Ivory Coast.
Ahead of Nigeria’s opening match at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 against Tanzania tomorrow in Fes, the Super Eagles’ duo of Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman and Pisa midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro have been listed among the top five Serie A layers to hit the limelight at the continental showpiece.
Of all the leagues most affected by the month-long continental tournament, Serie A is tied sixth, with a total of 21 players heading south-west from Italy to North Africa.
But according to a major Italian news outlet, both the 2024 African Footballer of the Year, Lookman and newly drafted Akinsanmiro, are just five “of the best that could play a promising role at 2025’s showpiece”.
Aside the two Nigerians, the other three players also picked are AS Roma’s duo of Morocco’s Neil El Aynaoui and Ivorian Evan Ndicka, while who plays for Roma as well as Ivorian Odilon Kossounou who is currently with Lookman at Atalanta.
Akinsanmiro, the 21-year-old Inter loanee is being tipped as “a valuable reinjection of confidence” into the Super Eagles who are desirous to claim a long-awaited fourth title following three previous successes in 1980, 19994 and 2013.
But of the quintent, Lookman, the 2024 African Footballer of the Year, is put on top of the raft as the likely player from Serie A that could have a pivotal impact at the continental’s flagship’s tournament.
“Just about taking the top spot in this list is Atalanta and Nigeria star Ademola Lookman,” the editors of getfootballnewsitaly noted.
Though Lookman has struggled so far in 2025-26, with just two goals in 11 Serie A outings in the ongoing campaign, the outlet noted: “He could play a huge role as he links back up with Super Eagles teammates Osimhen and co, as they seek retribution for 2023’s 2-1 final defeat in Abidjan.”
“The English-born 28-year-old notched 20 goals in 40 all-competition matches in 2024-25, including 15 goals in Serie A, and five in seven Champions League matches. That premier European campaign, of course, followed the victorious Europa League run in 2023-24.
“If Lookman can tap back into the kind of form that saw him blast home a decisive hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin’s final, then Nigeria may just add their fourth AFCON title,” the Italian outfit noted.