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Nigerian Trio Impressive Despite Fulham’s Defeat to Crystal Palace
Fulham’s Nigerian trio were unable to prevent a disappointing 2–1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, despite delivering strong individual performances.
Eddie Nketiah opened the scoring for Palace in the 20th minute, before Harry Wilson equalised for Fulham.
However, a stoppage-time winner from captain Marc Guehi secured all three points for the visitors.
Samuel Chukwueze produced a solid display during his 76 minutes on the pitch.
Samuel Chukwueze (R) vies with Nathaniel Clyne. (Photo | Getty Images)
He completed the most dribbles in the match, recorded 23 passes with three into the final third, delivered three accurate long balls, made one tackle, and registered seven ball recoveries.
His only shortcoming was his lack of end product in front of goal.
Alex Iwobi, deployed in an unfamiliar central midfield role, contributed 49 passes, created two chances, played three passes into the final third, delivered three crosses, and completed two accurate long balls.
Defensively, he added three tackles and three ball recoveries.
Meanwhile, Calvin Bassey stood out at the back with an impressive 108 passes, including eight into the final third and two accurate long balls.
Also read: Stanley Nwabali A Major Doubt for AFCON 2025
Defensively, he recorded two tackles, two blocks, six clearances, and five recoveries, while winning 100% of his aerial duels.
Regardless of these performances the loss leaves Fulham 15th in the Premier League, six points above the relegation zone.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah could be offered the opportunity to leave Anfield in January by La Liga giants Real Madrid, according to reports.
It has been a stressful season for everyone involved at Anfield with the Reds struggling to get anywhere near the form which saw them comfortably win the Premier League title last term.
After winning their first seven matches in all competitions, Liverpool have now only won one of their last 15 games in all competitions.
A 3-3 draw against Leeds United on Saturday was painful enough after conceding a late goal – but Salah’s comments about the club in the aftermath was a devastating blow for a club low on morale.
Salah aimed most of his frustration at the club for “throwing him under the bus” while he insisted he no longer has a relationship with Liverpool boss Slot.
That has already led to rumours he could join Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, who have a historic interest in the Egpytian, while Major League Soccer side San Diego are also rumoured to be interested.
And now Spanish website Fichajes (via Football 365) insists that Real Madrid ‘could take advantage’ of the crisis at Liverpool by making a bid of their own for Salah.
The La Liga giants have ‘entered the race for what could become one of the most impactful moves of the winter transfer window’ and ‘proposed an explosive exchange’.
The report adds: ‘The club is struggling offensively on the right flank, and Salah fits the bill as an immediate and renowned solution. His experience on the biggest stages, his goalscoring prowess, and his leadership make him a very tempting option for the Bernabeu side.
The draw for the third round of the 2025/2026 FA Cup was conducted on Monday, with Premier League giants Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City all learning their opponents.
This round marks the entry point for all 20 Premier League clubs, who join 24 Championship sides and lower-tier teams that have made it through the earlier rounds, including non-league clubs Macclesfield, Weston-super-Mare, and Boreham Wood.
Manchester United will face a stern test at Old Trafford as they welcome Brighton, while defending champions Manchester City have a favourable draw at home against Exeter City.
Arsenal travel to Fratton Park to face League One leaders Portsmouth, and Liverpool will host Barnsley at Anfield.
Chelsea have been drawn away to Charlton Athletic, and Tottenham Hotspur will play fellow Premier League side Aston Villa in one of the round’s standout ties.
Macclesfield will host Crystal Palace in what promises to be a memorable fixture for the non-league side. Weston-super-Mare travel to Grimsby Town, while Boreham Wood await the winners of the second-round tie between Brackley Town and Burton Albion.
Full FA Cup third round draw:
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Shrewsbury Town
Doncaster Rovers vs Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa
Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town
Preston North End vs Wigan Athletic
Ipswich Town vs Blackpool
Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest
Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea
Manchester City vs Exeter City
West Ham United vs Queens Park Rangers
Sheffield Wednesday vs Brentford
Fulham vs Middlesbrough
Everton vs Sunderland
Liverpool vs Barnsley
Burnley vs Millwall
Norwich City vs Walsall
Portsmouth vs Arsenal
Derby County vs Leeds United
Swansea City vs West Bromwich Albion
Salford City vs Swindon Town
Boreham Wood vs Brackley Town OR Burton Albion
Grimsby Town vs Weston-super-Mare
Hull City vs Blackburn Rovers
Newcastle United vs Bournemouth
MK Dons vs Oxford United
Cheltenham Town vs Leicester City
Cambridge United vs Birmingham City
Bristol City vs Watford
Stoke City vs Coventry City
Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace
Manchester United vs Brighton
Sheffield United vs Mansfield Town.
© 2025 Naija News, a division of Polance Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]
Inter Milan manager Christian Chivu has warned his side against complacency against Liverpool, stating that Mohamed Salah’s absence is no cause for celebration.
Liverpool will face Serie A giants Inter Milan on Tuesday (December 9), but Salah won’t be involved after being disciplined by the club.
Speaking with the club’s website, Chivu stated that the Reds are still a threat without the Egyptian international.
Read Also:Nwabali Doubtful For AFCON 2025 With Injury
“Momo (Salah) is important on a world-class level, but these are not problems that concern us. It’s not my concern,” Chivu said bluntly.
“I know that they have players who can replace him, and that Liverpool will therefore maintain a high level as they always have done throughout their history.
“We’re talking about teams, not individuals. That is why we have to worry about what the group does, not about individuals. They have a lot of quality.”
Nigerian midfielder, Raphael Onyedika was on target as Club Brugge fell 3-2 to St. Truiden in a Belgian Pro League clash at the weekend.
Onyedika gave Brugge the lead in the 16th minute with a right footed strike from the center of the box, only for Arbnor Muja to equalize for St. Truiden in the 21st minute.
Ryotaro Ito put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute.
Kaye Furo drew Brugge level in the 70th minute, but Andres Ferrari scored the winner in the 81st minute to secure all three points for St. Truiden.
Kaye Furo fight for the ball (Photo | Getty Images)
Onyedika produced an impressive all-round performance, completing 45 passes (four into the final third), maintaining 100% shot accuracy, delivering three long balls, making one clearance, and registering three ball recoveries.
Also read: NFF Announces New Date for Super Eagles Friendly
The defensive midfielder joins a growing list of Super Eagles players in strong form ahead of the 2025 African Cup of Nations, which kicks off in just 13 days.
Nigerian coach Eric Chelle and the national team will hope that Onyedika and his compatriots carry this form into the tournament.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has continued his war of words with Mohamed Salah, claiming he was always seen as the player who failed at Chelsea before arriving at Anfield.
Carragher was responding to Salah’s latest interview, in which he claimed the club was putting him under the bus over their poor run of form.
The Egyptian also admitted his relationship with manager Arne Slot is broken.
In response, Salah has been dropped from Liverpool’s squad for their Champions League clash on Tuesday.
Carragher said on Monday Night Football: “One thing I want to remind Mohamed Salah and maybe his agent. Before he came to Liverpool, Mo Salah was known as the guy who failed at Chelsea. That’s just a fact.
“He’s also the greatest player the country has ever had. Egypt in the AFCON are the most successful nation. But Salah has not won AFCON.
“That’s not me trying to put him down as a player, but what it tells Mo Salah and his agent it’s not about an individual. You were not a star when you came into Liverpool.
“No matter how good of a player you are, you need help from the teammates, the manager, and the fans. It’s important he remembers that. When he’s talking there, it’s all about ‘me, me and me.’”
Nigeria’s build-up to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has suffered a major blow after first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was all but ruled out of the tournament through injury.
The development has deepened concerns within a Super Eagles squad already shaken by fitness problems and a rapidly changing defensive set-up.
Stanley Nwabali, 29, emerged as one of Nigeria’s standout performers at the last AFCON, guiding the team to the final and earning widespread praise for his calm presence in goal.
He has not played since Nigeria’s dramatic penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in Rabat during the World Cup qualifying playoffs.
Doubts about his recovery intensified after his club coach at Chippa United, Vusimuzi Vilakazi, gave the strongest indication yet that the goalkeeper may miss the competition.
He said: “I don’t think he will make it, but when I was talking to him, he was confident that he would recover very soon, but obviously you will understand because he’s a player who wants to be there at the Cup of Nations finals. But the reality is that for now, he is still injured. I also hope for the best that he might find himself there.”
Vilakazi explained that Nwabali requires surgery and has been carrying multiple injuries. According to him, the keeper is dealing with “an ankle injury, but then also the hand needs an operation because he’s been playing with that (injured) hand for a while now and he aggravated the injury while he was in Morocco.”
Naija News reports that head coach Eric Chelle named Nwabali in a provisional squad, but has yet to finalise his list of 27 players. Nigeria open their Group C campaign against Tanzania in Fes, before meeting Tunisia and Uganda in what is expected to be a fiercely competitive group.
The squad has already lost important figures. Young defenders Benjamin Fredrick and Felix Agu are ruled out, while Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi remain serious doubts. Captain William Troost-Ekong, MVP of the last AFCON, has retired after 83 caps, removing an experienced organiser from the heart of the defence.
With two centre-backs sidelined and the first-choice goalkeeper injured, Chelle may be forced to rebuild the defensive spine just days before kick-off.
If Nwabali is unable to recover, the coach has five goalkeepers to consider: Amas Obasogie, Maduka Okoye, Adebayo Adeleye, Francis Uzoho and teenager Ebenezer Harcourt.
Okoye and Uzoho have international experience, although both have struggled for consistency, while Obasogie, Adeleye and Harcourt are yet to appear in a major tournament.
© 2025 Naija News, a division of Polance Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]
Former Arsenal star, Nicolas Pepe has picked inter Miami captain Lionel Messi as the better player over Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pepe described Messi as insane as he compared Ronaldo to Santos star player Neymar.
Speaking on Just Riadh’s YouTube channel, the Ivorian said: “In the Messi-Ronaldo debates, I say Messi, but when you talk stats and what he offers, there are many who will say Ronaldo.
“But if you are fair, really watch football, the experts say forget stats. Just football, Messi is insane.
“I go further: prime Neymar looks Cristiano in the eyes. But look Messi in the eyes too? No, he doesn’t. Sorry, Messi slaps him twice.
“Not by fantasy. That fantasy dribble, Messi doesn’t do it. But Messi hooks 7 or 8 players. Neymar does too, but Messi does it better. Ronaldo too.”
Chelsea have confirmed that they are travelling to Bergamo without the services of Ballon d’Or nominee Cole Palmer, whose minutes are being managed following his recent return from injury, Yahoo Sports reports.
Atalanta will host Chelsea at the New Balance Arena on Tuesday evening in the sixth round of Champions League fixtures. This is the final filling of UCL matches this calendar year.
Atalanta and Chelsea are level on points in the Champions League table ahead of Tuesday’s kick-off, both with three wins, one draw and one loss on their records for 10 points. Chelsea are seventh, with Sporting CP and Manchester City sitting between them and La Dea as things stand.
Also Read: Palmer Breaks Toe In Accident At Home, To Miss Next Three Chelsea Games
Making life slightly easier for Raffaele Palladino and Atalanta on Tuesday night is the fact that Palmer will be unavailable to Enzo Maresca.
The England international, who finished eighth in this year’s Ballon d’Or rankings, has recently returned from a groin injury that kept him out of action for practically two months between the end of September and end of November.
His minutes are being managed, and it has been confirmed by the club that he has not travelled and will therefore not play against Atalanta. He has featured in Chelsea’s last two Premier League matches, and it is understood that he is still in line to feature against Everton in the league over the weekend.
Nigeria’s friendly match against Egypt has been postponed to December 16, from its original date of December 14.
The adjustment follows FIFA’s new rule allowing clubs to keep their players until December 15, ensuring that Nigeria can field a near-full-strength squad.
NFF Director of Communications Ademola Olajire confirmed the change:
“The match will now take place at Cairo Stadium at 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. Nigeria time) as a practice encounter. This adjustment allows both teams to make more than five substitutions, giving coaches greater flexibility ahead of AFCON in Morocco.”
Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle. Photo | X
Coach Eric Chelle will use the friendly to assess his squad and experiment with tactical options ahead of the tournament.
Also read: Stanley Nwabali A Major Doubt for AFCON 2025
Nigeria opens its AFCON 2025 campaign against Tanzania on December 23, followed by matches against Tunisia on December 27 and Uganda on December 30, with all Group C fixtures held in Fez.
Egypt, meanwhile, is in Group B alongside South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has revealed Lionel Messi’s long-term plan once his playing days come to an end.
Lionel Messi, who guided Inter Miami to the MLS Cup title on Sunday, December 7, has reportedly made it clear that life after football will take him back to Barcelona, the city where he became a global icon.
Messi’s current deal with Inter Miami runs until 2028, but Beckham suggested the 38-year-old already has a vision for his post-retirement life. Speaking to Marca, Beckham explained that he had hoped Messi would consider staying in the United States when he finally leaves the pitch behind.
“I would like Messi to live in Miami after he retires. But Leo told me that he only thinks about living near the Camp Nou,” Beckham said.
The former England captain added that the bond between Messi and Barcelona remains unmatched in modern football.
He said, “There is no player who loves Barcelona as much as he does. You can see the Barca logo on his leg and even on his water bottle.”
Messi, who is widely expected to retire after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has enjoyed a remarkable spell since arriving in Major League Soccer in 2023 following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain. His arrival transformed Inter Miami’s fortunes on and off the pitch, drawing global attention to the MLS and boosting the club’s commercial value.
© 2025 Naija News, a division of Polance Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]