On Thursday, the head coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, released his final squad ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

There have been notable omissions from the list of 28 players.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, striker Tolu Arokodare and Udinese goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye were cut out from the initial 54-man provisional squad.

Chelle has opted for 2018 World Cup goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, and Samsunspor striker, Paul Onuachu.

Ola Aina, who is currently recovering from injury, has not been included in the squad.

Ex-captain, William Troost-Ekong, is absent having announced his retirement from international football last week.

There are four uncapped players called up by Chelle. They include Blackburn Rovers’ Ryan Alebiosu. The defender, who recently switched his allegiance to Nigeria from England, is seen as the replacement for the injured Benjamin Fredricks.

The other potential debutants are Ebenezer Akinsanmiro who plays for Pisa, Salim Fago of Croatian club NK Istra, Usman Muhammed of Israeli club Ironi Tiberius and Tochukwu Nnadi of Dutch club Zulte Waregem.

Also making returns are defender Chidozie Awaziem and midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

Former Manchester United defender, Patrice Evra has said that Bruno Fernandes is a problem to the club despite his goals and assists.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Fernandes scored a brace for Manchester United in their most recent game, a 4-1 win over Wolves on Monday.

Evra told Stake that the Portuguese midfielder’s goals and assists hide a fundamental flaw in his game.

According to him, the midfielder is just everywhere during games and often does too much on the pitch, indicating a lack of positional discipline.

“It’s always sensitive to talk about Bruno. Bruno is giving assists and scoring goals, this has never been the issue.

“The issue for me is for him to control the team and the tempo when he gets the ball.

“You couldn’t tell me where he’s playing because he’s everywhere. And at the end, you’re not even at your right position.

“But United wouldn’t be where they are in the table if Bruno wasn’t playing.”

Fernandes has been heavily criticised for not acting like a captain should by being a leader.

He has also been accused of always showing frustration and easily distracted.

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has acknowledged the significant financial strain placed on the club by the record-breaking summer signing of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

To secure the highly sought-after forward, Galatasaray committed to an unprecedented financial package, a move that is now impacting their operational flexibility.

The deal, which includes his salary, is projected to cost Galatasaray up to €150 million, a figure Buruk described as a “huge burden.”

The transfer shattered previous records in the Turkish Super Lig, where no club had previously spent more than €30 million on a single player.

Buruk speaks on Osimhen’s salaray

The squad’s lack of depth has become a pressing issue, forcing Buruk to occasionally rely on academy players to fill the bench.

When questioned about potential January reinforcements following the loss in Monaco, the coach pointed to the financial constraints imposed by the Osimhen deal.

“There are no defenders left on the reserve bench. If someone got injured, there would be no solution,” Buruk stated, according to Sport News.

“We are going through a difficult period, and we have not been able to get the desired results from some players.”

Osimhen back among the goals.

He elaborated on the financial limitations, explaining, “There are salary budget restrictions from both the TFF and UEFA for transfers. We bought Osimhen for 75 million euros, and his salary is also a huge burden.”

“We brought in important players like Sane, İlkay, Singo, but no one could have foreseen this scenario,” he added. “The responsibility is mine. We will make a correct plan in the winter transfer window.”