A Burundian footballer, Igiraneza Aimé Guéric, has died after collapsing during a second-division league match in Burundi.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Igiraneza, a midfielder for Les Guêpiers du Lac, collapsed during his team’s fixture against LLB Amasipiri Never Give Up at the Ngaraga National Technical Centre on Saturday, December 20.

Medical personnel attended to him on the pitch before he was rushed to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The Burundian Football Federation confirmed the incident in a condolence message to the player’s family and club but did not state the cause of death.

Eyewitnesses have claimed that the player may have accidentally swallowed a coin during the match.

The claim, which has not been officially confirmed, suggests the object was a traditional amulet sometimes used for spiritual protection.

The footballer had previously denied involvement in such practices.

The federation has yet to provide further clarification on the circumstances surrounding his death.

Cristiano Ronaldo set up Portugal teammate Joao Felix’s goal before being substituted at half-time as Al-Nassr thrashed Al-Zawraa in the AFC Cup in Riyadh.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Former Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman collected Angelo’s pass to slot Al-Nassr in front in the 12th minute before Wesley doubled the Saudi Pro League leaders’ advantage by firing in from a corner seven minutes later.

Abdulelah Al Amri headed in Joao Felix’s cross in the 29th minute, with the former Chelsea forward then prodding in Ronaldo’s clever scooped delivery a minute before the break.

Ibrahim Gbadamosi’s finish from inside the box reduced the deficit five minutes after the restart, but Coman struck his second 11 minutes later as his side extended their perfect run in this season’s group stage to six matches.

When the whole team shines…
Coman shines a little brighter 💫

MOTM pic.twitter.com/mW14Rt1Yqq

— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 24, 2025

Having replaced five-time Champions League winner Ronaldo with Saudi Arabia forward Mohammed Marran, Al-Nassr saw out their sixth consecutive win in all competitions to move nine points clear of Al-Zawraa at the top of their group.

The Iraq Stars League side are midtable in their domestic top flight and entered with three wins and two defeats in this season’s AFC Cup.

Al-Nassr have a four-point lead over Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League and host fourth-bottom Al-Akhdoud on Saturday (14:50 GMT / 09:50 ET / 06:50 PT).
Al Nassr starting line-up vs Al Zawraa

Al-Nassr starting XI: Bento, Sultan Al Ghannam, Abdulelah Al Amri, Abdullah Al Khaibari, Saad Al Nasser, Kingsley Coman, Wesley, Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Marcelo Brozovic, Angelo

Al Nassr substitutes: Nawaf Al Aqidi, Nader Al Sharar, Nawaf Bu Washl, Mohammed Marran, Ali Al Hassan, Raghid Najjar, Rakan Al Ghamdi, Awad Aman, Haroune Camara, Salem Al Najdi
Al Zawraa starting line-up vs Al Nassr

Al Zawraa starting XI: Jalal Hassan, Abdallah Nasib, Hussain Falah, Akam Hashim, Mahdi Al Humaidan, Hasan Abdulkareem, Kadhim Raad, Karar Nabeel, Nizar Al Rashdan, Sajjad Mahdi, Ibrahim Gbadamosi

Al Zawraa substitutes: Maytham Jabbar, Dhurgham Ismail, Murad Mohammad, Youssef Aziz, Mohammed Qasim, Hussein Hasan, Ali Sadeq, Sajad Mohammad, Hayder Abdulkareem, Rasool Fadhil, Hussein Abdullah, Reziq Bani Hani

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has disclosed that the team’s ‘big name’ players are not happy when they sit on the bench.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Chelle spoke while explaining his decision to take off winger Samuel Chukwueze during Nigeria’s 2–1 victory over Tanzania in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Commenting on Chukwueze’s clear frustration upon leaving the field, Chelle noted that the substitution was a tactical decision.

“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.

“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we’ve to protect the wing.”

Chelle’s men will take on Tunisia in their upcoming AFCON match on Saturday night.