Sports

By Tony Ezimakor, Abuja Chairman of National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, has urged stakeholders of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to rally behind the newly inaugurated leadership and eschew the bitterness that dogged the sport in the last eight years. Inaugurating the new executive committee led by Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, Mallam Dikko urged stakeholders to prioritize peace and growth of the sport by focusing on harnessing the abundant basketball talent in the country. “Today is the day to show that we are for basketball. Whatever it is, let’s put the ball tops and see how we can move forward…

*Yet, The Figure Is Exclusive Of Sponsorship Deals, Endorsements, Others Regarded by many football fans as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT), Lionel Messi also stands out when it comes to money. The Argentine is, by a wide margin, the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer (MLS), and his guaranteed annual compensation exceeds what all the players on 28 league teams earn, compared one by one. According to the salary guide from the MLS Players Association (MLSPA), Messi has in 2026 an annualized base salary of $25 million and a guaranteed annual compensation of $28,333,333. The latter figure includes the…

*Aston Villa Punch Above Weight, Crush Fenerbahce *Liverpool In Away Rout By José María Rodríguez, at Estadio Olimpico, and Lori Ewing, at Etihad Stadium Real Madrid has an exceptional roster. This was evident in Rome, where the players underutilized by Mourinho turned around a major mess—a strategy of direct play without a midfield that allowed Roma to dominate. The Setúbal coach’s former team took a 3-1 lead, with Vinicius particularly off his game, and the desperate substitutions worked a miracle. Arda Güler delivered three perfectly executed corner kicks that were converted by Espí, Endrick, and Rüdiger—three goals in seven minutes…

*Allege Manipulation Of 2026-2030 Polls Process By Tony Ezimakor, Abuja Presidential aspirants and stakeholders in the forthcoming Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) elections have petitioned President Bola Tinubu over alleged irregularities and constitutional breaches ahead of the 2026-2030 polls as the crisis dogging the body deepened. In the petition dated 12 October, 2026, addressed to the President and copied the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen; and Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the stakeholders also alleged that outgoing president of NBBF, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, was…

Manchester United have endured their worst league start in 40 years but Michael Carrick insists he is “loving it”. United arrived in Madrid without Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw, who both picked up knocks in the draw against Tottenham at the weekend, and with the coach admitting that his team are in “a spot”, but he vowed that they would “come out fighting." Despite collecting just six points in the Premier League so far, Carrick claimed he did not feel under pressure and backed his captain, Bruno Fernandes, who he revealed was still “carrying something”, to rediscover his form. As…

The daily routines of the world's biggest stars always attract attention, and Cristiano Ronaldo is someone who takes his health and well-being extremely seriously. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star currently plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. At 41, the Portuguese superstar is no longer competing at the very highest level of world soccer. Nevertheless, he remains in remarkable physical condition, allowing him to stay fit and continue playing professionally. Details of Ronaldo's daily breakfast recently emerged, with the soccer icon revealing: “I eat eggs and avocado for breakfast to get protein and strengthen my muscles, and…

*Haaland, Doku, Cherki On Target *Seven-Goal Thriller In Betis In their first Premier League game since being found guilty of financial fraud, Manchester City on Sunday, 11 October shone like a million stars on the field, sweeping aside Liverpool away at Anfield 0-3 to consolidate the Cityzens' hold, alone, at the top of the league. Amid speculation about possible punishment, including a potential relegation, Manchester City carried on and responded on the pitch. The impact caused by the Belgian Jeremy Doku's arrival on the pitch a few minutes into the second half tilted the match in favor of Manchester City.…

By Jonathan Wilson, in London Football, the world’s most popular sport, played by laws drawn up in London in 1863. The Premier League is the UK’s greatest soft power export. Premier League clubs are owned by a Deputy Prime Minister of Abu Dhabi, the public investment fund of Saudi Arabia, a billionaire based in Monaco for tax reasons and a disappointing assortment of investors and private equity funds. And what, really, could be more British than that? Football truly is the national game. What the Manchester City case has exposed is just how difficult it is to regulate some of…

*Barca Cruise Past Getafe In 100% La Liga Winning Run, Vinicius Sees Red In Madrid Narrow Victory *Bayern Buckle, But Snatch Draw *After Poor Start, PSG Win Again Dominic Solanke scored in stoppage time to salvage a point for 10-man Tottenham as they snatched a draw against Manchester United in a feisty encounter at Old Trafford, today. It looked as if United were about to pile more misery on the visitors following their pitiful start to the Premier League season when Bryan Mbeumo broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute. United entered the international window with just two wins from…

Leeds Test Will Prove Whether Rice's England Nations League Withdrawal Was Right Decision Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice’s future role in England’s midfield was questioned by Gary Lineker after Alex Scott’s impressive first senior international start in the 7-0 thrashing of Croatia in the UEFA Nations League. But the decision to withdraw from Thomas Tuchel’s squad in an attempt to manage his workload made sense after Rice had only three weeks off post-World Cup before returning to pre-season training. The 27-year-old has struggled with persistent back problems after suffering a hamstring injury last December and Mikel Arteta will hope that the…