Author: Muktar Balogun

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes that either Robert Lewandowski or Karim Benzema, rather than Lionel Messi, deserved to win the Ballon d’Or this year. The accolade was given to the Paris Saint-Germain talisman at the end of last month, ahead of Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho. Messi has now won the award seven times, two more than his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who is now based in England. Nurmagomedov, a retired MMA fighter, believes Lewandowski, a Polish striker, should have won the award, citing his incredible 120-goal haul over the last two years. He noted that he would give the award to…

After three first-team players tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of tonight’s Premier League match against Everton, Chelsea has become the latest club to be at risk of an outbreak. The Blues have already lost midfielder Mateo Kovacic to a positive test following his recovery from a hamstring injury, but their numbers have been weakened once further ahead of Everton’s visit to west London. After contacting the virus, Thomas Tuchel left Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, and Callum Hudson-Odoi out of his team for the match. As per media reports, Ben Chilwell, who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Chelsea, also…

The African Confederation (CAF) has dismissed rumors that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2021 will be canceled. The news coming out of Europe has been labeled by CAF as “lies and fake news.” The European Clubs Association (ECA) has decided not to release African players for the AFCON, according to sources on Thursday morning. Lux September, the ECA’s Head of Media Relations and Operations, took to social media hours after hearing the news from the ECA and learning of the tournament’s cancellation from Europe. Mr. Lux September retweeted a tweet from Mail Online, claiming that CAF leaders were…

Kun Aguero, who is 33 years old, has declared his retirement from sports due to a heart problem. After seeking medical help on the pitch for chest pains and dizziness during his team’s 1-1 draw with Alaves in October, the Manchester City record goalscorer, who transferred to Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer, had to be substituted. After being transported to the hospital for cardiac tests, the Argentina striker was declared out for three months. Aguero, on the other hand, did not return to the field before declaring his retirement on Wednesday at the Nou Camp. He had…

The Premier League match between Man Utd and Brentford on Tuesday night has been rescheduled due to a Covid outbreak among the visitors’ squad. After being forced to close first-team activities at their Carrington training site on Monday afternoon, United asked the Premier League to postpone the match. The club said they found a “limited number” of positive Covid cases among first-team players and staff who underwent lateral flow tests on Sunday, one day after beating Norwich 1-0 at Carrow Road. PCR tests confirmed the positive results on Monday, and people infected with the virus are currently being isolated. The…

FIFA has unveiled a star-studded World XI shortlist on Tuesday. Chelsea, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain are all represented by four players. Despite his outstanding season on the pitch, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is not included. The squad is chosen by the players, with 10 of the 23 players presently playing in the English Premier League. During the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in December, the 23-man group will be transformed into the ‘World XI.’ The goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders, and three strikers with the most votes in their position will be chosen for the World XI next month, with…

After his latest disciplinary transgression, the Arsenal forward, Aubameyang stripped of his Arsenal Captaincy as he will no longer wear the armband. Arsenal has announced that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been deprived of his captaincy duties, citing a breach of club discipline as the basis for the decision. Mikel Arteta benched the Gabonese international for a Premier League match against Southampton last time out after he missed a final pre-game training session. The 32-year-old striker is yet to make another appearance for the north Londoners, who have stated that he will not be considered for selection against West Ham on December…

Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos will team up against Real Madrid in what is regarded as the star match, as PSG has been drawn to face Los Blancos, Real Madrid in the last 16. Despite the fact that Messi and Ramos have previously been on opposite sides, both players will be looking to propel PSG over Madrid and into the quarter-final stage. In the previous draw, Real Madrid was pitted against Benfica, while PSG was pitted against Man United. Atletico Madrid will now face Manchester United rather than Bayern Munich, while Villarreal will face Juventus rather than Manchester City, which…

The Union of European Football Associations has revealed plans to make Champions League draw redone following the miscalculation involving Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, and Manchester United. According to UEFA, a new Champions League draw will be redone at 2 p.m. The original draw was declared void as a consequence of a “technical error,” according to UEFA. The problem came when Atletico Madrid finished second in Group B and their probable last-16 opponents – all group winners – were put into a different pot, but United was left out. In the last-16 draw, teams that met in the group stages are meant…

Manchester United has been drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League’s last 16 round. Liverpool will meet Salzburg in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time, Chelsea will face Lille in Ligue 1, and Manchester City will face Villarreal in the Europa League. Other notable matches include Atletico Madrid vs. Bayern Munich, and Serie A champions Inter Milan against Ajax, who had an undefeated group stage campaign. Cristiano Ronaldo will face Lionel Messi in the last-16 round of the Champions League, their first meeting since Barcelona defeated Juventus in the group stages last year. Ronaldo was…