Sports

23 States Arrive Ogun For National Sports Festival

Published

1 month ago

May 17, 2025

No fewer than 23 states have arrived in Ogun State for the National Sports Festival tagged ‘Gateway Games’ 2024.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the biennial festival is to officially commence on Sunday.

The Director General, National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, made the disclosure in an interview with NAN on Saturday in Abeokuta.

Olopade told NAN that there were visible signs that the state would host the best festival in the history of the country.

“Twenty-three states are already in the camp; their feeding and welfare are top-notch and seamless.

“I just spoke with leaders of four states who are already praising the state.

“Globally, if you have an event of this nature, the first thing is accommodation and feeding,” he said.

NAN observed that finishing touches were ongoing at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, venue of the opening ceremony. Different cultural troops were at the main bowl of the stadium rehearsing performances for the ceremony.

Some sports fans and analysts who spoke to NAN expressed confidence that the festival would surpass the successes recorded in the last edition in Delta State.

An Abeokuta-based sports journalist, Mr Abiodun Alabi, told NAN that he believed that the sports festival would be better than the previous edition.

Alabi expressed hope that new talents would be discovered from the festival.

”The event will throw more talents that will go on to represent Nigeria at national and international events. It will also create expected economic opportunities for the people of the state.

“The game already left a legacy in terms of infrastructure; the MKO Abiola Stadium, with its new look and capacity, can now host major international events,” he said.

“Already we have three events coming after this festival, and that’s clearly one of the things that come with a national sports festival.”

A sports fan, Mr Micheal Adesanya, expressed confidence that the festival would come out as a good event in terms of the quality of athletes and talent discovery.

Adesanya noted that the festival was to promote unity among Nigerians.

He appealed to the organisers not to politicise the games, calling on authorities to ensure that proper talents were discovered to replace ageing ones.
NAN

Sports

Chelsea Agree Deal To Sign Brighton Forward Joao Pedro

Published

10 hours ago

June 29, 2025

Editor

Chelsea’s forward options could be bolstered by the time they face Palmeiras in the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Friday after reportedly agreeing a deal with Brighton for Joao Pedro.

The Athletic reported the Brazilian international is on his way to the United States for a medical before joining up with the Chelsea squad after terms were struck for a transfer in excess of £50 million ($69 million).

Pedro, who joined Brighton for a then club record £30 million from Watford two years ago, scored 30 goals in 70 appearances for the Seagulls.

However, the 23-year-old missed Brighton’s final two matches of the season after being dropped due to a training ground altercation with team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke.

FIFA has given clubs involved in the Club World Cup knockout phase until July 3 to register new players for the tournament.

Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens could also be a Chelsea player by then after a deal worth up to a reported 65 million euros ($76 million) for the 20-year-old was agreed on Saturday.

Chelsea have already signed striker Liam Delap, midfielder Dario Essugo and defender Mamadou Sarr this summer.

Brazilian rising star Estevao Willian, 18, will also join the Premier League giants after his Club World Cup campaign with Palmeiras.

Sports

Club World Cup: PSG Crush Inter Miami 4-0 To Reach Quarter-final

Published

11 hours ago

June 29, 2025

Editor

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) steamrollered Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 to reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

Miami hoped the Argentine superstar’s magic could help them produce an unlikely result against his former side, but the Major League Soccer side were dismantled in Atlanta by Luis Enrique’s rampant European champions.

Ageing great Messi and his former Barcelona team-mates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba had done well to reach the last 16 but the gulf in quality between the teams was laid bare over the 90 minutes.

Joao Neves netted twice for PSG, who benefitted from a Tomas Aviles own goal, while Achraf Hakimi was also on target.

After Neves opened the scoring early on Miami resisted until PSG hit three goals in 10 minutes towards the end of the first half.

Messi was the main draw, as fans chanted his name and most of the 66,000 crowd were clad in Miami’s hot pink interspersed with Argentina shirts.

PSG dominated from the start, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia floating into the box and teeing up Bradley Barcola, but Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari thwarted him with an outstretched leg.

However shortly afterwards over-run Miami right-back Marcelo Weigandt fouled Desire Doue and it led to PSG’s opener.

Vitinha whipped a free-kick to the back post where Portuguese midfielder Neves ran in completely unmarked, stooping to nod past Ustari after six minutes.

PSG’s Fabian Ruiz had a goal disallowed for offside before Miami defender Noah Allen limped off injured in a further blow for Javier Mascherano’s side.

With the Ligue 1 champions pressing high and keeping possession Miami found it hard to get Messi involved.

The 38-year-old Argentine superstar played a superbly weighted pass down the right flank for Tadeo Allende but a rare Miami break came to nothing.

Messi’s intermittent interventions were not enough to hold back the Parisian tide.

PSG doubled their lead in the 39th minute when veteran holding midfielder Busquets got his footwork wrong in front of his own box.

Spanish compatriot Ruiz rapidly relieved him of the ball and combined with Barcola to set up Neves to tap home his second.

PSG grabbed their third when Aviles deflected Doue’s cross into his own net, and Hakimi netted the fourth before half-time to put PSG out of sight.

The Morocco international’s first effort was deflected onto the crossbar but he stayed alert at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium to fire home the rebound.

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi lost his cool with a swipe aimed at Vitinha as the Argentine raged against the midfielder, Miami’s impotence and PSG’s swagger.

– Determined Messi –

Messi produced a brilliant pass for Suarez early in the second half, chipping a ball over the PSG defence, but the Uruguayan could not finish to offer Miami a lifeline.

Despite the impossibility of a comeback — there was to be no comeback like the one Luis Enrique’s Barcelona managed in 2017 against PSG from four goals down in which Messi and Suarez scored — the Argentine was determined to bow out with a bang.

Messi drew a first save from PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma after the hour mark with a low effort.

Luis Enrique sent on winger Ousmane Dembele for his first appearance at the tournament after a hamstring injury, but the Frenchman was rusty and imprecise.

When Suarez was fouled by Lucas Beraldo on the edge of the box Messi had the chance to repeat his free-kick winner against Porto in the group stage, but his effort hit the wall.

It was not to be for Messi or Miami, but their second-half performance was respectable and the defeat was by a lesser margin than the French side’s 5-0 Champions League final thrashing of Inter Milan.

PSG will face Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarter-finals in Atlanta on Saturday.

Sports

Pogba Signs For Monaco, Hoping To Revive Career

Published

2 days ago

June 28, 2025

Editor

Paul Pogba has signed a two-year deal with Ligue 1 side Monaco to return to football after a near two-year absence, the club announced on Saturday.

The 2018 World Cup winner has made only 12 appearances across the last three seasons due to injuries, an 18-month doping ban and an extortion case in which he was the victim.

Pogba failed a drugs test in August 2023 after a match for Juventus and has been free to return to football since March, although his contract at the Italian giants had been terminated last year.

The midfielder will now play club football in Ligue 1 for the first time in his professional career.

“I am determined to get back on the pitch, mentally ready, physically ready, it’s just a matter of time,” the 32-year-old told French television last weekend.

Pogba played in the Le Havre youth team before signing for Manchester United in 2009.

He made only a handful of first-team appearances for the three-time European champions before signing for Juventus in 2012.

Pogba won four consecutive Serie A titles in Turin before rejoining United for a then-world record 105 million euros ($123 million).

He moved back to Juventus three years ago but struggled with a series of injuries.

In 2024, his brother Mathias was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for his role in a plot to extort 13 million euros from Pogba in 2022.

Pogba has scored 11 goals in 91 appearances for the France national team, playing a starring role and scoring in their World Cup final victory over Croatia seven years ago.

His new club Monaco will play in the Champions League next season after finishing third in Ligue 1 last term.