Sports
Ballon d’Or: Thierry Henry Picks Two Players To Win Award This Year
Published
2 years agoon
By
EditorArsenal legend, Thierry Henry has picked Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane as his choice of players for this year’s ballon d’Or.
Both Mane and Benzema will come face to face in the Champions League final in France later this month after Real Madrid and Liverpool secured their places.
Liverpool defeated Villarreal to progress to the final, while Real Madrid saw off Manchester City in the semis.
Benzema, 34, has scored 43 goals in all competitions for the season, netting four times across both legs of the quarter-finals against Chelsea.
Mane, on the other hand, has excelled for Liverpool and Senegal of late, contributing with crucial goals for club and country and could make a ‘strong case’ to win the Ballon d’Or.
But Henry feels Benzema is ‘ahead’ in the race to win the coveted award.
“If you think about the [Champions League] final and to make it even bigger, the two favourites for the Ballon d’Or are Mane and Benzema,” Henry told CBS Sports.
“So that will add a little extra spice into it.
“I still believe that Benzema is ahead, but if Mane wins it with Liverpool and they do make the quadruple, that would be a pretty strong case.
“It would be great for Africa, but I’m still going with Benzema.”
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Sports
Super Eagles Stars, Calvin Bassey And Alex Iwobi Caught On Camera Shopping Together In London
Published
1 day agoon
May 1, 2024By
EditorSuper Eagles stars, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi were spotted shopping together at a store in London.
The Nigerian internationals play for Fulham FC in the Premier League.
Sports
10 Facts About New Super Eagles Coach, Finidi George
Published
3 days agoon
April 29, 2024By
EditorThe Nigeria Football Federation on Monday announced the appointment of former Super Eagles winger Finidi George as the new head coach of the nation’s senior men’s national team.
The announcement came in a statement, with the NFF Board approving the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to hand over the reins to the 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis forward.
The new Super Eagles boss’s immediate task will be to guide the team to victory in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, within the next five weeks.
However, takes a look at 10 things about Finidi George as compiled by The PUNCH.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Finidi George Appointed New Super Eagles Head Coach
1. Finidi George was born on April 15, 1971, in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
2. He played as a right winger and was known for his pace, accurate crosses, efficient dribbling, and free-kick abilities. He played for three clubs in Nigeria including Calabar Rovers and Sharks of Port Harcourt.
3. George had a successful club career with Ajax, winning 8 major titles including the 1995 Champions League.
4. He also played for Real Betis in Spain, nearly joining Real Madrid before that move fell through.
5. George spent one season with Mallorca and then joined Ipswich Town in the Premier League for £3.1 million in 2002.
READ ALSO: Finidi, Odigie, Two Others For NPFL Manager Of The Month Award
6. He made his international debut for Nigeria in 1991 and earned 62 caps, appearing at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.
7. George won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria and helped them reach the round of 16 at the 1994 World Cup.
8. At the 1994 World Cup, he scored against Greece and celebrated with a famous ‘urinating dog’ celebration.
9. He has 11 brothers, two of whom (Igeniwari and Celestine) were also professional footballers.
10. In September 2021, George was appointed head coach of Nigerian club Enyimba F.C. and won the Nigeria Premier League with them in June 2023.
Sports
JUST IN: Finidi George Appointed New Super Eagles Head Coach
Published
4 days agoon
April 29, 2024By
EditorThe Nigeria Football Federation has appointed former Super Eagles winger Finidi George as the new head coach of the nation’s senior men’s national team.
The announcement came in a statement on Monday, with the NFF Board approving the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to hand over the reins to the 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis forward.
Finidi George, who spent 20 months as an assistant to the outgoing José Santos Peseiro, had been serving as the interim coach after the Portuguese tactician’s departure following the Super Eagles’ impressive run to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
READ ALSO: Delta Police Kill Suspected Kidnapper, Rescue Victims, Arrest Armed Robber Cultist
During his interim tenure, George oversaw two friendly matches in Morocco last month, where the team ended an 18-year winless streak against Ghana with a 2-1 victory before suffering a 0-2 loss to Mali.
“George, a member of the so-styled ‘Golden Generation’ that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Tunisia and emerged as the second most entertaining team in Nigeria’s debut at the FIFA World Cup finals in USA the same year, won 62 caps for Nigeria, including featuring at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals,” the NFF statement read.
Reflecting on his illustrious playing career, the statement highlighted George’s achievements, which include “gold, silver and bronze medals from the 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2002 AFCON tournaments.”
One of George’s most memorable moments came when he “assisted Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) to score Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal against Bulgaria in Dallas, USA on 19th June 1994,” the statement noted.
The new Super Eagles boss’s immediate task will be to guide the team to victory in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, within the next five weeks.
The NFF statement emphasised that “the matches are must-win encounters, with the Super Eagles lagging behind in third place in Group C of the African campaign behind Rwanda and South Africa.”
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