Sports

Edo-born Ex-international, Coach, Is Dead

Published

2 years ago

January 3, 2024

Nigeria Ex-international and Coach, Sebastian Brodericks-Imasuen is dead.

The Ex-international died in Benin in early hours of Wednesday after protracted illness at the age of 85, a family source source who preferred anonymous because he was not authorised to speak to the press said.

Recall that The veteran Coach Brodericks Imaseun who won Nigeria’s first World Cup at the Under 17 level in China 1985 has been bedridden for ailments suspected to be stroke and diabetes.

The late Edo-born coach was one of the players that represented Nigeria Football Team at the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games.

Coach Brodericks-Imasuen, popularly known as ‘Sabara’ in his playing days would be remembered amongst others for his famous free kick goal that won Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin the then Challenge Cup in 1972.

This biggest moment as a club player was when he scored the winning goal in the 3-2 victory for Bendel Insurance in the replay of the 1972 Challenge Cup with Mighty Jets Football Club of Jos at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan.

He was known for his curving shots, especially from free kick/dead ball situations.

As a coach, he was the head of a three-man crew that included Bala Shamaki and Christian Chukwu when the Nigerian team shocked the world in China in 1985.

He led the team again in 1987 to Canada and got to the final before his team narrowly lost through penalty shootouts to the then Soviet Union.

At the third attempt in the competition, his team also lost to Saudi Arabia by penalty shootouts in the quarter finals.

He began his football career in 1956 when as a student, he featured for the Onitsha team in the Challenge Cup.

In 1962, he joined the then ECN and was part of the Challenge Cup winning side of 1965. He was invited to the national team in 1962 but only became a regular in the build-up to the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico.

He later became a coach and handled the Midwest junior side to win gold medal at the inaugural National Sports Festival in 1973.

At another time, he was the assistant to Clemens Westerhof in the Super Eagles.

Sports

Lionel Messi Names 10 Best Young Players Currently

Published

1 minute ago

October 16, 2025

Editor

Argentina and Barcelona legend, Lionel Messi, has named the 10 players he sees as future stars.

The legendary attacker has players from Chelsea and Liverpool in his list.

As part of an Adidas campaign, the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner was asked to name the players he deems the next big stars in the game.

The Inter Miami goal king partnering with Adidas Football for the ‘Messi+10: Season 2’ campaign named his 10 best rising stars.

He named Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, Kendry Paez, also of Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder, Brajan Gruda.

Others are Nico Paz (Como), Rodrigo Mora (Porto), Mika Godts (Ajax Amsterdam), and Kader Meite (Stade Rennes).

He named two female players, Barcelona’s Clara Serrajordi and Olympique Lyon’s Lily Yohannes.

Messi made a similar selection in 2024 to include Lamine Yamal, Antonio Nusa and Kenan Yildiz.

Sports

2026 World Cup: Why ‘England Can’t Win Trophy’ – Paul Scholes

Published

4 minutes ago

October 16, 2025

Editor

Former England international, Paul Scholes, has said that the country stands no chance of winning the 2026 World Cup to be hosted in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

England became the first European country to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday after beating Latvia 5 goals to nothing.

Scholes said Thomas Tuchel’s team has ‘no chance’ of winning the tournament unless the German gaffer brings his ‘three best players’ back into the squad.

Tuchel will now be hoping to lead England to their first major trophy in men’s football since 1966.

The former Chelsea manager was appointed as Sir Gareth Southgate’s successor last year.

England made it to two European Championship finals and two World Cup semi-finals under Southgate but failed to lift those trophies.

But former Manchester United midfielder, Scholes believes that England has ‘no chance’ unless Tuchel brings his ‘three best players’ back into the fold.

Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish were left out of the team for their last matches.

“I was a little bit surprised. Those three players, they have to be in his squad and they will be in his squad for the World Cup,” Scholes said on The Overlap.

“If you look at the squad now, you would say they have virtually no chance of winning the World Cup. Even with those three players it’s still a big ask but it gives you more of a chance of winning the cup.

“Jude Bellingham has missed a little bit of football but he’s fit now so I would have brought him back in.

“Thomas Tuchel hasn’t got many games left now until the World Cup actually starts, it’s only the November break and then the March one and then we’re there so we need to get these players playing.”

While announcing his squad for the last international break, Tuchel insisted he had ‘no problem’ with the omitted players, especially Bellingham.

Sports

FIFA U-20 World Cup: Top Scorers Ahead Of Final [Full List]

Published

15 minutes ago

October 16, 2025

Editor

United States’ Benjamin Cremaschi is currently the joint-top highest goal scorer in the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup tournament ahead of the final.

Cremaschi has five goals to his name, alongside Colombia’s Neyser Villareal.

The duo are ahead of France’s Lucas Michel and Argentina’s Alejo Sarco on the goal chart.

FIFA U-20 World Cup top scorers:

Five goals – Benjamin Cremaschi and Neyser Villareal.

Four goals – Lucas Michel and Alejo Sarco.

Three goals – Gilberto Mora (Mexico),
Maher Carrizo (Argentina), Yassir Zabiri(Morocco) and Andréa Leborgne (France).

Two goals – Rasmus Holten (Norway),
Iker Bravo (Spain), Pablo García (Spain), Gessime Yassine (Morocco),
Cole Campbell (United States) and
Niko Tsakiris (United States).

Morocco and Argentina will play each other in the U-20 World Cup on Monday after winning their semi-final fixtures.

Morocco defeated France via penalty shoot-out, while Argentina won 1-0 against Colombia.