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Guardiola Slams Ceferin Over Financial Probe Claims

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has slammed Aleksander Ceferin after the UEFA president claimed European football’s governing body was right to punish the Premier League champions for financial breaches.

UEFA banned City from European competition for two years in February 2020 for breaching its Financial Fair Play rules, but the ban was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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CAS found that some of the charges against City were “not established” and others were time-barred.

Ceferin remains adamant his organisation was correct, telling the Daily Telegraph on Thursday: “We know we were right. We wouldn’t decide if we didn’t think we were right.”

READ ALSO: Klopp Wants Nothing To Do With Liverpool ‘Quadruple’ Talk

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The Slovenian’s remarks came as City await a Premier League hearing after being charged with 115 breaches of their domestic competition’s profit and sustainability rules.

A furious Guardiola said that by speaking out now, Ceferin had not respected City’s ongoing process with the Premier League.

As the lawyer that he is, as president of UEFA, he should wait – and after do whatever he wants,” he told reporters on Thursday.

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He has to respect it and he has to wait. He has a lot of jobs to do at UEFA. A lawyer should respect the procedure. He knows we have the right to defend ourselves.”

READ ALSO: Negreira Called To Testify In Barca Refereeing Bribery Case

City will again be without striker Erling Haaland for their FA Cup fourth tie at Tottenham on Friday.

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But the Norway striker is nearing a return after almost two months out with a foot injury.

“He is on the verge of coming back. For Friday he is not ready but he is close,” Guardiola said.

“The training camp was good, he trained some sessions. The last few days he’s trained but it is not perfect and we will wait a little bit more.”

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READ ALSO: Liverpool To Face Chelsea In League Cup Final

John Stones is back in contention after an ankle injury but fellow defender Manuel Akanji remains on the sidelines. Goalkeeper Ederson is also fit after limping off in City’s last game at Newcastle.

City have lost on all five of their previous visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without even scoring a goal.

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Calling on the FA Cup holders to break their duck, Guardiola said: “That is the reality, (and shows) how tough it is for us.

“Of course this is a ‘final’, a knockout game and to go through we have to score goals. Always it is a new opportunity to break it.

“The feeling is most of the times we played really good but the reality is there, no goals, five defeats – so they were much better than us.”

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Enabulele Applauds Team Edo Deaf Athletes For Performance At W’Africa Championship

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Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Enabulele, has commended Team Edo deaf athletes who represented Nigeria at the just-concluded West Africa Deaf Athletics Championship in Abuja.

At the close of the championship, Nigeria secured six gold medals in total, with Team Edo contributing three gold and four silver medals.

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Enabulele, in a statement signed by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, and made available to newsmen in Benin on Friday, described the athletes’ performance as outstanding and a source of pride for both Edo State and Nigeria.

“I am particularly thrilled by Deborah Ighawuanre’s exceptional performance in the female category, winning two gold medals at the championship,” Enabulele said.

READ ALSO:Enabulele Congratulates Bendel Insurance For Pre-Season Tournament Performance

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He also commended the exploits of other Edo athletes, including Victory Odokara, who clinched gold in the women’s 400m event; Okpaise Nathaniel Junior, who won two silver medals in the men’s category; and Assurance Omoria, who claimed silver medals in both the 100m and 400m events.

Enabulele emphasized that the team’s success reflects the outcome of targeted investment and support from the state government.

This feat is a clear testament to Governor Monday Okpebholo’s unwavering commitment to grassroots sports development in Edo State,” he stated.

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The sports commission chairman who expressed optimism about the future of the athletes, said: “Our athletes have distinguished themselves at this championship, and I am confident these victories will inspire even greater performances in upcoming competitions.”

READ ALSO:Enabulele Confident Of Team Edo’s Success At 2025 NYG

Enabulele disclosed in the statement that four of the seven athletes selected to represent Nigeria at the upcoming Deaflympics, scheduled for November 2025 in Tokyo, Japan, are from Edo State.

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Adding his voice in the statement, Dr. Sunny Aimufua, Head Coach of the Edo Deaf Athletics Team, praised the athletes for their dedication and resilience.

The athletes have made Edo State proud, and we are committed to doing even more in future competitions. I must commend Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele for his dynamic leadership and unwavering support for deaf sports.”

The West Africa Deaf Athletics Championship was organized to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS, bringing together top deaf athletes from across the sub-region for a historic and highly competitive event in Abuja.

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2026 World Cup: All You Need To Know About South Africa Vs Nigeria Match

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The Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein will take centre stage on Tuesday as South Africa’s Bafana Bafana host the Super Eagles of Nigeria in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

With Group C reaching its climax, both teams are under pressure to get a result. South Africa aims to solidify its position at the top of the group, while Nigeria is desperate for a win to keep its World Cup hopes alive.

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Current standings

Bafana Bafana lead the group on 16 points after sweeping aside Lesotho 3-0 in their last outing. Nigeria trails in third with 10 points, just one shy of Benin Republic, who sit second. On Sunday, the Eagles narrowly edged Rwanda 1-0 to stay in the race.

READ ALSO:Full List: Countries Most And Least Likely To Get US Visa For 2026 World Cup

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Eagles under pressure

Nigeria’s inconsistent form—only two wins in five matches—means this tie could prove pivotal. Adding to the challenge, Hugo Broos’ South Africa are on a three-match unbeaten run at home and have won three qualifiers in a row.

Injury watch and key battles

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The availability of Victor Osimhen remains uncertain after the striker suffered a knock against Rwanda.

Historically, Nigeria hold a slight edge in the rivalry with two wins in their last seven meetings.

READ ALSO:[FULL LIST] 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia Lead Groups

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Still, the South Africa team has been tough to beat on home soil, avoiding defeat in their last three games against the Eagles, including a 1-1 stalemate in 2024.

Rivalry

Nigeria’s last away win against South Africa came at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Securing another statement victory on Tuesday would provide a huge boost to their qualification hopes.

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Kickofft

The clash kicks off at 5 p.m. Nigerian time on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

Fans can follow the action live on SuperSport, SportyBet TV, and AfroSport.

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Why I Won’t Let My Siblings Play In NPFL —Ex-Eagles Midfielder Haruna Lukman

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Former Super Eagles midfielder, Haruna Lukman , has stated that he will never recommend any of his siblings to play in the Nigerian league.

Speaking during an interview on The Abu Azeez Podcast and sighted by PUNCH Online on Monday, the ex-Nigerian international said the Nigerian league is characterised by match fixing, citing a recent match between Rivers FC against Ikorodu City.

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The Nigerian Premier League is very poor, I am very sorry to say. They do not respect the senior ones who played in Europe, because coming down to play in Nigeria, they need to show us some respect. It is not easy to win something abroad, and when you decide to come back home to play, they offer you peanuts.

“For me Nigerian league is out of it, because I don’t see the Nigerian league as a league. I watched a competition they played at Onikan, it was my first time witnessing it. I went to watch Rivers against Ikorodu City. I sat down at the VIP and witnessed all sorts of match fixing by the referees, favouring one team against the other. I can’t advise any of my siblings or any of my siblings to play in the Nigerian league, ” he said.

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Having played professionally in Europe, the individual expected a degree of respect, recognition, and fair treatment upon returning to Nigeria, but instead encountered a disappointing and disheartening environment.

The former AS Monaco star also revealed shocking details of the crisis that rocked Nigeria’s camp during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, stressing that the Super Eagles lacked unity and discipline both on and off the pitch.

“At the 2010 World Cup, it wasn’t just about football. There were serious issues. Some players fought physically, others spiritually. We didn’t play as a team. Everyone wanted to shine individually,” Haruna revealed.

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Nigeria, coached then by Swedish tactician Lars Lagerbäck, crashed out of the group stage after failing to win any of their three matches, drawing once and losing twice.

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Haruna insisted that the problems were beyond tactics, stressing that disunity and personal interests overshadowed national pride.

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We attacked each other spiritually. It was so bad that you could feel the disconnection on the pitch. That’s why we failed,” he added.

The Super Eagles’ 2010 campaign remains one of the most disappointing in Nigeria’s World Cup history, and Haruna’s revelations shed new light on the behind-the-scenes turmoil that contributed to the poor outing.

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