Sports

Mane, Ronaldo Missing As EPL Releases Player Of The Season Nominees

Published

4 years ago

May 13, 2022

Mohamed Salah, Heung-Min Son and Kevin De Bruyne are among an eight-man shortlist for the Premier League Player of the Season award.

However, Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool’s forward Sadio Mane were not among the nominees.

Also, no Super Eagles player in the English Premier League made the list.

Among the top Nigerians playing in the Premier League are Lookman, Leicester City; William Troost-Ekong, Watford; Emmanuel Dennis, Watford; Etebo, Watford; Alex Iwobi, Everton; Wilfred Ndidi, Leicester City, and Kelechi Ịheanachọ.

Full-backs Joao Cancelo and Trent Alexander-Arnold also represent the title-tussling titans, with Jarrod Bowen, Bukayo Saka and James Ward-Prowse completing the star-studded list of nominees.

Salah broke his six-game duck for goals from open play in Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Manchester United on April 19 and now has 22 Premier League goals to his name this season.

However, the Egyptian has failed to score since, meaning he only leads Son by one goal.

The Tottenham forward extended his haul to 21 in the 3-0 win over Arsenal in the north London derby on Thursday evening, and has his sights set on winning the Premier League Golden Boot for the first time.

Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold and Cancelo have continued to reinvent the traditional full-back role, frequently drifting infield and registering league-high numbers for creating goals and passing in advanced areas.

Saka bounced back from penalty heartbreak with England in the Euro 2020 final against Italy to have his most prolific season for Arsenal in the Premier League, with 11 goals and six assists.

Bowen has been firmly knocking on the door for an England call-up with his performances for West Ham this season, becoming only one of three players to register 10 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League.

Southampton captain Ward-Prowse has shrugged off the disappointment of being omitted from the Euro 2020 squad and continued to deliver consistent performances for the Saints this season.

The 27-year-old has scored four free-kicks this season, taking his Premier League total to 14, which is just four off David Beckham’s record of 18.

The winner will be decided by a public online vote, which closes on May 16 at 6pm. You can vote here.

Sports

AFCON 2025: Lookman Scores Winner As Super Eagles Start Campaign With 2–1 Victory Over Tanzania

Published

4 days ago

December 23, 2025

Editor

Ademola Lookman scored what proved to be the decisive goal as Nigeria beat Tanzania 2-1 in their opening game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles came into the match as heavy favourites to win and dominated the opening exchanges.

After coming close a few times, the three-time champions took the lead through Semi Ajayi.

The ball was recycled following a corner-kick, before Alex Iwobi crossed it into the area for Ajayi to head home.

Tanzania equalized after Charles M’Mombwa found himself unmarked inside the area.

But two minutes later, Nigeria struck the winner through Lookman, who took a few touches and finished with his left foot.

Sports

JUST IN: Dembélé Named FIFA Best Men’s Player, Bonmatí Wins Women’s Award

Published

2 weeks ago

December 16, 2025

Editor

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé has been awarded the FIFA Best Men’s Player for 2025, following a season in which he contributed significantly to both his club and the France national team.

Dembélé, known for his pace, creativity, and goal-scoring ability, played a central role in Paris Saint-Germain’s campaigns across domestic and European competitions. His performances for the national team also helped France secure notable results in international fixtures.

Speaking on the recognition, Dembélé said, “It is a great honour to receive this award. I could not have achieved this without my teammates at PSG and in the national team, whose support has been invaluable.”

In the women’s category, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was named FIFA Best Women’s Player for 2025. Bonmatí was influential in Barcelona’s domestic and European campaigns, providing leadership, vision, and creativity in midfield. She also played a key role in Spain’s international successes.

“This award reflects the hard work of my teammates and coaches,” Bonmatí said. “I am grateful for their guidance and support throughout the season.”

The announcements reaffirm FIFA’s recognition of individual excellence in football while highlighting the contributions of players to both club and country.

Sports

Court Fixes Date To Hear Sala Compensation Dispute

Published

3 weeks ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

A commercial court examining the long-running dispute between Cardiff City and French club Nantes over compensation for the death of Emiliano Sala in a plane crash said Monday it would give its decision on March 30 next year.

Sala, a 28-year-old Argentine striker, died when the light aircraft taking him to the Welsh capital came down in the English Channel on January 21, 2019, two days after he had signed for the then-Premier League side. He and pilot David Ibbotson were killed.

The Welsh club took the case to the Nantes commercial court in 2023 to claim compensation for loss of income and other damages suffered by the club as a result of the player’s death.

Following an analysis conducted by an expert appointed by Cardiff City, the club estimated their losses at over 120 million euros ($139.5 million). Lawyers for both clubs made their cases at Monday’s hearing.

The Welsh club argue that Nantes, through their intermediary, agent Willie McKay, were the organisers of the private flight on which the footballer was travelling and that, if the transfer was effective at the time of the accident according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it is the organisation of this flight that is at issue.

Cardiff City’s lawyer, Olivier Loizon, told the court Monday, Willie McKay “could not have been unaware of the illegality of the flight”, and argued that the agent had acted with “negligence”.

“Whatever the ultimate cause of the accident, (Sala) should not have been on the flight,” he added.

Nantes’ lawyer, Jerome Marsaudon, insisted Monday the only agent authorised by the club in connection with the transfer was Mark McKay, the son of Willie McKay.

The elder McKay “was simply helping his son, given his extensive experience”, the lawyer said.

“It is sad to see that Cardiff have exploited this tragedy and turned it into a genuine legal farce,” he added. “Nothing in this case justifies holding FC Nantes liable.”

Prior to the start of the hearing, a Nantes representative said the club “have no doubt that Cardiff’s claims will be rejected outright, just like all the others”.

In another case related to the dispute between the two clubs, CAS ruled in 2022 that Sala’s transfer had definitely been finalised at the time of his death.

In 2023, world football’s governing body FIFA ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes the balance of Sala’s transfer fee, which at the time amounted to just over 11 million euros out of a total of 17 million euros.