Nottingham Forest Appoint New Manager

Published

2 years ago

December 20, 2023

Nuno Espirito Santo has been appointed as the new manager of Nottingham Forest, the Premier League club announced Wednesday.

The 49-year-old Portuguese coach has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Midlands club after Forest sacked Steve Cooper on Tuesday.

Nuno returns to English football following a two-year absence since his departure from Tottenham, with his first match in charge of Forest this Saturday’s game against Bournemouth.

“Nottingham Forest can today confirm the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo as first team head coach,” said a Forest statement.

“Nuno joins the club on a two-and-a-half-year contract and will take charge of his first match on Saturday when Forest face Bournemouth at The City Ground.”

Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November.

But he is now back in the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month spell at Tottenham.

Nuno also had four years in charge of Wolves, guiding the club to promotion from the Championship in his first season in charge.

Wolves enjoyed consecutive seventh-place finishes in the Premier League and a run to the Europa League quarter-finals under Nuno’s leadership.

Nuno replaces Cooper, who was sacked after a dismal run of one win in 13 Premier League games left Forest just one place above the relegation zone.

His exit from the City Ground came with Forest having lost five of their past six games.

The 44-year-old led Forest to promotion to the Premier League in 2022, ending a 23-year absence from the top flight.

Cooper had retained the support of Forest fans after taking them from the bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.

But with Cooper’s summer of heavy investment in new signings failing to deliver the required results, Forest’s Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis finally lost patience with the former Swansea boss.

WAFCON: Ihezuo Strikes Late As Nigeria Edge Botswana To Reach Quarter-finals

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2025

Editor

Substitute Chinwendu Ihezuo came off the bench to score a dramatic 89th-minute winner as Nigeria sealed a 1-0 win over Botswana in their Group B clash at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Thursday.

Nigeria looked set for a frustrating evening until Ihezuo met a low cross from Esther Okoronkwo and tapped home at the back post for her second goal of the tournament.

The result, secured at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca, confirmed the Super Falcons’ place in the quarter-finals.

Despite being overwhelming favourites, the nine-time champions struggled to break down a resilient Botswana side and their outstanding goalkeeper, Sedilame Boseja.

The Super Falcons were wasteful in front of goal for much of the contest, with Asisat Oshoala and Toni Payne both missing first-half chances. Botswana came close to a shock lead through Balothany Johannes and Laone Moloi, whose efforts tested Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.

Sports

Oliseh Urges Osimhen To Choose Premier League Over Galatasaray Return

Published

3 days ago

July 9, 2025

Editor

Former Super Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh, has issued a strong word of advice to Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen amid mounting speculation linking the Napoli forward with a surprise return to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Oliseh warned that the 26-year-old striker is at a pivotal stage in his career and must carefully consider his next move to avoid future regret. He wrote, “Victor Osimhen is at a very delicate crossroad. He needs to find his way to the Premier League in a hurry or he risks so much regret! Man. United and Arsenal need this player if only…..”

Oliseh’s comments come amid reports that Osimhen is preparing for a permanent switch to Galatasaray, where he previously starred during a loan spell, scoring 26 goals to lead the club to the Turkish Super Lig title. However, the Nigerian legend believes a move to England’s top flight would better suit Osimhen’s development and global standing.

Now 26, Osimhen’s age is reportedly becoming a factor in transfer negotiations, with some Premier League clubs cautious about making a high-value investment. Delaying a move to England any further could reduce his appeal in the competitive Premier League market, insiders suggest.

Despite being contracted to Napoli until 2026, Osimhen’s future remains uncertain. The striker was expected to return for pre-season training, but reports in Italy claim that new head coach Antonio Conte has no intention of including him in his plans and could relegate him to the youth team.

Sports

Liverpool Return To Training In Wake Of Jota death

Published

4 days ago

July 8, 2025

Editor

Liverpool’s stars returned to training on Tuesday for the first time since the tragic death of forward Diogo Jota.

The Premier League champions postponed the start of pre-season training after Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in northern Spain last Thursday.

Manager Arne Slot and a number of the Liverpool squad, led by captain Virgil van Dijk, attended Jota’s funeral in his home town of Gondomar, near Porto, on Saturday.

Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley and Wataru Endo were among the players pictured arriving at the training ground.

Salah said in his tribute to the Portuguese international that he was frightened to go back to Liverpool to face the reality of Jota’s passing.

“Teammates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back,” Salah posted on Instagram.

A site of remembrance has been set up at the club’s iconic Anfield stadium where hundreds of bouquets of flowers, shirts, scarves and pictures have been left by fans and former players in recent days.

Liverpool’s first pre-season friendly is scheduled for Sunday away at Championship side Preston.

But ticket sales for that match have been suspended pending a final decision on whether the match will go ahead.

Liverpool are then due to go on an Asian tour, playing AC Milan in Hong Kong and Japanese side Yokohama Marinos before the end of the month.