Sports
UCL 2023/24: Things To Know Ahead Of Draw
Published
8 months agoon
By
EditorIn the wake of the commencement of the 2023–2024 football campaign, the traditional UEFA Champions League draw will hold tomorrow (Thursday) at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, France.
As usual, 32 teams will make up the old Round Robin format in four different pots, which will then be split into eight groups of four teams each, playing home and away fixtures.
What teams have qualified?
At the moment, 29 teams have qualified so far, and the remaining three slots will be decided on Wednesday when PSV faces Rangers, Copenhagen plays at home against Rokow Czezchakowa, and AK Athens faces Royal Antwerp for the remaining three slots.
Below are the qualified teams that will be seeded in four pots:
England: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United
Spain: Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Sevilla
Germany: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig, Union Berlin
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Italy: Inter Milan, Lazio, AC Milan, Napoli
France: Lens, Paris Saint-Germain
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Portugal: Benfica, Porto, Braga
Netherlands: Feyenoord
Austria: Salzburg
Scotland: Celtic
Serbia: Red Star Belgrade
Switzerland: Young Boys
Turkey: Galatasaray
Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk
Team Pots
Pot 1: Manchester City, Sevilla, FC Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Feyenoord
Pot 2: Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, Porto, Arsenal
Pot 3: Shakhtar Donetsk, Red Bull Salzburg, AC Milan, Lazio, Red Star Belgrade, Braga
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Pot 4: Newcastle United, Union Berlin, Lens, Real Sociedad, Celtic, Galatasara
Currently unseeded: Young Boys, Athens or Royal Antwerp, PSV or Rangers, Copenhagen or Rakow.
The unseeded teams will be joined to make up Pots 3 and 4, based on the UEFA coefficient.
Group Stage Fixtures
Matchday 1: Sept. 19-20
Matchday 2: Oct. 3-4
Matchday 3: Oct. 24-25
Matchday 4: Nov. 7-8
Matchday 5: Nov. 28-29
Matchday 6: Dec. 12-13
Knockout Stage Fixtures
Round of 16: 13/14/20/21 February & 5/6/12/13 March 2024
Quarter-finals: 9/10 & 16/17 April 2024
Semi-finals: April 30/1 May & May 7/8, 2024
Final: June 1, 2024
The UCL draw will take place at 5 p.m. Nigerian time.
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Sports
Super Eagles Stars, Calvin Bassey And Alex Iwobi Caught On Camera Shopping Together In London
Published
20 hours 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.
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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.
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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
3 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.
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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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