Musa, Moffi, Sadiq goal drought continue

While a few names grabbed the headlines in Scotland and Turkey, it was a tough weekend for a lot of Nigerian players in Europe as the usual goal rush was missing,

ENGLAND

William Troost-Ekong, Emmanuel Dennis (Watford)

The duo Troost-Ekong and Dennis saw 90 minutes of action for Watford who lost 3-1 to Manchester City on Saturday. The Hornets’ are still without a win against City since 1989.

Raheem Sterling headed the reigning champions ahead after only four minutes before Bernardo Silva scored a brace.

Silva showed excellent skill to beat two defenders and finish well from a tight angle to double City’s lead

He then grabbed his second and City’s third, cutting in from the right side of the penalty area and curling a fine finish past Bachmann.

Cucho Hernandez pulled one back for Watford, following in to convert a rebound after his first strike had hit the foot of the post.

Wilfred Ndidi, Ademola Lookman, Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City)

Wilfred Ndidi played the entire duration as Leicester City suffered their sixth loss of the season in their 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

His compatriot Ademola Lookman featured for 65 minutes coming off for Jamie Vardy while Kelechi Iheanacho made a cameo appearance coming on for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the 86th minute.

The Foxes have recorded just one win in their last six league games as they crash to the 11th position in the league.

Frank Onyeka (Brentford)

Frank Onyeka featured for 21 minutes in Brentford’s 2-2 draw at Leeds United on Sunday. The Nigeria international came on for Shandon Baptiste in the 69th minute of the encounter but despite his efforts, he could do nothing about Patrick Bamford’s 95th-minute equaliser.

The game was Onyeka’s 13th of the season since joining the newcomers in the summer from Danish side FC Midtjylland.

Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise (Crystal Palace)

Super Eagles targets, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, both made cameo appearances in Crystal Palace’s 1-0 loss to Manchester United on Sunday with both players featuring for six minutes each.

Eze making his second appearance since returning from his long-term Achilles tendon injury came on for Cheikhou Kouyate while Olise replaced Jordan Ayew in the 84 minutes.

Semi Ajayi (West Brom)

Ajayi came on for Gardner-Hickman in the 86th minute as West Brom ended their winless four-game run with a 2-1 victory over Coventry City. It was Ajayi’s 15th league game of the season.

It was his first appearance since November 3 when he featured against Hull City.

 He was an unused substitute for the Baggies in their last five games.

SPAIN

Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal)

Chukwueze came on as a substitute in the 71st minute and failed to inspire Villarreal as the Yellow Submarines suffered a 1-0 defeat away at Sevilla on Saturday.

He replaced Yeremi Pino in the defeat.

The defeat extended Villarreal’s winless away record in the LaLiga this season.

ERMANY

Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin)

Awoniyi scored his ninth Bundesliga goal of the season to help Union Berlin beat RB Leipzig 2-1 in the Matchday 14 opener on Friday.

The 24-year-old struck after only six minutes. Timo Baumgartl headed down Julian Ryerson’s cross following a short corner, and the Nigerian reacted quickest to turn in at the far post.

Union really should’ve been 2-0 up minutes later but Awoniyi missed his chance.

ITALY

David Okereke, Tyronne Ebuehi (Venezia)

David Okereke and Tyronne Ebuehi both tasted action for Venezia as they squandered a three-goal lead to lose 4-3 to Hellas Verona in the Italian Serie A on Sunday.

Okereke lasted just seven minutes before pulling a muscle injury which ended his day on a sad note with Dennis Johnsen coming on for the Nigerian striker.

Okereke has scored four goals in 14 league games for the newcomers since joining them on loan from Belgian side, Club Brugge in the summer.

His Compatriot, Ebuehi came on for Pasquale Mazzocchi in the 66th minute but despite the defensive re-enforcement he brought, they could not stop Giovanni Simeonewho grabbed two late goals for the visitors to hand them a memorable win.

Ebuehi has made nine appearances for the Serie side this season.

FRANCE

Terem Moffi (Lorient), Moses Simon (Nantes)

Terem Moffi fired blanks as Lorient suffered a 1-0 loss to Nantes in the French Ligue 1 on Sunday, their eighth loss of the season.

Moffi was in action for 82 minutes but failed to reignite his scoring spark as his goal drought reaches the third month.

The Nigeria international has only been able to find the back of the net twice while providing three assists in 15 games. He was replaced by Adrian Grbic.

His compatriot for the opposing team, Moses Simon, also failed to grab a goal or an assist in 81 minutes on the pitch.

Simon who has scored once and provided six assists for the Canaries came off for Osman Bukari in the 81st minute of the win.

NETHERLANDS

Cyriel Dessers (Feyenoord)

Super-sub Cyriel Dessers was in action for 23 minutes but failed to find the back of the net as Feyenoord thrashed Fortuna Sittard 5-0 in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday.

Dessers who has been in superb form for the club since joining on loan in the summer from Belgian side Genk came on for Cyriel Dessers in the 67th minute but could not add to his already impressive goals tally for the club.

The Nigerian has scored seven goals in 15 appearances for the club in all competitions.

TURKEY

Anthony Nwakaeme (Trabzonspor)

Nwakaeme took his tally to six and made an assist in Trabzonspor’s 2-0 home win against Adana Demirspor, in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.

The Nigerian scored his side’s opener in the 26th minute before setting up Marek Hamsik for the winner six minutes before the hour mark.

Trabzonspor have now picked up wins in their last eight fixtures.

Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk)

Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, was in action for 19 minutes in Fatih Karagumruk’s 3-1 loss to Giresunspor on Sunday.

Musa who scored his first goal after over three months in a Turkish Cup win over Sariyer is still awaiting his first league goal after over three months.

The former Leicester City forward came on for Yann Karamoh in the 71st minute of the encounter.

Aminu Umar (Rizespor)

Aminu Umar was on for the entire duration of the game but could only watch as Fenerbahce blew past Rizespor 4-0 in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday.

Umar is yet to find the back of the net in 14 league games for the Turkish side this season.

SCOTLAND

Joe Aribo, Leon Balogun, Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers)   

Aribo scored a first-half opener via a deflection in Glasgow Rangers 3-0 win over Dundee United in a Scottish Premier League game on Saturday. The goal was his fifth in the SPL this season.

He was replaced in the 83rd minute for Bacuna.

His compatriot, Calvin Bassey featured for 90 minutes as a center-half while injured Leon Balogun was not listed for the clash.

The win sees Rangers move seven points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

RUSSIA

Victor Moses (Spartak Moscow) Moses ended his 13-league game goal drought on Saturday when he scored in Spartak Moscow’s 2-1 win over FK Akhmet.

Former scrabble world champion Wellington Jighere says National champion Olatunde Oduwole deserves his victory after both players squared on Sunday in Benin City.

Oduwole beat Jighere 2-1 to cause an upset as he emerged Nigeria’s scrabble king after winning the Champion of Champions championship beating the world No.4 Jighere in a hard-fought final match.

Oduwole claimed the star prize of N500,000 and a giant trophy at the event, which was held at the multi-purpose hall of Prestige Hotel.

Speaking after his victory, Oduwole admitted that it was a tough final game against Jighere but added that he was lucky.

“It was a crunchy final but I had better tiles to decide the game. I was very lucky to have won,” Oduwole told sporting media.

“It’s not easy playing against a world champion. We’ve met on different occasions and it’s anybody who wins that decides the tournament. I could have lost today (Sunday) but I won because I was destined to win and not because I did anything extraordinary.”

However, Jighere disagreed with the champions but said his victory was a deserved one.

“It was a worthy final,” he said

“I think that was him (Oduwole) being humble because he played very well and I don’t think it was about luck because he played really well and he deserved to win. So, I disagree with him that it was about luck.”

On the competition itself, the two-time African Scrabble Championship winner said, “This championship is different from the others because in every other championship we have 21 games to play and naturally the winner emerges at the end of the 21 games but this champion of champions the format was a bit different.”

…minister supports move to nation’s capital

Plans are underway to have the Super Eagles move their home games to Abuja after Dangote Group handed over the rehabilitated Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

Contractors, Aron Nigeria Limited, handed over the rehabilitated stadium to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, on Friday.

The rehabilitation work was carried out on the main bowl pitch and scoreboard.

Dare had clamoured for the return of the Eagles to Abuja on several occasions, stating the need to have a permanent home stadium.

The Eagles last played at the Abuja stadium in 2012

“It is my wish that the Super Eagles and indeed the national teams of Nigeria, like elsewhere, have a permanent venue to play their matches rather than playing from one place to another,” Dare said last month while speaking to State House correspondents.

“There are great benefits for countries’ national teams to have a particular venue where the players understand very well. I believe very soon the Super Eagles will be playing their matches in Abuja or Lagos if the national stadium is fully ready too.”

In the last 10 years, the Eagles have played their home games at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium Uyo, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin and Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.

They however made a return to Lagos after 10 years and for the first time for a competitive match in 20 years when they played Lesotho in the 2022 World Cup qualifier at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on March 30.

They ended up playing their remaining World Cup qualifiers and the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Lagos.

While the Eagles were hoping to make the Teslim Balogun Stadium their new home, news emerged last week that the Confederation of African Football had banned the stadium from hosting matches.

In a letter dated October 17, which was sent to the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mohammed Sanusi, CAF said the stadium “lacks the CAF criteria and requirements in order to properly host international competitions”.

The letter signed by CAF Development Director Raul Chipenda said the stadium  failed to implement the recommendations addressed to the NFF after the previous inspection.

It has been a battle for the ages and after a dramatic and incident-packed season, the duel between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen for the world championship comes down to this weekend’s finale in Abu Dhabi.

For only the second time in Formula 1 history, the two top drivers head to the final race level on points.

There have, however, been plenty of final-race deciders. Here BBC Sport takes a look at five of the most dramatic.

Hamilton’s joy and Massa’s heartache – Brazil 2008

An overtake at the final corner, on the final lap of the final race of the season to decide the title – it doesn’t come much closer than that.

That is what happened at the memorable 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, although it will be a race Felipe Massa has probably done his best to forget about over the years.

The Brazilian was on course to win the world championship in front of his home crowd and had done all he could, winning the race from pole position.

But as his family celebrated what they believed was a title-clinching win in the Ferrari garage, McLaren’s Hamilton came round the final corner and overtook Timo Glock’s slowing Toyota to clinch fifth place and the points he needed to pip Massa to the drivers’ championship.

Prost wins as Mansell suffers dramatic blow-out – Australia 1986

The 1986 season saw a Titanic tussle between three Formula 1 heavyweights.

Championship leader Nigel Mansell was the favourite when the drivers arrived in Adelaide for the season-ending Australian Grand Prix but Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet both had aspirations of snatching the title themselves.

Mansell, driving for Williams, started on pole and needed just to finish third to win the title, but he dropped down to fourth after a poor start.

McLaren’s Keke Rosberg flew off into the distance and looked to be on course for a comfortable win until a puncture ended his race with 20 laps to go.

Rosberg’s retirement promoted Mansell into the third position he needed but just one lap later the Briton had a spectacular blow-out of his own, ending his title hopes.

Wary of also becoming victim to a blow-out, Piquet was called in by Williams from a title-winning position for fresh tyres but he then could not catch McLaren’s Prost, who held out to clinch the race and the championship despite practically running on fumes in the final stages of the race.

A Hollywood blockbuster – Japan 1976

Much like this one, the 1976 F1 championship saw two greats battling it out all year before it all came down to the final race. The season was so dramatic it would go on to become the subject of a film – Rush.

That year it was McLaren’s James Hunt and Ferrari’s Niki Lauda who headed to the Japanese Grand Prix looking to clinch the title after a season packed full of incidents and flash points – including a fiery crash which so nearly claimed the life of Lauda.

Lauda went into the race three points ahead of Hunt in the drivers’ standings and just needed to finish in front of his rival to be crowned champion.

However, with heavy rain pounding the track in Fuji, Lauda decided the conditions were too dangerous and retired after just two laps. With his rival out of the picture, fourth would be enough for Hunt to take the title and the win looked a mere formality as he led for much the race.

But as the rain stopped the circuit quickly dried and Hunt struggled as his wet-weather tyres reached the end of their life. All looked lost as he pitted on lap 70 of 73 because of a puncture.

Hunt returned to the track in fifth and with the title going to Lauda, until the Briton passed Alan Jones and Clay Regazzoni in the closing stages to secure the title by a solitary point.

Schumacher takes title after dramatic crash – Australia 1994

The 1994 F1 season was, of course, significant for being the one in which the legendary Ayrton Senna lost his life and while that understandably overshadowed events on the track, the climactic race of the season was a dramatic one.

Just one point separated championship leader Michael Schumacher and Williams’ Damon Hill and the former led for much of the early part of the race after taking the lead from polesitter Nigel Mansell.

But drama was to come on lap 36 when Schumacher went off the track in his Benetton, hitting a wall and damaging his suspension.

Hill was not far behind and came round a corner to find the German rejoining the track. As the Briton attempted to pass, the two collided. Schumacher’s race was ended immediately and although Hill tried to continue, the damage done was too much and he too retired.

With it deemed a racing incident and neither driver finishing the race, Schumacher took his first world title.

Vettel’s stunning recovery to deny Alonso – Brazil 2012

Brazil was the venue once again for one of the more recent final-day championship deciders.

Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel were the two fighting for the world championship at the end of the 2012 season, with the latter looking to become the sport’s youngest triple world champion.

In an incident-packed, rain-affected race, Red Bull’s Vettel dropped to last on lap one following a collision but battled back superbly to finish sixth.

That was enough to pip Alonso, who finished second, by three points to take the title.

British number one Emma Raducanu has been named newcomer of the year by the Women’s Tennis Association.

The 19-year-old burst onto the scene in 2021 by winning the US Open, making her the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title.

Her victory came just two months after she made her main draw debut at a major, becoming the youngest British woman to reach the Wimbledon last 16.

She finishes the year ranked 19th in the world, having started at 343rd.

Australia’s world number one Ashleigh Barty was crowned WTA player of the year for the second time after winning a tour-leading five WTA titles in 2021 – including Wimbledon.

The Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova were named doubles team of the year having won Olympic gold and their third Grand Slam trophy as a pair at Roland Garros.

Krejcikova was also named most improved player of the year, while Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro was awarded the comeback player of the year prize.

Suarez Navarro was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in September 2020, but in April said she had recovered and returned to play at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in her final season before retirement.

China has condemned a planned US diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and threatened to retaliate.

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China would take “resolute counter-measures”, but did not give further details.

On Monday, the US said it would not send diplomats to Beijing over concerns about China’s human rights record.

It added that US athletes could go and would have full government support.

At a media briefing on Tuesday, Mr Zhao accused the US of violating “political neutrality in sport” and said the proposed boycott was “based on lies and rumours”.

Tensions are high between both countries. The US has accused China of genocide in its repression of the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority in the western region of Xinjiang – an allegation China has strongly denied.

Relations are also strained over China’s suppression of political freedoms in Hong Kong, and because of concerns for the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, who was not seen for weeks after she accused a top government official of assault.

The Women Tennis Association last weel suspended all tournaments in China because of “serious doubts” about Ms Peng’s safety

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‘Political posturing’

High-level government representatives – from the US and other countries – are usually present at Olympic Games. Earlier this year, First Lady Jill Biden led the US delegation at the summer Olympics held in Tokyo.

But on Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the US would not contribute to the “fanfare” of the Olympics. She said not sending an official delegation to the 2022 Games “could send a clear message”.

“US diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of… egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang,” she said. “We simply can’t do that.”

However, Ms Psaki added the US government did not feel it was right “to penalise athletes who had been training for this moment”.

On Chinese social media platform Weibo, the search topic “US diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics” was censored as of Tuesday morning.

Most of the comments below a post on the announcement by state media outlet Global Times were also deleted, leaving only eight out of close to 1,500 comments untouched.

“The Olympics are for athletes, what does it have to do with… politicians? Even if you boycott, the only people you’re hurting are your own countrymen (including athletes),” one such comment read.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has dismissed rumours that next month’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) could be moved away from Cameroon following the recent discovery of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The new variant has led to travel restrictions being introduced by some countries for several African nations, with Nigeria, which neighbours Cameroon, the latest to be added to the United Kingdom’s ‘red list.

In recent days, some media organisations have suggested the dates of the 24-team tournament could change or even the location be moved, possibly to Qatar.

Caf’s director of communications Alex Siewe says neither his organisation nor leading Cameroon officials have discussed such events.

“We can’t keep spending time dealing with rumours,” he tsaid

“We did not receive any other message or information from our leaders – nothing such as changing of dates or countries. We did not discuss such during all our last meetings.”

“We are on site. We are working.”

Africa’s football showpiece, which has already been delayed because of the global pandemic, is due to kick off on 9 January in Yaounde with the final on 6 February.

Staff from the Caf arrived in Cameroon this week to organise the Afcon finals.

“An official delegation from Caf has been released and general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba is joining us in two days,” Siewe added.

The European Club Association, an independent body which represents clubs across Europe, has expressed his deep concern regarding player welfare before the tournament, adding that the public health situation “continues to deteriorate in an alarming manner”.

Manchester United will take on Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup  as Ralf Rangnick looks to end the club’s lengthy trophy drought during his interim spell.

Villa have already won at Old Trafford this term and will be looking to repeat the feat.

Liverpool will host Shrewsbury Town and Aersenal take on Nottingham Forest.

The last time the Gunners went to the City Ground in the FA Cup they were dumped out in what was a major upset back in 2018, Arsene Wenger’s last ever FA Cup tie.

Chelsea, last year’s losing finalists, play non-league Chesterfield.

Pep Guardiola, who has only won the FA Cup once, back in 2019 when he completed a domestic treble, will prepare Manchester City  for a trip to Swindon Town.

Holders Leicester City will face fellow Premier Leahue  side Qatford.

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham side host League One Morecambe seeking a first FA Cup success since 1991.

Harrogate Town, competing in the third round for the first time ever, head to Luton Town.

West Ham United, who are flying high this term and beat Chelsea last term out, host Leeds United in another all-Premier League tie.

Kidderminster Harriers, one of the lower ranked sides left in the competition, will welcome Championship side Reading.

Cardiff City, who lost out to Portsmouth in the FA Cup final back in 2008, face fellow second tier side Preston North End in the Welsh capital.

Mansfield Town host Middlesbrough and Hartlepool United will play Blackpool at Victoria Park.

Struggling Everton will travel north to play Hull City. Port Vale host top flight Brentford, looking to cause an upset.

The FA Cup 3rd round draw in full

• Boreham Wood/St Albans vs AFC Wimbledon
• Yeovil Town vs Bournemouth
• Stoke City vs Leyton Orient
• Swansea City vs Southampton
• Chelsea vs Chesterfield
• Liverpool vs Shrewsbury Town
• Cardif City vs Preston North End
• Coventry City vs Derby County
• Burnley vs Huddesfield  Town
• West Bromwich Albion vs Brighton and Hove Albion
• Kidderminster Harriers vs Reading
• Leicester City vs Watford
• Mansfield Town vs Middlesbrough
• Hartlepool United vs Blackpool
• Hull City vs Everton
• Bristol City vs Fulham
• Tottenham Hotspur vs Morecambe
• Millwall vs Crystal Palace
• Port Vale vs Brentford
• Swindon Town vs Manchester City
• Wigan Athletic vs Blackburn Rovers
• Luton Town vs Harrogate Town
• Birmingham City vs Plymouth Argyle
• Manchester United  vs Aston Villa
• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Sheffield United
• NewscastleUnited vs Cambridge United
• Barnsley vs Ipswich Town/Barrow
• Peterborough United vs Bristol Rovers
• West Ham United vs Leeds United