he English side are reportedly one of several notable clubs interested in acquiring the services of one of Nigeria’s key performers at the Nations Cup

French football market insider Ignazio Genuardi reports that English Premier League side Leeds are among the clubs to have approached Nantes for their exciting forward, Moses Simon.

Simon enjoyed a spectacular January in Cameroon, where he helped the Super Eagles record three wins in four matches at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 26-year-old was, by some clear distance, Nigeria’s most excellent footballer at the tournament, making it into the competition’s team of the group stage.

Before then, Simon had been Nantes’ top performer, producing one match-winning display after another and contributing two goals and six assists to the Canary’s Ligue 1 cause.h

Simon’s excellent showings appear to have caught the eyes of onlookers at Leeds United, with the Marcelo Bielsa-led side believed to be making a solid push to sign the Nigerian winger before the winter transfer window shuts in the next few days.

Nantes, however, have no intention of letting Simon leave France on the cheap, especially with his contract not expiring for another two and a half years.

The French Ligue 1 side considers the winger unsellable and will only sanction a sale if a considerable offer in the region of €20m comes in.

Simon joined Nantes permanently in 2020 for €5 million from Spanish La Liga side Levante following an impressive year on loan. The former KAA Gent star is currently valued at €9 million

The Nigerian star left Fulham after they got relegated from the Premier League last season, but he is close to sealing a return to English football 

Super Eagles forward Josh Maja is close to sealing a loan move to English Championship side Stoke City. The Nigerian forward left Bordeaux for Fulham on a six-month loan deal last season in their bid to preserve their Premier League status.

However, he was unable to help the cottagers as they got relegated. The former Sunderland man returned to the Ligue 1 side at the expiration of his contract, but he has been unable to secure a spot in the first eleven mainly due to injuries

This season, the London-born striker has only made four appearances in all competitions, and all four were as a substitute.

A move back to England could help reignite his career, and, Maja has undergone a medical, and he is close to sealing a loan move to Stoke City.

Maja has one cap for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, coming on as a stoppage-time substitute in Nigeria’s 2-2 draw against Ukraine in September 2019.

Mohamed Salah scored one goal and set up the other as Egypt beat Morocco in extra time in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

Sofiane Boufal gave Morocco an early lead with a penalty after Ayman Ashraf caught Achraf Hakimi, a decision given by the video assistant referee.

But Salah tapped in an equaliser after Yassine Bounou parried a header and the game went to extra time.

Carlos Queiroz’s side will face hosts Cameroon in Thursday’s semi-final.

The seven-time champions may need to play that game with third-choice keeper Mohamed Sobhi, who came on for his international debut after Gabaski hurt himself while tipping Nayef Aguerd’s header on to the bar near the end of normal time.

Without that save there would have been no semi-final to worry about – and Salah would have been on the next flight back to England.

Boufal’s penalty was the only chance of note for either side in the first half – with most other efforts from long range.

Morocco were starting to dream of only their second semi-final since 1988 but Salah had other ideas, forcing extra time and then helping settle it by setting up half-time substitute Trezeguet.

Salah has been involved in 64% of Egypt’s goals at the Africa Cup of Nations – nine of 14 – since he made his competition debut in 2017.

Egypt should have scored a third right at the end after Morocco keeper Bounou came up for a free-kick. Morocco played it short but Egypt made a mess of their counter-attack and Salah shot into the side-netting.

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon are through to the semi final stage at the on-going TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2021.

Cameroon stopped Gambia 2-0 in a quarter final match played this evening at the Japoma Stadium in Douala, Cameroon.

After a goalless first half, the 5-time AFCON winners Cameroon returned charged and determined to get the goals.

The tournament’s leading scorer Vincent Aboubakar and Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu had their shots blocked for Cameroon, while Gambia’s James Gomez also had his attempts stopped in the first half.

But it was Karl Toko Ekambi who netted a brace early in the second half to make sure the Indomitable Lions roar into the semi final stage.

Ekambi made it 1-0 after 50 minutes with a well timed header. The Gambian defenders failed to react quickly to stop Ngran Suiru Fai Collins from crossing the ball for Ekambi to score.

The Gambian technical bench replaced star player Modou Barrow with Pa Modou Jagne after 55 minutes, but the Indomitable Lions instead pushed forward and made it 2-0 after 57 minutes. Ekambi again gave the Gambian goalkeeper Baboucarr Gaye no chance.

Cameroon continued to dominate play in the midfield and on the wings causing problems for the Gambian team.

Coach António Conceição da Silva Oliveira’s Cameroon team will now wait to face the winner between Egypt and Morocco at the semi final strge stage. The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon remain in line chasing for a sixth AFCON title.

What they said

Karl Toko-Ekambi (Cameroon – Man of the match)

“I’m proud of the performance of the team tonight, Gambia are a difficult team to play but we never gave up even when we struggled in first half. We kept working and we got the crack. It’s good, everyone has a role to play in this team, in 2017, I played a lot less, it’s not the case today, it’s the victory at the end that is the most important. We are a family, the group lives well. The group prefers to focus on the present, this competition and not focus on the past with what happened in 1972, we want to write our own history.”

Tom Saintfiet (Coach, Gambia)

“I am proud of my players, in the tournament but also in this match where we lost (0-2) against a great team from Cameroon, we were beaten by the future champions of ‘Africa. We made mistakes that we paid for in cash, that’s also the high level. There were tears in the locker room but Gambia and its players can be proud of the course, we will bounce back very quickly and return to the front of the stage.”

Toni Conceiçao (Coach, Cameroon)

“I am satisfied with my players who respected the instructions to go and win the match despite the missed opportunities in the first period. In addition to the victory, it was our match where the attack-defense balance was the most respected. I am very happy with our production against a great team from Gambia. In truth, she did not change her strategy, she beat her success in this way and tonight we insisted on our game. Regarding the semi-finals, what worries me the most is to see my players to recover, it was a physically demanding match. We will rest and analyze our next opponent and put the strategy in place. I’m really happy with my players.

Dango Aboubacar Ouattara’s goal on the stroke of halftime was enough for Burkina Faso to beat Tunisia 1-0 and progress to the semifinals of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021.

Dango Ouattara who was sent off in the closing stages scored on the stroke of halftime to give Kamou Malo’s side the victory against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.

The Stallions who were without their talisman and captain Bertrand Traore started brightly at the Omnisports Roumde stadium in Garoua.

The Burkinabe controlled possession in the opening exchanges with Steeve Yago and Ibrahim Toure pulling the strings in midfield.

Cyrille Bayala had the first opening of the closely contested match when he found space on the left to shoot straight at Bechir Said in the Tunisian goal midway through the first half.

The Carthage Eagles were denied by Koffi on 26 minutes when he dived to his left to save Wahbi Khazri’s fierce free kick.

The two sides continue to cancel each other in midfield while they try to break on the counter.

A defensive mistake in the Burkinabe box almost allowed Jaziri to score when he charged down Soumaila Ouattara.

Dango broke the deadlock with a neat finish from a swift counter attack. Ibrahim Toure played him through on goal and he cut inside before firing past Bechir.

The Tunisians returned after the break with more determination as they search for the equaliser.

Kouakou Koffi pulled another brilliant save from a set piece to keep his lead. Substitute Ali Maaloul struck a sumptuous strike but Koffi was equal to it.

The Stallions were reduced to ten men late on when goal scorer Dango was sent off for swinging an arm on a Tunisian defender.

The Burkinabe held on to progress to the semifinals of the tournament and they will meet the winner between Senegal and Equatorial Guinea.

The President of CAF Dr Patrice Motsepe, having convened a meeting of the CAF AFCON Organising Committee, received the report compiled by CAF Safety and Security Department together with COCAN relating to the circumstances in regard to the tragedy that occurred at the Olembé Stadium.

The report highlighted the extensive onsite meetings and discussions which were held with senior representatives of the police, the gendarmerie, the military, together with high-ranking Cameroonian Government, Defence, and Police Ministers inclusive of the Governor of Yaoundé and other stakeholders.

The report dealt with and highlighted the tragic circumstances which led to thirty-eight people being injured and eight fatalities.

The report further highlighted the recommendations and interventions to ensure that a tragedy of this nature should never be repeated.

Having noted the recommendations and undertakings from Government in regard to additional security provisions over and above those which were already successfully implemented at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium during the Morocco and Malawi match and at the Japoma Stadium during the Gambia and Cameroon match, the CAF Organising Committee unanimously agreed to lift the suspension imposed on the Olembé, Stadium and allow one of the Total Energies AFCON Cup of Nations Semi-Finals as well as the Final Match to take place at the Olembé Stadium.

In conclusion, CAF, the Local Organising Committee and the Government of Cameroon having significantly increased security and resources at the Olembé Stadium, are confident that the safety and security of spectators and visitors will be assured.

Rafael Nadal roared back from two sets down to win a titanic five-set duel with Daniil Medvedev and claim a record 21st Grand Slam men’s title in the Australian Open final on Sunday.

The Spanish great looked dead and buried as the Russian world number two carved out a two-set lead but Nadal surged home for one of his mightiest comeback wins 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in 5hr 24min on Rod Laver Arena.

Nadal came out on top in the physical war of attrition to move ahead of era rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the all-time list of men’s major winners.

Djokovic missed his chance to improve on his nine Australian Open wins when he was deported over vaccination issues on the eve of the tournament, while Federer is injured.