Chelsea have identified Napoli forward Victor Osimhen as a priority target to boost the club’s attack this summer.

The interest appears to be mutual, with Osimhen reportedly open to the idea of joining the Blues.

Although Napoli have been struggling in the 2023/24 season, Osimhen, 25, has once again showcased his remarkable talent in the Italian league, scoring 11 times in 17 Serie A matches, building on a fantastic 2022/23 season during which he scored 31 goals in various competitions to help them win their first Serie A title in 33 years.

The Nigerian striker, who is tied to Napoli until December 2026, is reportedly looking to make a switch this summer amid interest from Chelsea.

Negotiations for Osimhen seem to be promising for Chelsea, as the player himself is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are ready to activate Osimhen’s release clause, although discussions with Napoli over the payment structure remain.

Additionally, Paris Saint-Germain is another club showing strong interest in acquiring Osimhen’s services.

However, the French giants are still undecided regarding the deal following Rafael Leao’s decision to stay put with Milan.

The Portuguese star recently suggested that he was happy with the Rossoneri and had no intention of leaving ahead of the summer transfer window, seemingly taking himself off the market amidst interest from clubs across the continent including PSG.

The Parisian giants are fans of the Napoli star but it’s still unclear if they’ll pull the trigger on a deal in the summer, already having Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos in the squad.

Osimhen recently signed a contract extension with Napoli and has a €130m release clause in his deal

Former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has unveiled a new property development in New Zealand.

According to a video shared on his official X handle on Friday, his father, Femi Adesanya, played a key role in the project.

His father, in a video of the housewarming, said “The idea is that after fighting, Israel needs to have something solid as investment.

“So, we decided that we were going to go for property development so that one, physically, he can see what he is putting together. And secondly, the investment can be protected.

“And with me there as the father, he’s got no better person to look after him than myself. A good boy that he is, he trusted me with my decisions and here we are.”

He further acknowledged the contributions of the project’s team, particularly Houston Architects in Auckland.

He added, “We look at the houses and say ‘Oh, they are beautiful.’ They wouldn’t have been beautiful but for the highly experienced team from Houston Architects in Auckland. They have been very dedicated to our cause. Everybody that took part in this project put in their best efforts.”

Israel, fondly called ‘The Last Stylebender’, also expressed gratitude for his father’s vision and leadership throughout the project.

The Nigerian-born fighter said, “This is my dad’s vision, not just for me but for the family. :Thank you all for everything you’ve done. The ups and downs, the smiles and frowns. Because I know a project like this isn’t easy.

“I want to say thank you to my dad, I just fund this, he is the guy that takes his time to actually be there day in, day out. In touch with everyone who’s part of the project.

“I come in once in a while and just have a little look-see and be like ‘This is actually growing. The progression is happening.’

“I just want to say thank you to my dad for making this happen and thank you to mymum for supporting him. One down, 50 more to go!”

With UEFA EURO 2024 on the horizon, the suspense intensifies as six teams vie for the last three coveted spots in the tournament through the play-offs on Tuesday (tomorrow).

The UEFA EURO 2024 kicks off in Munich, Germany, on Friday, June 14, and ends with the final in Berlin on Sunday, July 14, 2024.

Germany, in 2018, won the race to host the 2024 European Championship as UEFA backed a bid seen as safer than the rival Turkish proposal.

Amidst a backdrop of exhilarating clashes and dramatic showdowns, the European football landscape braces itself for the culmination of this gripping qualification phase.

As the dust settles from the semi-finals held on March 21, attention shifts to the impending finals scheduled for March 26, where fate will be decided in electrifying encounters.

Here is a look into the workings of these play-offs, the state of play, and what awaits the triumphant teams on the grand stage of EURO 2024.

Six teams out of 12 remain in March’s UEFA EURO 2024 play-offs, with three last-minute tickets to the final tournament up for grabs.

Meanwhile, the six semi-finals took place on March 21, with the winners advancing to three finals on March 26, The three winning teams in those games complete the 24-team EURO finals line-up.

What are the play-off results and fixtures?

Semi-finals (March 21)

Path A: Poland 5-1 Estonia, Wales 4-1 Finland
Path B: Israel 1-4 Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-2 Ukraine
Path C: Georgia 2-0 Luxembourg, Greece 5-0 Kazakhstan

Finals ( March 26)

Path A: Wales vs. Poland (20:45 CET)
Path B: Ukraine vs. Iceland (20:45 CET)
Path C: Georgia vs. Greece (18:00 CET)

On December 2, 2023, the draws for the UEFA EURO 2024 six groups were held with reigning champions Italy placed in the same group as Spain, France coming up against the Netherlands and England avoiding any of the toughest opponents.

Group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
Group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
Group D: Play-Off Winner Path A, Netherlands, Austria, France
Group E: Slovakia, Romania, Play-Off Winner Path B
Group F: Türkiye, Play-Off Winner Path C, Portugal, Czechia

According to the UEFA website, the play-offs are all single-leg knockout matches. If ties are level at the end of normal time, they’ll go to extra time and, if required, a penalty shoot-out.

Are the play-offs new?

There have been play-offs for six of the last seven EUROs. The UEFA EURO 2020 play-offs offered a different format, though.

However, for the first time, teams had to come through more than one round and, unlike all previous editions, sides qualified to participate via the Nations League rather than the European Qualifiers.

The same format was employed for the European play-offs for the 2022 FIFA World Cup (though, in that case, only two Nations League teams qualified for the play-offs together with ten European Qualifiers group runners-up), and therefore this is now the third time that single-leg matches will be used.

In a bid to bolster their attacking options, West Ham United is reportedly keen on signing Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi in the summer, SportsRation reports.

Nottingham Forest, where Awoniyi currently plies his trade, is said to be open to offloading the prolific forward to avoid another breach of the Premier League’s financial regulations.

The club has already faced repercussions for violating the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, receiving a four-point deduction as a penalty.

To steer clear of similar sanctions in the upcoming season, Forest is contemplating parting ways with one of their key players, with Awoniyi emerging as a likely candidate to generate the necessary funds.

According to Football365.com. West Ham expressed interest in acquiring the services of Taiwo Awoniyi during the previous summer transfer window, Nottingham Forest rebuffed their advances.

However, with the Hammers gearing up for another pursuit of the former Liverpool player in the upcoming transfer window.

Awoniyi’s performances this season have caught the attention of West Ham, especially considering he has found the back of the net twice against them during league encounters.

The 26-year-old forward has showcased his scoring prowess, tallying six league goals thus far in the campaign.

Taiwo Awoniyi made a switch to Nottingham Forest from Bundesliga side Union Berlin in June 2022, commanding a transfer fee of £17.5 million. With his goal-scoring abilities and potential, he could emerge as a valuable asset for West Ham United if the proposed transfer materialises.

As the curtain is drawn on the 13^th African Games in Egypt, the traditional overall winners, have this time hit a milestone.

They have become the first to hit a 100 gold medal mark in the 59 year history of the games.

As at Saturday morning, they have amassed 101 gold medals, 54 more than that of the second placed Nigeria

The biggest star of the Egyptian team  is swimmer Marwan Elkamash, who won five gold medals in the men’s 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m and 4x200m relays, all in freestyle.

But medal haul is still short that that of his compatriot, Faten Afifi who fished out seven gold medals from the pool.

It has been a season never before in Nigeria’s lead football league, the NPL. Twenty seven match days are gone in a scheduled 38 match day series, no clear leader has emerged.

The  competitiveness  is underlined by the fact that all the teams top five bracket and even Doma United now in the 13^th position have at one time or the other being in the first position.

Unpredictability could be the apt word, making the season on of the most keenly contested.  The keenness is underlined by the fact that just four points separate the current table-toppers, Enugu Rangers and the fifth placed Plateau United.  

 With most of the clubs having eleven more matches to go, the title is still open and swinging.

The home grounds are no longer sacred. Enyimba travelled to the fortress of Shooting Stars and scrapped a victory. Remo Stars were at the Aba slaughter house of Enyimba and did not only escape defeat, they got a win as they did in the creeks of Bayelsa.

 Buoyed with such record, any bookmaker would have tipped them to upstage struggling Sporting Lagos some weeks ago. Alas! Adios predictability, bye bye to form books.

 Like a pack of cards blown by the hurricane, Remo Stars fell 4-1 to hitherto goal-shy Sporting Lagos. If they boast of never being defeated by their South West rivals, Shooting Stars, that came to an end when they met penultimate Sunday in Ibadan.

Now, clubs can dream dreams of picking valuable points on the road instead of making just their home game a do-or-die situation.

  Plateau United can go to Owerri and inflict a massive 5-1 blow on the season’s punching bag, the faint-hearted Heartland FC.

With lower level of restiveness from the crowd, even if they don’t often agree with refereeing decisions, the calmer atmosphere  can enable more corporate support  and investment on the league in the coming seasons.

  Matchday 27 continues this Monday as Shooting Stars who have navigated their way upstream from a near drop zone to continental ticket contenders will be away to Niger Tornadoes.

  At the weekend, Remo Stars had one of their most anticipated rare victories as they beat their eternal rivals, Bendel Insurance 2-0 in Ikenne.

 It was the 10^th encounter of the two arch rivals and more often than not, the result had always been in Bendel Insurance’ favour. Prior to Sunday’s epic clash, Remo Stars only defeat of Bendel Insurance was at the Super 6 in Lagos last June.

  They now have a bragging rights against the Benin Arsenals. Victory did not come on a platter of gold as the 2-0 scoreline may suggest.

 They had to dig deep into their armoury before Olamilekan Adedayo found the net. Two minutes to regulation time, Haruna Hadi put in the second goal.

 Apart from the Super 6 last season which was a play-off, it is the first time Remo Stars had beaten Bendel Insurance in the regular season since 2019.

  Like Remo Stars who rose from their 2-0 loss in Ibadan, Kano Pillars also returned to winning ways beating Sporting Lagos 1-0 in Kano.

Initial table-topper, Lobi Stars dropped valuable points at home when they laboured to hold Bayelsa United 1-1. The result gave the edge to Enugu Rangers who heartlessly compounded the woes of Heartland of Owerri with an away 2-1 win Owerri.

  In a Savanah derby, former frontrunners now finding the league too tasking, Doma United played 1-1 with Gombe United. In Ilorin, the ambition of Enyimba to top the league got a setback when Kwara United inflicted a 2-1 defeat.

Brume’s winning jump should have been a new Games Record but the excessive wind reading denied her that extra accolade

Team Nigeria athletes are not only winning medals at the ongoing African Games in Ghana, they are doing so in record-breaking fashion.

Ese Brume on Thursday could have joined the list of record breakers as she soared to a first-round jump of 6.92m to secure gold in the women’s Long Jump event

Unfortunately, the excessive wind reading denied her that extra accolade.

The legal wind reading is any mark below +2.0

With this nonetheless, Brume will be happy she successfully defended her 2019 title even though the Games record of 6.79m which had stood since 2007 could not be broken.

Brume’s victory has also seen her punch her ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she will be hoping to improve on the bronze medal she won last time out at the Tokyo Olympics Games.

Also, with this win, Brume becomes the second Nigerian Long Jumper in African Games history to successfully defend a Long Jump title.

Modupe Oshikoya achieved this feat in 1973 and 1978.

Brume also joins an elite group of nine Nigerian women who have defended their African Games titles, including legends like Mary Onyali and Tobi Amusan

While Brume is making the headlines with her gold medal, another youngster on the horizon Prestina Ochonogor is also getting accolades for her remarkable achievement in the women’s Long Jump event

Ochonogor claimed the bronze medal with a personal best of 6.67m in what is only her first international outing.

Unfortunately, the third Nigerian in the Long Jump event, Ruth Usoro, narrowly missed the podium with a 6.62m jump.

Nigerian trio in the 200m Semifinals
Consider Ekanem and Alaba Akintola secured their spots in the men’s 200m final with scorching times of 20.92s (-1.2) and 21.00s (-0.9) respectively.

Akintola dominated his semifinal heat, leaving no room for doubt.

Meanwhile, Olajide Olayinka will be the sole Nigerian representative in the women’s 200m final after her heat win of 23.51s (-2.3).

Already, Team Nigeria has garnered eight gold medals from track and field events at the ongoing African Games in Ghana, and more is still expected as athletics event ends on Friday.