• Boniface ends Bundesliga five-game goal drought
• Sor back with a brace for Genk in Belgium

It was another weekend of mixed fortunes for Nigerian Stars abroad as they continued to make their mark with their various clubs.

SUNDAY

ENGLAND

IWOBI, BASSEY (FULHAM)

Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey were on parade for Fulham, who were at the end of a 4-3 thriller at Anfield against Liverpool. Before Iwobi was taken off in the 75th minute for Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Fulham were holding on to a 2-2 draw before the Iwobi replacement stunned the hosts to put Fulham ahead 3-2. Liverpool however responded with two quick goals through Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold to win the game 4-3. Bassey on the other hand played the entire duration of the game.

FRANCE

AKOR ADAMS (MONTPELLIER)

It’s now five consecutive games without a goal for former junior international, Adams in the Ligue 1. He was taken off in the 76th minute as Montpellier were pipped 1-0 by Monaco. The defeat leaves Montpellier just two points above the relegation zone. Adams last league goal for the club was a brace against Toulouse on October 29 and has scored seven goals in 14 games.

GERMANY

BONIFACE, TELLA (BAYER LEVERKUSEN)

Victor Boniface ended his run of five games in the Bundesliga without a goal as he helped Bayer Leverkusen secure a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund and stay unbeaten in the league. The 22-year-old got his goal in the 79th minute with a simple tap-in to keep the scoreline level after Julian Ryerson had given the visitors the lead in the first half. Before this game, Boniface’s last goal in the league was against Koln on October 8. However, he has kept scoring in the Europa League with more assists in the Bundesliga as well. He now has eight Bundesliga goals and five assists.

His compatriot, Nathan Tella was an unused substitute and Leverkusen remain top of the table with 35 points from 13 matches.

ITALY

SUCCESS, OKOYE (UDINESE)

For the umpteenth time, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was benched while Isaac Success was taken off as early as the 7th minute due to a knock as Udinese played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at home against Verona. Success’ replacement, Lorenzo Lucca scored the second and third goals for Udinese but the visitors equalised on both occasions to steal a point.

NETHERLANDS

CHUBA AKPOM (AJAX)

Akpom came on again as a second half substitute for Ajax in their 2-1 win over Nijmegen on Sunday. His 25 minutes action wasn’t enough for him to add to his budding goal tally in the Dutch League after hitting form with five goals in his last four league games before Sunday. Kristian Hlynsson and Carlos Forbs scored for Ajax while a late goal from Elayis Tavsan halved the deficit for the home side.

BELGIUM

SOR, AROKODARE (GENK)

Former junior international, Yira Sor returned to the Genk starting line-up with a bang on Sunday, scoring twice as they drew 2-2 against Gent at home. After enduring a tough start to the season, the 23-year-old was making his first start since August and made it count with a goal in the 21st minute to level matters for Genk after their visitors had taken an early lead. He scored their second goal in the 51st minute but they couldn’t hold on to the lead as they were pegged back by a stoppage time Tarik Tissoudali equaliser.

His teammate, Tolu Arokodare came on for him in the 76th minute.

ORBAN, TORUNARIGHA (GENT)

Super Eagles invitees, Gift Orban and Jordan Torunarigha were named in the starting line-up on Sunday as Gent forced a 2-2 draw away at Genk. Orban finished the game but could not add to his three league goals this season while Torunarigha was taken off at halftime.

SCOTLAND

DESSERS, BALOGUN (RANGERS)

Back in the starting line-up after sitting out their last game, Cyriel Dessers fired blanks in Rangers 2-0 win over St. Mirren. Both goals were scored by Senegal’s Abdallah Sima. Defender Leon Balogun was on for the entire duration of the game as they kept a clean sheet.

TURKEY

Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor)

Onuachu played for 90 minutes but he was unable to score for the fourth game in a row as his Trabzonspor side fell to a 1-0 defeat at home against Kayserispor. Since switching from Championship side Southampton, the Nigerian forward has scored seven goals for the Turkish outfit.

SATURDAY

ENGLAND

Frank Onyeka (Brentford)

In the Premier League, Onyeka put on a good show in midfield as Brentford taught Luton Town a lesson with a 3-1 home win. Onyeka has steadily kept his place in Thomas Frank’s midfield and has one assist this season.

Iheanacho, Ndidi (Leicester City)

Life in the Championship continued for Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi and they both seem to be making their way back to the EPL gradually after helping Leicester grind another win on Saturday. The Foxes clinched a late 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion, with Ndidi assisting Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s opener. Another Nigerian on parade for West Brom, Josh Maja equalised for West Brom, but Kelechi Iheanacho initiated the counter-attack that led to Harry Winks’ stoppage-time winner.

Ajayi, Maja (West Brom)

At the receiving end of a 2-1 defeat against Leicester at The Hawthorns, Josh Maja opened his goal account for the Baggies with their equaliser. He played only 16 minutes as a second-half substitute. He has endured a tough start to this season, after nursing an injury that kept him out until the end of November.

After sitting out their last game, Ajayi was back in the starting line-up and played every minute in the defeat. The defender also has one goal this season.

SPAIN

Umar Sadiq (Real Sociedad)

Days after opening his season’s goal account for Real Sociedad against Sevilla, Sadiq struck another long-range stunner to lift Real Sociedad to a 1-1 draw at Osasuna.

ITALY

Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan)

After opening his AC Milan account with a beauty in the Champions League, Chukwueze made his third consecutive start for Milan in the Serie A and he impressed as they put behind their midweek defeat to Borussia Dortmund to secure a 3-1 win against Frosinone.

FRANCE

Moses Simon (Nantes)

In the clash of Super Eagles stars in Ligue 1, Simon was in action as Nantes battled to a 1-0 win over Terem Moffi’s OGC Nice, handing them their first defeat of the season. Florent Mollet scored the Canaries’ only goal in the first half. Simon has been instrumental for Nantes, starring so far this season with three league goals and five assists as well.

Terem Moffi (Nice)

Moffi and Nice were flying and undefeated before visiting Nantes but the Nigerian striker couldn’t score in back-to-back games as they lost 1-0. He has four league goals and two assists.

GERMANY

Kevin Akpoguma (Hoffenheim)

Akpoguma played the full match, but Hoffenheim couldn’t avoid a 2-1 loss to Borussia M’gladbach in the Bundesliga.

TURKEY

Ibrahim Olawoyin (Caykur Rizespor)

Having featured in all 14 games of Caykur Rizespor this season, former Super Eagles B midfielder Olawoyin finally opened his goal account for the season with a brace to power the newly promoted side to a 3-2 win over Istanbul Basaksehir. Olawoyin scored his first in the 13th minute to make it 1-1 before firing a stoppage-time long-range winner to seal the win.

SWITZERLAND

Francis Momoh (Grasshoppers)

Former Heartland player Momoh impressed for Grasshoppers as they made light work of Samuel Kalu’s Lausanne-Sport with a 5-0 mauling. The striker has made nine league appearances this season and has three goals.

Kano Pillars, at th weekend, recorded the biggest away victory yet in the 11-week-old Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) when they went to the Gombe to beat the home team, Gombe United 5-2.

The feat was more remarkable as all of Pillars’ five goals were scored by 17-year-old Yusuf Abdullahi.

The previous highest goals tally of the season was the 5-3 defeat of Akwa United by Bayelsa United. But Bayelsa United achieved that feat at home in Yenagoa.

Gombe United have not been having it easy since the league kicked off, but they have shown signs of resistance in recent times since their 0-3 defeat by sister club, Doma United.

Kano Pillars raced to a two-goal lead through goals by Abdullahi in the 10th and 14th-minute, but Sadiq Shaibu reduced the tally in the 17th minute to raise hopes that the Gombe boys were ready for a tough fight.

Such hopes soon vanished in the 33rd and 45th-minute when Abdullahi widened the gap, although Gombe United again reduced it in the 47th minute through Ahmed Jimoh.

The teenage sensation was to make it 5-3 in the 60th minute to stretch the lead beyond Gombe United. Yesterday’s win was Pillars’ best performance since they returned to the elite class this season.

In Ikenne, Sikiru Alimi’s 61st minute goal against Plateau United ensured that Remo Stars dethroned Doma United as the league leader. Doma United climbed to the top on Saturday after their 1-0 defeat of Niger Tornadoes in Gombe, but their stay on top was shortlived as Remo Stars are now on 22 points, one higher than the Gombe-based Doma United.

In other games also played yesterday, Bayelsa United rallied to a 2-2 draw with Abia Warriors in Yenagoa, Heartland held 3SC to a goalless draw in Ibadan, while Sporting Lagos defeated Katsina United 1-0 in Lagos

Germany, shrugged off the disadvantage of playing one-man down when Winners Osawe was red carded to beat France 4-3 through penalties after a 2-2 regular time to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia.

The win was Germany’s first at the U-17 level. Almugera Kabar scored the decisive penalty, but goalkeeper Konstantin Heide was the ultimate hero, as he saved three spot-kicks in the shootout.

Germany went ahead in the game through Paris Brunner’s 29th penalty and Noah Darvich doubled the lead with a back-post finish from a tight angle in the 51st minute. But France roared back through Saimon Bouabre, who fired a low shot past Heide to put the game back in the balance.

Things took a turn for the worst when a second yellow card in the 69th minute for Osawe meant that Christian Wück’s side would have to see out the final stages of the match with just 10 men. Despite their resilience, a gap finally opened up in the tiring defence for Mathis Amougou to level the scores in the 85th minute and send the game straight to penalties.

Germany were on the back foot after Eric da Silva Moreira missed their first spot-kick to give the French the upper hand. However, a shot against the crossbar from Nhoa Sangui was followed by Heide’s save against Bastien Meupiyou to put the Germans ahead after four attempts each. Paris Brunner stepped up for the 10th and potential match-winning penalty, but was kept out by goalkeeper Paul Argney to send the shootout into sudden death.

Tidiam Gomis missed the first effort for Les Blues, and Kabar held his nerve to claim an historic trophy for Germany. Paris Brunner, who finished the tournament with five goals, was voted the best player, but goalkeeper Heide, who was the backup until the semifinal and then the hero in the penalty shootouts against Argentina and France, was also instrumental to the success.David Odogu and Charles Herrmann were also outstanding for the champions.

The Super Eagles will camp in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to prepare for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) billed to hold in Cote d’Ivoire next year, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said.

NFF Media Director, Ademola Olajire, told sportswriters that the federation is working on Super Eagles’ programme for the Nations Cup, which is less than three months away.

He said: “The Super Eagles camping details are not out yet, but they will camp in the UAE.”

The Super Eagles recently played two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, securing a stalemate in the two games, which according to the NFF, was part of preparations for the AFCON.

The biennial African football tournament will kick off on January 13, 2024, at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan, with the final set for 11 February 2024.

The Eagles are in Group A alongside hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

On the fate of Super Falcons Coach, Randy Waldrum, who has not been with the team since leading Nigeria to the second round of the Australia/New Zealand Women’s World Cup, Olajire said the situation was still being reviewed, adding that the NFF will make the final pronouncement on the substantive coach in due course.

“I don’t know the excitement about the Falcons coaching job. When a decision is taken, it will be made public,” he said.

Former AC Milan Sporting Director, Paolo Maldini says there was no need for the Rossoneri to sign Samuel Chukwueze, Christian Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek in the last transfer window.

Samuel Chukwueze joined AC Milan from Villareal for thirty million euros while Christian Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek were bought from Chelsea FC as Stephan Pioli reinforced for the new season.

55-year old Maldin who famously represented Milan as a player and most recently as Technical Director tagged the transfer business as unnecessary, saying it cannot be compared to previous four transfer window additions.

“The narrative on this issue made me smile a little. You don’t have to inconvenience the algorithms to take Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic and Chukwueze, there was no need to sign them. 

” You can’t compare the previous four transfer windows with the last one, we fought on the market with different weapons,” Maldini told Republica.

Maldini is obviously not over the decision to sack him as technical director six-months ago and so is critcal about the clubs dealing and results this season.

Meanwhile, contrary to Maldini’s opinion, Christian Pulisic has been a key feature in Stephan Pioli’s side this season.

The American was fantastic in the Rossoneri’s most recent win over Frosinone on Saturday, December 2, 2023, scoring the second goal as AC Milan won 3-1 to bury dissapointments from their UCL loss in midweek.

Loftus-Cheek and Samuel Chukwueze also started the game and were rated highly after a fantastic evening at the San Siro where Maldini flourished as a defender in his playing days.

Nigerian winger, Samuel Chukwueze scored his first goal for the club in the Champions League loss vs Borussia Dortmund and has in recent weeks delivered consistent great performances to earn the praise of manager Stephan Pioll.

While Pulisic has featured 17-times already this season, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Samuel Chukwueze have made 13 appearances for Stephan Pioli’s side.

For the second time in about 30 years, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will be relocating its headquarters in Egypt.

At the moment, the continental football governing body is located at 6^th October City, a suburb of the mega city of Cairo.

It relocated their in the early 1990s from Gabalaya area of the Cairo at the bank of the Nile River. However, Egyptian outlet, Ahram has reported that CAF has signed a cooperation protocol with the Egyptian Administrative Capital, along with the Egyptian Sports Ministry, to build a new headquarters for the football governing body.

Egypt’s Minister of Sports, Ashraf Sobhy, attended the signing ceremony on Thursday and expressed the country’s support for CAF’s plans for African football development.

In a statement released on Friday, Egypt’s sports ministry said, “The protocol outlines the establishment of a new headquarters for CAF, which will be relocated from the 6th of October City to the New Administrative Capital.”

According to the statement, the new CAF headquarters will be built on a 20-acre plot in the northern part of the R3 area in the New Administrative Capital.

The Administrative Capital company will be responsible for constructing the new headquarters, following the directives of the Egyptian president.

Sobhy emphasized Egypt’s commitment to supporting and developing African football, stating that the new headquarters would serve as a significant landmark in the New Administrative Capital.

“The relocation of CAF headquarters to the New Administrative Capital confirms Egypt’s status as the mecca of Africa and the world, showcasing its advancements in sports infrastructure,” said Egypt’s Minister of Sports.

Meanwhile, CAF President Patrice Motsepe praised Egypt’s role in football development on the continent and emphasized the importance of the New Administrative Capital and Egypt’s leadership in Africa.

“My desire has always been to keep the CAF headquarters in Egypt, and it should remain in Egypt,” said Motsepe, as quoted in the statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Sports.

Motsepe further expressed the Confederation’s appreciation for the administrative capital by saying, “Building a new headquarters for CAF in east Cairo is a testament to the Confederation’s gratitude towards the administrative capital.”

The 61-year-old South African, Motsepe, extended his gratitude to the Egyptian people for their support and contributions to CAF over the years.

In February 2020, Egypt signed an agreement whereby Cairo will host the headquarters of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for ten more years.

The agreement was signed by Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi and CAF former chief Ahmad Ahmad.

The agreement stipulates that the host country offers utilities, including electricity, water, gas, sanitation, telephone, and civil protection for CAF, in addition to a package of tax and customs privileges.

The hosting agreement between CAF and the government started in 2007 for five years and was automatically extended in 2012 for another five years before expiring in 2017.

Egypt, which was one of the founders of the CAF in 1957, has been hosting the headquarters since its headquaters relocated from  Sudanese Football Association in Khartoum until it experienced a fire outbreak

Victor Boniface has scored his 8th league goal for Bayer Leverkusen in a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund.

The Nigerian striker’s 79th-minute goal canceled out Julian Ryerson’s effort for the visitors, securing a vital point for Xabi Alonso’s side.

Watch The Goal Below:

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So far this season, Bayer Leverkusen remain unbeaten in the league with 11 wins, and 2 draws (Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund) in 13 games.

Bayer Leverkusen League Records So Far:

Win – 11
Draw – 2
Defeat – 0

Also, Victor Boniface has contributed 13 league goals (8 goals, 5 assists) in 13 games for Leverkusen.

Victor Boniface’s Goal Contributions In The League So Far:

Goals – 8
Assists – 5
Games – 13

The Super Falcons of Nigeria delegation have arrived in Cape Verde ahead of their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier return-leg fixture.

The Falcons shared update of their arrival in Praia, 2023 on Sunday, December 3, 2023.

Coach Justin Madugu tutored Super Falcons made their task in Praia easy with a 5-0 spanking of Cape Verde in the first-leg decided at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja last week.

Uchenna Kalu and Esther Okoronkwo scored twice while Gift Monday added one other as the Falcons secured a big-win that makes the return-leg a less tensed affair.

The return leg will take place at the 15,000-capacity, Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde in Praia on Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Nigeria would be favourites to claim another win against the Cape Verdeans who are ranked 134th in the World.

Cape Verde will need to win by six goals to overturn the deficit vs Nigeria and grab ticket to the WAFCON.

The Super Falcons have never lost by a three-goal margin to any African opposition in all competitions in their history.

Nigeria have never missed any edition of the WAFCON and have been crowned champions of the competition nine-times in the twelve editions held.

The Super Falcons finished fourth at the last edition of the women’s cup of nations, losing their title to South Africa.

Morocco will host the 2024 WAFCON.