The Super Eagles camp for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Leone Stars of Sierra Leone will open on Sunday (today) in Lagos.

Head coach, Jose Peseiro summoned 23 players for the matchday five encounter on Friday.

The team will camp at the Eko Hotel and Suites and train at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.

The players are expected to start arriving at camp later today.

The Super Eagles will have their first training session on Monday.

The three-time African champions top Group A of the qualifiers with nine points.

A draw will be enough for the West Africans to seal a place in Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

The game is billed for Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium, Monrovia on Sunday, June 18.

Nathaniel Ezekiel says he is frustrated with his third-place finish in the 400 hurdles at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships, missing a silver medal by one-hundredth of a second.

The Nigerian was sure of mounting the podium as 2023 NCAA 400m hurdles champion and join Miles Ukaoma as the second Nigerian to win the title but he stumbled at the crucial moment in the race.

‘When I came off the ninth hurdle, I kind of lost my balance a little bit. I tried to recover, but the other guy (Robinson) came through,’ the Nigerian told his school, Baylor University’s website.

Coming off the final curve, Ezekiel had the lead and was clean through the eighth hurdle. But that mistake over hurdle No. 9 was too much to overcome.

Nathaniel says his goal was to join two-time NCAA 400-meter hurdles champion and Hall of Famer Bayano Kamani (1999 and 2001) at the top of the podium.

‘The goal was to win, because I feel like I’m stronger than anyone, without a doubt. I just know that I’m stronger than them. I tried my best to win, it just
didn’t happen.’

Alabama’s duo of Chris Robinson and Corde Long went 1-2 at 48.12 and 48.53, respectively, with Ezekiel third in 48.54.

It has been confirmed that a new team will represent Nigeria in the upcoming WAFU B Women’s CAF Champions League qualifier this year after Delta Queens defeated Bayelsa Queens on Sunday.

The final of the Nigeria Women’s Football League was held on Sunday at the Stephen Keshi International Stadium and it was Delta Queens that emerged victorious with a 2-1 win.

Defending champions Bayelsa Queens silenced the home crowd in the 14th minute after Henry Chisom scored an own goal.

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Delta Queens proved to be the better side, especially in the second half and the home crowd gave them all needed support from the sideline.

Chinaza Agoh netted the leveller in the 67th minute through an acrobatic kick and she finally sealed up the game in the 86th minute and handed Delta Queens a well-deserved win.

The victory ensured WAFU B ticket for the team and also an N10 million naira cash prize while Bayelsa Queens get N5 million naira for finishing second.

Rivers United was the first to represent the country in the maiden edition of the CAF Champions League, while Bayelsa Queens represented the country in 2022.

In the latest update by German-based footballing statistic website, Transfermarkt, Nigerian forward Gift Orban is the most valuable player in the Jupiler Pro League with a market value of €20m.

The 20-year-old has been nothing short of exceptional following his €3.5m transfer from Norwegian club Stabaek to Gent in January.

The energetic forward holds the record for the fastest hat trick ever witnessed in a UEFA club competition after scoring three goals within the space of just 205 seconds against Istanbul Basaksehir in March.

Orban’s outstanding display has seen him score 20 goals and registered two assists in 22 appearances for Gent, helping them to the league’s playoffs where he found the back of the net on six occasions in six games.

His impressive statistics in front of goals have seen Barcelona linked with the young striker.

Just six months since making the switch to Gent for a miserly €3.5m, the forward’s fine performance has seen his value rise astronomically to €20m, the highest in the whole of Belgium.

Following the Nigerian on the list of the most valuable players is Royal Antwerp’s defensive midfielder,  Arthur Vermeeren, who is valued at €17m.

Genk’s Mike Trésor and Club Brugge’s Noa Lang are joint third with a market value of €15m.

Completing the top 5 is Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Brugge) with a market value of €14m.

Meanwhile, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise striker Victor Boniface is joint-seventh in the ranking of most valuable players in Belgium with a valuation of €12m, along with Genk’s Joseph Paintsil.

A drop in the value of Club Brugge Raphael Onyedika saw the Nigerian ranked 23rd in the Belgium league with a value of €9m.

Following a difficult 2022/23 season, with Ligue 1 side, Nantes, according to famous French sports daily, L’Equipe, Super Eagles forward, Moses Simon may have made his last appearance for the club as talks to part ways with the Green and Yellows is ongoing.

By his standards, Simon produced his worst performance as The Canaries manage to survive relegation thanks to the victory against Angers on the last day of the championship.

The 27-year-old joined Nantes in 2020 and has a year left on his running contract.

Despite efforts to tie the Nigerian to a long-term contract, Simon had declined offers from the Canaries as he wished to ply his trade elsewhere next season.

L’Equipe, however, reported that the exit of the winger had been agreed upon by all parties involved and permission had been given for the player to discuss terms with other clubs.

“According to information from the sports daily, four players would no longer be part of FC Nantes’ plans for next season,” Tribunenantaise quoted L’Equipe as saying.

“Moses Simon will not be retained.

“Moses Simon, a major player in the beautiful 2021/22 season of the Canaries, has been in difficulty this season. The Nigerian failed to be so hard-hitting in duels on his left side. Nantes number 27 has not found the net in the league since November 13  (2-2 against AC Ajaccio).”

Meanwhile, another French outlet, Ouest, reported that fellow Ligue 1 side, Nice, who have been interested in the Nigerian since last summer, have reignited their interest in the player.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said his team’s maiden Champions League title was “written in the stars” after their final victory over Inter Milan on Saturday.Rodri’s 68th-minute strike proved enough for City to finally get their hands on club football’s biggest trophy, despite having to ride their luck as Inter missed several second-half chances.

“It’s so difficult to win it,” Guardiola told BT Sport after the nervy 1-0 win.

“They (his players) are really good. Be patient, I said at half-time. You have to be lucky. (Goalkeeper) Ederson or they miss it, they could draw. This competition is a coin.

“It was written in the stars. It belongs to us.”

Guardiola has now won the trophy three times after his previous triumphs with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.

ity’s victory also clinched a treble following their Premier League and FA Cup successes this season.

“After the World Cup the team made a step forward and we were there,” added Guardiola.

“We’re going to celebrate in the hotel with family and friends. Monday the parade is in Manchester. With this competition, the treble is so difficult.”

City had suffered several near-misses in the Champions League since being taken over by their Abu Dhabi backers in 2008, including a defeat by Chelsea in the final two years ago.

Manchester City won their first Uefa Champions League on Saturday night beating Internationale Milan 1-0 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Turkey.

Rodri’s well-taken goal in the 68th was enough to see Citizens become just the second English team to win The Treble after Manchester United in 1999.

City manager Pep Guardiola also claimed his third Champions League trophy and becomes the first manager to win the Treble with two different clubs.

Here are seven other facts behind the game as provided by Opta.
1. Manchester City become the first team since rivals Manchester United in 2007/08 to go a full Champions League campaign unbeaten.

2. The last four Champions League finals have now all ended 1-0, more than the previous 27 finals combined.

3. City striker Julian Alvarez became just the third player this century to win both the World Cup and the Champions League in the same season.

4. Erling Haaland finishes the season as the Champions League top scorer with 12 goals. The Norwegian star also becomes just the fourth player in history to both finishes as both Premier League and UCL top scorer in the same season after Dwight Yorke (1998/99), Ruud Van Nistlerooy (2002/03) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08).

5. Rodri also became the first central midfielder to score in the Champions League final since Real Madrid’s Casemiro back in 2017.

6. That strike meant that all seven goals scored in the Champions League finals at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium had all come at the same end of the pitch.

7. Manchester City have scored 100+ goals more than they’ve conceded in three of the last five seasons (18-19, 21-22, 22-23) – prior to Pep Guardiola’s arrival, no English top-flight side had ever scored 100+ more than they had conceded in a single campaign.

Pep Guardiola won his 35th trophy as a manager after Manchester City beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final on Saturday.

• Guardiola became only the second manager to win the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies after Alex Ferguson with Manchester United (1998-99).
• The treble with City is the second of Guardiola’s career after his Barcelona side won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in his debut season (2008-09).
•  Guardiola became only the fourth manager to win the European Cup at least three times after Carlo Ancelotti (four titles – two each with AC Milan and Real Madrid), Bob Paisley (Liverpool) and Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid).

The following are the trophies the 52-year-old Spaniard won with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.

Barcelona (14 trophies between 2008 and 2012)

* LaLiga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

* Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11

* Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12

* Spanish Supercup: 2009, 2010, 2011

* UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011

* FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011

Bayern Munich (7 trophies from 2013 to 2016)

* Bundesliga: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16

* DFB Pokal: 2013–14, 2015–16

* UEFA Super Cup: 2013

* FIFA Club World Cup: 2013

Manchester City (14 trophies since 2016)

* Premier League: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23

* FA Cup: 2018–19, 2022–23

* Champions League: 2022-23

* League Cup: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21

* Community Shield: 2018, 2019