Category: Sport News

Tunde Omoniyi 

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed on Friday that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

De Bruyne, 33,who has won 14 major trophies since joining City from Wolfsburg in 2015, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023 has been instrumental in City’s rise to the dominant force in English football.

He said,“Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players, we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first,”

“Football led me to all of you – and to this city. Chasing my dream, not knowing this period would change my life. This City. This club. These people… gave me everything. I had no choice but to give everything back! And guess what – we won everything.”De Bruyne said in a post

The Belgian international was twice crowned players’ player of the year in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 and sits second in the Premier League’s all-time standings for assists on 118 and has scored 106 goals in 413 appearances for City.

“He’s one of the greatest we’ve ever seen,” said City manager Pep Guardiola.

“His assists, his goals, his vision in the final third, it’s so difficult to replace. What he’s done here for the past decade has been outstanding.”he said

Investigator news reports that De Bruyne’s contract is due to expire at the end of June but it remains unclear whether he will continue to see out his days as a City player at the Club World Cup, which runs from June 14 until July 13.

“Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter,” De Bruyne added. “Let’s enjoy these last moments together!

De Bruyne has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League or Major League Soccer in the United States.

The City captain’s influence has diminished in recent seasons due to injury problems.

He missed five months last season due to a hamstring tear.

This season he has made just 21 starts in City’s 47 matches in all competitions despite the struggles of Pep Guardiola’s side to match the standards they have set over the past decade.

City sit fifth in the Premier League, 22 points behind leaders Liverpool, and were comfortably beaten 6-3 on aggregate by Real Madrid in the Champions League play-off round.

De Bruyne has won over 100 caps as part of Belgium’s golden generation that finished third at the 2018 World Cup and quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and 2020, but fell short of the country’s first ever major tournament win.

After breaking through at Genk in his homeland, De Bruyne’s first experience of the Premier League did not go well as he was discarded by Chelsea after just nine appearances for the Blues.

It will be recalled that move to Wolfsburg kick-started his career as he was crowned German player of the season in 2014/15 as his side finished second to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

City’s £55 million ($72 million) move to bring him to Manchester was questioned at the time given De Bruyne’s struggles at Chelsea.

But he quickly proved his critics wrong and became an integral part of the side that under Guardiola enjoyed one of the most dominant stretches of success English football has ever seen.

City became the first English top-flight team to register 100 points in winning Guardiola’s first title in 2017/18.

A first ever domestic treble of Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup followed in 2018/19.

City then matched Manchester United’s feat as the only English side to win the treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in 2022/23.

They also became the first club to win four consecutive English top-flight titles between last season.

AFN

Emmanuel Clement 

Zimbabwe held Nigeria to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, shattering the Super Eagles’ chances of reaching the competition.

Victor Osimhen scored in the 74th minute before Zimbabwe pegged Nigeria back in the 90th minute.

Coming off the back of a 0-2 win over Rwanda on Friday, the Super Eagles were hopeful of reviving their World Cup dreams after faltering in their first four matches in the qualification race.

Against the Warriors of Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria began the match with a wave of chances to take the lead. But some brave defending and wastefulness from the visitors prevented Eric Chelle’s side from finding the net.

Nigeria intensified their quest for a goal but found it hard to break down the Zimbabwean defense. However, in the 74th minute, the Super Eagles had a breakthrough! Expectedly, Osimhen connected neatly to a Simon Moses low cross to nod home in the far post. 1-0 to the Super Eagles!

However, Zimbabwe almost levelled things up just immediately after Nigeria’s defence was cut nabbing. Only the crossbar saved the Super Eagles from conceding.

Nigerian looked like scoring another one, but Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi could not place his shot well when through on goal. The Super Eagles later paid for it as the defenders failed to snuff out a late Zimbabwean attack. Tawanda Chirewa beat goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali in his near post in the 90th minute to break Nigerian hearts!

With the draw, Nigeria are still rooted in fourth place with seven points from six games.

Meanwhile, South Africa cruised to a 0-2 win over the Benin Republic in another Group C match in the qualification race, a victory that take them closer to reaching the World Cup. The Bafana Bafana have a comfortable lead at the summit of the group, having gotten 13 points from six games. They are five points ahead of second-place Rwanda, who drew against Lesotho.

Only one team is guaranteed an automatic slot from the nine groups in the African qualification series. The four best losers go for a play-off, a prerequisite for an inter-continental playoff.

Emmanuel lkpeama.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have defeated Rwanda 2-0 on Friday night in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers to revive the team’s hopes of making it to the global competition.

Victor Osimhen’s first half brace was enough to give the Super Eagles the three points and first victory in the qualifiers.
Investigator news reports that it was the Super Eagles first game under new head coach, Eric Chelle.

The Galatasaray striker opened the scoring with a side-footed finish from Ademola Lookman’s free-kick.He doubled the Eagles’ advantage after stealing the ball on the halfway line and dinking it over the goalkeeper.

The result takes the three-time African champions up to third place in the group, following South Africa’s 2-0 win over Lesotho.

Super Eagles of Nigeria will now face Zimbabwe next on Tuesday 25, March 2025

……….As Chelle invites 23 Super Eagles Squad for Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Emmanuel lkpeama.

The Super Eagles’ Head Coach Éric Sékou Chelle has named goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Kayode Bankole, defenders William Ekong, Calvin Bassey and Olaoluwa Aina, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi, and forwards Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen and Simon Moses in his final list of 23 players for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Also in the final list are defenders Bruno Onyemaechi and Bright Osayi-Samuel, midfielders Raphael Onyedika and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and forwards Samuel Chukwueze and Sadiq Umar.

Czech Republic-based defender Igoh Ogbu makes the final cut, alongside home-based midfielder Papa Daniel Mustapha, and Belgium-based forward Tolu Arokodare.

Investigator news reports that Nigeria will confront group C leaders Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, 21st March before taking on Zimbabwe’s Warriors at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo four days later.

LIST OF 23 SUPER EAGLES FOR RWANDA, ZIMBABWE GAMES

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)

Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (Valencia FC, Spain); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium)

Tunde Omoniyi 

Kylian Mbappe brilliant hat-trick for Champions League holders Real Madrid in a 3-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday, helping Los Blancos reach the last 16 with a 6-3 aggregate victory and sending Manchester City out of the race.

Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a painful early exit without laying a glove on the completely dominant 15-time record winners until Nico Gonzalez tapped home in stoppage time.

French superstar Mbappe broke the deadlock with a lob in the fourth minute and netted a fine second after combining with his attacking partners as the English side were sliced open.

The striker, in sensational form after a slow start to life at Madrid, completed his treble in the second half with a low strike from the edge of the box to reach seven goals in the competition this season in 10 appearances.

City, who won the competition in 2023, were a far cry from their best as has been the case for much of their campaign.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side performed almost flawlessly in the first half and took the lead in the opening stages.

Mbappe shrugged off Ruben Dias and lofted the ball over City goalkeeper Ederson after young centre-back Raul Asencio played him in with a long pass.

Mbappe netted his second in the 33rd minute after Madrid’s “fantastic four” star players combined. Jude Bellingham fed Vinicius who rolled the ball across for Rodrygo, who nudged it to Mbappe.

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward moved inside to leave the flailing Josko Gvardiol sliding in the wrong direction and drilled home at the near post.

Guardiola had claimed City only had “one percent chance” of beating Madrid and his team played like they believed him.

Investigator news reports that Mbappe departed to a standing ovation and Madrid continued to create chances in his absence but could not take them, as the home fans marvelled at the ease of their team’s victory, against an opponent with whom they have shared many close battles in the past decade.

The visitors pulled a goal back in stoppage time when Omar Marmoush crashed a free-kick against the crossbar and Gonzalez rolled home the rebound, but it offered scant consolation.

City have now lost 13 games in their last 26 across all competitions, and face Premier League leaders Liverpool next on Sunday, with a battle to finish in the top four on their hands.

Madrid, by contrast, are still in the running for three major competitions and with Mbappe in such sensational form, believe they can win all of them.

Next up in the last 16 is a clash with either city rivals Atletico or German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Emmanuel Clement

Arsenal on Sunday claimed an emphatic 5-1 victory over defending champions Manchester City at the Emirates to keep pace with Premiership log leaders Liverpool.

In the battle between the sides that have finished in the top for the past two seasons, the Gunners prevailed to move within six points of leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Investigator news reports that Arsenal were gifted the perfect start inside two minutes as Manuel Akanji lost possession and Kai Havertz squared for Martin Odegaard to open the scoring.

Havertz exposed Arsenal’s lack of a clinical goalscorer when he wasted a glorious chance to double the lead.

That could have proved costly when Erling Haaland headed in his 250th career club goal early in the second half to bring City level.

But the defending champions are a pale shadow of their former selves this season and conceded within 105 seconds of the restart when Thomas Partey’s shot deflected in off John Stones.

Myles Lewis-Skelly would have been suspended if his controversial red card in a 1-0 win at Wolves last weekend had not been overturned.

The 18-year-old made the most of that reprieve by curling in Arsenal’s third for his first goal for the club.

It will be recalled that Haaland had told Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to “stay humble” after a bad-tempered clash between the sides ended 2-2 in September.

Havertz fired low and hard into the far corner with City cut open at will by the Arsenal counter-attack.

And another Arsenal teenager rounded off the rout when Ethan Nwaneri curled home in stoppage time.

This defeat leaves City still in fourth but now 15 points off the top and realistically dethroned after four consecutive seasons as champions.

Tunde Omoniyi 

Real Madrid’s away match at Valencia in La Liga this weekend was postponed on Thursday by the Spanish football federation due to floods that have killed more than 95 people.

Villarreal’s home match against Rayo Vallecano was also suspended after the devastating flash floods in eastern Spain.

La Liga asked the Spanish football federation (RFEF) to postpone Valencia and Villarreal’s matches on Saturday, as well as three second division games involving teams from affected areas.

“It has been agreed to postpone matches that were to be played in professional and non-professional competitions, both in 11-a-side football and in indoor football (in the Valencia region),” the RFEF said in a statement.

Investigator news reports that the federation had already postponed several midweek Copa del Rey first round matches including Valencia’s game against Parla Escuela.

A moment of silence for the flood victims will be held at matches this weekend in Spain, including league leaders Barcelona’s Catalan derby against Espanyol on Sunday.

 

AFP

Felicia Asuquo, Abuja 

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has strongly condemned the recent actions of Libyan authorities, who held the Nigerian Super Eagles and their officials hostage at Al Abaq Airport.

This incident occurred after the Nigerian aircraft, originally en route to Benghazi, was diverted to another city over a two-hour drive from the intended destination, just an hour before landing.

This diversion caused significant distress to the Super Eagles team, officials, and support staff, who were left stranded and subjected to unnecessary delays. The Honourable Minister expressed deep concern over the poor treatment of the team, particularly as they were in Libya for an international engagement.

“Such actions by the Libyan authorities are deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. Holding our national team and officials hostage under any circumstances violates not only international sporting protocols but also the principles of respect and hospitality that should be extended to all visiting teams. The Nigerian government will not tolerate any form of disrespect or mistreatment toward our players and officials,” Senator Enoh stated.

The Honourable Minister emphasized that the safety and welfare of the Super Eagles and their officials remain the government’s top priority. He assured Nigerians that the Ministry of Sports Development is working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, relevant diplomatic channels, and other stakeholders to ensure the immediate and safe release of the team and their safe passage to their destination.

“We are in close contact with the appropriate authorities, and we are sparing no effort in ensuring that this situation is resolved swiftly. I urge everyone to remain calm while we engage diplomatically to address this matter,” Senator Enoh added.

The Honourable Minister further called on the Libyan authorities to respect international sporting relations and the fundamental rights of athletes and officials traveling for official purposes. He stressed that sports diplomacy is a vital tool for fostering global unity, and such incidents should not be allowed to occur again.

Nigeria remains committed to strengthening international relations through sports, but it will not shy away from defending the rights and dignity of its athletes and officials when they are unfairly treated.

The Minister expressed his gratitude to the Nigerian public for their patience and support during this challenging time and reassured everyone that every necessary measure is being taken to bring the Super Eagles safely to their destination.

 

……As Afcon qualifying kicks off.

Emmanuel lkpeama 

Nigeria Super Eagles under caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen will be guided when they seek revenge against neighbours Benin as 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying kicks off on Wednesday.

Eguavoen was a late replacement after German Bruno Labbadia reportedly changed his mind about taking charge because the Nigeria Football Federation declined to foot his tax bill.

The team under Coach Eguavoen has  lined up to confront compatriot Gernot Rohr, who masterminded a 2-1 victory by Benin over Nigeria three months ago in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.

It will be recalled that in the last encounter,Jodel Dossou and Steve Mounie scored for the Benin Cheetahs as they came from behind to stun opponents 52 places higher in the world rankings.

Victory was particularly sweet for 71-year-old Rohr as he spent five years in charge of Nigeria before being sacked amid mounting public pressure related to disappointing results.

Investigator news reports that losing to Benin triggered the departure of former star Finidi George after just four matches as the Super Eagles coach.

Nigeria were runners-up to host Ivory Coast in the 2024 Cup of Nations final and are blessed with abundant attacking talent.u

Investigator news gathered that reigning African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface and Ademola Lookman are some of the stars Eguavoen can choose for the Group D showdown in southeastern city Uyo.

 

Emmanuel lkpeama 

The organizers of the 2024 Tico/Select Pre-Season Tournament have come under fire for their decision to proceed with the event less than 24 hours after Heartland FC suffered a devastating accident.

Investigator news reports that the tragic incident, which occurred en route to Abakaliki for the tournament, resulted in the death of former Nigerian international coach Christian Obi and left several players and officials injured.

Coach Christian Obi aged 57, was a respected figure in Nigerian football, known for his role as a youth international goalkeeper and his participation in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

His untimely death is a significant loss to the football community, and the lack of empathy shown by the tournament organizers, according to Nigerian football enthusiasts, is deeply troubling.

Despite the gravity of the situation, the tournament kicked off as scheduled on Saturday, August 24, 2024 in Ebonyi State with Excellent FC defeating Mathias FC 1-0 in the opening match.

Comments on social media have raised serious questions about the organizers’ priorities and sense of decency.

Leading the criticism was Nsikaba Akpan who wrote on his Facebook handle: “I am deeply disappointed with the organizers of the 2024 Tico/Select Pre-Season Tournament for their insensitive decision to proceed with the event less than 24 hours after Heartland FC suffered a tragic accident that resulted in the loss of former Nigerian international Coach Christian Obi.

Despite the gravity of the situation, including the loss of a respected figure in Nigerian football and injuries sustained by other members of the Heartland FC team, the tournament was kicked off as scheduled. This decision displays a shocking lack of empathy and respect for those affected by the accident.

“It is not only appropriate but necessary for organizers to pause and show solidarity with those in mourning. In this case, a brief delay would have been a meaningful gesture to honor the memory of Coach Obi and offer support to the injured players. To proceed with the competition as if nothing had happened is profoundly insensitive and undermines the human element of sportsmanship.

“A more considerate approach would have been to reschedule the opening day of the tournament, allowing time for mourning and providing support to the victims and their families. In situations like these, a demonstration of compassion and respect should take precedence over the strict adherence to a schedule.”he submitted.