
SPORTS
FIFA on Friday imposed four-match suspensions on Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera and Jose Maria Gimenez.
While Diego Godin and Edinson Cavani were suspended for a game each after they confronted the referee following their World Cup match against Ghana.
FIFA launched proceedings against the players who angrily harangued the referee after crashing out of the tournament in Qatar, in spite of beating Ghana 2-0 in their final group match on Dec. 2.
In the Group H deciders, Uruguay had one foot in the last 16 before South Korea scored in stoppage time to beat Portugal 2-1 and went through by virtue of scoring one goal more than the South Americans over their three matches.
German referee, Daniel Siebert, decided not to award penalties for tackles on Darwin Nunez in the opening half and Cavani in the dying minutes, with striker Luis Suarez saying after the game that FIFA was “against Uruguay”.
The players will also have to carry out football-related community service and will pay fines of up to 20,000 Swiss francs ($21,701).
The Uruguayan FA was additionally fined 50,000 Swiss francs for the behavior of its supporters and team members, FIFA said.
Uruguay was also ordered to partially close their stadium for their next FIFA “A” international match as hosts.
Arsenal’s away FA Cup squad to face Manchester City has been revealed.
According to Football London, Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, has named 25 players to face Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth-round tie on Friday night at Etihad Stadium.
Arteta’s side head to the game after beating Manchester United 3-2 in their last game in the Premier League.
Here is Arsenal’s full squad against Manchester City:
Goalkeepers: Aaron Ramsdale, Matt Turner, Karl Hein.
Defenders: Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Rob Holding, William Saliba, Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Lino Sousa, Jakub Kiwior.
Midfielders: Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Martin Odegaard, Fabio Vieira, Matt Smith, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Ethan Nwaneri.
Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, Marquinhos, Emile Smith Rowe, Leandro Trossard.
The kick-off time for Man City vs Arsenal is 9 pm.
Everton are expected to name Sean Dyche as their new manager.
The Toffees will appoint Dyche after failing to convince former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa.
Bielsa has reservations over whether the current Everton squad can adapt to his high-energy style.
Sky Sports News claims the cost of bringing Bielsa in also meant the deal was a difficult one to do.
Dyche will replace Frank Lampard, who was sacked earlier in the week.
He has been out of work since he was fired by Burnley last April after 10 years in the role.
Nigeria forward, Paul Onuachu is expected to link up with Bundesliga club, Eintracht Frankfurt before the end of the current transfer window, according to various reports in Belgium.
The UEFA Europa League champions are pushing to sign Onuachu as a replacement for France forward Kolo Muani.
Frankfurt reportedly offered €15 for the Nigeria international this week.
His Belgian Pro League club, KRC Genk are, however, looking to sell for around €25m.
There is renewed hope both clubs will come to an agreement on the transfer fee.
Onuachu has been tipped to leave Genk after he emerged top scorer in Belgium two seasons ago.
The lanky striker has scored 14 goals in 18 league appearances for the Smurfs this season.
Chelsea is among the three English Premier League, EPL, clubs fighting to sign Brighton’s Moises Caicedo.
This was disclosed by transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, in a tweet via his Twitter handle.
According to Romano, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal are battling for Caicedo’s signature.
Romano tweeted, Three clubs are exploring Caicedo deal after new agents’ statement: Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are informed on the situation.
Brighton, not intentioned to sell unless they receive really huge proposal.
Caicedo, an Ecuador international, could cost over £60 million.
Remo Stars head coach, Daniel Ogunmodede, hailed his players after they maintained their perfect start in the Nigeria Premier Football League this season.
The Sky Blue Stars defeated Shooting Stars 2-0 in the South West derby at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne, on Wednesday.
Ogunmodede’s side improved their record to three wins out of three.
Remo Stars now occupy the top position in Group A with nine points from three games.
The gaffer took to social media to celebrate the win.
A very interesting Southwest Derby with Shooting Stars. Satisfied with the victory & clean sheet.Good job to the players, Ogunmodede wrote on his Twitter handle.
Remo Stars will face Bendel Insurance in their next game at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, on Sunday.
Mike Tyson Faces New US Rape Lawsuit
Written by AdminA woman in New York state has filed a civil suit against Mike Tyson, accusing the former boxing champion of raping her in a limousine in the early 1990s, according to court filings.
The woman, who asked the court to remain anonymous, filed her complaint in early January under a temporary New York state law allowing victims of sexual assault to seek civil damages regardless of the statute of limitations.
Tyson spent three years in jail beginning in 1992 after being found guilty of raping model Desiree Washington, who was 18 at the time.
In a short affidavit dated December 23, 2022, the plaintiff states that she met the boxer at a nightclub “in the early 1990s,” then followed him into his limousine, where he allegedly assaulted her before raping her.
“As a result of Tyson’s rape, I suffered and continue to suffer from physical, psychological and emotional injury,” she said.
She is seeking $5 million in damages.
By late Tuesday, Tyson had not issued any public statement.
Born in Brooklyn in 1966, Tyson had a turbulent childhood before becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion in the 1980s, terrifying his opponents with his fury in the ring and a phenomenal punching power.
But after his prison sentence, he could not retain his titles.
In a notorious 1996 matchup, Tyson bit off a piece of his opponent Evander Holyfield’s ear.
Gripped by depression and addiction, he continued to make headlines, notably for a one-man show in which he described his life’s many ups and downs.
He has recently launched into the cannabis industry with his own brand of marijuana products, and hosts a podcast.
Two Real Madrid players are set to join Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.
Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez tends to favour selling off ageing players rather than keeping them longer than necessary at Santiago Bernabeu.
The likes of Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Casemiro have all departed Real Madrid in recent years when they easily could have been kept until retirement.
Real Madrid are aiming towards having a younger squad, and that will involve offloading players over the age of 30.
Two players that fall into this bracket are Luka Modric and Eden Hazard.
Modric, 37, has only got better with age, although he has been poor so far this season.
Hazard, 32, has had an awful spell in Real Madrid since joining the LaLiga champions from Chelsea a few years ago and Los Blancos want to cash in.
According to Sport, selling Modric and Hazard is an option and there is interest in their services from Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.
Real Madrid will be keen to sell both players as they are on high wages.
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday captained the Old Boys of Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, (BBHS) in a novelty football match against staff of the school.
The novelty match, which was part of activities of the 100th anniversary celebration of the school, was played at school ground, Saje, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Obasanjo, who is a former student of the school, was the captain of his side and star attraction for spectators, many of whom are also former students of the school.
In the novelty match which was between old students of the college and former teachers of the school, the former president scored a hattrick to end it 3-0 in favour of his side.
Among old students in the game included Bukola Olopade, a former Sports Commissioner in Ogun State; and Hakeem Akintunde, who is the Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in the state.
Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher, has tipped Arsenal to win the Premier League title this season.
Carragher was speaking on Monday Night Football a day after the Gunners defeated Manchester United 3-2 at the Emirates.
The result sees Mikel Arteta’s men restore their five-point gap at the top ahead of champions Manchester City.
Arsenal now have 50 points, having played 19 games in the 2022/2023 campaign.
When Carragher was asked the other teams to make the top four, he replied, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle.
Newcastle aren’t involved in Europe and when I watch them play there is so much energy. They have the best defence in the Premier League, I’ve been so impressed with them. It feels like there is a togetherness between the players and the crowd, like at Arsenal.
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Former Manchester United captain, Gary Neville, has predicted that Newcastle United will fail to finish in the Premier League top four this season.
The Magpies are currently in third place on the log with 39 points from 20 matches.
Eddie Howe’s men, who are having a fantastic season, are only behind leaders Arsenal and Manchester City.
They also boast the best defensive record in the English top flight, having conceded only 11 times all campaign.
However, Neville, speaking on Monday Night Football, believes Newcastle will run out of steam and Tottenham will clinch the final Champions League spot.
I said Manchester United would finish above Arsenal, and I’m sticking with it. You can be wrong with predictions!
Neville said, Newcastle have been incredible, but it will be unbelievable if they could sustain it until the end of the season.
Chelsea legend Jason Cundy has named Harry Kane as the all-round better striker than Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
According to him, the England captain would even be a better fit in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team than Haaland.
Harry Kane scored the only goal as Tottenham beat Fulham in the Premier League on Monday, meaning that he has scored a total of 16 goals in 21 top-flight games.
His impressive 16 goals in 21 could have easily gone unnoticed due to the excellent form of Erling Haaland, who has 25.
But Cundy still sees the England international as the best striker in the Premier League and better than the Norwegian.
Cundy, who played for both Chelsea and Tottenham between 1988 and 1992, said he is a fan of superstars but insisted that the Englishman is a better frontman than Haaland.
Harry Kane is a better fit for Man City than Haaland. He’s a better all-round player technically and he’s better in terms of linking up play. He can drop deep, players can run beyond him.
The former Chelsea man believes that Kane can also score the same amount of goals as Haaland, if not more if put in the Manchester City team.
EPL: I’ve been blown away by your progression – Owen Hargreaves hails Arsenal star
Written by Editor 1Former Manchester United and Manchester City midfielder, Owen Hargreaves, has heaped praises on Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah for his impressive display for the Gunners this season.
Hargreaves said he had been blown away by Nketiah’s progress for Arsenal this season.
Nketiah scored a brace for Arsenal in their 3-2 win over Man United last weekend.
He has been impressive for Mikel Arteta’s side in the absence of injured Gabriel Jesus.
I think now his teammates are going to see him in a different light. As much as they probably love him and respect him, when you score two goals against Manchester United like that, you put yourself in a different category, Hargreaves told The Kelly and Wrighty Show.
You are not an academy player anymore. You are an established player. When Gabriel Jesus comes back, you could probably flip a coin. Is he going to walk back into the side? I have been blown away by his progression.
Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher has said Harry Kane will go down as Tottenham’s greatest-ever player.
Kane scored the only goal as Tottenham beat Fulham in the Premier League.
It was the England captain’s 16th goal in 21 top-flight games this season.
His impressive 16 goals in 21 could have easily gone unnoticed due to the excellent form of Erling Haaland, who has 25.
Carragher told Sky Sports that the England striker had been consistent year after year in scoring 25-30 goals a season.
He added, He is one of the best we’ve seen, there’s no doubt about that.
Think at the end of his career he’ll go past Jimmy Greaves. We know that he’ll go down as Tottenham’s greatest player.