Category sport-news

Nigeria have named a 24-man squad for the 2026 World Cup playoff, recalling Udinese goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye for the tie against the Panthers of Gabon.

The Super Eagles’ list also included long-time absentee and Sevilla forward, Chidera Ejuke and Raphael Onyedika.

Okoye returns after serving a two-month ban for involvement in betting. Onyedika is making the list following his missing of the final games of the World Cup qualifier due to injury.

The squad features regulars like Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen; captain William Troost-Ekong; Alex Iwobi of Fulham; Ademola Lookman; Samuel Chukwueze, Calvin Bassey and Simon Moses.

Others are fast-rising defender, Benjamin Fredericks; Akor Adams of Sevilla; forwards Tolu Arokodare, Olusegun Olakunle among others.

Every player will fly into Morocco and converge in Rabat on Monday, 10th November.

READ ALSO: Nigeria To Face Gabon In 2026 World Cup Play-Offs

Nigeria will take on Gabon in the first semi-final of the playoffs at the Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat, Morocco on November 13.

The winner of that match will play either Cameroon or DR Congo in the final to take Africa’s only ticket for the intercontinental playoff billed for next year.

Nigeria’s Squad for 2026 World Cup Playoff

See the full list of Nigeria’s invitees for the 2026 World Cup playoff:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Maduka Okoya (Udinese FC, Italy)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium)

Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)

Alexander Isak will return to Liverpool training on Friday ahead of this weekend’s showdown against Manchester City but manager Arne Slot has pleaded for patience with the club’s record signing.

Isak, who signed in September from Newcastle for a British-record fee of £125 million ($164 million), has not played since coming off at half-time of the Champions League win in Frankfurt last month.

“He will train for the first time today with the team again, after being three weeks out,” Slot said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“I know that I said three weeks ago that his pre-season has ended so now it’s time for us to see where he is.

“But I have to come back to those words, because if you are three weeks only with the rehab, that doesn’t bring you back to the levels he was three weeks ago.”

Swedish international Isak has played just eight games for his new club since arriving at Anfield on transfer deadline day, and is yet to score a Premier League goal.

Slot said Isak, 26, would need time to get match fit.

“You cannot compare rehab with games of football or training sessions with the team,” said the Dutchman.

“As much as we try to replicate it, that’s simply not possible. So, again I have to say, give him some time.”

Slot also said he expects goalkeeper Alisson Becker to be available again immediately after the international window that follows the match with City.

City and Liverpool have dominated English football over the past decade but this year both clubs are playing catch-up with Arsenal, who are six points clear of Pep Guardiola’s second-placed team.

Champions Liverpool are a further point behind after a win against Aston Villa last week ended a four-match losing run.

Eighteen people are being held in Turkey in a probe into referees suspected of betting on football matches, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office said Friday.

Twenty-one people, including 17 referees and the president of a first division club, have had warrants issued for their arrests, the prosecutor’s office said, without specifying how many referees are among the 18 people being questioned.

The investigation is focusing on suspicions of match fixing and abuse of power.

The Disciplinary Council of the Turkish Football Federation had already suspended 149 referees last week accused of betting on matches in violation of a ban.

The suspensions range from eight to 12 months but the federation has not specified if any were suspected of betting on matches they referred.

Super Falcons’ Chiamaka Nnadozie, has been nominated in FIFA’s “The Best” women’s goalkeeper of the year category, a testament to her impressive form for both club and country in 2025. 

The world football governing body said the Nigerian was shortlisted for her performances from 11 August 2024 to 2 August 2025. 

Your nominees for #TheBest FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper 2025!

“The Nigerian was magnificent as Paris FC stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France final, keeping a clean sheet and then denying two penalties in the shootout,” FIFA wrote about the Brighton shot stopper. 

“Nnadozie also kept four shutouts in six games as the Super Falcons sunk Morocco in Rabat to reclaim the WAFCON title.”

READ ALSO: Osimhen Scores His First Champions League Hat-Trick

Africa’s finest. Chiamaka Nnadozie remains a force the world can’t ignore. pic.twitter.com/uGCcawaGi9

On the international front, the Nnadozie was a prominent member of Nigeria’s team which won the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for a record 10th time.

The goalkeeper played all six matches and conceeded just thrice – two in open play in the final – as the Super Falcons romped to the title in Morocco earlier in the year.

She kept four clean sheets in the competition, earning her rave reviews from pundits and fans alike.

Other goalkeepers in contention for the FIFA “The Best” women’s prize include Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany), Cata Coll (Spain), Christiane Endler (Chile), Hannah Hampton (England), Anna Moorhouse (England), and Phallon Tullis-Joyce (USA).

The FIFA “The Best” shortlist adds to the swelling number of nominations the 24-year-old has received for her impecable showing for both club and country.

Nnadozie was nominated for the 2025 Women’s Yachine Trophy at the Ballon d’Or where she ended fourth.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland has died at the age of 24, the NFL franchise said on Thursday.

The second-year player’s cause of death was not revealed.

Kneeland scored the first NFL touchdown of his career in a 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday when he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone.

READ ALSO: Osimhen Scores His First Champions League Hat-Trick

The Cowboys said in a statement: “It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning.

“Marshawn was a beloved team-mate and member of our organisation. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”

Kneeland missed six games of his rookie season in 2024 due to injury, but still played in 11 games with one start.

He had played in seven of the Cowboys’ games this season.

Dutch giants Ajax said Thursday they had sacked coach John Heitinga after a poor start to the season that has seen them rooted to the bottom of the Champions League table.

“Ajax is looking for a new head coach. In the meantime, Fred Grim will take over Heitinga’s duties,” the four-time European champions said in a statement.

READ ALSO: UCL: Chelsea Hit 10-Man Ajax For Five

Heitinga signed a two-year contract in May but has not been able to mastermind a turnaround in the club’s fortunes.

His contract would be terminated, Ajax said.

The club’s technical director, Alex Kroes, admitted it was a “painful decision.

“We know it can take time for a new coach to work with a squad that has undergone changes,” said Kroes.

“We have given John that time, but we believe it’s best for the club to appoint someone else to lead the team.”

Kroes himself offered his resignation, but the board asked him to stay in place to offer some continuity.

The technical director is under contract until the end of the season.

“Should the club appoint a new technical director earlier, I will hand over my responsibilities at that time,” he said.

The final straw appeared to be yet another humiliating loss in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Ajax lost 3-0 at home to Galatasaray, a bruising defeat that came on the back of a 5-1 thrashing away to Chelsea.

A 4-0 loss to Marseille and a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Inter Milan add up to a miserable record in Europe of zero points, one goal scored, and 14 conceded.

Domestically, Ajax currently sits in fourth place in the Dutch Eredivisie, languishing eight points behind place-setters Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven.

Ajax fans had jeered Heitinga at Stamford Bridge for his substitutions and the supporters appeared to have lost faith in their manager.

The Amsterdam-based club is still recovering from an extraordinary end to last season that saw them throw away the title from a seemingly impregnable position.

With only five matches to play, Ajax were nine points clear and seemingly cruising to the title.

But Ajax somehow contrived to hand the title to PSV Eindhoven, losing twice and drawing twice.

The season before, Ajax had suffered their worst-ever start to a campaign, at one point propping up the Eredivisie table.

Heitinga played at centre-back for Atletico Madrid, Everton and Fulham, retiring in 2016 after a brief second spell with boyhood club Ajax.

He played 87 times for the Netherlands but was sent off in extra time in the 1-0 loss to Spain in the 2010 World Cup final.