Category sport-news

Nigeria’s dreams of making the 2026 World Cup may not be over yet! This is because FIFA is investigating the DR Congo over player eligibility in the play-off for the competition.

The Super Eagles lost to the Leopards of DR Congo in November in the final of the African playoffs for the competition.

But the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Secretary General Mohammed Sanusi told Channels Television that Nigeria has written to FIFA to investigate DR Congo’s use of ineligible players during the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs in Morocco.

Nigeria are accusing the Congolese FA of deceit in the clearance of players for their national team despite a contravention of the country’s citizenship rules. 

Sanusi told reporters that DR Congo’s laws forbids having dual nationality and said many of the country’s players at the playoffs had both Congolese and European passports. 

“FIFA cleared the players because FIFA’s eligibility rule is different from DR Congo’s rule. FIFA regulations say that once you have the passport of your country, you are eligible,” the NFF scribe said. 

“But our contention is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them. Because it is not the responsibility of FIFA to ensure that the regulations of DR Congo are being abided by. It was on the basis of what was presented to FIFA that the players were cleared. But we are saying it was fraudulent.”

READ ALSO: [W/Cup] DR Congo To Play Jamaica/New Caledonia In Intercontinental Playoffs (FULL FIXTURES)

The Super Eagles lost 4-3 in the final of the playoffs, ending their hopes of reaching the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada. 

The Leopards will play the winners of the game between Jamaica and New Caledonia in the final of the intercontinental playoffs for a ticket to the World Cup.

Paris Saint-Germain were ordered to pay their former forward Kylian Mbappe up to 61 million euros ($71.8 million) in unpaid wages and bonuses by a French labour court on Tuesday.

France captain Mbappe, who left PSG in June 2024 to join Real Madrid, had been claiming over 260 million euros in total from his former club.

PSG, in turn, had demanded that 17/2Mbappe pay them 440 million euros.

Mbappe, 26, also claimed the Parisian club applied the wrong French legal classification to his contract, but that was rejected by the court.

The labour court said the final figure of between 60 million and 61 million euros was made up of 55 million euros in unpaid salary and around six million euros in holiday payments.

Qatari-owned PSG did not immediately say if they intend to appeal.

Lawyers for Mbappe said in a statement they “noted with satisfaction the decision given by the labour court”.

“It re-establishes a simple truth — even in the professional football industry, labour laws apply to everyone,” the lawyers added in a statement.

READ ALSO: Salah’s Future In Focus As Liverpool Face Brighton

The French club had said they were basing the figure they were claiming in part on a botched 300m-euro transfer to Saudi club Al Hilal, which Mbappe refused in June 2023.

Mbappe left for Real Madrid on a free transfer when his contract expired the following summer.

He insisted he made no agreement in 2023 to waive any payment from the club.

Mbappe initially filed a complaint in June over the way he was treated by PSG at the start of the 2023-24 season.

Mbappe argues that he was sidelined by PSG and made to train with players the club was trying to offload after refusing to agree a new contract.

It is a widespread practice in France that prompted the players’ union to lodge a complaint last year.

Mbappe was not invited to take part in PSG’s 2023 pre-season tour of Asia and missed the first game of that season, but was later recalled to the team after holding talks with the club.

After seven seasons with PSG, he joined Real Madrid, where he earns a reported annual salary of 30 million euros.

Mbappe scored 256 goals in 308 games for PSG, but the club won the Champions League for the first time last season following his departure.

Victor Osimhen used to sell newspapers in the crowded, traffic-clogged streets of Lagos: now he creates headlines as a consistent scorer for Nigeria and Galatasaray.

As Nigeria prepare to face Group C rivals Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda during December at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, much is expected from the 26-year-old.

“He is the greatest striker in the world,” says head coach Eric Chelle as the Super Eagles seek a fourth AFCON title and first since 2013.

READ ALSO: [AFCON 2025]11 Players Now In Eagles’ Camp, 12 More To Arrive Monday

Nigeria have an abundance of attacking talent, and fellow former African player of the year award winner Ademola Lookman is among those who could partner Osimhen.

The story of Osimhen is typical of so many African footballers. It is a classic rags-to-riches tale as seemingly insurmountable odds are overcome to achieve stardom.

Osimhen revealed his childhood difficulties in a series of social media posts, hoping they would inspire Nigerians facing similar adversities.

His earliest memories of life in the Nigerian commercial capital are of dusty streets and the stench from a waste dump.

“I had to sell newspapers and bottles of water to help my family survive,” recalled the star who turns 27 on December 29, the day before Nigeria face Uganda in their final group match.

A stroke of luck changed his life and propelled him on a path that would lead him to be crowned 2023 African player of the year.

A candidate for a place in the national under-17 team for the 2015 World Cup, he initially failed to impress coach Emmanuel Amuneke and was dropped.

But several assistant coaches disagreed with the decision and asked Amuneke to give Osimhen a second chance.

Amuneke, scorer of both goals when Nigeria beat Zambia 2-1 in the 1994 AFCON final in Tunisia, heeded their pleas.

Given a second chance, Osimhen went on to score 10 goals in seven matches and play a key role as Nigeria won the tournament in Chile.

– ‘Thanks to Amuneke’ –

Osimhen has never forgotten the role Amuneke played in launching his career, lavishing praise on him during an acceptance speech when voted the bset player in Africa.

“Special thanks goes to Emmanuel Amuneke. Without him I do not think I would be standing here holding one of the most prestigious awards in international football,” he told the audience in Rabat.

Spotted by scouts in Chile, Osimhen moved to Europe, but his scoring skills deserted him when he joined Wolfsburg.

He failed to score in 14 matches and was loaned to Charleroi, where he rediscovered his scoring touch, netting 12 times in 25 matches.

Next stop for the Nigerian was Lille in neighbouring France. He spent one season there, averaging a goal every two matches.

Napoli splashed a club record 70 million euros in 2020 to sign Osimhen and he repaid the faith in him by helping the club end in 2023 a three-decade wait for a Serie A title.

Osimhen was hot property and the media linked him with a move to the Saudi Pro League, Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain.

But he went to Istanbul-based Galatasaray instead, first on loan, then permanently. In Turkey, he has maintained his ability to score frequently.

Osimhen has been an equally prolific goal poacher for Nigeria, scoring 31 in 45 internationals since his 2017 debut, including four in a 2024 AFCON qualifier against Sao Tome e Principe.

In recent months, he bagged a hat-trick against Benin and two against Gabon in 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

But the Super Eagles will be notable absentees from the global showpiece next year after losing the African play-offs final against the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in Morocco.

Osimhen was forced to retire injured at half-time against the Congolese, and many Nigerian supporters blamed the loss on his absence.

World number one Scottie Scheffler has been voted PGA Tour Player of the Year for a fourth straight season after a campaign that included two major wins, the tour announced on Monday.

Scheffler, who won six titles in 2025, is just the second player, after Tiger Woods, to receive the accolade in four or more consecutive seasons.

“Scottie’s consistent level of success has been nothing short of spectacular as he continues to chase history on the PGA Tour, and we’re excited to see what he will deliver in 2026,” said tour chief executive Brian Rolapp.

Scheffler, 29, won his third major with a five-shot victory at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in May.

He added a fourth at the British Open at Royal Portrush in July.

South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter was named the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year.

The 21-year-old Potgieter was one of five rookies to win on the tour in 2025 and the only one to reach the FedExCup Playoffs.

The New York Knicks will attempt to find a way past the imposing 7ft 4in (2.23m) frame of San Antonio Spurs prodigy Victor Wembanyama on Tuesday as they bid to end their 52-year trophy drought in the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas.

The Knicks head into Tuesday’s final at the T-Mobile Center brimming with confidence after polishing off Eastern Conference top seeds Orlando with ease in Saturday’s semi-finals.

That win has left the New York franchise within touching distance of a first piece of silverware since the team’s 1973 NBA Finals victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Blocking their path, though, is the fit-again Wembanyama, the 21-year-old French giant who was instrumental in helping San Antonio upset the in-form Oklahoma City Thunder in Saturday’s Western Conference semi-final.

Wembanyama played limited minutes in the defeat of Oklahoma City, appearing from the bench in the second quarter to haul San Antonio back into contention after they had trailed by 11 points at the end of the first quarter.

Knicks talisman Jalen Brunson said New York would attempt to drag Wembanyama out of position defensively.

“You’ve got to find ways to pull him away from the basket, and you’ve got to obviously be smart,” Brunson said of Wembanyama. “You can’t just go in there and think no one is going to come and affect the shot.

“He’s great at what he does, and we’ve just got to be smart as a team, playing off two feet and reading where he is and just trying to get the best shot as possible.”

READ ALSO: Chris Paul Axed By Los Angeles Clippers

 Team Effort

Karl-Anthony Towns echoed Brunson’s assessment of Wembanyama.

“He’s (7-4), and he’s very talented,” Towns said. “For us, we’re going to have to do a good job of executing our defensive game plan and offensively, as well.”

Knicks coach Mike Brown said neutralising Wembanyama would require a team effort.

“You’re not going to be able to guard a guy like that one-on-one,” Brown said. “You try to put length, size, physicality at the point of attack when it comes to him, but it’s got to be five guys guarding the basketball at all times.

“We have some pretty good defenders with length, and hopefully they can try to make it as difficult as possible with him, knowing that they have help behind them.”

Wembanyama’s introduction from the bench on Saturday sent a surge of excitement rippling through the T-Mobile Arena crowd, who later showered the Frenchman with chants of “M-V-P.”

Wembanyama, meanwhile, said San Antonio’s defeat of Oklahoma City augured well for the chances of the Spurs emerging as genuine rivals to the Thunder in the Western Conference.

“I think we’re not quite there yet, but it’s a good sign that people see that it’s possible,” Wembanyama said. “I don’t think anybody right now can claim to have a rivalry with them in the league. They’re in their own tier.

“But in the future, if we can provide a stage this good and we reach that level, of course, it would be great to have a rivalry because if you’re at the top and you have a rivalry, it means you’re in the best position to win titles.”

Wembanyama said while a San Antonio victory on Tuesday would “not be e super significant step,” it would still carry some significance.

“It’s a high-stakes game that both teams are going to be very invested in winning,” Wembanyama said.

“It just shows that we are preparing and we will pass the next step for more significant games in the playoffs.”

The number of players in the Super Eagles’ camp in Cairo, in preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, has risen to 11, with 12 more players expected on Monday.

According to an update from the camp, FC Porto of Portugal left-back Zaidu Sanusi has joined his colleagues who had earlier arrived, bringing the total number of players in camp to 11.

READ ALSO: [2025 AFCON] Uzoho, Nwabali, Lookman, Among First Arrivals As Super Eagles Open Camp

Players already in camp include goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali, Francis Uzoho, and Amas Obasogie. Others are Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, Semi Ajayi, Ademola Lookman, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Igho Ogbu, and Tochukwu Nnadi.

Twelve more players are expected on Monday (today), with the team holding its first training session at 8 p.m. local time. The training will take place inside the main bowl of the Cairo International Stadium.

The backroom staff and coaching crew are already present in the team’s camp.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Egypt in an international friendly on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the Cairo Stadium, as part of their build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Following the encounter, the team, led by head coach Eric Chelle, will depart Cairo for Fes, Morocco, where they will be based throughout the group phase of the tournament.

The Nigerian team has been drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda. They will open their AFCON campaign against Tanzania’s Taifa Stars on December 23 before clashing with Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles four days later.