Category sport-news

Kennedy Boboye, the coach of the Venezuelan Premier Football League (NPFL), has agreed to a two-year contract with Akwa United for the duration of the season.

The Uyo-based club made the announcement in a statement posted on the X handle on Monday.

“We have agreed a mid-season managerial contract with coach Kennedy Boboye”, the statement said.

Boboye, who won the NPFL title with us in 2021, signed the agreement today, and he is scheduled to start working with the team later this week.

With coach Kennedy Boboye, we have a mid-season managerial contract.

Boboye, who won the NPFL title with us in 2021, signed the agreement today, and he is scheduled to start working for the team later this week. pic. twitter.com/IoXw6gLdEK

READ ALSO: &nbsp, Enyimba Name Eguma As New Head After Parting Ways With Olarenwaju

Boboye, who was in charge when Akwa United won the league title in 2021, will have to deal with keeping the Akwa Ibon State-owned club top of the charts in Nigeria.

In order to maintain its topflight status, Akwa United is currently 19th in the 20-team standings, which calls for a change.

Before the second half of the 2024/2025 league season, the club is the second NPFL club to change coaches.

In December, nine-time champions, Enyimba International FC, appointed Stanley Eguma, a seasoned tactician and one of the most respected figures in Nigerian football, as their new head coach.

After seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold struggle against Manchester United, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk refutes claims that Real Madrid’s interest may have had a negative effect on his teammate.

Alexander-Arnold was at fault for Lisandro Martinez’s opener in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Anfield, falling well below his usual high standards.

The right-back’s sloppy performance comes during a long-running debate over his future with the Premier League leaders.

READ ALSO:  Man Utd’s Dalot Says Amorim’s ‘Pinch’ Inspired Him Against Liverpool

The 26-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season, meaning he can now sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club.

Real, a triumfant in Spain, reportedly made a move for him, but Liverpool is thought to have rejected their offer.

After Sunday’s showdown, former United captain Roy Keane took a swipe at Alexander-Arnold’s error-strewn display.

There is talk that he might transfer to Real Madrid, but he is also claiming that he will transfer to Tranmere Rovers after this. He’s got to do better,” Keane told Sky Sports.

“We talk about how brilliant Trent is going forward, but Trent’s defending today. My goodness, it’s like schoolboy stuff. ”

Fourth-tier Tranmere responded to Keane’s jibe with their own light-hearted assessment of Alexander-Arnold.

The club’s full-back Cameron Norman was spotted on X with the caption “Trent to Tranmere Roy” in a picture. Nah, we’re alright thanks”.

Former United right-back Gary Neville suggested speculation over Alexander-Arnold’s future could have been a distraction.

He argued that Real Madrid’s alleged bid was inappropriate for him. He will be unnerved by that, I believe. A powerful club like Real Madrid.

There are three reasons why that performance happened: he’s already played this before, he just had a bad game, or the conversation was so heated.

His passing and forward play, in my opinion, were the worst I’ve ever witnessed. ”

Alexander-Arnold is still able to convince Liverpool to give him a new contract, but he is also entitled to leave on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

Van Dijk, a Reds defender, is confident that his teammate can handle the potentially distracting situation as Liverpool battle for the quadruple. He is also out of contract at the end of the season.

Tottenham take on Liverpool in their first match of the League Cup semi-final on Wednesday in London.

“I am fine with it. Van Dijk said Trent has his own people in the form of his family and that he and his family are also present.

He says, “He wants to perform the best way possible, just like we all do.” That is the main focus.

“In my opinion, maybe ask him, that is the distraction… the game. ”

Diogo Dalot, a defender for Manchester United, claims Ruben Amorim’s call for his senior players to step up and help them get out of their downward spiral stung him.

The Portugal international impressed in United’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday when he gave Trent Alexander-Arnold a tense performance.

Amorim, United manager, had urged the players in his squad to “step up and assist the other guys” who were sometimes afraid prior to the trip to Anfield.

The players’ best performance of Amorim’s short tenure thus far, which ended a run of four straight losses, gave hope to a better future after their disappointing season.

“It pinched me. I think that’s what he wanted for every player,” said Dalot.

“I’ve been here for a while. I’m going to try to help my teammates as much as I can in that area, and I’m aware of that opportunity.

I will try to assist them as long as I’m on and off the pitch. We appeared to be working together more than a team. That was the biggest difference. ”

After a string of agonizing defeats, Amorim’s Old Trafford career has begun to drag on, and United are currently ranked 13th in the Premier League.

The lack of time on the training field has been criticized by the former Sporting Lisbon boss.

He will have the same preparation as he did before the Liverpool game in the run-up to the FA Cup third round match against Arsenal on Sunday.

“It’s training, it’s proper training, it’s time on the pitch, knowing what everybody wants to do, almost like trusting ourselves that everybody will be in the right position to play in every aspect of the game, in every inch of the pitch,” said Dalot.