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On Saturday, 20th September 2025, Tonic FC achieved a breakthrough that every grassroots club dreams of. Five of its young players signed youth contracts with Portuguese side SC Esmoriz.

For Isa Riliwan Ayodele, Oyetola Ayomide Ayuba, Okiye Gideon Oseghale, Adebowale Sheriff Olamide, and Onuoha Chidiebere Fabian, this isn’t just a transfer; it’s the beginning of structured European training and a real shot at the professional game.

This achievement also ripples beyond football. In communities where distractions and vices often pull young people away from their dreams, the success of these five boys is a reminder that when discipline meets opportunity, doors open. It also signals that even bigger stories may be on the way.

Five Tonic FC Stars Earn a Shot at Europe

It’s not every day you see five players from one local club sign for the same European side, but that’s precisely what happened with Tonic FC. When SC Esmoriz came calling, it wasn’t luck; it was the result of months of hard work, raw talent, and consistency.

What caught the scouts’ eyes wasn’t just flair or highlight-reel moments; it was the boys’ discipline, awareness, and hunger to keep improving every single game.

Signing one player would’ve been a win, but signing five at once says a lot about the trust Esmoriz has in what Tonic FC is building.

The contracts are more than paperwork; they’re a launchpad. Although it’s not full pro football yet, it’s structured European training, tougher competition, and a real chance to show they belong.

A Landmark Moment for Tonic FC’s Vision

When Cardtonic decided to start Tonic FC, it wasn’t about adding another local team to Nigeria’s crowded football scene. The goal was clear from day one: to find raw Nigerian talent, give them real structure, and create a pathway that could take them beyond local leagues and onto the global stage.

Fast forward to 2025, and that vision is starting to pay off. Five players from one squad signing youth contracts in Europe isn’t just a proud moment; it’s proof that the system works. It shows that Nigerian players, when given the right environment, can meet the standards European scouts are looking for, not just in skill, but in attitude, discipline, and consistency.

For the rest of the team, this moment is different. It’s more than a celebration; it’s a reminder that the door is open because if their teammates can rise from community pitches to Portugal, then with hard work and focus, their shot might be next.

Closing Thoughts What looks like a simple transfer on paper is much bigger in reality. Five boys from Tonic FC are not just heading to Portugal; they’re carrying the hopes of their families, teammates, and communities with them.

As Dapo Ajibade, the club’s general overseer, said: “The youth around are watching. Everybody wants to be involved in what is worthy now. They don’t want to be involved in social vices; they want to impact their community positively.”

Mohamed Salah is considered to be Liverpool’s “Egyptian King,” but his reputation has lost some of its shine as a result of a subpar year under his leadership.

Salah wasted several chances and failed to lead the charge in defense in Liverpool’s humiliating 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday. He was below his best again.

The champions have suffered as a result of his absence from the scoresheet in five of Liverpool’s seven Premier League games this year.

Liverpool’s third defeat at Stamford Bridge since their eighth consecutive defeat saw them surpass Arsenal in the table.

In his nine starts this year, Salah has only made three goals and three assists overall.

Even more alarming than Salah’s statistics, which were mediocre by his high standards, was the sight of the 33-year-old taking little interest when Liverpool faced Chelsea on a game.

Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley was fouled at half-time after receiving a booking for his efforts to keep Chelsea at bay.

Also READ: Mbappe to undergo ankle evaluation at French Camp

Salah’s right flank tapped in to score the Brazilian’s stoppage-time winner, but Marc Cucurella’s unchecked advance set up the Brazilian’s goal.

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea manager, told them to use Salah’s defensive space, according to Cucurella.

The manager informed us that the space might be there, and we practiced that because Salah is always ready for the counter-attack.

Salah’s lethargic performance matched a significant decline in performance since the season’s climax.

As Liverpool ushered in its 20th English title, he scored 29 goals in 38 league games, earning the Premier League Golden Boot.

However, Salah’s influence has diminished since scoring twice in the 3-1 victory over Southampton in March.

You must assist, please.

In his final 11 games, he scored just twice in all competitions, helping Liverpool to fall short of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Salah boasted after Liverpool won the title that he had persuaded Reds manager Arne Slot to let him concentrate on scoring and creating goals rather than defending.

I said, “I will provide offensively as long as you rest me defensively.” The numbers will be displayed to you. So I’m glad I did, he said.

However, as Salah’s opponents expose the gaps left by that plan, it is starting to backfire.

Wayne Rooney, a former England and Manchester United player, has joined the growing chorus of disapproval of Salah’s work rate.

He may not always win back and defend himself as well. His full-back is torn apart and watching, he claimed on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show.

The team will tolerate that when things are going well and you are scoring goals. But I frequently question his work ethic over the past week.

The men in that dressing room ought to be telling him, “You need to help out.” Over the past week, he has appeared a little lost. ”

Danny Murphy, a former Liverpool midfielder, and Rooney concur.

Mohamed Salah’s lack of defensive play has become a problem for Liverpool, he said, especially when playing against better teams.

If Liverpool are to overcome their plight, Slot must address the issue.

Intriguingly, he conceded that his decision to leave Salah on the bench for the first hour of his Champions League defeat at Galatasaray last week despite acknowledging that it might have contributed to his lack of intelligence against Chelsea.

That is intriguing, I suppose. Did he miss the chances because he had a few chances but didn’t play during the week to create so much, or did he miss out on some opportunities if he had played against Galatasaray? The Dutchman said, “We will never know.”

In the meantime, Slot is praising patience as he attempts to restore Salah’s course.

Before the most recent round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers, France coach Didier Deschamps announced on Monday that Kylian Mbappe will have his right ankle examined.

The France captain’s knock ended Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Villarreal on Saturday, putting doubts on his availability for the national team’s upcoming qualifying games against Azerbaijan and Iceland.

Deschamps addressed reporters at the French team’s Clairefontaine base near Paris, telling them, “I spoke with Kylian, he had a small niggle, but it’s not serious,” Deschamps said.

“We will take the time to assess the situation and observe how it develops with the medical staff.”

We’ll take stock (then) as usual, he said, “I don’t have any further information at this point because the players will be arriving around 4pm (1400 GMT).”

READ MORE: Vinicius Double Helps Real Madrid Beat Villarreal

Ibrahima Konate, the Reds defender, is also scheduled to undergo tests following his injury scare against Chelsea on Saturday, which ended the Reds’ 2-1 defeat.

Donald Trump’s 80th birthday will be the backdrop of an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight, the president said, despite the previously scheduled July 4 event’s highly anticipated schedule.

A large UFC fight will take place on June 14th, 2019, right inside the White House, according to Trump, who addressed a crowd of Navy sailors at Virginia’s massive naval base Norfolk.

He neglected to mention that his 80th birthday will be on June 14th.

Republicans also offer a warning about pain ahead as the US shutdown approaches its second week.

Trump held a military parade to honor the US Army’s 79th birthday this year.

The mixed martial arts show at the White House will take place on July 4th, the day the country celebrates its 250th anniversary, according to UFC boss Dana White in August.

Trump has frequently appeared at UFC fights where fighters punch, kick, and grapple with their opponents in a no-holds-barred submission or knockout match.

A historic first will be made by bringing the brutal combat sport to the forefront of US politics.

White stated at a press conference that the organization would start looking at creating the White House card in the first year of production, which I will confidently say will be the best fight card ever created in the history of definitely this organization.

The burgeoning world of MMA, which combines martial arts disciplines like jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, boxing, and wrestling, is the largest and most successful organization.

An eight-sided ring known as “The Octagon” that is bounded by a chainlink fence holds the majority of the matches.

Male and female fighters are permitted to attack their opponent with almost any method, with the exception of eye-gouging.

Trump has become a regular fixture at some of its more famous events, where he is greeted like a rock star, because of its popularity among young men, a crucial demographic for the 2024 US election, and because of his long association with the UFC.

The sport is fraught with controversy because of its brutality and high injury rate, with doctors criticizing the possibility of brain damage in head injuries suffered by fighters who have been repeatedly hit in the head. However, it has gained more and more popular acceptance in recent years as a result.

Lagos, the first time an all-electric powerboat racing competition held in Africa, hosted a race in the rain-soaked nation’s capital city on Sunday to compete in the UIM E1 World Championship.

Nine of the world’s top sports and entertainment stars were waiting for hours while the finals were delayed by a previous tropical storm, which had delayed the tournament’s start.

Read more about Lagos’ transition to waterways for a green transportation solution.

The E1 Lagos Grand Prix, which is the penultimate round of the season, took place on Lagos’ lagoon in preparation for the season finale in Miami later this year.

Since the championship’s second-round split increased from five to seven races, Africa is the fourth continent to host an E1 race in the series’ second season.

In addition to Jeddah, Doha, Monaco, and Miami, competitions have been held in the past.

We are incredibly proud to be here because “Africa needed to be there, the motherland needed to be there,” founder and CEO Rodi Basso told AFP.

He said, “We are incredibly proud that we have won seven races in four continents in season two, compared to five on two continents in season one.”

Rain or shine

Fans poured into white tents as watching areas along the coast as afrobeats music blared from large speakers and vendors sold food, including Jollof rice, a staple of Nigeria.

Some fans drank champagne from the balconies of hotels and high office buildings.
Out of curiosity, 61-year-old advertising executive Bumi Oke and her husband attended the race.

The race’s hostility and the organization’s ability to host global events gave “Nigerians” more confidence in their own ability to do so.

When you hold international events, business continues, she said, “Come rain, come sun.”

Didier Drogba, the legendary football player from Ivorya, and his partner Gabrielle Lemaire, who had a major role in the first-ever introduction of the race to the continent, mingled with the winners and posed for photos on the podium following the race.

Olympic-winning athletes like Drogba, Tom Brady, LeBron James, LeBron James, and Rafael Nadal, who are all famous for their own E1 teams, are also famous for their global sporting and entertainment stars.

The race was won by Team Brazil, which is owned by tech entrepreneur Marcelo Claure, with Team Blue Rising from India, second place, and Drogba’s team coming in third.

For each team, there are two pilots for each team, each with a different sport’s unique combination of motorsport, go-karting, and powerboating.

Lewandowski’s Penalty Woe