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AFCON: Not news to me – Nwabali reacts after losing Golden Glove to Williams

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Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali has reacted to losing the Golden Glove of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to South Africa captain, Ronwen Williams.

Nwabali, who would have won the award with another clean slate against Ivory Coast in the final on Sunday, lost out after letting in two goals.

The Nigerian shot stopper believes that his South African counterpart was a worthy winner of the Golden Glove.

Williams, who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns, was awarded the Best Goalkeeper after inspiring South Africa to win the bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Williams etched his name into the history books as the first goalkeeper to ever save four penalties in a single AFCON shootout.

Williams kept five clean sheets and conceded three goals over the course of the tournament, while Nwabali kept four clean sheets and conceded four goals.

“Ronwen Williams is a very good goalkeeper to be honest. It’s not news to me, him winning it, he deserves it.

“I am competing with this kind of guy and he has the chance to win the best goalkeeper of the tournament, he deserves it. I wish him well, I give him credit,” Nwabali said.

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JUST IN: Haaland ranked 26th, van Dijk 28th in Ballon d’Or 2025 list

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The build-up to the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony is officially underway as the organisers began unveiling the rankings on their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday afternoon.

Kicking off the list at 30th place is Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, followed by Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen at 29th, and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in 28th. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice sits at 27th, while Manchester City’s Erling Haaland narrowly misses the top 25, landing in 26th place.

The partial list, also shared by football journalist Fabrizio Romano, has already ignited fan debates online, especially surrounding Olise’s placement. The French winger delivered an outstanding 2024–25 season for Bayern, registering 12 goals and 15 assists, making his relatively low ranking a point of contention.

The full top 30 list is expected to be released in stages throughout the day.

The Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony is set to take place later today in Paris, where the world’s top footballer will be officially crowned.

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Super Falcons Onome Ebi retires from football

Though I hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues, to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players.

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Legendary Super Falcons defender, Onome Ebi, on Wednesday officially announced her retirement from professional football.

Her career spanned over two decades with Nigeria’s women’s national team.

Ebi announced her decision in a post on her X account: “Today, I officially retire from professional football. The journey has been filled with challenges, victories, and lessons that shaped me into who I am today.

“Though I hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues, to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players.”

Widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest female footballers, the 42-year-old centre-back boasts an illustrious record at both continental and global levels.

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U20 World Cup: Flying Eagles Final Squad Unveiled Amid Notable Absentees

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Preparations for Nigeria’s Flying Eagles ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup have been affected by the withdrawal of several key players.

Top European clubs, including France’s Stade Reims and Germany’s Hoffenheim, have refused to release their Nigerian players for the tournament in Chile, which is not scheduled on FIFA’s official calendar — giving clubs the right to withhold players from international duty.

As a result, Hoffenheim duo Emmanuel Chukwu and Precious Benjamin, along with Stade Reims striker Ibrahim Hafiz, will miss the tournament. All three were considered key prospects for the national team.

In response, head coach Aliyu Zubairu has named a revised 21-man squad that excludes several overseas-based players. Domestic talents like Enyimba winger Clinton Jephta, Bidemi Amole, and Divine Oliseh — who featured in the U-20 WAFU B qualifiers in Togo — were also left out of the final list.

Team captain Daniel Bameyi leads the squad, which includes more than 10 players who participated in recent training camps and friendlies. New additions include Israel Ayuma, Ebenezer Harcourt, Charles Agada, Auwal Ibrahim, Kparobo Arierhi, Tahir Maigana, and Odinaka Okoro.

Meanwhile, dependable fullback Adamu Maigari has been ruled out due to a knee injury.

The team departed Abuja for Chile on Sunday night. Norway-based midfielder Daniel Daga is expected to join the squad later, ahead of their opening match.

Nigeria, runners-up in 1989 and 2005, will be aiming to win their first-ever FIFA U-20 World Cup title. The tournament kicks off on September 27 and runs through October 20. The Flying Eagles were eliminated in the quarter-finals by South Korea at the last edition in Argentina.

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