Sports
EPL: Guardiola confirms two key Man City players to miss Tottenham clash
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Dias will miss their Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Friday, Guardiola revealed that Kovacic is sidelined with an injury that could keep him out for “a few weeks or one month,” while Dias is expected to return soon.
“Kovacic is injured. It will be a while, a few weeks or one month,” Guardiola said.
The City boss also provided updates on other players, noting that John Stones and Manuel Akanji trained well and are fit, while Nathan Aké is making his way back into contention.
“John trained good yesterday, Manu trained good yesterday, and Nathan is coming back. Just Ruben is out, but hopefully, he will be back soon. We didn’t have central defenders, and now we have three,” he added.
Guardiola’s comments come a day after he signed a new contract with Manchester City, extending his tenure at the club.
Sports
Sanwo-Olu Tasks Lagos Sports Trust Fund Board To Look Beyond State’s Funding
The Lagos State Government is spending heavily on sports, but it is never enough in a megacity of over 20 million people.
• Photo : Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday inaugurated the Lagos State Sports Trust Fund board at Lagos House, Marina.
The board is chaired by Enitan Oshodi, with Olaposi Agunbiade as Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer. Other members include Olabode Agoro, Adeniyi Adekoya, Gbolahan Onibuje, Jubril Gawat, Kikelomo Bolarinwa, Olayemi Sarumi, Lekan Fatodu, Moshood Ajide, and Ibrahim Adigun.
Sanwo-Olu tasks the board with leveraging members’ networks and expertise to build institutions supporting sports development for present and future generations.
The mandate is straightforward. Use your contacts, skills, and professional background to help fund sports and establish robust institutions in Lagos State,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu urged priority for grassroots programmes and rehabilitation of facilities, noting several government-funded projects required completion and improvement.
I implore you to deploy resources in grassroots and school sports that encourage growth across our divisions,” he added.
The governor said that the trust fund would bridge government and private sector participation in sports development.
“Organisations are willing to support, but reluctant to approach the government directly”, he said.
The board chairman, Oshodi said that the board would create sustainable funding pathways for infrastructure and athlete development.
“The Lagos State Government is spending heavily on sports, but it is never enough in a megacity of over 20 million people.
“We need facilities to support athletes. While the government is trying, the private sector must play a major role,” he said.
Sports
Mexico invests in robotic dogs for 2026 World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, with Monterrey among the host cities.
Photo: Robotic dogs
Mexican authorities have introduced robotic dogs to support police operations during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, highlighting the growing convergence of football, technology, and security investment.
The local council in Guadalupe, part of the Monterrey metropolitan area, invested approximately $145,000 in the robotic units as part of its World Cup security preparations.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, with Monterrey among the host cities.
A demonstration video released by the municipality shows one of the robots navigating an abandoned building, climbing stairs and transmitting live footage to officers positioned behind it
In a simulated scenario, the robot confronted an armed suspect and issued instructions via loudspeaker for him to drop his weapon.
Sports
2026 Lagos City Marathon on Saturday
The 42-kilometre race will commence at Ahmadu Bello Way by MRS Filling Station and proceed through the entire Coastal Road, which serves as the finishing point.
The Lagos State Government has announced traffic diversion plan ahead of the 2026 Lagos City Marathon scheduled for Saturday, February 14.
The government said that the diversion became necessary to ensure smooth conduct of the annual sporting event and to minimise disruption to movement across major routes in the state.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the marathon will feature two races, 42 kilometres and 10 kilometres, which will run simultaneously across designated routes.
He explained that the 42-kilometre race will commence at Ahmadu Bello Way by MRS Filling Station and proceed through the entire Coastal Road, which serves as the finishing point.
He added that the 10-kilometre race will begin at Durosimi Etti in Lekki Phase 1, passing through Ozumba Mbadiwe, Bishop Oluwole, Akin Adesola and terminate at Sanusi Fafunwa.
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