Sports
U20 World Cup: Flying Eagles Final Squad Unveiled Amid Notable Absentees
 
																								
												
												
											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.
Sports
Nigerians work hard to make things happen – Arsenal’s Madueke
“My values, my family values, have translated into me becoming the footballer that I am today. I am from Nigeria and my parents are Nigerians”.
 
														Arsenal forward Noni Madueke has praised Nigerians, saying they work hard to make things happen.
He also speaks about his values as someone from the West African nation.
Madueke, who originally hails from Nigeria but plays international football for England, made this statement during an interview to celebrate Black History Month.
When asked what that thing is, which makes him proud but people don’t know about, the winger replied that he really values his Nigerian roots.
“My values, my family values, which have translated into me becoming the footballer that I am today. I am from Nigeria and my parents are Nigerians,” the former Chelsea attacker said.
“Nigerians work hard and we make things happen, so that is something I carried with me, not just in my playing career but in my whole life.”
On who inspired these values in him, Madueke said his father has always been someone he looks up to.“Growing up and just watching my dad work super hard, staying focused, being disciplined and motivated, those attributes definitely inspired me,” he said.
The 23-year-old further spoke about the black footballers who made him believe the game of football was for him, revealing that Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is one of them.
Sports
Tottenham’s goalkeeper Whiteman retires at 27 to pursue career as photographer
Whiteman is already working as a director signed to a production company, Somesuch and has previously worked on Nike campaigns and documentaries in Norway and Ukraine.
 
														Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, Alfie Whiteman has retired from football at the age of 27 to pursue a new career in photography and film directing.
Whiteman is already working as a director signed to a production company, Somesuch and has previously worked on Nike campaigns and documentaries in Norway and Ukraine.
Alfie Whiteman has been at the club since he started his career, going on loan stints to Swedish first-tier side Degerfors IF to seek decent playing time.
The third-choice shot-stopper made only one appearance for Spurs in an eight-minute cameo in the UEFA Europa League match against Ludogorets in 2020.
The club’s official statement featured an open explanation from Whiteman himself, offering insight into his reasoning.
“It got to the point where I preferred to end my career on my own terms rather than join a club I simply didn’t want to go to,” he stated.
“When I was younger, I always said I didn’t want to play in the lower leagues; only the highest level ever mattered to me. Otherwise, I’d rather do something different.
“So I just took this step into the unknown and thought: ‘Oh, damn. I’m really doing this.’ Anything can happen.“I’m in complete control of my life, and it’s both really exciting and really scary,” the statement ended.
Sports
Turkish football suspends 149 referees accused of betting
“Refereeing is a profession of honour,” said TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu on Thursday. Anyone who tarnishes that honour…will never again be involved in Turkish football.”
 
														The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Friday suspended 149 referees accused of betting on matches.
The TFF said in a statement that its disciplinary committee had handed out suspensions ranging from eight to 12 months, the TFF said, adding that investigations are continuing into three other referees.
An investigation by the federation into 571 referees in the Turkish professional leagues revealed on Monday that 371 of them had sports betting accounts and 152 were actively betting.
“Refereeing is a profession of honour,” said TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu on Thursday. Anyone who tarnishes that honour…will never again be involved in Turkish football.”
The TFF said on Monday that 22 of the officials (seven match referees and 15 assistants) work in the top league.
Ten of the referees listed by the TFF placed more than 10,000 bets, with one of them alone placing 18,227 bets. Forty-two referees each bet on more than 1,000 football matches, the head of Turkish football said on Friday.
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