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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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Committees hit the ground running for 8th Kwara State Sports Festival

The committees is entrusted with the responsibility of planning, coordinating and executing a peaceful, transparent and impactful festival involving all 16 Local Government Areas of the state.

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Kwara State Sports Commission has inaugurated the Main Organising Committee (MOC), the Local Organising Committee (LOC), and 12 sub-committees to oversee the successful hosting of the 8th Kwara State Sports Festival, the state’s flagship sporting event.

The 8th Kwara State Sports Festival is scheduled to hold from August 21 to 29 at the George Agbazika Innih Stadium Complex, Ilorin, with activities commencing daily at 9:00 a.m.

The committees was inaugurated by the Executive Chairman of the Commission, who doubles as the Chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Bola Mogaji.

The sub-committees inaugurated include the Ceremonial, Publicity and Media, Technical, Security, Accreditation, Accommodation, Feeding, Venues, Power and Transportation Committees

The committees is entrusted with the responsibility of planning, coordinating and executing a peaceful, transparent and impactful festival involving all 16 Local Government Areas of the state.

Mogaji charged members of the committees to hit the ground running by working within the stipulated timeframe and developing realistic budgets that would ensure the successful achievement of the festival’s objectives.

He commended the State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for his consistent investment in sports development, noting that the approval for the staging of the 8th edition of the festival reflected the governor’s passion and commitment to the advancement of sports in Kwara State.

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Katsina United player declared dead found alive in mortuary

Media officer of Katsina United, Nasir Gide, confirmed the development, saying the player had been declared dead twice before signs of life were noticed.‎

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•Ozor Chinedu

Katsina United defender, Ozor Chinedu, who collapsed during a pre-season friendly against Niger Tornadoes at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina on Tuesday was found alive in hospital following his death report.‎

‎The 18-year-old, recently signed from Kano Pillars, slumped on the pitch in the Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season Cup and was rushed to K-Dara Specialist Hospital, where doctors reportedly pronounced him dead.‎‎

Katsina United subsequently issued a condolence statement, while clubs including Heartland and Kano Pillars mourned the player on social media.

‎However, in a dramatic twist, mortuary staff at Katsina General Hospital later observed movement in his body.

He was immediately transferred to the Intensive Care Unit and placed on oxygen.‎‎

Media officer of Katsina United, Nasir Gide, confirmed the development, saying the player had been declared dead twice before signs of life were noticed.‎

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NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers to be sold for $12.5bn – Report

Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

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The Los Angeles Lakers — one of the most successful teams in NBA history — are being sold to former Disney CEO Bob Iger and investor Joshua Kushner in a deal valuing the team at $12.5 billion, ESPN reported Wednesday.

The sale, which would mark a record-breaking price, comes only about a year after billionaire Mark Walter agreed to buy a controlling interest in the team in a then-record $10 billion deal.

Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

Walter’s purchase, reported in June last year, ended the Buss family’s 46-year reign over the NBA giants.

The Lakers have won 17 NBA championships, second only to the Boston Celtics.The team has been home to some of the league’s biggest superstars including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant.

LeBron James, the NBA all-time scoring leader, just left the squad for the Philadelphia 76ers after spending eight years and winning one title with the Lakers.

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