Chisom Egbuchulam was the star of the show as Al-Jandal secured a dominant 3-1 victory over Ohod in the Saudi First Division on Tuesday at the Al Jouf University Stadium.
The Nigerian forward continued his impressive form, finding the back of the net in the 27th minute to double Al-Jandal’s lead after Abdullah Matuq had opened the scoring earlier.
Egbuchulam’s goal—his seventh of the season—proved crucial in maintaining his team’s momentum as they recorded back-to-back league wins.
READ MORE:Shukurat Oladipo opens up on her ‘Life-Changing’ move to AS Roma
Shortly after the break, Cheick Comara made it 3-0, effectively sealing the win for Al-Jandal. While Ohod managed to grab a stoppage-time consolation through Mohammed Harzan, it was never enough to trouble the hosts.
Despite the victory, Al-Jandal remain 11th in the standings with 27 points, while bottom-placed Ohod continue to struggle.
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With nine defeats and eight wins so far this season, Egbuchulam and his teammates will be aiming to build on their momentum when they face Al Najma in their next fixture.
Liam Delap has admitted he is “so happy” at Ipswich Town and is not focusing on his future amid transfer speculation linking him with Manchester United.
The 22-year-old striker left Manchester City last summer to join Ipswich in a £15million move.
He has impressed in his first full Premier League season, scoring nine goals in 23 appearances.
His form has attracted interest from several clubs, with United said to be monitoring him closely.
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It was reported from CentreDevils that United are considering Delap as an option, especially if Ipswich are relegated.
According to The Athletic, United believe Viktor Gyokeres is unlikely to join them as he prefers a Champions League club.
This has led them to look at alternatives, with Delap emerging as a possible target.
A move to United would reunite him with CEO Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox.
Both worked at Manchester City during Delap’s time there.
City also have a £29.5m buy-back option, which could impact any potential move.
Despite the growing speculation, Delap insists he is focused only on Ipswich.
“I’m so happy here, I’m enjoying it so much here,” he told the East Anglian Daily Times.
“I just look forward to playing football.
“I take every game as it comes and focus on the next.”
He also admitted he tries to block out outside noise.
“It [the media speculation] is something that I try and stay away from,” he said.
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“People around me have told me to stay away from it.
“It’s something that I’m very good at in focusing on what I want to do.
“That’s playing football here.”
Delap added that he values playing regularly and is fully committed to his current club.
“I’m really enjoying my time here and I enjoy playing every week.
“That’s the most important thing.”
“We know, as players and people, that there is noise.
“If we have a bad game and people are slating us for not performing or getting the right results, we stay focused on ourselves and what we have to achieve.”
Ipswich currently sit 19th in the table, with their Premier League future uncertain.
If they go down, Delap could be on the move.
But for now, his focus remains on the task at hand.
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Manchester United are all set to face Tottenham this weekend in a vital clash for both managers.
Ange Postcoglou is now fighting for his job with Spurs in 14th place in the Premier League, two points below United as the season enters match-day 25.
However for Amorim, United could make their way to 11th with a win depending on results elsewhere.
Unfortunately, there is one factor which is a cause for real concern at Old Trafford, their lack of a consistent striker.
Amorim has Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee and his command, however with only 12 goals between them, neither are a guarantee to get on the scoresheet.
As such, Manchester World has reported that the Portuguese manager has turned to his youth ranks, inviting Chido Obi into first-team training to see about stepping up.
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Chido Obi joins Manchester United first team training
With his hattrick against Chelsea’s Under-18s in the FA Youth Cup, the young striker has heaps of potential, something that Amorim will be wanting to tap into as soon as possible.
In 12 games for United’s Under-18s side, Obi has netted 12 goals and grabbed two assists, showing off his natural ability in front of goal.
Whilst it might be to early in the day for Obi to get his senior team call-up, he is firmly on Amorim’s radar, with the United manager desperate for a new striker as soon as possible.
As such, Amorim was asked directly in his pre-match conference about the potential of utilising Obi on the weekend.
Addressing the question, Amorim commented: “I don’t want to say names. We have to be careful on that. We had some problems this week.”
He continued: “We called some players to be in our training so we have the data and evaluation and he is one of them.”
However, Amorim also previously praised the youngster, saying: “He’s doing his job. He’s improving, he’s playing in the youth teams, and also we have other players who can play that position.”
That said, Amorim is yet to give up on his existing strike duo, commenting: “Rasmus and Josh are there. We bought these two players, we need to improve them, and sometimes the confidence can change a player.”
He continued: “We will see in the end of the season. But until then we have two strikers who can score goals, they’ve proved in the past, so let’s see if we can improve as a team to help them to score goals.”
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Shooting Stars’ impressive NPFL eight-game unbeaten streak, which lasted 78 calendar days, came to an end on Wednesday as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Kwara United at the Kwara Sports Complex in Ilorin.
Kabiru Muhammed opened the scoring for the hosts in the 22nd minute before Ojifinni Abdullahi doubled the lead just three minutes later. Despite the setback, Shooting Stars remain second on the NPFL table, though they now trail league leaders Remo Stars by eight points.
At the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Bendel Insurance secured a 1-0 victory over Enyimba, extending the visitors’ poor run of form. Enyimba have now won just two of their last 10 NPFL matches (W2 D4 L4), leaving their title ambitions in doubt.
Their latest setback was compounded by a 21st-minute red card to Innocent Gabriel, who was sent off for a reckless challenge on Kayode Oke. The hosts made the numerical advantage count, with Oke scoring the winning goal 10 minutes into the second half.
At the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano Pillars finally ended their four-game winless run with a dramatic 2-1 victory over El-Kanemi Warriors.
READ MORE:Boost for Super Eagles as Ademola Lookman edges closer to return
Rabiu Ali put the home side ahead in the 62nd minute with a coolly converted penalty, but El-Kanemi Warriors responded swiftly as Al-Amin Umar equalized from another penalty just four minutes later.
With the game seemingly headed for a draw, Rashid Alasan struck in the 90th minute, securing Kano Pillars’ first win in their last four outings.
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Nigeria Premier Football league(NPFL) returns this weekend with match day 24 exciting fixtures to look forward to, as teams continue the fight for the title, continental places and relegation survival.
It was recently reported that Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is once more swinging the axe at existing club staff, set to cut even more jobs.
A further 200 jobs are expected to be culled, reducing the original 1112 staff when Ratcliffe took charge down by 450, approximately a 40% reduction.
Now, The Guardian has reported that an internal message has gone around via email to Manchester United staff, announcing a “team briefing” to address “media reports” will be taking place on Monday 24th February 2025 at 2:30 pm.
The notice read: “We are aware of media reports this week speculating on a number of issues relating to the club. We recognise this is unsettling for you all. In terms of what has been reported there is no further information that we can share with you at this point. However, we will hold a team briefing on Monday 24 February at 2.30pm during which we’ll be able to talk to you further.
“It will come as no surprise that the club must explore every option, including reducing costs and raising revenues. There are no final decisions currently.”
This is a breaking story with more to follow.
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Nigeria’s U20 head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, remains undaunted by the difficult group draw for the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The Flying Eagles have been placed in Group B alongside Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa, all formidable opponents, but Zubairu views this as a great test for his team.
The draw, conducted on Thursday, placed Nigeria—record seven-time U20 AFCON champions—against Egypt, a four-time champion, Morocco, the 1997 winners, and South Africa, who secured bronze in 2019 after defeating Nigeria on penalties.
Despite the high-caliber competition, Zubairu remains confident about Nigeria’s prospects in the tournament.
“It’s a strong group, but we embrace the challenge,” he told the NFF. “If a team truly wants to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup, they must be prepared to face the best. Playing against Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa at this stage is an opportunity to prove ourselves.”
Photo by Imago
As part of their preparation, Zubairu has invited 30 players for two friendly matches against Egypt U20 on February 25 and 27 in Cairo. The U20 AFCON will take place from April 26 to May 18 in Côte d’Ivoire.
READ MORE:Flying Eagles of Nigeria land in ‘Group of Death’ for U20 AFCON
The 2025 U20 AFCON features three groups. Group A includes hosts Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, and a yet-to-qualify UNIFFAC team. Group C consists of defending champions Senegal, Zambia, Sierra Leone, and Kenya. With three former champions in Nigeria’s group, many have labeled it the “group of death,” but Zubairu rejects this notion.
“We need to stop calling it a ‘group of death,’” he said. “There are no easy games in African football anymore. What matters is preparation—any well-prepared team can pull off surprises.”
Zubairu’s confidence is backed by a stellar 2024 season. He led El-Kanemi Warriors to promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and guided them to their first Federation Cup victory in 32 years with a 2-0 win over Abia Warriors. These achievements earned him the role of Flying Eagles head coach, a position he has managed alongside his club duties.
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Under his leadership, Nigeria’s U20 team won the WAFU B Tournament, defeating arch-rivals Ghana 2-1 in the final. Now, Zubairu has his sights set on winning the U20 AFCON title in Côte d’Ivoire, a victory that would mark the pinnacle of his coaching career.
Manchester United have now been called out by one of their fan groups, The 1958.
The group have announced a planned protest at Old Trafford ahead of The Red Devils’ fixture with Arsenal on 9th March 2025.
The 1958 have taken to X with a video of the group’s previous protests announcing the plans, sending a huge warning to the club.
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The 1958 send huge warning to Manchester United
The announcement reads: “Shall we begin: Announcing protest Arsenal 9th March
“We have been preparing for this for a few weeks in anticipation.
“We are angry, the fans are angry and it’s been building for some time.
“We have all been more than patient.
“We all know the root cause, we have always known the elephant in the room.
“Yet, this isn’t being addressed.
“It’s those who can least afford it, have the most emotional connection with our club who are being asked to pay the price in more ways than one.
“Trampling over generational support and memories of friends and family who handed the club over to us like something they have stepped in.
“- The treatment of fans from the club “- The eradication of fan culture “- The assault on concessions and generational fans “- Putting profit before fan safety “- Putting profit before everything “- The total lack of communication and transparency “- The uncertainty of our clubs future
“The club preach fan engagement the reality is they dont practice it. We know this first hand and have evidence.
“ACTIONS NOT WORDS ITS NOT GOOD ENOUGH
“They can hold meetings with the FAB which is all under NDA. It is supposed to be for the fans YET they can’t tell the fans anything. It’s a disgrace!
“These meetings are effectively gagged and it is NOT open and transparent dialogue with fans. Not even close.
“The silence from the club is deafening.
“We rise again to defend our club and be warned this will not just be on the street campaigns at the ground.
“Keep treating the fans with contempt at your peril
“More details to follow in the coming days
“The 1958”
Shall we begin: Announcing protest Arsenal 9th March
We have been preparing for this for a few weeks in anticipation.
We are angry, the fans are angry and it’s been building for some time.
Over the last two transfer windows, Manchester United have made a real push to cull some of the deadwood at the club, especially with some of their side-line players earning massive salaries.
With players like Antony, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, who are all now out on loan, most of their salary was paying for them to sit on the bench, only making United’s financial position even more concerning.
Sancho joined Chelsea on deadline day in the summer, with the deal with The Blues including an obligation to buy at the end of the season for between £20 million and £25 million.
Rashford has found himself at Aston Villa for the rest of the season, however, the buy clause of £40 million is entirely optional.
Elsewhere Antony is now in LaLiga with Real Betis, with no buy clause included, however the Spanish side are considering making the move permanent.
The pair of Rashford and Antony are attempting to kickstart their carers again, to either regain a place in the United squad under Amorim, or to stir up interest for a sale in the summer.
However, Sancho’s fate is sealed as moving to Stafford Bridge permanently et the end of the season.
This is something that Sancho is seemingly happy about, commenting on Rashford’s Instagram post after leaving United with the word “freedom”.
However, his hope of a career revival with Chelsea haven’t completely gone to plan with only two goals and six assists in 21 matches.
Now, former Red Devil and England international Paul Parker has weighed in on the Chelsea loanee’s recent actions.
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Paul Parker comments on Chelsea’s upcoming purchase of Jadon Sancho
Image Credits: Getty Images
In an interview with MyBettingSites, Parker didn’t pull his punches regarding Sancho and his recent performances at Stamford Bridge, or his comments towards Rashford’s exit.
Speaking about the situation, Parker commented: “Jadon Sancho reminds me of a weak little boy who is using someone else to air his grievances.”
He continued: “I hope Rashford is smart enough to stay out of it. Even his PR team should know better than to let him get involved in this nonsense.
“Sancho is trying to shift focus away from himself, but in reality, he should be looking in the mirror.
“It was the wrong timing. Is he still trying to align himself with Rashford? Because Rashford would be foolish to go down that path.
“Sancho has been ridiculed by Chelsea fans. He should be focused on improving his game instead of alienating himself further.
“Chelsea must be regretting the fact that they have to buy him. They’ll probably be begging United to find a way out of the deal.
“Chelsea will be looking to get rid of him as soon as possible. Finding a club willing to take him will be a challenge.
“He’s brought this upon himself. I hope Rashford realises that Sancho is trying to drag him into unnecessary problems and tells him to stop. He needs to take a long, hard look at himself.
“At first, I thought he had personal issues with his managers. But they all had the same opinion of him – they didn’t play him. Now, he’s trying to make the club the villain instead.”
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Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has enlisted the support of Nigerian football legends as he looks to motivate his players ahead of crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Super Eagles have endured a poor start to their campaign, failing to secure a single win in their opening four matches. They were held to draws by Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and South Africa while suffering a damaging defeat against Benin Republic.
With just three points from a possible 12, Nigeria is currently fifth in Group C. They trail group leaders South Africa, Rwanda, and Benin by four points and sit one point behind Lesotho. Only the top team from each group secures an automatic ticket to the World Cup, leaving Nigeria with a mountain to climb.
To boost morale, Chelle has reached out to some of Nigeria’s most celebrated football icons. Among those who have accepted his invitation are:
Nwankwo Kanu – Former Arsenal and Inter Milan forward
Austin Okocha – Ex-Bolton Wanderers captain
Mikel Obi – Former Chelsea midfielder
Vincent Enyeama – Legendary ex-Lille goalkeeper
“I have invited Nigerian legends to join us in this battle, and I’m happy they have accepted,” Chelle said, as quoted by Mainland Metro via The Guardian.
“I want to assure Nigerians that we are preparing well for these matches, and we will do whatever it takes to get back on track.”
The Super Eagles’ next two games could determine their World Cup fate. They will travel to Kigali to face Rwanda on March 21, followed by a home fixture against Zimbabwe in Uyo on March 25. Both matches are must-wins if Nigeria hopes to stay in contention.
Chelle, who replaced Augustine Eguavoen as head coach on January 8, faces immense pressure to deliver results. If Nigeria fails to win both matches, their World Cup dreams could be effectively over, shifting their focus to the 2030 tournament instead.
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Remaining Fixtures for Nigeria
March 21 away to Rwanda, March 25 home to Zimbabwe, August 2025 home to Rwanda, September 2025 away to South Africa, October 2025 away to Lesotho, November 2025 home to Benin.
