Author: Silver Emmanuel

25Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Kosta Barbarouses stars as New Zealand qualify for FIFA World Cup

(L-R) New Zealand's Kosta Barbarouses is challenged by New Caledonia's Fonzy Ranchain and Joseph Athale during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania qualifiers group final football match between New Zealand and New Caledonia at Eden Park Stadium in Auckland on March 24, 2025. Kosta Barbarouses has helped New Zealand return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Barbarouses scored one goal and assisted another as the Kiwi’s beat New Caledonia 3-0 in their decisive qualifier. Last time New Zealand qualified for a World Cup was in 2010, when the A-League legend was just 20 years old and was overlooked for selection in the All Whites squad. They missed the next three World Cups with Barbarouses playing in each of those unsuccessful qualification campaigns, including 2022 when he ...

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24Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Manchester City star offers himself to Real Madrid

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 11: Manuel Akanji of Manchester City makes a block during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off first leg match between Manchester City and Real Madrid C.F. at Etihad Stadium on February 11, 2025 in Manchester, England. There are no shortage of players keen to sign for Real Madrid, and no few agents desperate to get their clients to the Santiago Bernabeu either. That results in Los Blancos receiving plenty of offers of willing footballers, albeit rarely from their rivals for the top prizes. Yet that is the case with Manuel Akanji. The Swiss defender has spent much of the last few seasons competing against Real Madrid to lift the Champions League, but Marca explain that Akanji has offered himself as an option for Real Madrid this summ...

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24Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Germany to host final four in UEFA’s Nations League in June

23 March 2025, North Rhine-Westphalia, Dortmund: Soccer: Nations League A, Germany - Italy, play-off round, quarter-finals, second leg, Signal Iduna Park, The logo of the German Football Association (DFB) can be seen on a corner flag before the start of the match. UEFA have confirmed that Germany will host the Nations League finals this June, with Munich and Stuttgart confirmed as the venues for the four-team tournament. The announcement follows Germany’s victory over Italy in the quarter-finals, who had provisionally secured hosting rights under UEFA’s stipulation last December. The semi-final line-up sees hosts Germany face 2019 hosts Portugal at the Munich Football Arena on June 4, while Spain meet France the following night at Stuttgart Stadion. The defeated semi-finalists will con...

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24Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

LALIGA

Real Madrid superstar missed Belgium game due to ‘muscle overload’ – report

Thibaut Courtois goalkeeper of Belgium and Real Madrid during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League A/B Play-offs first leg match between Ukraine and Belgium at Estadio Enrique Roca on March 20, 2025 in Murcia, Spain. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images) There was much excitement surrounding Thibaut Courtois ahead of Belgium’s game against Ukraine. However, much to the disappointment of the Belgian fans, Courtois was not even named as part of the squad, sparking immediate fears over his fitness. Courtois had muscle overload In the wake of Courtois’ absence against Ukraine, Belgium has reported that the Real Madrid goalkeeper had a muscle overload. As reported by Rodra P, it appears the Belgian team had tested Courtois before kick off and opted not to take any ri...

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24Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Israel edges Estonia 2-1 to start 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a win

Eli Dasa of Israel in action. Israel defeated Estonia 2-1 over the weekend to kick off its 2026 World Cup campaign on the right foot. The blue-and-white conceded an early goal but equalized soon after, with captain Eli Dasa scoring the winner in the 75th minute to secure all three points for Ran Ben Shimon’s squad. With the home game played at Debrecen’s Nagyerdei Stadion due to the ongoing security situation in Israel, the visitors struck first as Maksim Pakotsi scored off a dead-ball play in the 10th minute to give Estonia a quick 1-0 lead. However, Israel pressed hard for the equalizer and found it less than a quarter-hour later when Dan Biton’s scorching shot from the top of the box hit the post, caromed off Karl Hein, and into the Estonian goal to level the score at 1-1. Oscar Gloukh...

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24Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Portugal defeat Denmark in extra time to reach Nations League semifinals

LISBON, PORTUGAL - MARCH 23: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates his goal during the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal Leg Two match between Portugal and Denmark at Estadio Jose Alvalade on March 23, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal. Portugal’s Francisco Trincao came off the bench to score twice and Cristiano Ronaldo also netted as they beat Denmark 5-2 after extra time for a 5-3 aggregate win that set up a Nations League semifinal against Germany. Ronaldo bounced back from missing an early penalty to play a crucial role in his team’s recovery on Sunday, and though he had to watch extra time from the bench, he continued to drive the crowd on as Portugal finally found a way to end Denmark’s resistance. With the Danes leading the tie 1-0 thanks to Rasmus Hojlund’s goal in Thursday’s first le...

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23Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Roma must pay double for Balerdi, claim French reports

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 16: Leonardo Balerdi of Marseille during the Ligue 1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at Parc des Princes stadium on March 16, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) There are mixed reports in Italy and France on the status of Roma interest in Olympique Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi, with double the asking price. Their pursuit of the central defender goes all the way back to his time in Argentina as a 19-year-old, with links even when he was still at Boca Juniors in 2018. Now that he is 26 years old and flourishing at Olympique Marseille, La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that Roma are back in the running and the player has already given the all-clear. This much is confirmed in Franc...

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23Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Conceicao says he accepted Milan job ‘to win the Champions League’

Sergio Conceicao, head coach of AC Milan, watches the Serie A match between US Lecce and AC Milan in Lecce, Italy, on March 8, 2025. Sergio Conceicao has stated that he decided to join AC Milan to win the Champions League, which is his coaching dream. Conceicao accepted the Milan challenge at the very end of 2024, following the sacking of Paulo Fonseca, and since then it has been a tough period despite the Supercoppa win. Indeed, there is already talk of an exit in the summer. Building from the back… “Today everyone likes to build from the back. I also like to play wide, but for that you need players who can do it. At Porto, I had a fantastic goalkeeper who made it possible, and at Milan I have one too.” The flop February… “In 30 days, we played nine games. We didn’t have time to trai...

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23Mar By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

NEWS

Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann doesn’t want to see history repeat itself

MILAN, ITALY - MARCH 19: Head coach Julian Nagelsmann speaks to the media during a Germany press conference ahead of the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal leg one match between Italy and Germany at Stadio San Siro on March 19, 2025 in Milan, Italy. Former Bayern Munich coach and current German national team boss Julian Nagelsmann is a student of the game and someone who respects history. That said, Nagelsmann has no interest in re-living Italy’s win over Germany at Westfalenstadion back in 2006. “I remember 2006. I’m still not happy that Germany didn’t win. But for me, it’s more important to talk about the present and not the past. We want to write our own history. I’m not afraid. We’re in good form, we’re alert. We have good solutions for tomorrow, and then it will be important to cre...

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23Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

World Cup qualifying: Wales open with a win

CARDIFF, WALES - MARCH 22: Daniel James of Wales jumps over the challenge of Yan Vorogovskiy of Kazakhstan during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifier between Wales and Kazakhstan at Cardiff City Stadium on March 22, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales. Wales opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan. Daniel James gave Wales an early advantage before a near-capacity 32,473 crowd at the Cardiff City Stadium but that was wiped out by Askhat Tagybergen's penalty, awarded after Connor Roberts had handled. Kazakhstan were threatening to throw a spanner in the works but skipper Ben Davies and Rabbi Matondo, with his first Wales goal in the final minute, ensured a winning start for Craig Bellamy’s side. Elsewhere in Group J, Aleksandar Trajkovski, Visar Musliu and...

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22Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

BUNDESLIGA

Manuel Neuer suffers injury setback

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer is set for an extended period on the sidelines after the goalkeeper suffered a setback in his recovery from a calf injury.The 38-year-old sustained the knock in the first-leg of Bayern's successful UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen on 11 March. MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 05: Manuel Neuer of Bayern Muenchen is injured in the match and has to be substituted during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 first leg match between FC Bayern München and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at on March 05, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Stefan Matzke - sampics/Getty Images) He subsequently missed his club's 3-2 defeat against Bochum and the 1-1 draw away against Union Berlin, with 21-year-...

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22Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Como midfielder admits admiration of Milan star: “My goal is in this direction”

MILAN, ITALY - MARCH 15: Tijjani Reijnders of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Como at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on March 15, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) AC Milan have always had a heap of good players, and despite their current struggles, this much remains true with a Serie A midfielder admitting he idolises Tijjani Reijnders. In the past season, there has been no player as consistently brilliant as Reijnders has been. The Dutchman has elevated his own game since last season, and as a result, the team now play better. However, Milan are not the only benefactors. As we saw in midweek, the midfielder is also having a more positive impact on his national team, scoring a beautiful goal ag...

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22Mar By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

TRANSFERS

Real Madrid have two midfielders on shortlist for summer move

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 1: Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC at Vitality Stadium on February 1, 2025 in Bournemouth, England. Real Madrid could be busy this summer, with players wanted across three positions: right-back, centre-back and centre midfield. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen are the favourites to the players that address the first two, but the latter is much less straightforward. In recent months, Martin Zubimendi has emerged as a player that Real Madrid like a lot, and they believe that he could be the player to fill the large void that was left by Toni Kroos last summer. However, the issue is that Arsenal are pushing very hard to finalise the signing of the 26-year-old Real Sociedad...

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22Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

LALIGA

Barcelona youngster Pau Cubarsi injured

Pau Cubarsi centre-back of Barcelona and Spain during the La Liga match between Atletico de Madrid and FC Barcelona at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on March 16, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. Spanish LaLiga side Barcelona's young defender Pau Cubarsi has been injured. According to a statement on Barcelona's official website on Saturday, Cubarsi has suffered a strain to the anterior tibiofibular ligament in his right ankle. The 18-year-old Spaniard will be reevaluated on Monday after 48 hours of conservative treatment. Cubarsi had to come off injured in the 41st minute of Thursday's 2-2 draw between Spain and the Netherlands in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals, leaving his place to Dean Huijsen.

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22Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Champions Argentina one step closer to WC qualification

Uruguay's defender #16 Mathias Olivera and Argentina's midfielder #11 Thiago Almada fight for the ball during the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Uruguay and Argentina at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo, on March 21, 2025. Argentina, without their array of stars including Lionel Messi, have beaten Uruguay 1-0 away in convincing fashion in their South American World Cup qualifying match. Thiago Almada scored the winner with a powerful curled shot from the edge of the box on Friday, putting the defending World Cup champions one point away from a direct spot in the tournament next year. Argentina lead the round-robin competition with 28 points after 13 matches, and could secure their place with a home draw with Brazil on Tuesday. Coach Lionel Sca...

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22Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Osimhen shines as Nigeria triumphs over Rwanda

Victor Osimhen’s impressive performance, scoring twice, ensured Nigeria’s commanding 2-0 victory against Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium during their World Cup qualifier on Friday evening. This win was vital for the Super Eagles, propelling them to fourth place in the Group C standings as they aim to rejuvenate their campaign and secure a spot in next year’s international tournament in North America. From the outset, Nigeria dominated the match, controlling possession and dictating the pace of play. Their first breakthrough came early in the 11th minute when Ademola Lookman’s expertly delivered freekick found Osimhen, who deftly converted from close range. The dynamic duo of Lookman and Osimhen continued to create opportunities, setting up Moses Simon for a promising chance, but Rwanda’s goa...

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22Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Egypt cruise past Ethiopia to open a 5-point gap in World Cup qualifiers

Egypt’s national team cruised to a 2-0 victory over Ethiopia on Friday in their African 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca, extending their unbeaten run to five games and edging closer to securing a spot in the finals. Egypt skipper Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 31st minute, while winger Ahmed "Zizo" El-Sayed sealed the victory five minutes before halftime. The win solidifies the Pharaohs’ position atop Group A with 13 points after five games, five points ahead of second-placed Burkina Faso, while Ethiopia remain at the bottom with three points. In a clear show of offensive intent, coach Hossam Hassan fielded five attackers, with Mahmoud Trezeguet and Zizo feeding Osama Faisal, Omar Marmoush and Salah. Egypt threatened early, with Trezeguet testing ...

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21Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Antonio Rudiger reveals transfer verdict amid Real Madrid exit links

Antonio Rudiger of Real Madrid plays during the La Liga match between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid at La Ceramica Stadium in Villarreal, Spain, on March 15, 2025. Real Madrid centre-back Antonio Rudiger insists that he has no intention of leaving the Spanish giants "any time soon" despite increasing transfer interest from Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. At 32 and into the final 14 months of his contract, there is naturally speculation around Rudiger's future. Madrid have been strongly linked with numerous youthful centre-backs, including the Premier League pairing of Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen and Arsenal star William Saliba, as they prepare for what the Spanish press have dubbed a "transfer facelift" this summer. However, Rudiger isn't quite ready to get cut. "In football you never k...

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21Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Saudi Arabia defeat 10-man China 1-0 in 2026 World Cup AFC Qualifying

Saudi Arabia's midfielder #7 Musab Al-Juwayr shoots during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group C football match between Saudi Arabia and China at the Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on March 20, 2025. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images) China suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qualifier on the road in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, continuing to struggle at the bottom of Group C. The decisive moment came five minutes into the second half, when Saudi midfielder Salem Al-Dawsari found the net from close range, capitalizing on a rebound after Chinese goalkeeper Wang Dalei had made a valiant effort to block an initial shot. China's task became even more challenging just before halftime, as Lin Liang...

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21Mar By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Arsenal handed Riccardo Calafiori injury concern as Luciano Spalletti provides update

MILAN, ITALY - MARCH 20: Antonio Rudiger of Germany gives a pat on the head to Riccardo Calafiori of Italy as he receives treatment from medical staff during the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal leg one match between Italy and Germany at Stadio San Siro on March 20, 2025 in Milan, Italy. Arsenal have been handed a fresh injury concern after Riccardo Calafiori was forced off in Italy's 2-1 defeat against Germany on Thursday. Italy boss Luciano Spalletti included the Arsenal defender in his starting lineup for the UEFA Nations League quarter-final first leg. The Azzurri fell to a narrow loss at the San Siro despite taking the lead through Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali. To compound their misery, Italy were dealt an injury blow in stoppage time when Calafiori had to go off af...

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