Sports
Four Nigerian Football Stars Shortlisted For 2024 FIFA Best Awards
Four Nigerian football stars have been nominated for prestigious categories at the 2024 FIFA Best Awards, as announced by FIFA on Friday.
The players, who have enjoyed standout performances in their respective clubs and international competitions, will now compete for top honors in global football.
Best Attacker Nominee, Ademola Lookman, who finished 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings, has been shortlisted for the Best Attacker award.
He faces fierce competition from football legends such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, and Bukayo Saka, as well as rising stars like Vinicius Junior and Lamine Yamal.
Nigeria’s stand-in captain, Troost-Ekong, is nominated for the Best Defender award.
He will compete against top names in defense, including Arsenal’s William Saliba, Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger, and Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji.
His leadership and defensive strength have been key for both the Super Eagles and his club.
Puskas Award Nominee
Southampton striker Onuachu has earned a spot in the men’s Puskas Award for Best Goal.
His sublime flick in Trabzonspor’s 2-1 victory over Konyaspor in November 2023 has been recognized as one of the most memorable goals of the year.
Additionally, Asisa Oshoala, the prolific Barcelona Femeni forward, is a nominee for the newly introduced Marta Award, which recognizes the best goal in women’s football.
Her stunning acrobatic strike against Benfica in the Women’s Champions League in November 2023 has been nominated for the prestigious accolade.
Here is the full list of nominees across various categories for the 2024 FIFA Best Awards:
Best FIFA Men’s Player Nominees
Dani Carvajal (Spain), Real Madrid
Erling Haaland (Norway), Manchester City
Federico Valverde (Uruguay), Real Madrid
Florian Wirtz (Germany), Bayer Leverkusen
Jude Bellingham (England), Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe (France), Paris Saint-Germain/Real Madrid
Lamine Yamal (Spain), Barcelona
Lionel Messi (Argentina), Inter Miami
Rodri (Spain), Manchester City
Toni Kroos (Germany), Real Madrid (now retired)
Vinicius Jr (Brazil), Real Madrid
Best FIFA Women’s Player Nominees
Aitana Bonmati (Spain), Barcelona
Barbra Banda (Zambia), Shanghai Shengli/Orlando Pride
Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway), Barcelona
Keira Walsh (England), Barcelona
Khadija Shaw (Jamaica), Manchester City
Lauren Hemp (England), Manchester City
Lindsey Horan (USA), Olympique Lyonnais
Lucy Bronze (England), Barcelona/Chelsea
Mallory Swanson (USA), Chicago Red Stars
Mariona Caldentey (Spain), Barcelona/Arsenal
Naomi Girma (USA), San Diego Wave
Ona Batlle (Spain), Barcelona
Salma Paralluelo (Spain), Barcelona
Sophia Smith (USA), Portland Thorns
Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi), Paris Saint-Germain/Olympique Lyonnais
Trinity Rodman (USA), Washington Spirit
Best FIFA Women’s Coach Nominees
Arthur Elias (Brazil), Brazil
Elena Sadiku (Sweden), Celtic
Emma Hayes (England), Chelsea/USA
Futoshi Ikeda (Japan), Japan
Gareth Taylor (England), Manchester City
Jonatan Giraldez (Spain), Barcelona/Washington Spirit
Sandrine Soubeyrand (France), Paris FC
Sonia Bompastor (France), Olympique Lyonnais/Chelsea
Best FIFA Men’s Coach Nominees
Carlo Ancelotti (Italy), Real Madrid
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina), Argentina
Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Spain
Pep Guardiola (Spain), Manchester City
Xabi Alonso (Spain), Bayer Leverkusen
Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Nominees
Alyssa Naeher (USA), Chicago Red Stars
Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany), Chelsea/NJ/NY Gotham
Ayaka Yamashita (Japan), INAC Kobe Leonessa/Manchester City
Cata Coll (Spain), Barcelona
Mary Earps (England), Manchester United/Paris Saint-Germain
Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Nominees
Andriy Lunin (Ukraine), Real Madrid
David Raya (Spain), Arsenal
Ederson (Brazil), Manchester City
Emiliano Martinez (Argentina), Aston Villa
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy), Paris Saint-Germain
Mike Maignan (France), AC Milan
Unai Simon (Spain), Athletic Club
2024 FIFA Puskas Award Nominees
Paul Onuachu (Nigeria), Southampton – for his exquisite flick for Trabzonspor against Konyaspor in November 2023.
2024 FIFA Marta Award Nominees
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria), Barcelona Femeni – for her acrobatic goal against Benfica in the Women’s Champions League in November 2023.
Voting and Ceremony Details
Fans and an expert panel will equally share the responsibility for voting.
Supporters can cast their votes via the FIFA website until December 10, 2024.
The winners will be announced in the coming months, celebrating the best footballing achievements across the globe.
Sports
JUST IN: Coventry City Appoint Frank Lampard As New Head Coach
Coventry City have appointed Frank Lampard as their new head coach on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
The announcement follows the recent dismissal of Mark Robins, who left the club after nearly eight years in charge.
Lampard’s appointment comes after days of negotiations, with the club confirming that an agreement has now been finalized.
READ MORE: President Tinubu Arrives In Paris For High-Level Talks With Macron
The former Chelsea and England midfielder takes charge of the Sky Blues as they aim to reignite their Championship campaign.
Robins, 54, was relieved of his duties after nearly eight years at the helm, a tenure that saw him guide Coventry from League Two to the Championship.
He also led the club to the 2022/23 play-off final and last season’s FA Cup semi-finals, cementing his status as one of Coventry’s most influential modern-day managers.
However, a run of poor results this season forced the club to seek new leadership.
Lampard, 46, is no stranger to the pressures of management.
His previous stints include Derby County, where he narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League, and Chelsea, where he secured a top-four finish and reached the FA Cup final.
He also managed Everton, helping them avoid relegation during a challenging period.
Sports
Rangers’ Wonderkids Dominate U-17 NPFL Side
The Enugu Rangers International FC has three players in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) Under-17 team preparing to fly Nigeria’s flag against their La Liga counterparts during a playing tour of Spain.
Biztellers reports that they include, teenage attacking sensation, Chimobi Igwilo, goalkeeper, Chikee Chinedu and striker, Chibuike Umeh.
The fast paced attacking sensation who has been listed in five of the thirteen match days of the coach Fidelis Ilechukwu tutored side is optimistic of making a great representation for the country at the tournament.
ALSO READ: Sustaining Achievements Of NPFL Calls For Consistency
Recall that Igwilo was the youngest player registered by the ‘Flying Antelopes’ in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2024/2025 season said ahead of the camping, “I thank God for giving me the opportunity to showcase my God given talent as we prepare to defend the flag of Nigeria in the NPFL/La-Liga tournament. I am optimistic and hope to be a godd ambassador for my club, Rangers International F.C.”
The invitation of the trio increases the number of players from the reigning NPFL champions that have been called up to defend the flag of the country after left-back, Kenneth Igboke distinguished himself with the national U-20 team at the WAFU-B tournament recently in Togo just as the trio of Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, Kazeem Ogunleye and Isaac Saviour were also invited to the CHAN Eagles team preparing for the qualifiers ahead Kenya/Uganda/Tanzania CHAN tournament scheduled for February 2025.
Sports
David Coote Suspended As FA, PGMOL Probe Fresh Allegations of Misconduct
Referee, David Coote has been suspended as the Football Association (FA) and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) launch investigations into new allegations of misconduct.
The latest claims, reported by The Sun newspaper, accuse Coote of discussing the issuing of a yellow card with a fan before a 2019 Championship match between Leeds United and West Brom.
The yellow card, which was given to Leeds’ Ezgjan Alioski, is believed to have been issued correctly, with no financial gain suggested in the report.
READ ALSO: OGUNCCIMA Commends Dangote Refinery’s Impact
Coote, 42, has denied the allegations, labeling them as “false and defamatory.”
In a statement, he said, “I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations. Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field. I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
The new claims come amid an ongoing investigation into Coote’s conduct.
The referee was initially suspended by PGMOL on November 11 following a video that appeared to show him making disparaging remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The FA began investigating that incident the following day. On November 13, further photos emerged from The Sun alleging Coote was seen sniffing a white powder during the European Championship this summer, which he was officiating.
These images, along with the video, have not been independently verified by the BBC.
The FA has stated that it is investigating the allegations as a matter of urgency. “These are very serious allegations and we are investigating as a matter of urgency,” an FA spokesperson said. PGMOL reiterated its “zero-tolerance approach” to breaches of conduct, adding, “The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations.”
Leeds United, the club involved in the yellow card incident, has acknowledged the allegations but refrained from making further comments.
“We respect and have full confidence in the FA, EFL and PGMOL regulations and processes,” said the club. “We will be making no further comment at this time.”
Coote remains suspended as both the FA and PGMOL continue their investigations into these serious claims.