Sports
Osimhen: How Soon Will He Become Nigeria’s Record Scorer?
Youthful Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, has scored 20 goals in 27 games for Super Eagles of Nigeria.
This leaves him fourth on the all time scorers ranking for Nigeria’s national senior men’s football team, the Super Eagles.
Others on the top three ranking are, Rasheed Yekini of blessed memory, who remains, Nigeria’s all-time top scorer with 37 goals, legendary Segun Odegbami, is second with 23 goals scored in 46 games, and Yakubu Aiyegbeni with 21 goals to his credit.
This record shows that going into today’s friendly against the Saudi Arabian national team, Osimhen can fancy his chances of displacing Aiyegbeni in the third place, with just two strikes.
Football buffs maintain that given the Napoli strikers prolific form for the both club and country, Aiyegbeni’s records is under real threat.
However, what is more interesting is that given the rate at which Osimhen has progressed, his surpassing Yekini’s record is just a matter of time, baring injury.
This is so, because the record took Yekini almost two decades and close to close to 100 games to set, while Odegbemi made his mark between 1976 and 1982, and Aiyegbeni required 57 games between 2000 and 2012 for his 21-goal-mark, which leaves him in third place.
The Napoli striker’s national team goal-ration is superior to those, whose records, he would be aiming to take.
The 24-year-old has been in prolific form for the Eagles, scoring 10 goals in his last six games — which saw him emerge as the highest scorer in the African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
However, he has not been as prolific in friendlies as in competitive games for the Super Eagles, having scored just once in six friendly encounters.
Recall that Osimhen made his competitive debut for Nigeria in a 2-0 loss to South Africa in 2017 and scored his first goal for the Super Eagles from the spot in a 2-2 draw against Ukraine in Dnipro in 2018.
The Napoli star was a member of the Nigerian squad to the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, where he made only one appearance — the third-place match.
He missed out on the delayed AFCON edition in Cameroon in 2022 over COVID-19 related issues, but started off the qualification for the 2023 AFCON in sparkling form helping Nigeria win both of their first two matches.
Osimhen netted a goal against Sierra Leone and another four goals in a 10–0 win against São Tomé and Príncipe.
In the reverse fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on September 10, Osimhen scored his second international hat-trick in Nigeria’s 6–0 win against the minnows, which saw him finish the 2023 AFCON qualifiers as top scorer with 10 goals.
Sports
Belgium Appoints Rudi Garcia As National Team Coach
The Belgian Football Federation has named Frenchman Rudi Garcia as the new head coach of the national team, following the sacking of Domenico Tedesco after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign.
In a statement released on Friday, the federation confirmed the appointment of the Underworld former Napoli, Lyon, and Roma manager, who will be formally introduced to the press later in the day.
READ MORE: Nuri Sahin Fired As Borussia Dortmund Head Coach
Garcia’s task will be to rejuvenate the Red Devils after their early exit from the European Championship and underwhelming performances in the Nations League.
Belgium recently parted ways with Tedesco, who had been in charge since February 2023.
The Italian-German coach was brought in to rebuild the squad following the departure of the country’s celebrated “golden generation” under Roberto Martinez but failed to deliver the expected results.
The team now faces a critical relegation play-off against Ukraine in March, before beginning their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a trip to North Macedonia in June.
Garcia brings a wealth of experience, having coached top European clubs such as Marseille and Lyon.
He also made his mark at Lille between 2008 and 2013, leading the French side to a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in 2011.
However, his most recent role at Napoli in 2023 ended in disappointment after just five months.
Sports
Nuri Sahin Fired As Borussia Dortmund Head Coach
Borussia Dortmund have sacked head coach Nuri Sahin after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Bologna in Tuesday’s Champions League match, marking the club’s fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.
The decision follows a string of poor performances that have left the club in 10th place in the Bundesliga, 20 points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich.
Sporting CEO Lars Ricken expressed that the club had “lost faith” in Sahin, explaining that the decision was painful but necessary.
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“We have unfortunately lost faith that we will achieve our sporting goals,” Ricken said. “We value Nuri Sahin and his work very much, we hoped for a long collaboration, but after the game in Bologna, this was unavoidable.”
Sahin, who had been promoted to head coach in the summer following his role as assistant to Edin Terzic during Dortmund’s surprise Champions League final run last season, acknowledged the disappointment.
“Unfortunately, I was not able to live up to Dortmund’s sporting ambitions at this point in time. I wish this special club all the best.”
The defeat against Bologna caps a difficult season for the club under Sahin’s stewardship.
Despite their strong showing in last season’s Champions League, where they lost to Real Madrid in the final, Dortmund have struggled in the Bundesliga and were eliminated from the German Cup by Wolfsburg.
Their away form, in particular, has been disastrous, with only four wins and nine losses in 15 matches away from the Westfalenstadion.
Dortmund’s leadership, which has historically favored former players in managerial roles, now faces the task of finding a suitable replacement for Sahin.
German media reports suggest potential successors could include Erik Ten Hag, the former Manchester United boss who has been spotted attending Dortmund games recently, or Roger Schmidt, formerly of Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen.
In the interim, U19 coach Mike Tullberg has been appointed to take charge of the first team, starting with Saturday’s home match against Werder Bremen.
The sacking of Sahin is the latest chapter in a turbulent managerial history for Dortmund since the departure of Jurgen Klopp in 2015, with the club having cycled through eight different head coaches in that time. Only Lucien Favre managed to stay longer than two years.
Sahin’s tenure as manager was a significant moment for Dortmund, as he was one of the club’s own, having come through the ranks and played over 270 games for the team, including being part of the squad that won the 2011 Bundesliga title.
However, his time at the helm of the senior team has proven to be short-lived as Dortmund now seek a new direction.
Sports
Man City Sign Brazilian Teenager, Vitor Reis For £29.6M
Manchester City have completed the signing of 19-year-old defender Vitor Reis from Brazilian club Palmeiras, the Premier League champions announced on Tuesday.
The Brazilian youth international joins on a four-and-a-half-year deal for a reported fee of £29.6 million ($36.2 million).
Reis, a right-footed centre-back, expressed his enthusiasm about joining the English giants. “I’m excited to join Manchester City, one of the biggest clubs in the world,” said Reis.
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“Everyone has seen the amazing achievements in recent seasons, and I want to make my mark as we seek more trophies. Working with Pep Guardiola is something every young player wants to do, and I know he can help me to develop into the best player I can be.”
City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, highlighted the qualities that attracted the club to Reis.
He said, “Vitor Reis is one of the most promising young defenders in the world, and we’re delighted to have been able to bring him here. He is excellent on the ball and outstanding in the air — he has all the attributes needed to be one of the best.”
The signing of Reis is City’s second addition of the January transfer window, following the arrival of Uzbekistan international Abdukodir Khusanov.
Reports indicate that the club is also pursuing Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush before the window closes.
Manchester City, currently fifth in the Premier League table, have faced challenges this season due to a series of defensive injuries.
However, the team showcased their attacking strength with a dominant 6-0 victory over Ipswich on Sunday.