Sports
Osimhen not fit for Cremonese – Spalletti
Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen, will not be available for selection when Napoli take on Cyriel Desser’s Cremonese in the matchday nine fixture of the Italian Serie A on Sunday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Osimhen has been out of action since he sustained a hamstring injury in Napoli’s 4-1 victory over Liverpool in the Champions League last month and also caused him to miss the Super Eagles’ double friendly against Algeria.
The 23-year-old striker returned to individual training last week, and he was expected to be on the bench for Napoli’s clash at Ajax on Tuesday. Unfortunately, he was not considered fit for the game.
According to reports in Italy, Osimhen was set to be named in Napoli’s squad that will take on Cremonese at the Stadio Giovanni Zini.
However, according to Napoli head coach Luciano Spaletti, last season’s Serie A Young Player of the Year will remain on the sidelines yet longer for at leas one more round of rest.
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“These are evaluations that are made after clinical examinations, after the analysis of the condition, we need to put all these components together. We want him available in the conditions of being a football player, in the level that he is, and so we decided to give him one more round of rest, he is not in condition yet,” Spaletti said.
“It is useless to take him on the bench tomorrow, better than today and tomorrow he trains hard.”
According to Napoli Magazine, Osimhen is very close to full recovery, but considering Giovanni Simeone and Giacomo Raspadori’s form, they are in no haste to throw the Nigerian striker into the thick of the action and risk further injury to their star man.
The statement read, “Napoli wants to give the player all the time needed to recover in the best possible way in view of the other league and Champions League challenges, given that there is certainly no shortage of alternatives.”
AreaNapoli have now reported that Osimhen’s next likely return date will be for the return fixture against Calvin Bassey’s Ajax in the Champions League.
The Partenopeans sit pretty atop the Serie A table, and they would look to continue their twelve-game unbeaten run at Cremona against a Dessers-led squad that have struggled for goals this season and would hope to avoid further misery against the rampant Napoli.
Sports
Iheanacho, Ndidi’s Leicester City secure promotion back to EPL
Iheanacho, Ndidi’s Leicester City secure promotion back to EPL
Leicester City were promoted to the Premier League on Friday after rivals Leeds United crashed to a shock 4-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers.
The result leaves Leicester City top of the Championship with 94 points with two games to play while Leeds stay second on 90 but with just one match left.
Third-place Ipswich Town can pip Leeds to the second automatic promotion place as they currently have 89 points with three matches still to play.
Enzo Maresca’s Leicester City achieved promotion at the first time of asking having been relegated from the Premier League last season following a third-from-bottom finish.
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Their final two games begin with a trip to Preston on Monday, before they round off the season with a home finale against Blackburn on May 4.
Leeds will find themselves outside the top two if Ipswich beat Hull on Saturday, or Coventry win their game in hand on Tuesday.
Should Ipswich win both, they will be promoted while Leeds will have to enter the play-offs.
On Friday goals from Ilias Chair, Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field gave QPR victory and guaranteed their survival in England’s second-tier.
Iheanacho, Ndidi’s Leicester City secure promotion back to EPL
Sports
Ronaldo playing in Saudi league for money like me – Ighalo
Ronaldo playing in Saudi league for money like me – Ighalo
Ex-Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo has disclosed that the decision of Cristiano Ronaldo and other top footballers to ply their trade in Saudi Arabia was informed by pecuniary motives.
Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr last year in a stunning three-year deal that would see him earn €210.704 million in total.
Other top footballers, who have made names for themselves in Europe, have also moved to Saudi Arabia as the the oil-rich middle east nation injected massive cash into league in order to make it a football powerhouse.
Reacting to the move of Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia and the influx of big players to the Saudi league, Ighalo said the motivation behind these moves was money and not passion.
Ighalo made this known during an interview with sport journalist, Oma Akatugba.
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He said. “See people that are going to Saudi Arabia, big players. Is Ronaldo still playing for passion? He has made more than 100 times what I have in my life, but he still went to Saudi. You want to tell me that is passion? No, it’s for money.
“It’s only when we Africans say it they will say we like money. But these people don’t care, some of them want to be highest paid and all that,”
Ighalo left mainstream Europe for Chang Chung Yatai in 2017 after playing for Lyn, Udinese, Granada, Cesena, and Watford.
At Yatai, he earned a reported €200,000 weekly salary, before moving to Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua where he also commanded a similar wage.
Ighalo spent one year in Shanghai before moving to Manchester United on a six-month loan deal.
After that, the 34-year-old joined Al Shabbab, where he started earning €170,000.
Ronaldo playing in Saudi league for money like me – Ighalo
Sports
MLS: Messi’s double keeps Miami on top of the league table
MLS: Messi’s double keeps Miami on top of the league table
Lionel Messi showcased his brilliance with a double and an assist for Sergio Busquets as Inter Miami secured a 3-1 victory over Nashville on Saturday, keeping them at the summit of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.
Despite a shaky start that saw Franco Negri inadvertently deflect a corner into Miami’s net within two minutes, Messi swiftly equalized in the 11th minute after Luis Suarez redirected a rebounded shot from the Argentine.
Messi continued to menace Nashville’s defense, narrowly missing another goal before providing an exquisite cross for Diego Gomez, whose header was denied by Nashville keeper Elliot Panicco.
Miami capitalized on their momentum as Busquets, Messi’s former Barcelona teammate, nodded in a corner just before halftime, giving Miami a well-deserved lead.
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However, Miami suffered a setback as Gomez was stretchered off with an ankle injury, adding to their injury woes.
Although Nashville dominated possession in the second half, Miami remained resolute defensively. In the 81st minute, Messi sealed the win by converting a penalty after Leonardo Afonso was fouled in the box.
With this victory, Messi extended his impressive goal-scoring record to nine goals in as many games across all competitions for Miami.
Reflecting on Miami’s performance, manager Gerardo Martino praised his team’s resilience, particularly considering their depleted squad due to injuries.
Despite Miami’s success, Columbus Crew faced a tough battle, twice coming from behind to secure a 2-2 draw against Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati clinched a 2-1 win over Atlanta United, with Luciano Acosta playing a pivotal role in their comeback victory. This highlights an eventful day in Major League Soccer.
MLS: Messi’s double keeps Miami on top of the league table
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