Sports

Senegal attacker Keita Balde returns to Italy in $5.7 transfer

Published

5 years ago

August 14, 2018

Inter Milan on Monday continued their strong summer transfer window ahead of the start of the Serie A season, announcing the return to Italy of Senegal international Keita Balde on loan from French Ligue 1 side Monaco.

Ambitious Inter, who have been busy in the transfer market after finishing fourth in Serie A last season and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 2011, have brought in the 23-year-old former Lazio striker for a reported initial five million euros ($5.7 million).

The fee will rise to 39 million euros should the Serie A club exercise an option to buy next summer, according to Italian media.

“The forward Keita Balde Diao is a new Nerazzurri player. The Senegalese has signed for Inter from Monaco on a year-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent,” Inter said in a statement.

Balde rose to prominence at Lazio in 2016-17, when he scored 16 goals in 31 league appearances — 10 of which were from the bench — before sinking into a contract row at the start of last season and leaving for France.

Related Topics:Italy Keita Balde Monaco rench Ligue 1 Senegal Serie A season

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Sports

FIFA honours Osimhen after amazing season with Napoli

Published

18 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Following his record-breaking season with Napoli where he scored 26 goals to win the Serie A top scorer award, Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen has been honoured by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).

The world football governing body Tuesday presented Osimhen with a customized jersey and soccer ball for his “superb displays for Napoli in the 2022/23 season,” which led to Napoli winning the Scudetto after a 33-year wait, according to an official of FIFA, Gelson Fernandes, in a “special message” to the 24-year-old Nigerian forward.

“Victor Osimhen, you represent at the moment what football can do,” Fernandes wrote in an Instagram post.

“From Lagos to Napoli where people love you, you have suffered, but your love for football and determination have guided you.

“Keep going, keep pushing. Africa needs examples and millions are watching and dreaming.”

Osimhen became the first African to win the highest goal scorer award, while also becoming the first player since Zlatan Ibrahimovic to win both the Capocannoniere and the Scudetto in the same season, a record which has stood for 14 long years.

His horde of honours was also enhanced with a National Award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic bestowed on him by former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Sports

Tunisian tennis star, Ons Jabeur zooms into French Open quarter-finals

Published

2 days ago

June 6, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Tunisian tennis sensation, Ons Jabeur took a step further in her quest to win the 2023 French Open Grand Slam when she defeated World number 36, Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-1 to zoom into the quarter-finals.

Jabeur, ranked number 7 in the world, and who only won her first WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open last year, has since then been facing a downward slide coupled with injuries which saw her either missing out on some tournaments or crashing out in early rounds.

However, the 28-year-old who became the first ever African woman to reach a Grand Slam final last year, was at her best when she defeated Pera to move to the next stage on Monday night.

Though Jabeur was not at her fluent best and was herself broken three times in the first set and at the start of the second set, she still raced through the final six games, sealing victory in 63 minutes.

“I never thought about something was missing or I didn’t reach all four of them,” the African said after the match.

“Maybe it’s a good thing. It came and hopefully, we’ll set it to all semi-finals and then all finals,” she added.