Sports

Barcelona, Sevilla, other top European clubs circle around 16-year-old Nigerian striker

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2023

Spanish football giants, Barcelona and Sevilla are said to be two of the top European clubsides showing interest in 16-year-old Nigerian Golden Eaglets attacker, Charles Agada, who is with the team in Algeria for the U-17 AFCON tournament.

The young striker who has drawn comparisons with former Super Eagles player, Daniel Amokachi due to his bullish style of play, is said to be attracting the attention of the top teams who will do everything possible to have him in their youth setup.

Soccernet.ng reports on Thursday that the Junior Secondary School student piqued the interest of some European clubs following his recent performance in his academy and also for the Golden Eaglets.

“The 16-year-old, recently likened to Daniel Amokachi for his speed, skills and power, has recently gained media attention following his impressive performance against South Africa at the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations tournament,” the report said.

The Chief Scout of Mavlon FC where the youngster plays, Raymond Hassan, who confirmed the interest of the clubs, said the Nigerian youngster was making a good impression on some football clubs in Europe.

Hassan revealed that apart from Barcelona and Sevilla, some Italian teams that watched Agada during a tournament in Italy before his trip to Algeria had shown interest in him.

“Sevilla are interested because they said he reminds them of Sergio Aguero due to his style of play. Barcelona and some other Italian teams that watched him during the 73rd World Youth Viareggio Cup in Italy last month,” Hassan said.

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Sports

Coach of Mamelodi Sundowns female team suspended over sexual harassment allegations

Published

12 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team, Jerry Tshabalala, has been suspended indefinitely amid allegations of sexual harassment of players.

A statement by the management of the top South African team said the 44-year-old Tshabalala, who has been in charge of Sundowns’s women’s team for over a decade, has been accused of a number of allegations, including making inappropriate sexual comments to his players, as well as entering the dressing room and refusing to leave while players are completely naked.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sundowns said they had appointed a law firm to investigate the allegations against the coach with specific instructions to unravel allegations of improper conduct by the Tshabalala.

The club said it views the allegations in a very serious light and has relieved the coach of his appointment pending when the investigations are concluded.

“Sundowns has, in the interim, put Coach Jerry Tshabalala on special leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the club statement said.

“This is not done to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation, but to ensure that the investigation can proceed expeditiously and protect the rights of all parties.

“In the event that the investigation establishes facts that warrant action, the Board will immediately take such steps as are appropriate.

“Mamelodi Sundowns will in due course make announcements on the findings of the investigation and the action to be taken,” the statement concluded.

The Sundowns female team have been a dominant force in women’s football in South Africa and on the continent since Tshabalala took over in 2012, winning seven domestic league titles, as well as two CAF Women’s Champions League crowns.

Sports

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria ends 2024 as fifth best team in Africa

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s men’s football national team, the Super Eagles, ended the year 2024 as the fifth best team in Africa in the latest FIFA world ranking for the month of December.

According to the rankings published by the world football governing body, Nigeria remains unchanged from its previous position, despite having a challenging international break.

The FIFA rankings also reveal that Nigeria suffered a significant decline this year, dropping eight places to end 2024 ranked 44th globally.

The decline follows disappointing performances during the final AFCON qualifiers for 2025, where the Super Eagles struggled against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, resulting in a lack of wins.

However, some of the Super Eagles bitter rivals like South Africa’s Bafana Bafana experienced a resurgence, climbing three positions to finish the year ranked 57th in the world, showing a marked improvement in their recent form and successful matches during the qualifiers.

It was a woeful year for West African rivals Ghana who ended the year in 77th position, which highlights the challenges the Black Stars have encountered in the outgoing year in its bid to maintain its positions among Africa’s elite teams.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan national football team, the Atlas Lion, retained its 14th position in the in the world while still maintaining its number one spot in Africa, holding the first position for the third year in a row.

In the world ranking, Morocco is followed by Senegal on 17th position, Egypt, 33rd, Algeria 37th, Nigeria, 44th, Côte d’Ivoire, 46th, Cameroon, 49th, Mali, 51st, and Tunisia in the 52nd position.

Top 10 African teams in 2024

1. Morocco – (14th)

2. Senegal – (17th)

3. Egypt – (33rd)

4. Algeria – (37th)

5. Nigeria – (44th)

6. Côte d’Ivoire – (46th)

7. Cameroon – (49th)

8. Mali – (51st )

9. Tunisia – (52nd)

10. South Africa – (57th)