Sport
“Ronaldo Missed Al-Nassr Game Because of a Cold” — Pioli Says
Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli has revealed why captain Cristiano Ronaldo missed their Saudi Pro League match against Al-Taawoun on Friday. Ronaldo was sidelined due to a cold as Al-Nassr settled for a 1-1 draw at home. Otávio and R. Martínez scored to earn a point for both teams at Al-Awwal Park.
After the game, Pioli explained that Ronaldo’s absence was health-related. Al-Nassr currently sit fourth in the league with 64 points from 32 matches, having already missed out on the title after Al-Ittihad were crowned champions. Their next fixture is against Al-Khaleej on Wednesday.
Sport
Super Eagles Star Calvin Bassey Opens Up on Nearly Walking Away from Football
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
Sport
CAF Fines Egypt $5,000 Over Post-Match Media Violation After Zimbabwe Clash
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Sport
Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle Opens Up on Benching Big Names
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
