Category Archives: Sports

Most fashionable football players you should know

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

In recent times, there’s been more spotlight on the lives of footballers beyond the field of play. With each individual comes the complexities of how he chooses to appear or more appropriately a sense of fashion and style. While this can be subjective and vary from person to person, it’s become increasingly clear that each footballer has their preferences

Riches do not necessarily equate elite fashion/style, particularly some always prefer to go for the simple. Others the flamboyant and more extravagant approach and the other lot being styled by their respective brands or even partners.

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Here, we take a look at some of football’s fashionistas over the years.

Jules Kounde

French national team defender Jules Kounde (PhotoJkeey4)

French defender Jules Kounde is arguably the biggest name in fashion in the world of football right now. The Barcelona defender appears in different brands and accessories ahead of each matchday or any time he’s caught in the media. Almost always hits with many people always looking forward to his outfits on each occasion.

Memphis Depay

Dutch forward Memphis Depay (Photo Memphis Depay)

The Dutch forward is one of the most conscious footballers in this fold. Memphis has an interesting taste for conspicuous looks and large prints, from matador jackets to tasseled bomber jackets, all-white outfits, Louis Vuitton, Prada amongst others.

Even as a young player with Manchester United, he was accustomed to spending very heavily on clothing accessories and jewelry.

Paul Pogba

French midfielder Paul Labile Pogba (Photo Paul Pogba)

The French midfielder has been one accustomed with a touch for the extra. Just like his explosive and entertaining style of football, he chooses to be styled in similar fashion.

Famous for trying out almost every hairstyle in the book — dyes, inscribed cuts, shaved head, tints, you name it. 

Pogba loves to have the spotlight on him and has more than dressed the part over the years with his clothing, jewelries and other accessories. Notably, he’s been a brand ambassador for Adidas and Gucci.

Hector Bellerin

Spanish defender Hector Bellerin (Photo via Hector Bellerin)

The former Arsenal fullback is one of the most recognized football players in terms of fashion. The Spaniard is a familiar face at many fashion events and shows. He’s curated himself a personal style that’s blended streetwear with explosive and luxury states. Even with the criticisms and public opinions, he’s not been one to shy away.

David Beckham

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham (Photo via David Beckham)

Although retired now, David Beckham was football’s poster boy for years. Expensive taste with a sense for the dramatic in simplicity is his go-to style. Past and present, Becks name will always come up in the conversations about fashion in football. Even now in the more corporate role in charge of Inter Miami, you can always spot the evolved sense of fashion and luxury in his outfits.

Heung-Min Son

South Korean national team captain Heung-Min Son (Photo via Heung-Min Son)

The Korean and Tottenham Hotspur Captain is one of football’s poster boys. Son’s outfits appear to be simple but almost always classy. Hailing from a native South Korea that emphasizes good fashion and dress style, Son’s rise to stardom has more than skyrocketed that.

His style is topnotch and has even earned him an ambassador partnership with Burberry.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (Photo Cristiano Ronaldo)

Unarguably one of the greatest to ever grace the game. Cristiano, since his initial days at Manchester United has always been one with phenomenal and expensive taste.

Donning the most luxurious brands in terms of vehicles, clothing and accessories.

The Portuguese great has been an ambassador to various brands over the years with his remarkable influence and also owns his own underwear line.

Major sports events still coming up in 2024

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The 2024 calendar year has seen remarkable outings and showings across the world of sports. The world of football (Soccer) has seen the African Cup of Nations, the Asian cup and Carabao cup. In tennis, the Melbourne held Australian open was contested earlier in January. The Super Bowl, world championships for Aquatics and Table Tennis are also but a few of the already seen events.

With the year still having a lengthy expanse of months to go, here are some of the Sporting events to look forward to.

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Here are the major sports events coming up in 2024:

Summer Olympics – Paris

The Olympics is a multi-sport event held every four years and contested by nations around the globe. The tournament will take place in France between July 26th-August 11th.

The last edition scheduled for Tokyo in 2020 had to be shifted till the following year as a result of the Covid pandemic. This edition will present a chance to return to the usual norm. Its variant the Winter Olympics is pegged for 2026 in Milan-Cortina.

Copa América – USA

The Copa América is a major football tournament typically for men’s senior teams in South America.

However, it’s often seen that invitations are extended to some teams from North America. The tournament is one of the oldest international tournaments.

This edition will be the 48th such in the competition’s history and will take place between June 20th and July 14th in the United States of America.

Wimbledon – London

This event is one of the most prized tournaments in the world of tennis. It is one of the four tennis Grand Slam events (others being the US open, French open and Australian open). The event takes place annually at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London and is played on outdoor grass courts. 

Equally, the 2024 Wimbledon Championships will be the 137th staging and will run from 1 July 2024 to 14 July 2024.

The last edition’s prize money was an estimated £44,700,000.

Euro 2024 – Germany

The European Championships is contested by senior men’s teams across Europe.

The Germany held tournament will be the last showing for a plethora of football stars in the event, likely including Cristiano Ronaldo, Thomas Muller, Pepe amongst others. Also, the tournament allows for participation from 24 teams and the winner will go on to face the Copa América winner in the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions.

The Italian national team are the current defending champions.

Monaco Grand Prix

The Monaco Grand Prix is regarded as one of the most esteemed Auto Racing events. It is a yearly Formula one race held on the streets of Monaco.

The complexities of the street themed track boasting tunnels, alleys, tight corners and bends makes it one of the most keenly contested racing events. The race is held along the Monte Carlo street circuit. It is scheduled for the 26th of May, 2024.

The Paralympic Games – Paris

The Paralympic games are held every four years in similarity to the Olympics. The tournament is an event for disabled athletes and is competed internationally by over 100 nations.

The games has 22 sport events and athletes are graded in six different categories based on severity. The 2024 Paralympic Games is pegged for Paris, France.

UEFA Cup finals

All three tiers of UEFA’s cup competitions have their finals upcoming. The UEFA champions league final will take place at the esteemed Wembley stadium in London on Saturday, June 1st.

The UEFA Europa League final is scheduled for the 22nd of May at the Dublin Arena in the Republic of Ireland.

The 2023/2024 UEFA conference league, the competition’s 3rd edition since its inauguration, is pegged for the Agia Sophia Stadium, Athens, Greece on the 29th of May, 2024.

It is important to note that Tour de France (cycling), the Scotland Open championship (Golf), the World Rowing championships (Rowing), the Melbourne Cup (horse racing) amongst others.

Chelsea make ‘first contacts’ with Napoli for Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Super Eagles of Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has attracted interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Chelsea and PSG.

Reports indicate The Blues have shown signs of willingness to land Osimhen with their approach for the striker intensifying over the last 24 hours.

Chelsea have shown interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen (Image: Goal.com)

Over the last few hours, news via Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio confirmed Chelsea made first contacts with Napoli. The highly-rated journalist claims the Blues offered to speak about signing Osimhen with the likelihood a proposal has been made.

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Interestingly, Chelsea’s approach includes a fee in the region of €80-90m, plus striker Romelu Lukaku, and a young player.

The London club are seeking to capture a new striker at the end of this season. They have also been linked with different names. This includes some strong links with RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.

London club Chelsea are linked with a move for Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen (Image: Eurosport)

Having weighed different options, it is apparent Chelsea have lined up a move for Napoli’s 25-year-old hitman Victor Osimhen.

The Nigerian, who has a contract at Napoli until 2026, is expected to leave the Naples club this summer, with Chelsea and PSG leading the race for his signature.

Osimhen has struggled with injuries this term but has managed to score 14 goals and create three assists in 22 Serie A games this season.

Chelsea and striker problems

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s main striker Nicolas Jackson has scored 15 goals in all competitions this term. However, many quarters believe his returns, compared to the number of missed chances do not portray him as the kind of striker an ambitious club needs. he has also missed a lot of clear chances this season.

Christopher Nkunku was Bundesliga’s best player before he joined Chelsea but he has been undone by recurring injury problems (Image: Reuters)

Christopher Nkunku, who was bought from Leipzig last summer, has been hampered by injuries. The French attacker has experienced a first season to forget, having been ruled out for most part of it.

With Kylian Mbappe set to depart Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid, Osimhen remains a top target for the Parisiens.

Real Madrid celebrates winning record-extending 36th La Liga title

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Real Madrid have claimed a record-extending number of La Liga titles after their win against Cadiz and bitter rivals Barcelona’s 4-2 loss to Girona.

Brahim Diaz, substitute Jude Bellingham and forward Joselu scored as Real Madrid claimed their 36th La Liga crown after Barça’s flop at Girona on Saturday.

Real Madrid have won their 36th La Liga title (Image: Fabrizio Romano on X)

Head Coach Carlo Ancelotti has described the title victory as a “deserved” one.

“We’ve had a spectacular Liga campaign,” Ancelotti said while addressing reporters.

“We’ve made few errors and the advantage is deserved.”

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Los Blancos outclassed a sorry Cadiz side and following Xavi Hernandez’s charges loss to Girona, Ancelotti’s team were confirmed champions.

After their home victory, Girona sealed a place in next season’s Uefa Champions League – the first time in their history. They’ve also achieved this feat in only their fourth season in the La Liga.

Ancelotti paraded a highly rotated side due to the Champions League semifinal second leg match with Bayern Munich. However, his players made light work of the visitors.

Real Madrid march to 36th La Liga triumph

Brahim Diaz broke the deadlock in the 51st minute before setting up Jude Bellingham. The Englishman had been on the pitch for only two minutes. Joselu then rounded off the smooth victory with Madrid’s third in injury time.

Real Madrid players Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham celebrate a goal against Cadiz on Saturday, same day Real Madrid won a 36th La Liga crown (Image: Real Madrid CF on X)

Madrid’s win over Cadiz catapulted them to being 14 points clear of the Catalan giants. Last season’s winners occupy third spot.

Girona are second following their second 4-2 triumph over Barcelona this campaign. They trail Madrid by 13 points.

Joselu scored for Real Madrid against Cadiz (Image: @_collins_a on X)

“We leave our skins out there on the pitch to live moments like today’s,” Joselu told Real Madrid TV.

“There are young players who are very hungry for titles, veterans who are delighted to be here… and these are special moments.”

Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois started for the first time after nine months on the sidelines. He had been out if action due to a knee injury.

Thibaut Courtois was in action for Real Madrid against Cadiz as Los Blancos claimed her 36th La Liga title (Image: Managing Madrid)

Meanwhile, Croatian midfielder Luka Modric became the oldest player to appear for Real Madrid in La Liga. He did that at 38 years, 238 days, breaking late Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas’ record from 1965 by five days.

Modric (alongside Brazilian Marcelo) is also the most decorated player in Real Madrid’s history with 25 trophies.

Can Aubameyang’s reinvogorated form lead Marseille to UEL final?

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Olympique de Marseille’s impressive Europa League run has been catalyzed by the reinvigorated form of Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Aubameyang joined Chelsea from Barcelona and after last season’s disappointing tenure in West-London, he made the switch to Marseille over the summer. 

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Olympique de Marseille forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrating a goal for the club side (Olympique de Marseille)

Marseille currently sit 7th in the domestic league with three games to go and are still battling out for an European spot next season.

However, the club have made it all the way to the incumbent Europa League semifinals and settled for a tie with Atalanta BC.

Aubameyang has regained the form that he was once accustomed to finding the back of the net on 27 occasions in 46 games thus far.

The Gabonese forward currently leads the pack as the top scorer of the current Europa league campaign with ten goals found so far. He found the back of the net five times in two games against a debilitating AFC Ajax in the group stage.

Two goals in either leg of the tie against Shakthar Donetsk. Against the Yellow Submarines, he added a further two and the last in the quarter-final tie against SL Benfica.

Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in action for Olympique de Marseille (Olympique de Marseille)

Marseille have had three managers in the dugout thus far this season and the only constant has been Aubameyang’s form. 

Marcelino Garcia walked away after just seven games in charge following a difficult meeting between club management and supporters. Gennaro Gattuso replaced him and was shown the exit doors in February after five underwhelming months in charge.

Ivorian gaffer Jean-Louis Gasset took over after his dismissal at the Africa Cup of Nations.The 70-year-old has navigated the tough roads of the UEFA Europa league despite not being able to do much about their league form.The club required a penalty shootout to get past Benfica in the previous round.

On defeating Benfica, gaffer Gasset commented “We dream of evenings like these. This is a competition that suits us”

“We have got to the semifinals of a European competition having beaten three clubs who have won trophies.

“It is an epic tale. A season can only be judged at the end, but we want to go as far as possible.”

Marseille lost the 2018 final to Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid and will be quite hopeful Aubameyang’s form can take them all the way this time out.

The Gabonese who returned to home soil after ten years abroad sits as the most lethal finisher in the competition’s history across time with Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and now Olympique de Marseille.

Brentford sign U20 starlet Benjamin Frederick on a permanent deal

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Brentford FC have triggered the option to extend the contract of Nigerian youth defender Benjamin Frederick on a permanent basis.

Frederick came to limelight with his outstanding performances at the last U20 world cup held in Argentina the past year.

Also a part of the bronze winning Flying Eagles team at the CAF U20 championships.

The impressive defensive shifts across these tournaments saw him picked on loan by Brentford in 2023. 

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Benjamin Frederick in the Brentford dressing room (Photo Brentford)

Teaming up with the B-squad, his contractual terms had him on loan with an option to buy. Despite primarily featuring with the second teamers, he’s earned senior call-ups with the first team on four occasions this season. 

A testament to him quickly settling to life in London and putting in assured performances to the amazement of coaches and team scouts.

Frederick made the switch to the Bees from Kaduna based outfit Simoiben Academy and has penned a four year contract that will keep him at the club till 2028.

The defender will continue with Neil MacFarlane’s B team for the rest of the campaign, as he continues to fight his way for the first team shirt. He’s previously had loan stints with Nassarawa United and ABS FC in Nigeria prior this move.

Benjamin Frederick in action for the Nigerian flying eagles team

Having been unfortunately knocked out by South Korea in the world cup quarter-final stage, Frederick has, regardless, been a regular for the Nigerian U20 side. Capped in over ten appearances since February 2023, making his debut aged just 17.

Brentford B head coach Neil MacFarlane on his arrival last year remarked: “Benjamin is a player who has been identified by our recruitment department and he’s a real prospect having impressed for Nigeria in recent tournaments.

“He’s a very tenacious player who likes to defend on the front foot. He’s somebody we will look to develop through our games programme, and we’ll see how his development progresses over the course of his loan. We look forward to welcoming Benjamin to the club.”

The London club have now decided to trigger the buy option, according to transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano.

With Frank Onyeka’s growth at the club over the years, Brentford fans will be hopeful another player of Nigerian descent can step up to great heights for the club.

The ‘Bees’ currently sit 16th on the English Premier League table with 35 points from 35 matches played.

Nostalgia watch: the Leicester City we knew

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

10 years after winning the championship title, Enzo Maresca’s Leicester City have clinched the Sky Bet Championship title yet again to gain promotion to the English first division.

Their last stint in the premier league saw them complete one of football’s most promising stories being crowned premier league champions in 2015/2016 after just narrowly escaping relegation the season prior. 

With the side returning to the premier league under Italian gaffer Enzo Maresca, here’s a rundown of their last run in the first division.

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Domestic campaign

Leicester gained promotion after being crowned champions of the EFL championship in the 2013/2014 season.

Their nervy introduction to the premier league in 14/15 saw the side estranged in the relegation waters. A late charge at the end of the season helped them remain as they steered clear of the relegation spot by five points.

The 2015/2016 Leicester City premier league title winning squad

The 5-3 victory over Louis Van Gaal’s Manchester United should probably have been a likely indication of what was to come.

The fairytale indeed arrived in the 2015/2016 season under veteran Italian gaffer Claudio Ranieri. For the first time in its history, the club were crowned premier league champions and as at then becoming the 24th team to cart the prized trophy.

This run saw the Foxes amass a whopping 87 points across the 38-game season. Twenty-three wins, twelve draws and a miserly three losses (two of which came in both fixtures to Arsene Wenger’s Gunners).

Topman Jamie Vardy championed the cause in front of goal that season. Going on to break Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of 10 successive games finding the back of the net. Setting his own personal best across eleven games.

Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez, French midfielder N’golo Kante and many of the team’s contingent but on inspiring performances for the course of the campaign.

Cup Inclinations (continental and domestic)

Having won the premier league the previous season, Leicester City were drawn in Group G of the 2016/2017 UEFA champions league with Porto, Club Brugge and Copenhagen. 

Riyad Mahrez’s brace either side of a Marc Albrighton goal ensured the club started off their first champions league campaign on a bright note. This followed by two successive wins to keep them comfortable in the log. The Foxes attained top spot in group G and drew Sevilla in the next round.

Sevila won the first leg at the Ramon Sanchez Pijuan stadium two goals to Leicester’s one. The return leg had club captain Wes Morgan and Marc Albrighton hit important goals and a magnificent penalty stop by Kasper Schmeichel to set them for their first ever quarter-final in their inaugural campaign.

Leicester exited the competition after losing 2-1 on aggregate. Jamie Vardy canceled out Saul Niguez’s second leg strike but the damage was already settled with Antoine Griezmann’s controversial first leg penalty.

Subsequent campaigns in the UEFA Europa and conference leagues across the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons didn’t yield any more than knockout berths for the club side.

Brendan Rodgers and his squad celebrating the FA cup triumph over Chelsea in 2021

In addition to earlier PL glory, Leicester added the FA cup to their cabinet in 2021 defeating Chelsea in the final. Youri Tielemans long-range drive went past a helpless Kepa Arrizabalaga in Chelsea goal and a VAR assist helped cancel out Chelsea’s late goal adjudging Ben Chilwell offside.

The ensuing community shield also fell to the Foxes as Kelechi Iheanacho’s 89th minute penalty condemned his former side Manchester City to defeat.

Sales, Recruitment and Managerial Appointments

The very entertaining highlight of this Leicester City period was the behind the scenes. After the title winning campaign, midfield engine N’golo Kante left for Antonio Conte’s Chelsea. Leicester brought in African duo Daniel Amartey and Nampalys Mendy as cover but none of them quite lived up to the hype that accompanied N’golo Kante.

The Foxes hurried into the winter transfer window to acquire the services of Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi to plug that gaping hole.

Subsequent years saw the departures of Riyad Mahrez, Benjamin Chilwell, Danny Drinkwater and Wesley Fofana to premier league rivals.

James Maddison signing a new contract with the Foxes in 2020

In terms of recruitment, James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho, Patson Daka, Youri Tielemans, Caglar Soyuncu amongst others all arrived at the club’s coast.

Nigel Pearson, Claudio Ranieri, Claude Puel, Craig Shakespeare and Brendan Rodgers all tended to the club’s premier league campaigns over that stint before eventually relegating with Dean Smith in 2022/2023.

Tragedy

Club chairman Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died in a tragic helicopter incident in 2018 during the club’s active premier league years.

Leicester city fans paying tribute to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha

The unfortunate incident happened on the 27th of October in the referred year. Reports claimed that the helicopter crashed just outside the King Power stadium moments after taking off from the pitch. It was confirmed the next day the chairman, pilots and two passengers had passed away from the accident.

Srivaddhanaprabha was and is still beloved by Leicester City supporters till date.

The Present

Enzo Maresca’s side will return to the premier league for the 2024/2025 season. The club side dominated proceedings in the current championship season and still had a core of leaders from their previous campaign. 

Enzo Maresca’s EFL championship winning squad

After being crowned champions, Jamie Vardy remarked: “It’s unbelievable. We knew it was going to be a tough game but we got the job done. Celebrating with the fans is great.

“How could you not love scoring goals, especially the second one, scoring in front of the fans – you can’t get a better feeling than that.

“We had a couple of off games earlier in the season and we needed to get back to doing what we were doing best. We had a talk between us and you’ve seen since it’s paid off. We knuckled down and came out firing.”

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois set to miss Euro 2024

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will not participate in the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament after he sustained a knee ligament injury.

Reports indicate this is coming despite the likelihood of the former Chelsea goalkeeper making a return to the Real Madrid squad.

Thibaut Courtois will miss the Euro 2024 tournament (Image: Sky Sports)

Courtois has endured a disappointing season, missing the entirety of it as a result of injury. The player needed another operation on his knee in March to address a recurring problem.

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Courtois’ injury crisis

According to Spanish media outfit, Marca Courtois left training in tears in March following revelation from tests that he had a torn meniscus in his right knee.

That fresh injury further extended his stay on the sidelines until the rest of the season although he had already been ruled out of the season before.

He was only a matter of weeks away from returning to action after spending the previous seven months recovering from an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury.

In his absence, Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has continued to deputise for the Belgian.

According to Italian-German manager Domenico Tedesco, Thibaut Courtois has been ruled out of the Euro 2024. (Image: Goal.com)

As earlier stated, he might return for Real Madrid before the end of the current season. However, Belgium men’s national football team coach Domenico Tedesco has ruled him out of Euro 2024 selection.

The 31-year-old has over a century appearances for the Red Devils who reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-finals. In December, he stated he would not recover fully to play at the tournament to be hosted in Germany later this June and July.

“On this topic, everything has already been said. I don’t want a tit-for-tat situation,” Tedesco told German media on Tuesday.

“We are focusing on players who are in good shape.”

Meanwhile, Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti has said he is optimistic about the chances of having Courtois back in action. Ancelotti says he hopes the shot stopper will be available for selection in Saturday’s La Liga game against Cadiz.

Courtois returned to the Madrid team on Monday ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich.

Former UFC champion and heavyweight boxer Francis Ngannou loses 15-month-old son Kobe

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Cameroonian fighter Francis Ngannou has paid tribute to his 15-month-old son Kobe who passed away days ago, NRTC reports.

Ngannou shared the sad news on Monday that his son kicked the bucket on 27 April.

While the boxer did not disclose the cause of his son’s demise, he however paid tribute to him on social media.

Francis Ngannou has lost his 15-month-old son Kobe (Image: MMA Fighting)

“Too soon to leave but yet he’s gone,” he wrote over a black and white photo with his son, alongside his son’s birth date and death date.

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The former UFC champion posted on X on Monday night: “Too soon to leave but yet he’s gone.

“My little boy, my mate, my partner Kobe was full of life and joy. Now, he’s laying without life. I shouted his name over and over but he’s not responding.

Cameroonian UFC fighter and heavyweight boxer Francis Ngannou (Image: The Independent)

“I was my best self next to him and now I have no clue of who I am. Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most.”

Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin posted online saying that he along with “millions of others” will be praying for the fighter.

Veteran boxer Conor McGregor sent his condolences to the 37-year-old boxer and former mixed martial arts (MMA) star.”

I am so sorry to hear of your loss Francis, my prayers are with you and your family at this time,” McGregor posted on X.

Ngannou lost to Anthony Joshua on 8 March in Saudi Arabia in what was his latest fight till date.

Francis Ngannou, who has lost his son Kobe, was knocked out by Anthony Joshua in March 2024. (Image: Intel Region)

Following the heavy defeat to AJ, he dismissed speculations about returning to the MMA on a permanent basis.

Vardy at the double as Ndidi, Iheanacho claim Championship title with Leicester City

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Jamie Vardy’s brace in Leicester City‘s 3-0 victory at Preston North End helped the Foxes secure the Championship title.

The already-promoted side were inspired by their 37-year-old legend who grabbed a goal in each half of the game.

Jamie Vardy’s goals have hugely contributed to Leicester City’s Championship title win (Image: Sky Sports)

Kasey McAteer put the icing on the cake with Leicester’s third following a close-range header.

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The win means Leicester have become the fourth club – after Burnley, Fulham and Norwich – in as many years to make an immediate Premier League comeback as Championship title winners following relegation.

Leicester can now equal a 104-year record for most second division wins – set by Tottenham in the 1919-20 season (32). This can be achieved when they host Blackburn on the last day of the Championship season on Saturday.

Leicester City are winners of the 2023/24 Championship title (Image: The Telegraph)

Enzo Maresca’s side already have 31 wins – equalling the club record, and matching the team that promoted a decade ago. Victory would also mean the Foxes become the first side to twice gain promotion to the top-flight by accruing 100 points or more.

African stars big part of Leicester’s Championship success

African quartet which includes Super Eagles duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi as well as Ghanaian Fatawu Issahaku, and Chipolopolo of Zambia’s Patson Daka have all played crucial roles in helping Leicester secure a Championship record eighth title.

Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi (L) celebrates Leicester City’s Championship title win. (Image: LCFC)
Ghanaian winger Abdul Fatawu Issahaku has scored six goals and contributed 13 assists for Leicester this season. The Tamale-born player is on loan from Portuguese club Sporting CP. (Image: LCFC)

Maresca, who was appointed following Leicester’s relegation last campaign, said going back up as title winners was a “fantastic” achievement.

“In the end we did it and we have brought this club to where it deserves to be,” he told the media.

“In this moment the relief is big, but now it is time to enjoy it.”

For Vardy, his 12 years with Leicester has seen him return 190 goals in 463 appearances. Recall that his goals previously spurred the Foxes to a Premier League title and FA Cup triumph.

Jamie Vardy has helped Leicester City lifted the Championship title this season (Image: Leicestershire Live)

His goals on Monday night further cemented his place as a club legend. He now has a total of 20 goals in all competitions.