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Bunce feels Joshua’s right hand can take care of ‘any heavyweight on the planet’
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‘He can take you out with any punch’ – Bunce feels Wilder’s power makes him a danger for anyone
Victor Osimhen has put pen to paper on a new Napoli deal that includes a release clause, reports Chris Byfield for Sport Bible.
On Saturday the Serie A holders announced that the Nigerian international had committed his future to the Italian outfit until 2026.
“Victor and Napoli together until 2026,” said Napoli on social media, accompanied by a picture of Osimhen signing the new deal alongside club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Several publications had linked Osimhen to the Premier League’s finest clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United and most recently Chelsea, after the Nigerian scored 26 league goals and claimed a further five assists to help Napoli to their first Scudetto in 33 years last season.
This term Osimhen has netted seven goals in 12 Serie A encounters, with his efforts having been rewarded with a lucrative new deal.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed the player will have his salary increased to €10million (£8.6million) per season after tax.
Romano added that the Osimhen deal will also include a release clause, believed to be set at around €130million (£112million), valid only for clubs outside of Italy during the summer.
On X, formally Twitter Romano said: “Victor Osimhen has signed a new deal at Napoli valid until June 2026 — now official.
“Release clause will be in the region of €130m. Done and sealed today.”
It’s a fee likely to deter Premier League clubs from making a move in the January window however the clause could be activated in the close season.
Osimhen has not shied away from his desire to move to the Premier League in future.
“I don’t have a favorite PL team but I’ve two jerseys: Chelsea and Man United,” Osimhen said on ‘The Obi One podcast’ earlier this season.
“Many friends of mine are Chelsea fans, few are Man Utd fans.
“Premier League is the most appreciated league by every African player — it’s a huge league.”
By Ed Emeanua
Fulham 0-2 Burnley
Luton 1-0 Newcastle
Nottm Forest 2-3 Bournemouth
Tottenham 2-1 Everton
Nigeria midfielder Alex Iwobi continued on fine form with his rampant Fulham side Saturday as a slew of Premier League fixtures were played all over the arenas on Saturday.
Resurgent Tottenham Hotspur spirited to a well deserved 2-0 first-half lead over Everton with Luton Town going tops at home one nil over visitors Newcastle.
Richarlison found the net against his former club via a nicely worked goal by Spurs that saw the Brazilian steal in at the near post to give his team an early 10th minute lead from Brennan Johnson’s assist.
Just at the exact time that Burnley made the brighter start, startling the analysis of pre-match pundits, away at Fulham, with one or two early Clarets’ opportunities, but scores remained goalless at Craven Cottage.
On 18th minute, Everton are undone by a routine corner, with Jordan Pickford parrying into a melee and Son Heung-min pouncing on the rebound, riffling it into the corner to increase Spurs’ lead.
Elsewhere, Luton Town were a study in stoicism and determination in their upset of Newcastle United’s applecart by a lone goal to setback The Magpies reset for an upward trajectory on the Premier League table at Kenilworth Road.
The Hatters continued on their trek in their first appearance in the Premier League, following their rise from the ashes of non-league football in an awesome decade of football headway.
Andros Townsend came back to haunt his former club, heading the home side in front in the 25th minute from a corner to score his first ever goal for Luton. In celebration, he held up a No 4 shirt in tribute to Tom Lockyer.
Nuno Espirito Santo was not wanting this type of the start. Two rapid yellow card offences in the opening 25 minutes from the former Nuno Wolves’ favorite Willy Boly saw Forest reduced to 10 men.
Premier League: Fulham 0-0 Burnley; Luton 1-0 Newcastle; Nottm Forest 0-0 Bournemouth; Tottenham 2-0 Everton.
In dribs and drabs, second halves of Premier League fixtures around the English arenas are getting going.
Wilson Odobert scores a stunner of a goal to put Burnley ahead against Fulham on 50th minute, just as Jacob Brown smashes his effort on the woodwork for Luton.
Elsewhere the goals are beginning to rain, Forest are ahead through Anthony Elanga, Calvert-Lewin scores for Everton to halves the home team’s lead to 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The answer to the question ‘can Forest cling on?’ is a resounding ‘no’. Bournemouth hit back straight away at Forest to find the answer. It’s 1-1 at City Ground.
Dominic Solanke finds the double to heap trouble on Nuno. Bournemouth now leads Forest 2-1 have a couple with a man advantage to the bargain on the 58th minute.
Sander Berge scores with a super solo effort to plunder Fulham further at Craven Cottage. It is now Burnley 2-0 Fulham.
Nuno finds joy at last. Chris Wood levels for Forest to send home supporters at the City Ground joyous and Andre Gomes produces a brilliant strike to make it 2-1 at Tottenham Stadium.
A towering header from Solanke wins it for Bournemouth and completed his hat-trick in the same breath. Forest in Nuno’s first game.
Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, Jonny Evans. Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Bruno Fernandes look crestfallen as they applaud their fans. Photograph: Matthew Peters/Manchester United/Getty Images
By Ed Emeanua
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Mavropanos, Emerson Palmieri, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Lucas Paqueta, Bowen.
Subs: Fabianski, Johnson, Cresswell, Fornals, Ings, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Kehrer, Mubama.
Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Kambwala, Evans, Shaw, McTominay, Mainoo, Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Antony, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Amrabat, Rashford, Eriksen, Reguilon, Pellistri, van de Beek, Mejbri, Bennett.
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).
Manchester United capitulated to David Moyes’ swinging sabre falling to a famous defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday in their Premier League Matchday 18 fixture.
United has now gone well over six hours of total football without scoring as the Old Trafford fell by two goas to nil to a Lucas Paquetá inspired West Ham side.
Exactly at a time when Manchester United looked by far the more likely to score, Jarrod Bowen struck on the 72nd minute to give the Hammers the lead.
Bowen got on the end of a Paquetá outside-of-boot spooned pass down the inside-right area, then brought the ball down on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, before opening his body, and bundling the ball through André Onana and into the corner of the net.
Six minutes later, Paqueta again provides another assist, rolling a first-time pass down the middle of the park for Kudus to take a touch to the right to evade Jonny Evans, before pivoting and whipping a shot into the bottom left corner in the 78th minute.
Both teams had huffed and puffed to a goalles first-half ending that saw some rather defensively inclined cagey play from the home team, and an offensive boogey effort from the visitors.
The second half began on same footing with United upping the ante in an increased effort to break their scoreless streak. But it was not to be.
Two quick-fire goals by Bowen in the 72nd minute and Kudus in the 78th, with the visitors also failing to respond, ensured that manager Erik Ten Hag’s side kept their now infamous scoreless record intact.
The London Stadium began to rocking soon after West Ham’s delivery of its second coup de grace against United. It had taken quite a while to happen, nonetheless, London has got its groove on.
Even if It had to take two stunning goals by the Hammers to get back this kind of feeling they always got from adoring fans here, the good is that the jive is back on, and it is just as well.
The Hammers fans entertain themselves at half-time. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images/Reuters
Manchester United are rocking too, but theirs is a very different type of groove in the away stand in London Stadium. There appears to be long faces, long forlorn looks, and long some long stares ahead into a nothingness in United’s fan area of the arena.
David Moyes has now gotten one over his former side as West Ham goes up to six spot on the Premier League table, leaving United down in 8th place, and once again, the second best in another Premier League fixture.
In all, Man ‘U’ has now lost the total of 14 matches-8 of them coming in the Premier League alone-this season. The rythym of United is more or less borne out of sadness.
Well, Manchester United has lost another Premier League match this term, and this time Ten Hag might not escape the chopper.
Late Mr. Taiwo Dosunmu
Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has condoled with Officials and Players of Sunshine Stars on the death of one of their backroom staff, Taiwo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu, the Club’s Assistant Kit Manager was reported to have died on Friday at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital from injuries sustained in the recent gun attack on the team’s bus on their way to Benin for a Matchday 13 fixtures against Bendel Insurance.
Chairman of the NPFL Board, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye described the death of the young Club Officer as unfortunate and tragic.
“I am personally saddened by the news of this unfortunate and tragic death of the young man.
“It is a loss to the entire League because his role at Sunshine Stars is an important contribution to the NPFL ecosystem”, Elegbeleye told NPFL Media.
“We commiserate with the Management of Sunshine Stars and the immediate family of the deceased and pray for the repose of his soul”, continued the NPFL Boss.
Dosunmu was hit when a yet to be identified gunmen attacked the traveling team along Ore-Benin express road. Some other members of the club contingent in the bus sustained less serious injuries and were treated and discharged at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
According to World Athletics, a calendar featuring 13 races spanning 10 events and eight countries has been confirmed for the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup in 2024.
Competition kicks off in June, when runners will head to Lake Tahoe in California for the adrenaline-pumping Broken Arrow Skyrace. Two Gold label races will take place across three days, starting with the short uphill on Friday 21 June before the classic 23km on Sunday 23 June.
July offers a frenzied month of activity, with races scheduled almost every weekend. Revisiting familiar courses, 7 July sees the return of the Grossglockner Mountain Run in Austria, while 14 July marks a return to Castro-Daire, Portugal, for the fourth edition of the Montemuro Vertical Run.
The Montee du Nid d’Aigle, introduced to the World Cup circuit in 2021, remains part of the programme and takes place on 20 July. This visually stunning 20km, 1850m+ classic from Saint Gervais to Refuge du Nid d’Aigle presents athletes with a breathtaking backdrop of the Glacier du Bionnassay.
As July draws to a close, an old favorite rejoins the World Cup circuit with a visit to Giir di Mont for the tour of the 12 pastures above Premana in Italy. This grueling 32km race, alternating challenging ascents with equally demanding descents, is set to captivate spectators and the atmosphere at the top of the mountain is something special.
Then, 10 August marks the Sierre Zinal race, renowned for its challenging trails through the Swiss mountains. The Race of the Five 4000s draws top-tier talent every year.
September sees the World Cup landing in Casto in Italy, the hometown of Valsir, for the Vertical and Trofeo Nasego events. This tiny town in the Brescia prealps is poised to witness a showdown among the sport’s elite.
Sky Gran Canaria enters for the second consecutive year hosting another Gold label race, and this year it is the longest of the entire season with its 44km 3344m+, 2453m- route on 22 September.
Just 10 days later, the focus shifts to Slovenia for the classic distance event at Smarna Gora.
Wrapping up the season, the final event takes place in Chiavena, Italy, continuing the tradition that commenced in 1986 as the inaugural officially recognized vertical kilometer.
This penultimate race on 12 October will ultimately determine the final podium positions after the preceding 12 races of the 2024 Valsir Mountain Running World Cup, leaving the Val Bregaglia Trail the following day to conclude the World Cup points tally. This is where the World Cup winners will be presented with their prizes.
As well as working in collaboration with esteemed mountain races worldwide, the World Cup’s continued partnership with Valsir has paved the way for several upgrades to this season’s series. All Gold label races will have WADA-accredited anti-doping measures. In a bid to bolster athlete support, there will also be increases to travel assistance and the overall prize pool, with the Valsir World Cup champions set to claim €5000 in 2024.
WMRA for World Athletics
21 June: Broken Arrow, USA, uphill Gold Label (6.8km, 954m+/-)
23 June: Broken Arrow Skyrace, USA, long Gold Label (23km, 1533m+/-)
7 July: Grossglockner Mountain Run, AUT, classic Gold Label (13.3km, 1300m+/183m-)
14 July: Montemuro Vertical Run, POR, classic Gold Label (10.4km, 1098m+/247m-)
20 July: La Montee du Nid D’Aigle, FRA, classic Gold Label (20km, 1850m+/450m-)
28 July: Giir di Mont, ITA, long Gold Label (32km, 2400m+/-)
10 August: Sierre Zinal, SUI, long Gold Label (31km, 2200m+ /1100m-)
31 August: Vertical Nasego, ITA, uphill Gold Label (4.2km, 1000m)
1 September: Trofeo Nasego, ITA, classic Gold Label (21.5km, 1336m+/1039m-)
22 September: Sky Gran Canaria, ESP, long Gold Label (44km, 3,344m+/2453m-)
5 October: Smarna Gora Race, SLO, classic Gold Label (10km, 710m+/350m-)
12 October: World Cup Final Lagunc KM Verticale, ITA, uphill Gold Label (3.2km, 1000m+)
13 October: World Cup Final Val Bregaglia Trail, ITA, long Gold Label (23km, 900m+/1000m-)
Green Bay Packers linebacker Kenneth Odumegwu, who is from Anambra State in Nigeria, spoke to the media at the team’s rookie minicamp.
The Florida State Seminoles believe the ACC has become weaker due to the new additions, reports for Gridiron Heroics.
Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Patrick Payton (11) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
The Florida State Seminoles have had a frustrating 2023 college football season. Despite going undefeated this year with a 13-0 record, they were left out of this year’s College Football Playoff. As the reigning ACC champions, there are question marks as to whether they will remain in the conference.
Now, we are starting to get a better idea of how they feel. Florida State has made some of its frustrations with the ACC known. Read on to find out exactly what that is.
The Florida State Seminoles filed a 38-page lawsuit to challenge their obligation to the ACC. Rather than remaining with the conference through the 2035-36 season, they could try to leave the conference as early as 2025. Florida State is filing an official complaint in circuit court in an attempt to sue the ACC and allow the Seminoles to leave the conference.
There was one part of the 38-page filing that stood out. That section discussed the impact of the three newest members of the ACC. The three newest members are Stanford, California, and SMU respectively.
However, in the filing, Florida State essentially claims that those additions weaken the conference. Florida State wrote that these three additions will diminish the value of the conference rather than add to it. There are two notable reasons for this.
The first is that all three schools are deferring payouts as ACC members. One school is forfeiting its entire payout while the other two are forfeiting 66% of that potential payout for several years. The other reason mentioned for this is the strength of schedule.
Florida Gators defensive end Princely Umanmielen (1) takes down Florida State Seminoles running back Trey Benson (3) at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023 during the first half. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
As mentioned above, the Florida State Seminoles missed this year’s College Football Playoff despite winning the ACC with a perfect 13-0 record. While scheduling was not the main factor, the lack of top-tier teams in that conference this year did them no favors.
Then, we need to take a look at what the new schools bring to the table. Admittedly, SMU had a pretty good regular season. However, they were not even in a Power-5 conference this season.
Stanford and California were in a very strong Pac-12 conference. However, they were two of the weaker members of that conference. California barely made a bowl game with a 6-6 regular season record. As for Stanford, they had an abysmal 2023 season with a 3-9 record.
Nov 25, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Chris Tyree (4) hauls in a long pass over Stanford Cardinal safety Omari Porter (27) during the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
Florida State is using the current status of the ACC and the new schools next year to essentially say that they are holding the Seminoles back. Would they have made the College Football Playoff if they won a stronger conference? We will never know. However, that combined with lost potential revenue seems to be influencing this lawsuit.
Sep 17, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith reacts on the sideline against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Falcons and head coach Arthur Smith have finally received their penalty for violating the NFL injury report policy in Week 7. Per the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the league and Roger Goodell have fined the Falcons $75,000 and Arthur Smith $25,000 for failure to disclose a sickness that limited running back Bijan Robinson for a contest in late October, Alec Musa reports for Gridiron Heroics.
The Atlanta Falcons, alongside head coach Arthur Smith, will now need to pay a monetary penalty for their inability to disclose an illness for running back Bijan Robinson in Week 7. Robinson, the eighth overall pick in last year’s NFL draft, logged just one carry for three yards in the eventual 16-13 win. Robinson entered the game with double-digit carries in his first six NFL contests. Instead, the Falcons leaned on the duo of Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson to run the football. Allgeier logged 21 rush attempts for 59 yards, while Patterson took ten carries for 56 yards.
In a postgame presser, Smith said Robinson wasn’t feeling well, limiting him to a reserve role. However, the Falcons and Smith never disclosed the information before kickoff.
The Atlanta Falcons have lost back-to-back games and sit near the bottom of the NFC South standings. They have yet to receive much from second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder, with the signal-caller throwing ten touchdowns to ten picks this season. Arthur Smith and the Falcons announced earlier this week that backup Taylor Heinicke will start. The Old Dominion product has tossed 37 touchdowns to 25 picks in six NFL seasons.