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An inquest into the 2018 helicopter crash that killed the owner of Leicester City Football Club opened on Monday.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others were killed when the Thai billionaire’s personal helicopter crashed shortly after taking off from the Premier League club’s King Power Stadium following a match in October 2018.
Catherine Mason, the coroner presiding over the hearing, told the jury that under English law the role of an inquest is simply to determine the facts over how someone died rather than make rulings on individual guilt or innocence.
“An inquest hears evidence so the jury can make findings of fact and come to a conclusion about the deaths,” said Mason, sitting at Leicester City Hall. “Nobody is on trial here.
“An inquest does not decide matters of criminal or civil liability,” added Mason, who also said the hearing was expected to last for between two and three weeks.
In a tribute read to the court by the lawyer for the family of Srivaddhanaprabha, he was described as “a good man with a good heart”.
The family statement also paid tribute to his role in reviving Leicester’s fortunes and bankrolling their shock Premier League title triumph in 2016 after the Midlands club were 5,000/1 rank outsiders to be crowned champions of England at the start of that season.
“Khun Vichai had a vision to the put the club in the Premier League. He wanted to build the club up, not just run it.
“With his support and commitment the team won the Premier League in 2016 — in only their second year in the division.
“We miss him every day. The pain his death caused and continues to cause our family is immeasurable.”
In a separate development, the family announced last week they had launched a £2.15 billion ($2.63 billion) legal action against the manufacturers of the helicopter, in what is reported to be the largest fatal accident claim in English history.
AFP
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday unveiled Eric Chelle as the new head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The unveiling ceremony took place at media conference room of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.
Chelle’s appointment was confirmed by the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF), last week Tuesday.
The former Mali international is the 42nd substantive head coach of the Super Eagles.
Chelle will lead the home-based Super Eagles at the upcoming 2024 African Nations Championship, CHAN.
Also, he is expected to secure Nigeria‘s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Boavista have rejected Trabzonspor’s €2.5m bid for Super Eagles defender, Bruno Onyemaechi, DAILY POST reports.
According to Turkish news outlet, Fotomac, Trabzonspor’s offer is below Boavista’s valuation of the left-back.
Boavista will only consider offers in the region of €3m for Onyemaechi.
The 25-year-old has been one of the Portuguese side’s top performers this season.
DAILY POST recalls that Onyemaechi was recently voted Boavista’s December Player of the Month.
He arrived Boavista on loan from Feirense in the 2022/23 season.
The move was made permanent the following campaign.
[DailyPost]
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has described their FA Cup third-round defeat to Manchester United as a “one in a thousand” occurrence.
The Gunners lost out in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Bruno Fernandes gave United the lead in the 52nd minute before Diogo Dalot saw red nine minutes later.
Gabriel Magalhães equalised almost immediately. But despite playing nearly an hour against 10 men, Arsenal were unable to score again.
Captain Martin Ødegaard missed a penalty 18 minutes from the end of normal time.
The hosts registered 26 shots in total, with Havertz guilty of two bad misses. He was also the only player to fail in the shootout, as Altay Bayindir saved his spot-kick to give Joshua Zirkzee the chance to win the game and set up a fourth-round tie for United at home to Leicester City.
“It’s unbelievable,” Arteta told the BBC.
“Obviously, you measure the performance and what we did in relation to the opposition; you know, you deserve to win the game by a mile.
“But the reality is we are out, and the only thing that’s going to be judged is that, but internally I can’t.
“I love my players. I love our team, and I love how good they are and what they do because, in 1,000 games, you should lose one, and probably it was this one. You have to understand this as well; it’s part of our industry, our game, and we move on because you don’t have time to dwell on it. On Wednesday, we have a massive one.”
Barcelona hammered rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in a wild Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the first trophy of coach Hansi Flick’s reign.
Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half.
Barcelona hammered rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in a wild Spanish Super Cup Clasico final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Hansi Flick era.
The electric Kylian Mbappe sent Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half.
Madrid were hoping to avenge their 4-0 defeat by Barcelona in October’s La Liga Clasico but instead were left battered and bruised by their arch-rivals in Jeddah.
After Mbappe’s opener, Lamine Yamal levelled and Robert Lewandowski sent Barcelona ahead from the penalty spot, with Raphinha bagging a brace and Alejandro Balde also on target.
Rodrygo Goes pulled one back for Madrid with a free-kick but they could not capitalise further on their numerical advantage in a humiliating defeat for the European champions.
Both Flick and his opposite number Carlo Ancelotti opted to maintain the same line-ups they started with in the semi-finals.
Yamal issued Madrid an early warning with a curling effort from the right which forced Thibaut Courtois into a fine save.
The Belgian goalkeeper also produced a strong stop to keep a Raphinha header at bay after the Brazilian evaded Lucas Vazquez with ease.
Despite Barcelona’s opening salvo it was Real Madrid who took the lead in the fifth minute with Mbappe’s brilliant goal on the counter-attack.
The French forward, frustrated numerous times by the offside flag in the league defeat by the Catalans, broke loose on the halfway line after Vinicius won the ball back and, after bursting into the area, clipped past Szczesny.
It took a stunning individual goal from 17-year-old Yamal to level the scoreline, with the Spanish winger cutting in from the right before stroking home a low finish inside the near post in a similar style to former Barca great Lionel Messi, whom he is often compared to.
Inigo Martinez hobbled off injured and Flick sent on Ronald Araujo in his place, amidst heavy transfer speculation the Uruguayan defender wants to leave the club.
Brilliant Barca
Barcelona kept pushing and moved ahead through Lewandowski’s penalty after Eduardo Camavinga arrived late and carelessly clattered Gavi.
Raphinha soon added Barcelona’s third with a header from Jules Kounde’s cross from deep and they grabbed their fourth before half-time on the break.
Yamal and Raphinha combined and the latter slipped in Balde, who slotted past Courtois.
Barcelona continued in the same vein after the break and Raphinha netted the fifth with a neat dribble and finish after Marc Casado played him in.
The Catalans were reduced to 10 men when Mbappe sped in at the other end, rounding goalkeeper Szczesny, who brought him down outside the area and after a VAR review was dismissed.
Rodrygo, who earlier hit the post, rifled home the free-kick past Szczesny’s replacement Inaki Pena.
Mbappe brilliantly teed up Jude Bellingham but the England international was denied by a superb Kounde challenge in stoppage time.
The French forward also came close to scoring again himself on a fine individual display but Pena tipped away his effort.
Barcelona brought on midfielder Dani Olmo for his first appearance since he was registered to play for the club on a temporary basis, a controversial issue which overshadowed the semi-finals earlier in the week.
However their five-star display offered a host of other talking points as Barca won a record-extending 15th Spanish Super Cup.
Joshua Zirkzee scored the winning penalty for 10-man Manchester United against Arsenal after their hectic FA Cup third round tie finished 1-1 after extra time at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The visitors took the lead in the 52nd minute through Bruno Fernandes’ curling effort from just inside the box, before Gabriel Magalhãesl equalised 11 minutes later — just after United’s Diogo Dalot was sent off for a second booking.
United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir produced a superb save to deny Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard from the penalty spot, before the Gunners spurned several chances to score a winner.
Ruben Amorim’s team will find out their opponent in the fourth round when the draw is made later on Sunday evening.
Nigerian sprinter, Divine Oduduru, has finally opened up on his six-year ban from athletics, noting that he still has his own side of the story to share even while he has attempted suicide four times.
Oduduru was banned in October 2023 over doping violations after the Athletics Integrity Unit said there was “overwhelming evidence” against the former world junior silver medallist.
The violations were possession of prohibited substances and attempted use of a prohibited substance or method.
Although he didn’t test positive, Oduduru’s case was linked to that of team-mate Blessing Okagbare, who was banned for 11 years for doping in 2022.
Over a year after the pronouncement, the Nigerian athlete broke his silence and promised to shed more light on the incident.
“Thanks to everyone, to my lovely fans who have been supporting me right from the beginning of my career. I know a lot of you have been waiting to hear from me about the issue that happened,” he wrote via Instagram on Friday.
“I have been quiet all this time due to my mental health. I attempted suicide four times just wanted to end everything because all these things that happened are still a shock to me.
“After all these years of sacrifice, I will be granting interviews and I am working on coming live on Instagram to tell my side of what happened,” he said.
He holds personal bests of 9.86 seconds for the 100m and 19.73 seconds for the 200m.
The 28-year-old is a two-time Nigerian national champion and also a four-time NCAA champion while running for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
[Leadership]
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s stunning strike lit up Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley to cruise into the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday as Chelsea thrashed Morecambe 5-0.
Brentford were the only Premier League side to fall to lower league opposition as Plymouth, who sit bottom of the Championship, stunned the Bees 1-0 thanks to Morgan Whittaker’s late winner.
There was never any hint of an upset at Anfield despite Arne Slot making eight changes for Liverpool.
Alexander-Arnold was named captain in the absence of Virgil van Dijk and led by example after being criticised for his display in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United last weekend.
Slot had warned the Premier League leaders that a trip to Anfield would be Accrington’s “Champions League final.”
A mammoth 86 league positions behind Liverpool in the 92-team English league system, Stanley held out for nearly half an hour.
Diogo Jota was left with a simple task to tap in from Darwin Nunez’s low cross to open the floodgates.
Alexander-Arnold stepped forward to double the lead with a sumptuous hit into the top corner from outside the box.
Jayden Danns made the most of just his second appearance of the season to fire in the third 14 minutes from time.
Federico Chiesa’s Liverpool career has so far failed to get going due to injury problems.
But the Italian took advantage of some rare game time to net his first goal for the club with a long-range strike off the far post.
“It is definitely a good first step, but as much as I liked the way Accrington Stanley played, we have to take into consideration that we’re talking about League Two level,” said Slot on Chiesa’s second-half cameo off the bench.
“It is good to have him back on the pitch. He was a threat, but let’s not get carried away.”
Joao Felix was the star of the show for Chelsea as he got a rare chance to deputise for Cole Palmer.
The Portuguese international and Tosin Adarabioyo both scored twice, while Christopher Nkunku made up for missing an early penalty by netting his 13th goal of the season.
Only Liverpool have taken more points at home than Brentford in the Premier League this season, while Plymouth had not won away from home all campaign.
Yet against the odds, Argyle, who sacked former England captain Wayne Rooney 12 days ago, held out and hit Thomas Frank’s men with a sucker punch when Whittaker blasted in from outside the area nine minutes from time.
High-flying Nottingham Forest continued their excellent season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Luton.
Brighton were 4-0 winners at Norwich as Georginio Rutter struck twice.
Bournemouth shrugged off the loss of strikers Evanilson and Enes Unal to long-term injuries this week to roar back from 1-0 down to hammer West Brom 5-1.
Leicester went one better by hitting QPR for six in a 6-2 thriller at the King Power.
– Man City face former Utd greats –
Manchester City face fourth-tier opposition later against Salford City, who are owned by a group of former Manchester United greats.
Investments from David Beckham, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt have helped Salford rise through the non-league ranks since their involvement began in 2014.
Another celebrity co-owner in the lower leagues of English football is already into round four as NFL legend Tom Brady’s Birmingham beat Lincoln 2-1.
Wolves’ bright start under new boss Vitor Pereira continued as early goals from Rayan Aït-Nouri and Rodrigo Gomes secured a 2-1 win at Bristol City.
AFP
Real Madrid winger, Vinícius Júnior, is looking to buy a football club in Portugal’s second division, ESPN reports.
It is believed Vinicius is thinking about diversifying his business interests as he prepares for a future after football.
The 24-year-old already has several personal sponsorship agreements and a contract with Nike that runs until 2028.
Vinícius is represented by Roc Nation, and has frequent contact with top athletes from other sports, especially the NBA and NFL.
The Portuguese second division has 18 teams, including the reserve teams of Benfica and Porto.
One of such clubs, Portimonense, already has a Brazilian at the helm, Rodiney Sampaio.
Vinícius would not be the first active footballer to buy a club.
His Madrid team-mate Kylian Mbappe, became the majority shareholder of Caen, in the French second division, in July last year.
N’Golo Kanté also owns Royal Excelsior Virton in the Belgian third division.
Former Super Eagles, captain Joseph Yobo, and ex-international, Obafemi Martins, have expressed their support for Victor Osimhen’s potential move to Manchester United.
They emphasized that Victor Osimhen could significantly enhance Manchester United’s offensive capabilities.
In an interview with AfricaFoot, Martins conveyed his belief in Osimhen’s talent, stating that his arrival could revolutionize United’s scoring strategy.
“If he joins this team, it would bring about a noteworthy change, especially in how they find the back of the net,” Martins asserted. “His combination of speed, power, and exceptional finishing makes him one of Europe’s most proficient strikers, as evidenced by his consistent performance over the seasons.”
Osimhen, who currently plays for Galatasaray on loan from Napoli, has made a notable impact this season, scoring 13 goals in 16 appearances. His outstanding form has sparked interest from several elite clubs.
Yobo also sees Manchester United as an ideal destination for Osimhen, noting his key role in helping Napoli secure their first Serie A title in 33 years last season.
“In my opinion, it’s an obvious match. Victor and Manchester United would complement each other perfectly, and I am confident he would excel if he were to join,” Yobo told Africafoot.
He acknowledged United’s current challenges but believes in their enduring legacy as one of the top football clubs in the world.
“Despite their transition struggles, Manchester United remains a top-tier club, and that stature is unlikely to change anytime soon,” he remarked.
Note that Osimhen has recently declined a transfer to United scheduled for January, which prompted a response from Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis. “If that’s the case, he can stay where he is. Perhaps Galatasaray should consider keeping Osimhen,” De Laurentiis noted, according to La Repubblica.
Osimhen has stated his commitment to Galatasaray for the remainder of the season. “I will not be leaving in January; I am dedicated to Galatasaray until the season concludes,” he told reporters after Galatasaray’s Europa League match against Tottenham Hotspur in December.
“I’m uncertain about ongoing talks between Galatasaray and Napoli, but if discussions arise, I’m open to them. I truly enjoy my time at Galatasaray.”
More...
Scottish manager David Moyes has returned as Everton manager following Sean Dyche’s sacking, the Premier League club announced on Saturday.
“David is widely recognised as one of the Premier League’s most experienced and accomplished managers, having led Everton for more than 500 matches from 2002 to 2013,” a statement on the club’s website read.
Everton had sacked Dyche on Thursday following a poor run of form, with only one win from their last 11 games, leaving the team just one point above the Premier League relegation zone.
The club also announced that former player Leighton Baines and captain Seamus Coleman to take charge of the FA Cup clash against Peterborough on Thursday evening.
The Toffees currently sit 16th in the Premier League and failed to register a shot on target during Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Bournemouth— their eighth league defeat of the season. Everton have also failed to score in eight of their last 10 games.
Dyche was appointed as Everton manager in January 2023 and managed to secure Premier League survival with a final-day victory over Bournemouth.
The 53-year-old also kept Everton in the top flight last season despite the club being deducted eight points due to breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
AFP
Everyone is expecting my comment on the recent engagement of a foreign coach for the country’s national football team, the Super Eagles. I am sorry that I am going to disappoint those expecting me to criticize or praise the appointment. I am numb!
Like every other Nigerian, I knew a search was on for a foreign coach for the national team. I assumed the search would be quick, thorough and limited to Europe where most of the best coaches in the world are found. That should be expected considering that Nigerians have lofty ambitions – to play against all the odds and still qualify for the 2026 World Cup; to do better than the last time and win the African Cup of Nations this year in Morocco; and to leave a major mark on the 2026 World Cup as an authentic outside contender.
Those are the goals that would satisfy Nigerian football fans after sacking the last two European coaches, both disasters; after rejecting their own indigenous coaches that could not deliver expected results; and not even considering other qualified Nigerians as an option.
It was clear that the NFF was not inclined to anyone but the best White-skinned coach from Europe as good enough for the Super Eagles. Hence, the long search and long wait.
Meanwhile, tired of singing my hollow minority song of support for any one of several Nigerian ex-international players with good reputation as players, good paper qualifications after retiring, and varied experiences limited only because of the general practice of discrimination against African coaches in Europe, I decided to join the wait for the NFF’s messianic coach from Europe that many of my colleagues insisted must be the only way.
So, whilst waiting for the NFF to do their job and to announce the name of one of several known, qualified and experienced European ‘World-Class’ coaches being touted as best for Nigeria and must be hired otherwise the world will end, I turned to other pursuits in life.
The waiting has been long, and the people, impatient.
Early this week, the NFF finally pulled the chest nut out of the fire. Since then, even amongst some of the most virulent critics of the NFF have been stunned into the silence of disbelief.
What did the NFF see that the rest of the world did not see in this unusual choice of a coach? It was expected that he would be the product of a meticulous and thorough scrutiny of criteria needed to identify a ‘World Class’ coach with often-padded wages well-secured against previous shenanigans.
This time, a wiser NFF was expected to avoid, by all means, even the slightest whiff of a scandal.
Those were the thoughts of Nigerians when the lingering dragged on for a long time. With all eyes trained on the process, expectations were high that there would be no dubiousness in ascertaining the records, credentials, experiences, qualifications and reputation of anyone chosen since no excuses would be acceptable, given the precarious position of the Super Eagles on the Group Table.
In short, the NFF must hire a coach whose choice can be easily justified.
Suddenly, from the quiet of the graveyard came the announcement that has now left a large chunk of the country’s football eggheads in a state of stupor, unable to understand the rationale and the motivation for such a bizarre choice of a coach.
Even I did not accept as true the initial reports. I half-expected to wake up from a bad dream.
Eric Chelle is such an audacious choice that the NFF must have seen what the rest of the country did not.
I reason that the NFF must have chosen to follow the road less travelled in order to depart from the failed processes of the past, destroy the norm, and chart a completely new route to the future with a classic ‘shock and awe’ strategy.
If that was their plan, the NFF may have succeeded. The country is in animated suspense, everyone unsure of what to make of this seeming period of ‘madness’.
I have been listening to various reactions to it and, like me, many people have been silenced by the audacity of the process and the eventual choice.
In football, realistically and by all known parameters, Eric Chelle, almost does not ‘exist’. His career as a player was ordinary, played in France only, and was mostly in the obscurity of the lower leagues. His international experience can be counted on the fingers of one hand – 5 international caps for Mali, an African country that has never won anything in football, and never even qualified for the World Cup.
Eric finished his playing career and embarked on a coaching regimen that is so lean that everything and the best of what he did can be summed up in one item – leading Mali to the quarter-finals of the last AFCON about a year ago. That’s it. That’s all. That’s who Nigeria finally settles for as the ‘world class’ coach that will take the country and the country’s football to El Dorado? That’s who ‘the Giant of Africa’ chooses ahead of its legion of retired ex-internationals with experiences and qualifications that make Eric’s look like kindergarten stuff.
Forgive me, but I am still trying to stop myself from thinking this is the greatest disrespect of a Nigerian in any field of endeavour. I am struggling to take it all in and see the side I may not be seeing through my pained eyes.
I initially told myself it must be some ‘deep fake’ news. I have since called up one of the bosses in the NFF and he confirmed it as true. I asked him what the process of selection was and the motivation to make such a hard-to-justify choice. He advised me to call and ask Victor Ikpeba, one time Africa’s Best Player, a great football analyst on television, my good friend and a member of the Technical Committee that recommended the Malian coach to the NFF board.
I respect the ‘Prince of Monaco’, so I chose not call to ask him, give the NFF every benefit of doubt and then, ‘Siddon-look’ the drama that will unfold.
Meanwhile, I am thinking and wondering at the sheer audacity of the NFF in choosing to take this difficult route to success. There must be something I am missing and failing to see and appreciate in this their choice.
So, I am NOT going to comment on it at all. I shall wait and watch and learn. There may be something to take away from this.
After all, in 1990, when a coach was to be hired for the Nigerian national team at the time, the NFA hired a man, whose qualifications have been the least in Nigeria’s football history.
Yes, Clemens Westerhof, may be the most successful coach to date in Nigeria’s football history, but going through his credentials at the time he was hired, he has also been the least qualified coach in Nigeria’s football history.
Eric Chelles qualifications are even a notch higher statistically than Westerhof’s in 1990. So, is the NFF drinking from the Westerhof model? Can that be what the NFF sees and thinks will repeat itself again in 2025?
That is a question only time and the next few months will tell.
So, it makes sense for me to sit and observe the drama, either way. Nigerians should be prepared to cry or to laugh. The choice of Eric Chelle presents the stage for an epic drama. It will turn out to be the product of either ‘Wickedness’ or ‘Genius’.
After months of searching, Nigerians were greeted Wednesday morning by the news that Eric Sekou Chelle had been hired by the Nigeria Football Federation as the new head coach of the Super Eagles. The announcement was made Tuesday. Chelle, who is a former coach of the Mali national team, is to lead the Super Eagles through the rest of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and, possibly, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
This is about the coach’s biggest job in his fledgling career after a brief but eventful stint with his country’s national team which he led to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. The Eagles of Mali were eliminated in the quarter finals by the host team and eventual winners, the Elephants of Ivory Coast after a nail-biting 2-1 defeat. He was sacked afterwards by the country’s football federation, for reasons that remain unclear till date.
The coach had since put that behind and began a new life as coach of Algerian club, MC Oran, a club he joined in October last year. He was snapped by the Nigeria Football Federation which has searched for Jose Peseiro’s replacement. But Chelle’s appointment has been greeted with mixed reactions as most Nigerians are not impressed by the NFF’s choice. Most football fans have questioned the choice of the Malian coach and his pedigree. A helpless former Nigeria international, Victor Anichebe asked, “how did NFF arrive at Chelle?”
But former NFF president Amaju Pinnick has backed the football house in the face of the harsh criticisms that have followed the employment of Chelle and called for all to join hands in seeing that the country achieves its primary target of a 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket. “It’s going to be a tough call. I am not going to tell you it is going to be easy. It will be very, very tough,” Pinnick said on Arise News Thursday.
Speaking on the ability of the new coach to take Nigeria to the promised land, Pinnick said, “I believe he is coming very well prepared. He has the record. Let us not look at the colour of his skin but we should look at what he can bring to the table.”
A look at Chelle’s record as a coach is not as inspiring as Pinnick sounds. Between September 2016 and October 2017 he was head coach of GS Consolat. He guided the team through 30 matches, won 16, 6 draws and 8 losses. Cumulatively, that amounts to 53.33 per cent. In his second managerial position as coach of FC Martigues, Chelle’s record witnessed a slide as he led the team to 80 matches recording 35 wins, 24 draws and 21 losses which is 43.75 per cent. The coach moved to Boulogne in 2021 where he played 16 games. He won 2, drew 5 and lost 9.
It was after his stint with Boulogne that he was hired to manage the Eagles of Mali by his country’s FA, where he took them to the African Cup of Nations in 2024. Eric Chelle’s tenure with Mali offers a solid foundation for optimism. As head coach of the Mali national team, Chelle performed excellently. The Eagles played 22 times under him. They won 14 times, drew 5 with only three losses. The Super Eagles fell 2-0 to his wards in Morocco, just before the 2023 AFCON. He recorded 63. 64 per cent success with Mali.
One of the standout moments of Chelle’s time with Mali was their performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where they reached the quarterfinals. Although they fell to eventual champions Côte d’Ivoire, Mali’s brand of football drew praise for its fluidity and attacking intent.
Chelle’s selection comes after months of speculation and deliberation, with the NFF ultimately opting for a candidate with a blend of experience, affordability, and tactical acumen.
The 47-year-old is known for his preference for attacking football, often deploying a 4-3-3 or a 4-3-1-2 formation that emphasizes high pressing, quick transitions, and creative runs.
His teams are characterized by their flexibility, adapting shapes and strategies to exploit opponents’ weaknesses.
Such a philosophy could align well with Nigeria’s abundance of talents, including Victor Osimhen, Ola Aina, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
With a squad packed with players from Europe’s top leagues, Chelle’s dynamic and modern approach may help unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s talented roster.
The Super Eagles have often been criticized for their inability to translate individual brilliance into cohesive team performances. Chelle’s system-driven style could be the key to bridging this gap.
Eric Chelle’s immediate task is to take the home-based Eagles to the 2024 African Nations Championship(CHAN) in East Africa. The CHAN Eagles, as they are called, are presently in camp under the supervision of coaches
Rangers International FC of Enugu State have taken a significant step towards global recognition by signing a partnership deal with Switzerland’s FC Schaffhausen.
This groundbreaking collaboration, facilitated by Bold Base, aims to build a legacy of excellence for generations to come, according to the club’s chairman. Amobi Ezeaku.
A statement released on Thursday by the Rangers media team said that Ezeaku disclosed the development after the endorsement of documents at the Swiss club’s base in Schaffhausen on Thursday.
“We are proud to announce a groundbreaking collaboration between Rangers International FC and FC Schaffhausen of Switzerland, facilitated by Bold Base. Together we are building a legacy of excellence for generations to come,” Ezeaku said.
As the club continues to make strides in Nigerian football, this partnership is expected to open up new opportunities for growth, development and international exposure.
The Enugu-based club, founded in 1970, has a rich football history and boasts of an impressive record of six Nigerian league titles and three FA Cups.
Ezeaku also thanked the State Governor. Peter Mbah for granting the agreement’s contract.
According to the statement, he emphasised that the collaboration would open doors for the exchange of ideas, talents and transfer of knowledge that will give players, coaches and other staff opportunities to broaden their football knowledge.
F.C Schaffhausen will be opportune to sign talents from Nigeria, becoming an avenue for Nigerian players to showcase themselves on the European football stage.
With this new partnership, Rangers are poised to take their success to the next level, and fans can expect exciting developments in Nigerian football.
[Punch]