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EPL: Guardiola declares Rodri ‘best player in the world’

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Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, said Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is fit to return against Tottenham on Saturday and remains for him “the best player in the world.”

The Spanish midfielder missed the majority of last season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Arsenal in September.

Rodri made his return towards the end of the campaign before a setback saw the 29-year-old miss parts of pre-season and last weekend’s 4-0 win at Wolves to begin City’s Premier League campaign.

“He’s still so far the best player in the world until we elect a new one in a few months,” said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“I don’t have any doubts about his potential and quality.

“Just consistency at training, weeks, training, games, minutes, and after everything will be fine.”

Rodri’s comeback is a major boost to City’s chances of winning back the Premier League title after finishing a distant third last season.

There were encouraging signs for Guardiola in the convincing win at Molineux as new signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki scored.

Goalkeeper James Trafford also started his first senior game for City in his second spell at the club.

But Guardiola said he is yet to decide who will start in goal against Spurs with Ederson, who has been linked with a move to Galatasaray, now back and available.

“The new players bring a new energy, new everything.

“I’ve changed four or five or six times (backroom) staff, and it’s tough, but they always bring new energy and ideas.

“Players are the same, and James brings his youth and desire to play at the club he was born and grew up in.

“We’re happy with the performance, but it’s just the first game. (We need to) Just be consistent in the way we play and improve in the way we have done, and we have to do better against the Spurs.”

City defender Ruben Dias also signed a two-year extension to his contract on Friday, keeping the Portuguese international at the Etihad until 2029.

“I am thrilled. City is where I want to be — at the top of the sport, competing for trophies,” said 28-year-old Dias, who joined the club from Benfica in 2020.

“The club’s ambition aligns perfectly with mine, and as a footballer, there is nothing better than that.

“I love Manchester — it is my home now — and I love the Manchester City fans.

“When I think about the trophies we have won and the way we have played our football during my time here, I couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else.”

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Osimhen inspires Turkish champions to back-to-back UCL win

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Victor Osimhen’s brace earned Galatasaray a 3-1 win over Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, with the Turkish side recording back-to-back European victories having won just one of their previous 18 main-draw matches.

An already vociferous home crowd at RamsPark was given reason to erupt just three minutes into proceedings, when Mario Lemina slid the ball through for Osimhen to beat Nikita Haikin with a clinical finish.

The visitors continued to struggle against the intensity of Osimhen and their surroundings, with the striker getting his head on two Leroy Sané crosses but being denied by Haikin. Bodø/Glimt eventually started to make forays forward of their own and had periods of possession that were met by whistles from the stands, although they still couldn’t test Uğurcan Çakır.

Osimhen offered a reminder of his threat as he pounced when Odin Bjørtuft failed to convincingly deal with Ismail Jakobs’ cross, even if Haikin was equally alert to stop his attempt.

The goalkeeper was left completely helpless in the 33rd minute, though, as Osimhen accepted the gift of a lax Fredrik André Bjørkan backpass by rounding Haikin and sliding the ball into the empty net.

Chances did arrive at the other end before the break as Jens Petter Hauge fired wide after Roland Sallai had been dispossessed by Sondre Brunstad Fet, who then hit the post from range.

Kjetil Knutsen’s side continued to show intent after the restart, with Bjørkan embarking on an ambitious run before offloading the ball to Sondre Auklend, whose shot was blocked.

They were still given a huge warning moments later, when Osimhen and Yunus Akgün both passed up an opportunity to shoot before Sané was denied.

The visitors failed to heed it, though, and Haitam Aleesami was dispossessed by Osimhen on the edge of the box, setting up Akgün to beat Haikin at the second attempt. Fredrik Sjøvold was the next Bodø/Glimt player to gift Osimhen the ball, but retreated to block the striker’s second shot after his first had been saved.

The visitors finally got a goal of their own in the 76th minute with Andreas Helmersen heading in Bjørkan’s cross. Even so, there was never any real doubt that Galatasaray would record the 21st win from their last 23 matches across all competitions, while continuing the emphatic response to their heavy defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening day of the UCL league phase.

They also ended Bodø/Glimt’s five-game unbeaten run in European league phase matches, leaving the Norwegian side on two points.

The 26-year-old Super Eagles striker previously shared the record for scoring in the most consecutive European games with former Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz, who scored in six successive European matches for the club in 2012.

With Wednesday’s brace, the former Napoli striker has now become the sole holder of the record, surpassing Yilmaz, who has since retired and is now Gaziantep’s manager.

Osimhen, who scored 37 goals and provided seven assists in 41 games for Galatasaray last season before penning a permanent four-year deal in August, had found the back of the net against Tottenham Hotspur, AZ Alkmaar, Dynamo Kiev and Ajax in the UEFA Europa League last season before keeping his streak alive against Liverpool in Galatasaray’s 1-0 victory in their last Champions League outing.

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk’s side now sit in a better position in the Champions League standings after recording two victories and one defeat in their opening three games.

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Osayi-Samuel gets one-match ban

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Nigeria international Bright Osayi-Samuel has received a one-match suspension from the English Football Association after accumulating five yellow cards this season.

The right-back was booked during his club’s 1-0 victory over Preston North End on Tuesday night, triggering an automatic ban under FA disciplinary rules, as reported by the EFL official website.

The caution came just 12 minutes into the match for a foul on Preston striker Daniel Jebbison. His previous yellow cards this season came in matches against Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, and Swansea City.

The defender joined the Championship side on a free transfer during the summer transfer window after failing to agree to a new contract with Fenerbahce. He has gone on to be a regular starter for the Championship side with nine appearances this season.

However, Osayi-Samuel, who was making his first start in the Championship since September 30, will now be unavailable for his team’s upcoming fixture.

The defender was a late addition to the starting lineup at Deepdale, stepping in for Patrick Roberts, who suffered an injury during the pre-match warm-up.

Having only recently returned from a spell on the sidelines himself, Osayi-Samuel was substituted early in the second half as a precaution to manage his fitness.

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FULL LIST: Osimhen, Salah make CAF 2025 African male player nominees list

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The Confederation of African Football has unveiled the nominees in the men’s categories for the CAF Awards 2025, celebrating the continent’s top performers among players, coaches, clubs, and national teams.

The awards recognise the impact of players and coaches on African and global football during the period from January 6 to October 15, 2025. The nominations highlight those who have made major contributions to the sport across the continent.

According to a statement posted on the CAF website on Monday, a panel of experts, including members of the CAF Technical & Development Committee, experienced coaches, CAF Legends, and selected media representatives, selected 10 nominees for each category, considering performances across all competitions.

Cameroon’s Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah headline the list after commanding seasons with Napoli and Liverpool, respectively, as well as with their national teams.

Other notable nominees include Fiston Mayele (DR Congo/Pyramids), whose prolific scoring powered his club to the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title, Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/PSG), Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray), and Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal/Everton).

The nominees are listed below:

Men’s player of the year nominees

Men's player of the year nominees. Photo: CAF
Men’s player of the year nominees. Photo: CAF

Andre Frank Zambo-Anguissa (Cameroon/Napoli)
Fiston Mayele (DR Congo/Pyramids)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool)
Denis Bouanga (Gabon/Los Angeles FC)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea/Borussia Dortmund)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain)
Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco/RS Berkane)
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray)
Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal/Everton)
Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal/Tottenham Hotspur)

 

Men’s goalkeeper of the year nominees

Men's goalkeeper of the year nominees
Men’s goalkeeper of the year nominees. Photo: CAF

Andre Onana (Cameroon/Trabzonspor)
Vozinha (Cape Verde/Chaves)
Ahmed El Shenawy (Egypt/Pyramids)
Munir Mohamedi (Morocco/RS Berkane)
Yassine Bonou (Morocco/Al Hilal)
Stanley Nwabali (Nigeria/Chippa United)
Edouard Mendy (Senegal/Al Ahli)
Marc Diouf (Senegal/Tengueth)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns)
Aymen Dahmen (Tunisia/CS Sfaxien)

 

Men’s interclub player of the year nominees

Men's interclub player of the year nominees
Men’s interclub player of the year nominees. Photo: CAF

Ismael Belkacemi (Algeria/Al Ahli Tripoli)
Blati Toure (Burkina Faso/Pyramids FC)
Issoufou Dayo (Burkina Faso/RS Berkane)
Fiston Mayele (DR Congo/Pyramids)
Ahmed Samy (Egypt/Pyramids)
Emam Ashour (Egypt/Al Ahly)
Ibrahim Adel (Egypt/Pyramids)
Mohamed Hrimat (Morocco/AS FAR)
Mohamed Chibi (Morocco/Pyramids)
Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco/RS Berkane)
Shomari Kapombe (Tanzania/Simba)

Men’s coach of the year nominees

Men's coach of the year nominees
Men’s coach of the year nominees. Photo: CAF

Bubista (Cape Verde)
Hossam Hassan (Egypt)
Krunoslav Jurcic (Pyramids)
Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia)
Romuald Rakotondrabe (Madagascar CHAN)
Moine Chaabani (RS Berkane)
Tarik Sektioui (Morocco CHAN)
Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco U-20)
Walid Regragui (Morocco)
Pape Thiaw (Senegal)

 

Men’s young player of the year nominees

Men's young player of the year nominees
Men’s young player of the year nominees. Photo: CAF

Asharaf Tapsoba (Burkina Faso/Real du Faso)
Alynho Haidara (Cote d’Ivoire/ Mainz 05 Jacqueville)
Noah Sadiki (DR Congo/Sunderland)
Abdellah Ouazane (Morocco/Ajax)
Houssam Essadak (Morocco/US Touarga)
Othmane Maamma (Morocco/Watford)
Daniel Bameyi (Nigeria/Primorje)
Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone/Minnesota United)
Mbekezeli Mbokazi (South Africa/Orlando Pirates)
Tylon Smith (South Africa/Queens Park Rangers)

Men’s national team of the year nominees

Men's national team of the year nominees
Men’s national team of the year nominees. Photo: CAF

Algeria
Cape Verde
Cote d’Ivoire
Egypt
Ghana
Morocco U-20
Morocco
Senegal
South Africa
Tunisia

 

Men’s club of the year nominees

Men's club of the year nominees
Men’s club of the year nominees. Photo: CAF

CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
CS Constantine (Algeria)
ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
Pyramids (Egypt)
RS Berkane (Morocco)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
Stellenbosch (South Africa)
Al Hilal (Sudan)
Simba (Tanzania)

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