Sports

Osimhen reaches 200 goals as Nigerian women shine abroad

Published

6 months ago

February 2, 2026

It was another action-packed weekend for Nigerian players across Europe and beyond, defined by historic milestones, debut goals and decisive moments, as Victor Osimhen reached his 200th career goal and Joy Omewa made an instant impact in England. OLAMIDE ABE writes

SUNDAY

Turkey

Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray)

Osimhen reached a defining milestone on Sunday, becoming a 200-goal forward as Galatasaray eased past Kayserispor in the Turkish Super Lig.

The Nigeria striker doubled his side’s advantage in a commanding performance, underlining his standing as one of Africa’s most prolific forwards of his generation.

The strike took him to 200 career goals for club and country, achieved across 336 senior appearances, alongside 51 assists. At club level alone, he has scored 165 goals in 284 matches, with his most productive spells coming at SSC Napoli and Galatasaray.

A breakdown of his club output shows 76 goals in 133 games for Napoli, 51 in 61 matches for Galatasaray, 18 for LOSC Lille, 20 for Royal Charleroi SC and a modest return during his early spell at VfL Wolfsburg. For Nigeria, he has scored 35 goals in 51 appearances, reinforcing his status as the country’s leading marksman of the modern era.

The weekend goal also extended a remarkable run, having recently become the fastest player to reach 50 goals for Galatasaray. Beyond scoring, Osimhen provided an assist before being withdrawn in the 82nd minute, as Mauro Icardi later sealed the win from the penalty spot.

England

Joy Omewa (Nottingham Forest Women)

Omewa announced herself to English football in emphatic fashion, scoring on her debut for Forest Women despite a heavy defeat. The Super Falcons forward found the net in Forest’s 5-1 loss to Birmingham City in the Women’s Super League 2.

Omewa, who joined from Danish side Fortuna Hjørring earlier in the week, drew Forest level shortly before half-time after showing composure to beat her marker and finish calmly. Although the visitors eventually pulled away, her goal stood out as a positive moment on a difficult afternoon.

The strike continued an extraordinary scoring streak, with Omewa now having found the net in 15 of her last 16 league matches. Her movement and attacking awareness offered Forest supporters early encouragement ahead of their next fixture against Charlton on February 8, before a possible mid-February departure for WAFCON duty.

Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest)

Aina produced a disciplined defensive display as Nottingham Forest, reduced to ten players, held Crystal Palace to a draw. The Nigeria defender was heavily involved, recording seven defensive contributions, winning eight of 10 ground duels and completing all three of his aerial contests.

Aina also made eight recoveries and four clearances, which underlines his importance as Forest absorbed pressure for long spells. Despite conceding territory, his work rate and positioning helped Forest emerge with a valuable point.

Christantus Uche (Crystal Palace)

Uche featured from the bench in the same encounter at the oppositing team of Aina, making his 12th league appearance of the season.

The midfielder completed half of his passes, attempted one shot and covered close to 30 metres in ball carries during his brief outing.

Uche is yet to register a goal or assist in the league despite being in good form for the London club in Europe, averaging 14 minutes per league appearance, but continues to gain experience at top-flight level.

Iwobi, Chukwueze, Bassey (Fulham)

Alex Iwobi was heavily involved despite Fulham’s late heartbreak against Manchester United. Playing the full match, the midfielder completed 96 per cent of his 75 passes, created two key chances and registered an expected assists figure of zero point 27.

Iwobi covered significant ground in possession, recording 34 carries and more than 255 metres in total carrying distance. His influence in midfield remained evident even as Fulham conceded a dramatic late winner.

Samuel Chukwueze on the other hand was given a surprise start by Marco Silva, just three days after the loss of his mother, and delivered an energetic performance before being withdrawn.

He completed five dribbles, created one key pass and was unfortunate to see a goal ruled out for offside. Despite Fulham’s defeat, his willingness to take on defenders and stretch play stood out, particularly in the first half as the hosts sought to break down Manchester United’s defence.

2024/25 Fulham’s Player of The Season, Calvin Bassey, was introduced late as Fulham attempted to salvage a draw in the closing stages.

Although the plan ultimately failed, his inclusion highlighted the trust placed in him during high-pressure moments.

Italy

Babajide, Oladipo (AS Roma Women)

Babajide delivered a dramatic late intervention in Italy, rescuing a point for AS Roma Women with a stoppage-time equaliser against Parma.

Coming off the bench in the 59th minute, the Super Falcons winger headed home in the ninth minute of added time to secure a 3-3 draw.

The goal was Babajide’s third for Roma and her first league strike since her Serie A debut earlier in the season.

It also preserved Roma’s seven-match unbeaten league run, keeping them top of the Serie A Femminile table with 29 points, five clear of Inter.

Her compatriot Shukurat Oladipo started in defence for Roma, continuing her regular involvement at the back. Roma next face AC Milan as they aim to consolidate their position at the summit.

Mexico

Taiwo Lawal (Mazatlán)

In Mexico, Lawal continued her fine scoring form for Mazatlán FC, netting again in a 5-0 victory over Necaxa.

The Super Falcons prospect scored the third goal of the match, taking her tally to five goals for the season.

She remains Mazatlán’s leading scorer, one goal clear of Abigail López, although the club sit 11th in the table with 10 points.

Attention now turns to a clash with Pachuca, where Lawal is set to face fellow Nigeria forward Chinwendu Ihezuo.

SATURDAY

England

Arthur Okonkwo (Wrexham)

Okonkwo continued his impressive run with Wrexham, keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 away win over Sheffield Wednesday.

The goalkeeper has now recorded seven clean sheets in 27 matches, backed by 77 saves across the campaign.

Wrexham sit sixth in the Championship table, occupying a promotion play-off spot, and have lost just one of their last nine games, with Okonkwo’s consistency proving vital to their momentum.

Italy

Rafiu Durosinmi (Pisa)

Durosinmi made an immediate impact off the bench for Pisa, providing the assist for their only goal in a 3-1 defeat to Sassuolo.

Introduced at the start of the second half, he needed just five minutes to influence proceedings.

It was his first assist for the club since joining from Czech Republic and his second goal contribution overall, following his debut goal against Atalanta. While Pisa fell short, Durosinmi’s sharpness once again caught the eye.

His compatriot Ebenezer Akinsanmiro was an unused substitute in the same match, remaining on the bench throughout. His involvement remains limited for since AFCON return, but his presence continues to underline Pisa’s growing Nigerian contingent.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 489

Sports

Messi breaks silence after World Cup final loss, congratulates Spain

Published

6 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has broken his silence after his side’s heartbreaking defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in the United States.

The Inter Miami FC forward admitted that the loss would be difficult to overcome while expressing pride in his team’s achievements.

Messi, who did not speak to reporters after Sunday’s final in New York, shared his first reaction online on Monday following Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time defeat.

PUNCH Online reports that Spain claimed their second World Cup title courtesy of Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner in a match where Argentina struggled to create clear-cut chances, with their first shot on target arriving in the 117th minute.

Reacting to the defeat on his Instagram page on Monday, Messi described the pain of losing the final as immense but said he would cherish the journey that took Argentina to a second successive World Cup final.

“The pain is so great, and it’s going to be hard for me to close this wound. But I’ll keep all the good stuff too… With the matches we turned leaving everything and that will remain forever in the memory, with the support of an entire country that together with the work and effort of this group led us to be, once again, among the best in the world,” Messi wrote.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner praised his teammates for reaching back-to-back World Cup finals, despite falling short of retaining the title they won in Qatar four years ago.

“Today it’s hard to evaluate what we did, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”

Messi also thanked Argentinians for their unwavering support throughout the tournament.

“Thank you very much from the heart for every greeting and for every message. Once again we managed to unite as a country and be all together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentinian.”

The 39-year-old concluded his message by congratulating Spain on their triumph.

“I also want to congratulate Spain on the championship,” he said.

Argentina entered the tournament as defending champions after lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022. Although they fell short in their bid to retain the title, Lionel Scaloni’s side became the first team since Brazil in 1998 to reach consecutive men’s World Cup finals.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 18

Sports

Zidane signs deal to become France coach until 2030; read details

Published

6 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

French football legend, Zinedine Zidane, has reportedly signed a deal to become the new head coach of the French national team until June 2030.

Transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, made the claim in a post shared on Facebook on Tuesday, saying the former Real Madrid manager would be officially unveiled in the coming days.

“Zinedine Zidane has signed as the new France coach until June 2030. The story has been confirmed as Zizou will be unveiled as the new head coach in the next days — back to work with France,” Romano wrote.

According to the Italian journalist, Zidane is expected to lead France in the 2027 UEFA Nations League, Euro 2028, and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Romano ended the post with his trademark phrase, “Here we go, confirmed.”

Zidane, 54, has been without a coaching role since leaving Real Madrid in 2021 after a second spell in charge of the Spanish giants.

During his time at Madrid, he won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, as well as two La Liga crowns and several other domestic and international trophies.

The 1998 World Cup winner has long been linked with the France job and was widely considered a potential successor to Didier Deschamps, who has managed Les Bleus since 2012.

Deschamps is expected to leave the role after the 2026 World Cup cycle, and Zidane has long been linked with the France job and has publicly expressed interest in coaching the national team.

As of the time of filing this report, the French Football Federation had not issued an official statement confirming Zidane’s appointment.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 22

Sports

FBI revealed US recorded zero major security incidents during World Cup

Published

1 day ago

July 20, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, has said the United States recorded no major security incidents during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the tournament as the largest sporting event in history.

Patel disclosed this in a post on his official X handle on Sunday, praising the coordinated efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in securing the tournament.

According to him, the competition shattered previous attendance records and was successfully staged across the United States without any major security breach.

“The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the largest sporting event in the history of the world, shattering the previous attendance record by double digits. America — we got it done, ZERO major security incidents across our nation while we hosted the equivalent of 78 Super Bowls in 38 days, along with 40 base camps, endless fan zones, and celebrations in nearly every state,” Patel wrote.

He credited President Donald Trump for prioritising security preparations ahead of the tournament, noting that the White House FIFA Task Force was established about 16 months before the competition.

“President Trump promised his administration would deliver the safest, most secure, and fun environment for FIFA. He started by establishing the White House FIFA Task Force some 16 months ago, and we got right to work,” he said.

Patel disclosed that the FBI committed nearly 5,000 personnel from its headquarters, field offices and international offices across the 16 host cities, describing it as the bureau’s largest-ever deployment for a single event.

“This FBI led the charge, dedicating nearly 5,000 personnel to the effort out of HQ, field and international offices across 16 host cities. None of what we accomplished is possible without our federal, state and local partners who all put in the same relentless effort. It’s the largest resource dedication the FBI has EVER made for any event,” he added.

According to the FBI director, the agency established a Joint Operations Centre, an International Police Coordination Centre, and an Intelligence Coordination Centre to facilitate real-time intelligence gathering and information sharing throughout the tournament.

He also revealed that the FBI created the first-ever counter-unmanned aircraft systems training school for law enforcement officers ahead of the World Cup, adding that authorities seized more than 700 drones that entered restricted airspace around FIFA venues.

“We established the first-ever counter-UAS drone school, training members of law enforcement from across the country for the World Cup. We seized over 700 drones near FIFA airspace,” Patel said.

He added that security agencies also managed other major national events held during the same period, including UFC 250, SAIL 250 and State Fair 250, while ensuring the World Cup concluded safely.

“President Trump’s leadership set the course; he led the way, and this FBI and our partners rose to the challenge. Thanks to all our partners, FIFA, the Department of Homeland Security, the White House FIFA Task Force and its Director, Andrew Giuliani,” Patel stated.