Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr are preparing a private jet to fly Portuguese forward João Félix directly to Jeddah after international duty in a bid to make him available for their eagerly anticipated Saudi Pro League clash against Al-Ahli.

According to Saudi newspaper Al-Youm, on Tuesday, the club’s management are “arranging the special flight to bring Félix back immediately after Portugal’s international fixture against Wales.”

The arrangement is aimed at “reducing his travel time and avoiding the delays associated with regular flights, giving him a better chance of featuring in the encounter against Al-Ahli.”

Félix has become an important attacking option for Al-Nassr since joining the club, with his performances making him one of the players the coaching staff rely on to create scoring opportunities and threaten opposition defences.

However, securing his return to Saudi Arabia does not guarantee his participation in the match, as the “technical crew will still have to assess his physical condition following international duty and the journey before deciding whether he is fit to play.”

The proposed arrangement highlights Al-Nassr’s determination to have one of their key attacking players available for the high-profile encounter, despite the scheduling challenge posed by international commitments.

PUNCH Online reports that the Saudi Pro League Matchweek 9 clash between Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr is scheduled for Friday, November 20, 2026, at 8:30 pm Saudi time (6:30 pm Nigerian time) at Alinma Stadium, King Abdullah Sports City, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The November FIFA international break is currently underway, running from Monday, November 9, to Tuesday, November 17, 2026, with national teams scheduled to play up to two matches during the window.

Source: punchng.com

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Australian apprentice jockey Izzy Neale has died at the age of 22 after falling from her horse during a race at Warren Racecourse in New South Wales on Sunday.

Neale was dislodged from her horse, Marnoo, during the race and airlifted to Dubbo Hospital, where she received medical treatment.

Her family announced her death on Tuesday on X in a joint statement with Racing NSW, saying she passed away surrounded by her loved ones.

“It is with deep sadness and broken hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Izzy, surrounded by her closest family and friends,” the statement read.

The family described Neale’s love for horses as a lifelong passion, saying she had been riding before she could walk.

“Izzy rode horses before she could walk. Her love of horses was a lifelong passion that, more recently, had grown into a love of racing,” the statement added.

They also revealed that Neale would become an organ donor, offering hope to others despite the family’s devastating loss.

“Through organ donation, Izzy will give others the chance of life, bringing some comfort to our family amid this devastating loss,” they said.

The Cotton Cup meeting was abandoned following the incident, while Marnoo was euthanised after sustaining a serious leg injury.

A second jockey involved in the same race, Diego Montes de Oca, also sustained injuries to his foot. He was later discharged from hospital.

Neale recorded 88 winners during her professional riding career and was remembered by members of the Australian racing community as a talented young jockey.

The Australian Turf Club described her as a “talented young rider with a bright future”.
Trainer John Thompson, who Neale worked for, also paid tribute to the young jockey in a message posted on X.

“An absolute beacon of shining light. Always happy. Always smiling. Loved by everyone who met her,” he wrote.

“The world is poorer for the loss of a beautiful young lady. Heartbreaking.”
Neale’s family expressed gratitude to the racing community, medical staff, friends and members of the public for their support during the difficult period.

“As we come to terms with our loss, we ask that our family’s privacy be respected,” they said.

“Izzy was dearly loved and will forever be in our hearts.”

Source: punchng.com

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Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, Reno Omokri, has accused former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of politicising the Flamingos’ FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup victory by attempting to associate himself with the team’s achievement.

Omokri recalled how former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Head of State Muhammadu Buhari received victorious Nigerian football teams in 2013 and 1985, respectively, amid the controversy surrounding Obi’s attempt to meet the Flamingos at the airport.

He made the remarks in a statement on Tuesday while criticising Obi over his claim that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation prevented him from greeting the Flamingos after their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup triumph.

Omokri said he was physically present with Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in February 2013, when the then President received the Super Eagles following their AFCON victory.

He argued that Buhari and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, despite their political ambitions ahead of the 2015 general election, did not attempt to bypass the protocol or politicise the team’s achievement.

“Neither General Muhammadu Buhari nor Waziri Atiku Abubakar, who had contested and lost to the then incumbent, and were planning to throw their hats in the ring with him in 2015, attempted to circumnavigate the protocol or sour the joyous national mood by politicising the situation. Rather, they commended the team and the nation,” he said.

Omokri also recalled the 1985 victory of Nigeria’s Baby Eagles, now known as the Golden Eaglets, saying they first met Buhari, who was then the military Head of State, after winning the inaugural FIFA U-16 World Championship in China.

He noted that the late businessman and politician Moshood Abiola, whom he described as one of Nigeria’s biggest contributors to sports development, particularly football, supported the team financially and morally throughout the tournament.

Omokri said Abiola’s contributions to sports were recognised in 1980 when the African Sports Journalists Union named him the Pillar of Sports in Africa.

However, he noted that despite Abiola’s support for the team, the players did not meet him first after their victory on August 11, 1985.

The ambassador also cited Spain’s reception of its national team after winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the players first met King Felipe VI before formally engaging with the media.

According to the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the team’s first official stop after returning to Madrid was the Zarzuela Palace, where the King, Queen Letizia and other members of the Royal Family received the delegation before it proceeded to meet Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

“That is the convention, not only in Nigeria and Spain, but in every respectable, responsible and ordered society run by the rule of law and constitutional democracies,” Omokri said.

He argued that placing personal interests above established national protocols could be interpreted as a failure to prioritise the country’s interests.

“Placing yourself above such conventions and wanting them circumvented because of your personal agenda, itinerary, and convenience could be interpreted by reasonable people as you not putting national interest first,” he said.

Omokri further accused Obi of attempting to associate himself with a victory he did not contribute to, describing the move as opportunistic.

“Sports should be protected from the ‘toxic’ politics of individuals who try to sow disunity at a time when football has united the nation,” he said.

He added, “Wanting to insert yourself into a victory that you did not contribute to, and a team that you did not even acknowledge until they won, is not only opportunistic, it falls beneath the standard of behaviour expected from a statesman, who should know that their first port of call should be the Head of State.”

The controversy followed Obi’s allegation that NFF officials prevented him from greeting the Flamingos when they returned to Abuja from Morocco after winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Obi said he arrived at the Abuja airport at about 7am on Monday to board a flight to Enugu when he sighted the team.

He said he asked his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could greet and welcome the players but was informed that NFF officials had refused his request.

He also alleged that the officials warned they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to approach the players, describing the incident as another example of what he called toxic politics.

However, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, rejected Obi’s account, saying officials who accompanied and received the Flamingos did not see the former governor around the players or the international terminal.

Dikko said two individuals wearing Obi’s campaign face caps and other campaign attire approached officials to request a meeting and photographs with the players.

He explained that the request was declined because it was made without prior arrangement and the players were tired after their journey from Morocco.

He also disputed Obi’s claim that officials risked losing their jobs over the matter and urged the former governor to apologise to the players, arguing that the controversy had shifted attention away from their achievement.

Similarly, the Director-General of the National Institute for Sports, Philip Shaibu, said Obi could have waved at the players like other Nigerians at the airport rather than seeking a meeting with them.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Shaibu argued that the support given to athletes before and during competitions was more important than seeking to celebrate with them after victories.

He also maintained that President Bola Tinubu had supported the team during the tournament.

The Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, also accused two men claiming to be Obi’s protocol officers of breaching security procedures while attempting to arrange a meeting with the Flamingos.

Olopade said officials did not see Obi at the airport when the team returned, adding that the two men approached officials while the players were being escorted into buses after their flight.

The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in the final in Rabat, Morocco, on November 7 to win their first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title, becoming the first African country to win the competition.

Source: punchng.com

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