Football

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane sent 300 club jerseys to supporters in his home village of Bambali in Senegal ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Mane's family still live in the village of 2,000 inhabitants, which is expected to come to a standstill as their favourite son looks to help the Premier League club claim a sixth European Cup in Kiev's Olympic Stadium.

The 26-year-old has ensured the village can cheer his team in style as they look to beat 12-times champions Real.

Former Nigeria forward Chinedu Obasi has been released by English Championship club Bolton Wanderers after just two months following the expiration of his short-term deal with the club. Bolton made the announcement on their official website on Thursday.

Chelsea winger Victor Moses will not join the Super Eagles in Uyo for Nigeria’s friendly against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Port Harcourt next Monday.

The 27-year-old will join up with the squad in London ahead of their friendly against England at the Wembley Stadium on June 2, according to a tweet from the official handle of the Super Eagles.

Moses starred for Chelsea in last Saturday’s 1-0 Emirates FA Cup final triumph over Manchester United at Wembley.

The Nigeria Football Federation have reiterated their resolve not to interfere with the work of Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.

Amidst calls by football fans for the Eagles coach to extend invitations to at least two players of the Super Eagles B team who shone in the friendly game against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, Chairman of NFF Technical and Development committee Ahmed Yusuf Fresh has stated that Rohr has the final say.

English-born Nigerian striker Adebayo Akinfenwa of Wycombe Wanderers has been nominated for the English League Two (Fourth division) Professional Football Association (PFA) Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Year Award.

The PFA made the announcement on their official website on Friday.

Akinfenwa, 36, popularly known as “The Beast”, who never featured for Nigeria or England at any international level, was nominated along with five other players.

A London gangster and his brother were behind the notoriously unsolved theft of the World Cup trophy just months before the 1966 tournament in England, according to a report. Sidney Cugullere, with the help of his brother Reg, stole the Jules Rimet trophy while it was on public exhibition at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, Reg's son Gary said.