Football

The Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick has charged the Home Eagles to win the African Nations Championship (CHAN) trophy for President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Nigerians face host nation Morocco in the final on Sunday in Casablanca.

Pinnick met with the players and commended them after their semi-final win over Sudan in Marrakech on Wednesday. But the big message was that they could not afford to go this far only to go down to the host country.

Arsenal new signing, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is sick and would be assessed on Friday by the club's team of medical personnel to ascertain his fitness ahead of a crucial encounter against Everton On Saturday evening. Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger who disclosed this on Friday hinted that the player was recovering from bug. "I have to assess how well he is physically today and how well he feels," said Wenger.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Thursday said they are optimistic of beating Morocco on Sunday to win their first ever CHAN. Super Eagles assistant coach, Salisu Yusuf who is in charge of the CHAN assignment also expressed his excitement at the prospect of making history as the first manager to win tournament. He admitted that his side struggled when they confronted Sudan but noted that the players' doggedness earned them a place in the final.

Algerian, Leicester City’s winger Riyad Mahrez has missed training for the second successive day after failing to secure a move to Manchester City, according to Sky Sports. The 26-year-old, who handed in a transfer request earlier this week, was the subject of multiple offers from the Premier League leaders on Deadline Day, with the last of those understood to be a player-plus-cash offer worth an estimated £65m.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, currently serving a ban from the sport, told Reuters on Thursday he is considering legal action against the global football body in an attempt to clear his name, the Reuters reports. Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years, was handed a six-year ban for ethics violations, imposed amid the biggest corruption scandal to shake world soccer’s governing body in 2015.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday commended the Home-based Super Eagles for beating Sudan 1-0 to qualify for the final of the 2018 CHAN in Marrakesh, Morocco. The President in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adeshina said he joined other football loving Nigerians in celebrating the brilliant performance of the team and assured of government support to enable them win the tournament.