Nigeria Premier League

UCL draw: Man United, Newcastle face tough opponents

Manchester United will face the Bayern Munich of Harry Kane in this season’s Champions League while Thursday’s draw for the group stage also placed Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United together.

Appearing in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 20 years, Saudi-owned Newcastle will face AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund as well as Qatar-backed PSG in a tough Group F, while Bayern and United were joined by FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray in Group A.

Below is the draw for the group stage of this season’s UEFA Champions League, made at a ceremony in Monaco on Thursday:

Group A:

Bayern Munich (GER)

Manchester United (ENG)

FC Copenhagen (DEN)

Galatasaray (TUR)

Group B:

Sevilla (ESP)

Arsenal (ENG)

PSV Eindhoven (NED)

Lens (FRA)

Group C:

Napoli (ITA)

Real Madrid (ESP)

Braga (POR)

Union Berlin (GER)

Group D:

Benfica (POR)

Inter Milan (ITA)

Salzburg (AUT)

Real Sociedad (ESP)

Group E:

Feyenoord (NED)

Atletico Madrid (ESP)

Lazio (ITA)

Celtic (SCO)

Group F:

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

Borussia Dortmund (GER)

AC Milan (ITA)

Newcastle United (ENG)

Group G:

Manchester City (ENG),

RB Leipzig (GER),

Red Star Belgrade (SRB),

Young Boys (SUI)

Group H:

Barcelona (ESP),

Porto (POR),

Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR),

Royal Antwerp (BEL)

Matchday one: September 19-20

Matchday two: October 3-4

Matchday three: October 24-25

Matchday four: November 7-8

Matchday five: November 28-29

Matchday six: December 12-13

Nigeria Premier League

Junior Lokosa set to join Enyimba on short-term deal

Former NPFL top scorer Junior Lokosa is close to completing a move to Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) club Enyimba.

Reports indicate that Lokosa, who played for Sporting Lagos last season and scored seven goals, will sign a short-term contract with the People’s Elephant.

The 31-year-old striker made a name for himself as the top scorer in the NPFL in 2018, netting 19 goals during his time with Kano Pillars.

Lokosa has also had stints with Tunisia’s Esperance de Tunis and Tanzania’s Simba SC.

Nigeria Premier League

Rangers’ Coach Rues Defeat At El-Kanemi, Says My Boys Lost Concentration When It Mattered

Rangers International FC’s coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, attributed his team’s 2-1 defeat to El-Kanemi Warriors FC in Maiduguri on Wednesday to lapses in concentration within his defence.

The NPFL matchday 21 clash saw El-Kanemi secured the win at the El-Kanemi Stadium, Maiduguri.

Ilechukwu, who also serves as an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team, acknowledged his players’ overall performance but highlighted two critical moments of defensive inattentiveness that allowed El-Kanemi to score.

He expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and focusing on future achievements.

He described the current situation as a temporary setback and reassured fans that Rangers would soon return to winning form while urging his players to remain confident as they prepare for their next game against the high-scoring Ikorodu City.

El-Kanemi’s goals came from Nasiru Salihu, who scored in the 18th and 73rd minutes. Isaac Saviour scored the lone goal for Rangers in the 63rd minute.

Despite Rangers’ efforts to equalize, including the introduction of former World Cup star Michael Uchebo, El-Kanemi’s goalkeeper, Abine George, made crucial saves in extra time to secure the victory.

The win moved El-Kanemi Warriors into 4th place on the league table, while Rangers dropped to 6th.

Rangers will face Ikorodu City, who are currently 5th with the same number of points, at home on Monday, February 3, 2025, at 4:00 pm at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.

Nigeria Premier League

Ogunmodede reflects on Emo Stars’ win over Abia Warriors

Emo Stars technical adviser Daniel Ogunmodede admitted his side was fortunate to secure a 3-2 victory over Abia Warriors in Ikenne on Wednesday.

Abia Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the first half, with goals from Ayodele Eziekel and Anthony Ijoma. However, Emo Stars responded with three goals from Olamilekan Adebayo, Jabbar Malik, and Franck Mawuena to clinch the win.

Ogunmodede acknowledged that his team had underestimated their opponents but managed to turn things around. “The game was tense and shocking in the first half on our home ground. Not every time you will be lucky against a great team we played against,” he said in the post-match interview.

“We underestimated the qualities of our opponent, and we were punished for it. But luckily, we identified the problem and readjusted to get the victory.”

Emo Stars will now aim to build on this win as they continue their campaign