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NPFL: GTI Thumbs Up Clubs, Lauds Media Coverage

Partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited, has expressed delight at the level of support and spirit of competitiveness among clubs featuring in the NPFL 2023/2024 season and also lauded the media for their coverage following the smooth kick-off of the elite league on September 30.

According to GTI Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba in Lagos on Thursday, he commended the clubs for keying into the vision of GTI regarding implementing the business aspect of the game in all its activities.

“We believe that with time the plans of the Nigeria Premier League Board will see the light of the day given the massive coverage the NPFL is receiving.

“With the take-off grant of N10 million given to each of the 20 clubs this season by GTI and many other deals secured by the various clubs, we can see that the clubs have hit the ground running which has consistently reflected on the Matchday results,” Ekejiuba enthused.

“It is not surprising to see that home teams have stepped up their game as we are yet to record a loss in that regard. The worst-case scenarios are two draws recorded by visiting teams in Matchday 1 and Matchday 2 respectively.

“Also, the 2-0 annihilation of Enyimba International of Aba in Gombe by Gombe United in Matchday 2 is an indication that the gap between the so-called big teams and the lesser ones is nonexistent this season. By implication, the N150 million prize money expected for the winning team this season, courtesy of GTI is going to be keenly contested.”

The veteran sports journalist and author commended the clubs for painstakingly going out of their way to secure shirt deals and embarking on other sponsorship drives to assist them in navigating this season and becoming financially solvent.

“The efforts of Rangers, Sporting Lagos, Remo Stars, Bendel Insurance and other clubs to secure sponsorship deals ahead of this season are quite commendable and also an indication that these clubs are gradually queuing into GTI’s quest at seeing clubs being administered as a pure business enterprise.

“Therefore, we call on the clubs and match officials to maintain the tempo as we continue to partner with Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye’s NPL Board to deliver a flawless league to our great country.
“However, GTI as a strategic partner to the NPFL is leaving no stone unturned in laying a solid foundation for the league to thrive in the country and we believe that with the way NPFL is developing and evolving, by the next few seasons the elite league in the country will rank among the best in Africa.

The visibility the elite league is currently enjoying, following the weekly live streaming of the matches on the Over-The-Top (OTT) platform, is heart-warming and a step in the right direction. Our broadcast partner Propel Sports Africa should be commended for the innovation to enhance the visibility of the NPFL matches to local and global audiences.

“The introduction of The Nigeria Football Fund (TNFF) by GTI has also brought a positive turnaround to the NPFL such that the issue of funding for our elite league is no longer a problem. The Clubs, FA, match officials and NPFL staff can give testimony to the level of support and attention given by GTI in this regard.

“It is also worthy to note that the N1 per Unit cost of TNFF at the launch of the Fund has appreciated to N1.23 per unit which depicts a positive future for the growth of the Fund. Therefore, we call again on Corporate Nigeria and individuals who love our beautiful game to invest in TNFF,” Ekejiuba concluded.

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Chelsea Potential 2025 Club World Cup Opponents

Chelsea Potential 2025 Club World Cup Opponents

Since Chelsea booked their place in the inaugural edition of this summer’s Club World Cup by winning the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League, there has been plenty of change at the west London outfit.

The Blues have cycled through six different head coaches, spent £1.2bn on transfers and finished 12th in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, Chelsea will be one of 32 teams involved in this week’s draw to decide the eight groups of four for the global jamboree in Miami. Based upon FIFA’s convoluted – and entirely arbitrary – seeding system, Enzo Maresca’s side are in Pot 2, leaving themselves open to a daunting slate of potential opponents.

No group can feature two clubs from the same association, so Chelsea would never be able to come up against Pot 1’s Manchester City. However, FIFA have split the European and South American top seeds to keep the big names apart until the semi-final.

That finger on the scale ensures that Chelsea can only come up against three Brazilian Copa Libertadores champions or Argentine giants River Plate, the highest-ranked South American club which haven’t won a continental title in the last four years.

While Flamengo and Fluminense have their qualities, the prospect of a clash with Palmeiras is particularly enticing. The Brazilian giants are spearheaded by the record-breaking talents of Estevao Willian – the 17-year-old forward who will join Chelsea after the competition’s conclusion in July 2025.

 

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Pep Guardiola Responds To Rumours Of Man City Fall Out With Kevin De Bruyne

Pep Guardiola Responds To Rumours Of Man City Fall Out With Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has rubbished suggestions of a rift with Kevin De Bruyne, insisting he is “desperate” to have the playmaker back at his best.

A number of prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards, have questioned why the Belgium international has not been starting games amid the champions’ dramatic slump.

City have not won in seven outings in all competitions – their worst run since 2008 – with De Bruyne featuring only as a substitute in the last five of those matches after recovering from a pelvic injury.

The latest came with a 12-minute run-out in Sunday’s demoralising 2-0 defeat at Premier League leaders Liverpool, a result which left City 11 points off the pace and fifth in the table.

Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast it appeared “there’s some sort of rift going on” between De Bruyne and Guardiola while former England striker Gary Lineker added: “It seems like all’s not well.”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he felt “something isn’t right” and fellow Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville, the ex-Manchester United right-back, described the situation as “unusual, bizarre, strange”.

Guardiola, speaking at a press conference to preview his side’s clash with Nottingham Forest, responded on Tuesday.

The Spaniard said: “People say I’ve got a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? No, I don’t want Kevin to play?

“The guy who has the most talent in the final third, I don’t want it? I have a personal problem with him after nine years together?

“He’s delivered to me the biggest success to this club, but he’s been five months injured (last season) and two months injured (this year).

“He’s 33 years old. He needs time to find his best, like last season, step by step. He’ll try to do it and feel better. I’m desperate to have his best.”

De Bruyne has not started since being forced off at half-time of City’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan on September 18, having picked up an injury in the previous game.

Both the player and manager have spoken since of the pain he was in and the need to ease back into action, but his spell on the bench has been unexpectedly long.

The resulting speculation has then been exacerbated because De Bruyne is in the final year of his contract but Guardiola maintains nothing untoward has occurred.

He said: “I’d love to have the Kevin in his prime, 26 or 27. He would love it to – but he is not 26 or 27 any more.

“He had injuries in the past, important and long ones. He is a guy who needs to be physically fit for his space and energy. You think I’m complaining? It’s normal, it’s nature.

“He’s played in 10 or 11 seasons a lot of games and I know he is desperate to help us. He gives glimpses of brilliance that only he can have.

“But, always I said, he himself will not solve our problems, like Erling (Haaland) won’t solve it himself. We attack and defend together.

“We want the best players back. Hopefully step by step the confidence will come back and we’ll get the best of all of us.”

 

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Lionel Messi ‘Set To Sign New Contract’ In Clearest 2026 World Cup Race

Lionel Messi 'Set To Sign New Contract' In Clearest 2026 World Cup Race

Lionel Messi looks to be on course to sign a new deal with Inter Miami, which could all but guarantee his participation in the next World Cup.

There had been hints that Messi could be ready to call time on his stay in the United States and head back to Argentina when his current deal expires. However, according to Argentinian outlet TyC Sports, Messi, whose current contract with the David Beckham co-owned club runs until the end of the 2025 season, is ready to sign on the dotted line to keep him in Florida for a little while longer.

Messi, who made the switch to the MLS in July 2023, has been a lynchpin in altering the fortunes of Miami. He helped the team win the Supporters’ Shield this season as they amassed a record breaking 74 points in the Eastern Conference.

Despite their glittering campaign, Miami crashed out in the play-offs in surprising fashion after they were beaten by Atlanta United. Despite the unceremonious end to his season, reports say that he is close to finalising a new contract that would extend his stay until after the tournament, which is set to kick off in North America come June 2026, with the US, Canada and Mexico co-hosting the World Cup.

The length of the rumored extension has now fueled speculation that the 37-year-old could make a surprise appearance in what would be his sixth World Cup. Taking to X, the Argentinian publication claimed: “Leo Messi has a contract with Inter Miami until December 2025. There is a willingness to renew it until after the 2026 World Cup. It has not yet been resolved but it is on track to be done.”

While he is viewed as an elder statesman of the Argentinian national side, Messi remains an integral part of the set-up and has helped his country to the top of the World Cup qualifying standings. Many had expected Messi to return to his homeland in the near future, but it is felt that the Argentinian hero is more than happy in America.

Messi’s compatriot, and fellow national team legend, Mario Kempes has declared that the star is enjoying life in Florida. “Messi is three times happier playing in Inter Miami than at Barcelona, he is doing things very well,” Kempes told TNT Sports.

“It’s not about coming in and having to be focused for the whole ninety minutes. He plays when he wants to.” While former team-mate and Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta also insisted Messi has found a new lease of life stateside.

“I would say he has found an environment where he feels comfortable, where he feels at ease,” Iniesta said to ESPN. “He is in a project that excites him, a project with an ambition to grow and he is surrounded by great players.”

Miami entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed after blitzing the regular standings with help from Messi. However, it was an Atlanta side that finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, a whopping 34 points behind Miami, that brought Messi’s dream of lifting the MLS Cup to a swift end.

Even though Miami fell short of winning the cup, Messi managed to score 21 goals in 22 league appearances as he looks to have cemented himself as a club legend already.

 

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