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Arsenal have learned from Premier League pain – Arteta

Mikel Arteta says title-chasing Arsenal have “learned a lot of things from last season” as they chase a fifth straight Premier League win against Burnley on Saturday.

 

The Gunners are third in the table, two points behind leaders Liverpool and level on points with second-placed Manchester City following last week’s impressive 6-0 victory at West Ham.

Arsenal, without a Premier League title since 2004, led for most of last season but faltered in the final stretch as City overtook them.

“We want to be there and that means that we’ve done a lot of things right during this season and we have learned a lot of things from last season,” Arteta told his pre-match press conference on Friday.

 

“We’ve shown a big level of consistency and good things in the team and now we want to go another step forward and maintain that consistency, continue to play the way we are playing and perform and let’s see where we get.”

 

The Spaniard said his side, who play Porto next week in the Champions League last 16, were facing a defining period and it was vital to have a fully fit squad.

 

“For me, that is requirement number one,” he said. “And at the moment, we don’t have it. And we’re going to have to have it and we are working really hard to have it.

 

“This is the requirement number one. The second, third, fourth, if we don’t have that one, it’s going to be difficult. I think we have a good chance.”

 

The Arsenal boss is anticipating a tough battle against relegation-threatened Burnley.

 

Vincent Kompany’s men are seven points from safety and have struggled in their first season back in the English top flight but Arteta spoke of his admiration for the Burnley boss.

The Spaniard coached the former Manchester City captain when he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium between 2016 and 2019.

“We know each other really well and I have huge respect for him,” he said. “We had a really good relationship when we worked together.

 

“I have a huge admiration for him when he was a player and he has a special aura around him. He has great ideas and a vision of how to play the game.”

 

Arteta was also asked whether the club would be interested in signing France captain Kylian Mbappe, who has told Paris Saint-Germain he intends to leave at the end of the season.

 

He said signing Mbappe would match the club’s ambitions of becoming the “best team”, though he admitted it was unlikely, with the player widely linked with a move to Real Madrid.

“When there is a player of that calibre then we always need to be in the conversation but it looks like (his future) is in a different way,” he added.

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CHAN Qualifier: Former Borussia Dortmund Star Warns Nigeria To Beware Of Ghana

CHAN Qualifier: Former Borussia Dortmund Star Warns Nigeria To Beware Of Ghana

Former Super Eagles forward Victor Ikpeba has cautioned Nigeria’s CHAN Eagles not to underestimate the determination of Ghana’s Black Galaxies ahead of their crucial playoff return leg in Uyo on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.

The stakes are high, with the overall winner set to qualify for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), scheduled to take place in February 2025 across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The first leg in Accra ended goalless, leaving all to play for in the return fixture.

Former Borussia Dortmund striker and one-time Africa Footballer of the Year Ikpeba urged Nigeria’s home-based stars to seize the moment.

“The CHAN Eagles must fight because this is one game that Ghana do not want to lose,” Ikpeba told SuperSport.

“We all remember what happened with the Super Eagles against the same Ghana for the 2022 World Cup.”

Ikpeba highlighted the significance of qualification, not just for national pride but also for the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and its players.

“This is a big chance for the league and home-based players to show what they are capable of,” he added.

“Many of us have had our reservations about the players in the NPFL, particularly going by their performance on the continent.”

In preparation for the decisive clash, the CHAN Eagles have bolstered their squad by recalling five players, including forwards Samuel Ayanrinde (Shooting Stars) and Sunday Megwo (Abia Warriors).

Both are expected to add firepower to Nigeria’s attack with their physicality and goal-scoring prowess.

Midfielder Kazeem Ogunleye (Enugu Rangers), Vincent Temitope (Plateau United), and Badmus Gbadamosi (Kwara United) also return to the fold after being initially omitted from the trip to Ghana.

The team is already in Uyo and have been training twice a day, focusing on securing a crucial victory on home soil.

The match against Ghana kicks off at 5 pm on Saturday, with Nigeria looking to redeem recent setbacks against Ghana and secure a spot in Africa’s prestigious tournament for home-based players.

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Nigeria: Eguavoen Open To Coaching Super Eagles For 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

Nigeria: Eguavoen Open To Coaching Super Eagles For 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

Interim head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles Augustine Eguavoen has expressed his willingness to continue leading the team through the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers if the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) calls on him, Soccernet.ng reports.

However, the former international defender has also urged the federation to swiftly decide on appointing a permanent manager, emphasizing the importance of clarity and preparation.

“If I am called upon (by the NFF to manage the Super Eagles through the remainder of the 2026 WCQ series), I don’t know what I will say,” Eguavoen told Kennis FM.

“But all hands must be on deck. We want to try and qualify for the World Cup. March is just around the corner. If we have to do something (about the team), we need to do it quick.”

Eguavoen, who took the reins in September, successfully led Nigeria to secure qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite this achievement, the NFF remains intent on appointing a foreign coach to lead the three-time African champions.

With the World Cup qualifiers resuming in March 2025, Eguavoen has stressed the urgency of finalizing the coaching situation.

“That person should come in as quickly as possible, settle down, so that we could speak, tweak things, exchange ideas, and talk about the way forward,” he continued.

“The earlier (that a substantive coach is found), the better.”

Nigeria face an uphill task to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, set to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Super Eagles have struggled in their qualifying campaign, failing to win any of their first four games and trailing behind Rwanda, Benin, and South Africa in a group where only the top team secures automatic qualification.

The urgency is palpable as Nigeria seek to return to the global stage after missing out on Qatar 2022.

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National Sports Festival Gets New Date, To Allow Games Reflect New Vision Of Nigerian Sports

National Sports Festival Gets New Date, To Allow Games Reflect New Vision Of Nigerian Sports

The Joint Technical Committee for the 22nd National Sports Festival, Ogun 2024, has approved an adjustment of the Games’ dates to allow the Games reflect the new direction of sports in the country and also provide more time for the implementation of recommendations made during the joint technical meeting.

According to a communiqué jointly signed by the Director General of the National Sports Commission/Chairman of the Main Organizing Committee, Hon. Adebukola Olopade, and the Honourable Commissioner for Sports Development, Ogun State, Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, the Gateway Games will now take place from May 16 to 30, 2025. Additionally, the zonal eliminations for team sports are scheduled to hold from February 23 to 28, 2025.

During the deliberations, the committee commended the Federal Government for its political will to develop sports in Nigeria through the creation of a dedicated Commission to manage sports affairs. They also lauded the Executive Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Prince Adedapo Oluseun Abiodun, MFR, as well as the Government and the good people of Ogun State, for their warm reception, hospitality, and commitment to successfully hosting and organizing the 22nd National Sports Festival.

Commendations were also extended to Chief Kunle Soname and the management of Babcock University for their support towards the organization of the Games.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Hon. Olopade explained that “in the spirit of the new definition of sports organization in Nigeria, creating an ecosystem of economic sustainability by Mr President, there was a need to push it forward to capture all of those elements together, he said.” “This would also get the Commission to settle down properly. We’re excited for the new date and the extra five months to put everything together and show the whole country what capacity is all about.”

Explaining the new initiative coming the 2024 NSF, Hon. Olopade said “when you think about the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative, where young promising athletes will compete as a 38th state, it is a promising move towards fostering development of our best young talents and it’s happening for the first time in the history of the Games.”

“It’s a strategy to empower young and promising talents, and create a pathway for them to be exposed at the top level. These athletes will compete against established athletes hoping to upset the status quo. It speaks to the core of what President Tinubu has asked of us to do,” the DG concluded.

The 1st Joint Technical Meeting for the 22nd National Sports Festival took place on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at the Banquet Hall, Mitros Residence and Suites, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The meeting was preceded by a technical assessment and inspection of the proposed venues and facilities for the Games, conducted by all major stakeholders present at the Joint Technical Meeting.

As part of the resolutions, it was agreed that a 2nd Joint Technical Meeting and Inspection Visit would be necessary to ensure that all observed issues have been adequately addressed ahead of the Games.

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