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Mo Salah Finally Speaks On Dumping Liverpool, Next Move Revealed

The contract standoff between Liverpool and Mohamed Salah might be tense, but it doesn’t seem to be stressing the Egyptian out.

With only five months remaining on his existing contract, speculation surrounding Salah’s future continues to run rife. If he fails to agree an extension in the coming weeks, he will leave Anfield for nothing at the end of the season.

If that happens, there will presumably be plenty of offers on the table for the 32-year-old, though a move to the Saudi Pro League looks likeliest. Last month, when visiting Liverpool’s training ground to interview Arne Slot, Gary Lineker bumped into Salah, who offered the Match of the Day host a little insight into his thinking ahead of a potential summer exit.

“He’s a lovely guy,” Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast. “I spent 10 minutes with him when I went to visit Arne Slot.”

Co-host Alan Shearer asked: “Did you not get it out of him whether he’s staying or going or not?” Lineker replied: “I didn’t, no. He was just being funny. He asked me, ‘how old were you when you finished?’ And I said, ‘well, English football I finished when I was 32 and then I went to play in Japan for a couple of years’.

“And he went, ‘ahh, you went for the money did you?’ And I said, ‘well yeah I suppose so’. And he went, ‘…Yeah, I might do the same’. He [then] winked at the press guy that was there. It was just a joke. But he has got that cheeky sense of humour.”

Despite the possibility of a summer departure, Liverpool supporters are clinging to the hope that Salah will decide to prolong his tenure in Merseyside. His uncertain future hasn’t dampened his on-field performance, with the Salah scoring 25 goals across all competitions this season, matching last season’s total already.

His goal-scoring prowess has propelled Liverpool to the top of the charts, both at home and in Europe. The Reds have a six-point lead over Arsenal, who sit second in the Premier League, following their 2-0 victory against Bournemouth on Saturday courtesy of a Salah double, and they could extend their lead to nine points if they win their game in hand against Everton next Wednesday.

They also topped the Champions League league phase table, securing seven victories from their eight matches. In the last 16, they’ll go up against either PSG, Brest, Monaco or Benfica, depending on the outcomes of the play-offs and the draw for the subsequent round.

Salah’s predicament isn’t unique at Anfield. Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk have less than six months left on their current contracts, so Liverpool risk losing all three players at the end of the season for nothing if contract extensions aren’t negotiated and signed.

Real Madrid are optimistic about securing Alexander-Arnold, with the defender reportedly verbally committing to a move to the Bernabeu recently. Van Dijk, meanwhile, is expected to remain at Anfield, although a new contract has not been finalised yet.

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Gusau, Elegbeleye to attend Special workshop on football and education integration

Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, the Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), will be delivering a presentation at an event that seeks to strengthen the integration of football and education in the country.

Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is also billed to attend the event as the special guest of honour.

In attendance also will be the Ambassador of Hungary to Nigeria, His Excellency, László Szabó.

Organised by Hungary-based V Agency, the event will hold in Abuja on Monday, February 11 at Abuja Continental Hotel, Wazobia Hall.

In the invitation letter to Elegbeleye, the Chief Executive Officer of V Agency, Alexandra Végh, noted that “the purpose of this event is to strengthen the integration of football and education in Nigeria,with a particular focus on scouting advancements.

“We aim to highlight the transformative role of technology in scouting, including the use of advanced scouting software, video editing techniques, AI, and analytics courses”, Végh added.

The event, she went on, will explore how these tools, alongside the assessment of players’ physical attributes, can redefine professional scouting.

The event will also showcase V Agency’s contributions to fostering sports and educational partnerships in Nigeria while creating opportunities for collaboration with key stakeholders, including football clubs, academies, schools, and industry professionals.

Some of such stakeholders include officials and clubs of the Nigeria National League (NNL), Nationwide League One (NLO), football academies, and educational institutions.

During the event, Végh will offer insights into V Agency’s project in Nigeria. The event will provide opportunities for network with key figures in the football and education sectors.

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Man City condemn racist, misogynistic abuse directed at Bunny Shaw

Manchester City has expressed outrage after striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw was subjected to racist and misogynistic abuse following their Women’s Super League loss to Arsenal on Sunday.

The club confirmed that the offensive content has been reported to the relevant authorities, with an investigation underway. In a show of dignity and strength, Shaw, 28, chose not to share the hateful messages publicly to avoid giving the perpetrators any attention.

In a statement, Manchester City emphasized their zero-tolerance stance on discrimination:

“Discrimination of any kind, either in stadiums or online, will not be tolerated and has absolutely no place inside or outside the game.”

They reiterated their full support for Shaw, describing the treatment she received as “disgusting.”

The Jamaican international recently marked her 100th appearance for Manchester City in Sunday’s 4-3 defeat to Arsenal. Shaw boasts an impressive record of 86 goals for the club and has been named their Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons.

This incident underscores the continued fight against discrimination in football, with clubs, players, and authorities remaining united in efforts to eradicate abuse from the sport.

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Super Eagles set for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe

“The little things stuck with me” – Super Eagles star credits his Father for Christmas charity act

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face the Amavubi of Rwanda on Friday, March 21, in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying encounter. The match is scheduled to take place at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.

Following this, Nigeria will host the Warriors of Zimbabwe five days later at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

The official announcement of these fixtures was made via the Super Eagles’ X handle on Tuesday.

Nigeria’s World Cup qualification campaign has been underwhelming so far, with three draws and one defeat from four matches. The team currently sits fifth in Group C with three points, trailing joint leaders Benin Republic, South Africa, and Rwanda by four points.

These upcoming matches will be crucial for the three-time African champions as they seek to revive their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A victory in Kigali and a strong performance at home in Uyo could be pivotal to their hopes.