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How is the Nigerian striker taking the EPL by storm?

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Watford player Emmanuel Dennis moved to England from Germany’s Cologne last season, reports site Beton.ng. The Nigerian has shown a high level of play and is his team’s top scorer. True, Watford are not very confident in the English league. In a recent match this team lost to Man City with a score of 1:5. The experts of bookmaker Melbet NG gave a low odds of 1.25 to win Man City. It is clear that Man City was considered the favorite, but Melbet bookmaker didn’t believe that Dennis’ team would be able to compete and fight for at least a draw.

As for Emmanuel Dennis himself, he has 10 goals and 6 assists in thirty-one matches in the English championship. His partner is Moussa Sissoko. Previously he was a midfielder for Tottenham, but in the summer he became a player for Watford. The 31-year-old Frenchman signed a two-year contract with Watford. At this team, Sissoko performs under number 19 on the back.

Watford is fighting for survival in the English championship and planned to strengthen the team’s defense this winter. Watford made an attempt during the winter transfer window to acquire Manchester United defender Phil Jones. The team’s head coach Roy Hodgson is a big fan of the English footballer’s game, but the club failed to make a deal, Football Insider reports.

In early January, Jones took part in the English Premier League’s 21st round match against Wolverhampton. Before that, his last game for the club was the 1/16 final match of the FA Cup with Tranmere Rovers (6-0), which took place in September 2020. The reason for the long absence of the defender was a severe knee injury. According to the Transfermarkt portal, the cost of the defender is € 4 million. Phil Jones’ contract with MJ expires in 2023.

Watford have instead signed defender Hassan Kamara from club Nice. The 27-year-old has signed a contract with the APL club until June 2025. Kamara has experience of playing for the national team of Cote d’Ivoire. He has played more than 50 matches for Nice in all competitions.

Also Watford tried to buy another Manchester United player. It is about goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Hodgson’s club wanted to sign the player before the transfer window closed, but the Mancunians blocked the transfer. Henderson has played only 2 matches for United in all competitions this season.

Watford also had attempts to buy the Liverpool player. Perhaps the club will try to make this transfer in the summer. We are talking about Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips, who is in the sphere of interest of Watford. The English player is expected to leave Anfield in the winter transfer window, with Liverpool asking €14 million for Phillips, Football Insider reports.

Phillips, 24, has been in the English club’s structure since 2016, transferring from Bolton. This season, the English defender has spent 224 minutes on the field in four games in all tournaments. Phillips’ contract expires in 2025, Transfermarkt values the player at €8 million.

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City Crime

‘NFF Conducted Federation Cup Draw Fairly’

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The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.

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Act Sports Signs New Teqball Specialist Contract In Nigeria

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A new contract that will see Act Sports Di Oyibo Limited managing the career of Nigerian teqball specialist, Victor Oyemade, has been signed in Lagos.
The deal gives exclusive rights to Act Sports to manage, and exercise power of attorney over issues relating to the player’s welfare as it concerns his transactions, engagement for professional, promotional, sponsorships, endorsements, and exhibition purposes.
In signing the document, both parties also agreed that proper safeguards would be put in place to protect and promote the player’s interest at all times.
Director of Act Sports, Di Oyibo Limited, Pastor Samuel Robinson Oyibo, excited about the deal, said it would benefit both parties in the area of spreading the message of the sport, as well as laying a firm foundation for his new client’s future.
“Teqball is one of the world’s fastest-growing ball sports, and Victor Oyemade is the face of the sport here in Nigeria and Africa. That is why we are excited about this partnership that gives Act Sports official authorisation to manage his career, just as it will lay the foundation for its rapid growth in our country,” Pastor Oyibo said.
Oyemade was no less excited about the deal, saying it would help his growth in the sport.

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Nigeria Name Handball Squads For Zonal Champs

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Coaches of Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that commenced yesterday to end 24th of this month.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, for close to two weeks and departed for the competition on Thursday.
Coach John Uzor of the national U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy alongside right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo make the cut, amongst other players.
In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside, her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters.
Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew, who is also based in Benin Republic, keep their places.
Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously at the U-18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology, insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examinations.
“We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports. We have other players who are also students and they got a release from their schools but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release. It’s sad and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal in making Nigeria proud in sporting events”.

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