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Victor Osimhen is not really in form raises doubts over Chelsea move

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Victor Osimhen and Todd Boehly
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Napoli’s striker Victor Osimhen’s recent struggles have raised doubts within Chelsea’s hierarchy regarding a potential summer move.

Osimhen’s sparkling form at the start of the season had made him one of the most sought-after strikers in world football, with the Blues among the clubs keen to secure his services.

“At the start of the season and entering into 2024, Osimhen was undoubtedly regarded as one of the best strikers in world football,” remarked football journalist Carlo Garganese. “He scored 31 goals in 39 games in all competitions last season as Napoli won their first Scudetto in 33 years,” he added.

However, as the season has progressed, Osimhen’s form has deteriorated alarmingly.

“However, this term, the Nigerian’s form has fallen off badly, particularly in recent months. In 14 games in 2024, Osimhen has only scored in four matches. He also has just one assist in that time. His general level of performance has also been hugely disappointing,” Garganese added.

Osimhen’s struggles were laid bare in Napoli’s 3-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona, where he won just one of his 10 duels. “He also gave the ball away 11 times and did not win it back once,” Garganese noted.

“Osimhen was offside four times in the first 20 minutes and was dominated by Barcelona’s 17-year-old rookie Pau Cubarsi,” he said.

The 25-year-old’s recent showing against Atalanta, where he was nullified by Isak Hien in a 3-0 home loss, has only compounded concerns over his form.

“There are suggestions that Osimhen’s impending departure from Napoli has caused him to lose motivation,” Garganese remarked.

These concerns have cast doubts in the mind of Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who knows acquiring Osimhen would require a significant financial outlay. “The Blues have splashed out over €1 billion in the last 18 months since Boehly bought the club, and he is under pressure – also due to FFP – to not waste any more money,” Garganese explained.

Despite their lavish expenditure, Chelsea have endured a dismal campaign, currently languishing in 9th place. “One of Chelsea’s biggest problems has been their lack of firepower. As such, the Blues have made the signing of a top striker a priority in the summer,” Garganese added.

While Osimhen remains on Chelsea’s shortlist, reports suggest that Paris Saint-Germain have now taken pole position in the race for his signature amidst the Blues’ uncertainties.

It is understood that Osimhen has decided to leave Napoli at the end of the season.

“His relationship with the club has soured following the TikTok scandal, in which their social media team mocked his penalty miss against Bologna,” Garganese noted.

However, despite Napoli’s struggle this season, Osimhen is on a course to prove his doubter wrong, as he scored his 12th league goal of the season in their comeback 4-2 win at Monza on Sunday.

After going down by a goal early in the first half, the Nigerian levelled matters 10 minutes into the second half, and that spurred a ruthless resurgence with more goals from Matteo Politano, Piotr Zieliński, and Giacomo Raspadori.

Osimhen rose high to head home Frank Anguissa’s cross and didn’t mind injuring his nose during the bad fall. The equaliser was his 111th club career goal as he prepares for another adventure at another club next season.

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AFCON 2024 Qualifier: Nigeria Cripples Benin Republic With 3-0

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By Dan Opara

In the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, Nigeria is currently ahead of Benin Republic by a score of 3-0.

The decisive goal was scored by Ademola Lukman, who is playing with Atlanta FC in Turkey, just before halftime, in the 45th minute.

The match is taking place at the Uyo Stadium in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

In a decisive display second half of football prowess, Nigeria’s Super Eagles triumphed 3-0 over Benin Republic in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match held in Uyo.

Ademola Lookman played a pivotal role by netting two goals, one in each half of the game.

Victor Osimhen, making a significant impact off the bench, scored the third goal, further solidifying Nigeria’s dominance.

This victory propels Nigeria to the top of Group D in the qualifiers.

The Super Eagles will next face Rwanda on Tuesday, September 10, as they continue their campaign toward the AFCON finals.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes First Player In History To Reach 900 Career Goals

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Cristiano Ronaldo has made football history by becoming the first men’s player to score 900 goals in official matches.

The Portuguese forward achieved this remarkable feat during Portugal’s UEFA Nations League clash against Croatia in Lisbon on Thursday, securing his 900th goal with a precise volley from 6 yards out, assisted by Nuno Mendes.

The goal gave Portugal a 2-0 lead, and they went on to win the match 2-1.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner now sits 58 goals ahead of his closest competitor, Lionel Messi, who has 842 goals to his name. Brazilian football legend Pelé ranks third with 765 official goals.

Ronaldo was previously the first player to surpass the 800-goal mark, a milestone he reached during his second stint at Manchester United in late 2021. In addition to his 769 club goals, Ronaldo boasts a record 131 goals for Portugal in 209 appearances, making him the highest-scoring player in international football.

Messi and former Iranian forward Ali Daei follow on the list with 109 international goals each.

The 39-year-old forward, currently playing for Al Nassr, has no plans to slow down and has set his sights on an even bigger milestone.

In a recent interview with former teammate Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo revealed his ambition to reach 1,000 career goals by the time he turns 41, provided he remains injury-free.

 

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Ugandan athlete who competed in the Olympics, Rebecca Cheptegei, passes away after being set ablaze by her ex-boyfriend.

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Rebecca Cheptegei represented Uganda in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics 2024 [File: Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports]

Uganda’s Olympian Cheptegei dies after being set on fire by boyfriend

 


Marathon runner Cheptegei died aged 33 due to multiple organ failure after suffering 80 percent burns when her boyfriend poured petrol on her and set her on fire in Kenya.

Uganda’s Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died four days after being set on fire by her boyfriend, the country’s Olympic chief said.

“We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei … following a vicious attack by her boyfriend,” Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) President Donald Rukare said in a post on X on Thursday.

The 33-year-old succumbed to the burns she suffered when her boyfriend poured petrol on her and set her ablaze in Kenya, making her the third female athlete to be killed in the country since October 2021.

 

“[Cheptegei] passed today morning after her organs failed,” Owen Menach, senior director of clinical services at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), told the Reuters news agency, adding that a full report regarding the circumstances of her death would be released on Thursday afternoon.

Peter Ogwang, Uganda’s minister of state for education and sports, described her death as “tragic”.

“Kenyan authorities are investigating the circumstances under which she died and a more detailed report and program will be provided in due course,” he said.

UOC chief Rukare termed the incident a “cowardly and senseless act” and said it had deprived the country of a “great athlete”.

“Her legacy will continue to endure,” he added.

Cheptegei had sustained burns to three-quarters of her body, the acting head of MTRH in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret, where she was being treated, told reporters on Tuesday.

Identifying the accused as her partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, police said he doused Cheptegei with petrol and set her alight on Sunday at her home in Endebess in the western county of Trans-Nzoia.

The incident took place just weeks after Cheptegei participated in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics, where she finished 44th.

The Uganda Olympic Committee called for swift action in a statement confirming Cheptegei’s death.

“We urge the relevant law enforcement agencies to take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrator to justice for this cowardly and deplorable action.”

Cheptegei began her career in 2010 and represented Uganda in various long-distance races, making her first Olympic appearance at the games in Paris.

Her parents travelled to Trans-Nzoia and told local media that their daughter had bought land in the Kenyan county and built a house where she stayed for her training.

She met Ndiema in Trans-Nzoia and the attack stemmed from a dispute over the house she owned, according to a report in The Standard newspaper.

The Uganda Athletics Federation decried the incident and termed Cheptegei a “victim to domestic violence”.

“We condemn such acts and call for justice,” the sports body said in a post.

Kenyan media reported that one of Cheptegei’s daughters witnessed the assault at her mother’s home.

“He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother,” Kenya’s The Standard quoted her as saying.

“I immediately cried out for help, attracting a neighbour who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible,” said the girl, who was not named.

Marangach was also wounded in the incident, sustaining 30 percent burns on his body.

Cheptegei’s death shines a spotlight on violence experienced by sportswomen in Kenya. The assault comes two years after Kenyan-born athlete Damaris Mutua was found dead in Iten, a world-famous running hub in the Rift Valley.

And in 2021, record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop, 25, was found stabbed to death at her home in Iten in 2021. Her estranged husband is on trial over her murder. He has denied the charges.

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