Sports
Eligibility Rules Prevented Manchester United Move, Mikel Reveals
Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has disclosed that Manchester United were unable to sign him as a teenager due to Premier League eligibility rules governing young African players.
Mikel said he was just 16 years old when he spent a month on trial at Old Trafford, training regularly with the first team. According to him, then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson was impressed and often paired him with Roy Keane during training sessions.
Despite the interest, Mikel explained that league rules at the time required African players to have featured in at least 75 percent of their national team’s matches to qualify for a move. Having not yet played for Nigeria’s senior team, he failed to meet the criteria.
He added that his age also prevented him from playing competitive first-team football, making the transfer impossible. The revelation highlights the regulatory barriers faced by young African talents seeking early moves to top European clubs.
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PDP Loses 107 Lawmakers in Defections Ahead of 2027 Elections
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost a total of 107 National Assembly members to defections, further shrinking its presence in both chambers. On Wednesday, three senators formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), reducing the PDP’s Senate representation to 14, well below the 36 it held at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly…
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Iran’s New Supreme Leader Pledges Full Vengeance for US-Israel Strikes
Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed to pursue full retribution for the recent US and Israeli military strikes that killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and others. The statement was read on state media Thursday. Khamenei said a portion of the planned retaliation has already been carried out but…
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Court Warns Sowore of Bail Revocation Over Absence
Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has warned politician and publisher Omoyele Sowore that his bail could be revoked and an arrest warrant issued if he fails to appear at the next hearing in his ongoing cybercrime trial. Sowore, who is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly…
