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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BREAKING: Court grants El-Rufai N100m bail
The Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday. The bail was raised up to the sum of N100 million with one surety of like amount. Delivering the ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik stated that the surety must reside in either the Maitama or Asokoro districts of Abuja…
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2027: We must look beyond tribe, religion – Kwankwaso
A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, has called on Nigerians to look beyond tribe and religion in the next year’s general elections. Kwankwaso made this call on Sunday in an interview with Trust TV while speaking on the 2027 general elections. He said the North and the Muslims cannot play politics without the…
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Sultan declares Monday as Dhul Hijjah 1, Eid-Al-Adha Wednesday, May 27
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has declared Monday, May 18, 2026, as the first day of Dhul Hijjah 1447 After Hijrah (AH), following the sighting of the crescent moon. The announcement was conveyed in a statement issued by the…