On Wednesday, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson were the first managers to be admitted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Beginning in the 1990s, the two men engaged in a period of ferocious rivalry during which they shared 16 English top-flight championships.

The most successful manager in Premier League history is Ferguson, 81, who led Manchester United to 13 championships. Wenger, with Arsenal, has won the competition three times, including an undefeated 2003–04 campaign.

Ferguson, who managed United for more than 26 years, won the inaugural Premier League title in 1992/93 to deliver the Red Devils’ first league success since 1967.

Six players managed by Ferguson have already been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame — David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Peter Schmeichel and Paul Scholes.

“It’s an honour when you receive recognition like this,” said Ferguson, who retired in 2013 after winning his 13th title.

“However, it’s not just about me as a person. It’s about the job at Manchester United and the bond we had over many years, so I’m also proud of the club, the staff and my players.”

Wenger arrived at Arsenal in 1996 as one of the first foreign managers in the Premier League, staying at the club until 2018.

The Frenchman implemented a revolutionary football philosophy, bringing a focus on nutrition and sports science to the English game.

He was committed to playing attractive, attacking football, winning the title in 1997/98, his first full season with the club.

Wenger oversaw an astute transfer strategy, including scouting abroad for talent — fellow Hall of Fame members Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira were two of his key players.

“To share this with Sir Alex is a great honour for me,” said the 73-year-old, who is currently FIFA’s football development chief.

“It’s like two boxers — you fight like mad and go the distance together. At the end of the day, you have respect and it will be a great opportunity to meet with him, share a good bottle of wine and memories of our old battles.”

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the two managers brought “unparalleled levels of success” to their clubs.

“The dominance of Manchester United under Sir Alex remains unmatched after he guided them to an incredible 13 titles across 21 Premier League seasons,” he said.

Masters added: “Arsene was an innovator who was well ahead of his time… and the Invincibles season is not only one of the greatest accomplishments in English football but sport in general.”

Brazilian legend, Pele, who died on Thursday, had congratulated Lionel Messi-led Argentina for winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on December 18.

According to news reports, Pele’s family shared the news of his departure on Thursday night via a post on the football legend’s official Instagram account.

The legendary football player is recognized as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Brazilian legend, Pele, who died on Thursday, had congratulated Lionel Messi-led Argentina for winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on December 18.

The 82-year-old had been receiving regular treatment from doctors ever since undergoing surgery to have a tumour on his colon removed in September 2021.

Pele was readmitted to hospital towards the end of 2022.

However, on December 18, 2022, Pele, on his Instagram page, shared a photo of the Argentina national team celebrating with the FIFA World Cup trophy at Lusail Stadium in Qatar after beating France in the final.

The former Minister of Sports of Brazil also wrote: “Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way. Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved. My dear friend, Mbappé, scoring four goals in a final. What a gift it was to watch this spectacle to the future of our sport. And I couldn’t fail to congratulate Morocco for the incredible campaign. It’s great to see Africa shine. Congratulations Argentina! Certainly Diego is smiling now.”

Liverpool ace who is a devout Muslim continues to celebrate Christmas which is a Christian holiday, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

In the picture shared on his social media pages with the caption #MerryChristmas, Salah can be seen sitting in front of the Christmas tree, posing with his wife and two daughters, all wearing matching pajama pants.

The Liverpool forward posted pictures of himself and his family dressed in matching festive-themed onesies, posing in front of a large Christmas tree on Christmas eve as is his tradition.

However, this seemingly innocent act appeared to anger Muslim fans who took to social media to express their discontent at the Egyptian’s celebration of Christmas.

Salah has posted a family Christmas photo in each of the last three Christmas eve and has received backlash on each occasion which led many to believe he would not do so this year.

But it seems Salah has not allowed the words of his detractors stop him from publicly enjoying the festive season with his family.

Following a sensational end to the group games of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup on Friday, the round of 16 games will immediately follow up on Saturday (today).

The group climaxed with Group H games that saw Ghana and Uruguay bow out even though the South Americans won 2-0. South Korea also joined Portugal in the next round courtesy of a late winner by Hwang Hee-chan.

While highly rated teams like Germany, Belgium, and Uruguay failed to make it out of the group stage, Japan, South Korea, and Morocco pulled surprises to top their respective groups.

As there is no break after the group stage games, the second round gets underway on Saturday with games between the Netherlands and USA as well as between Argentina and Australia.

Full Last 16 Fixtures for Qatar 2022 World Cup +Plus Time

See the complete second-round FIFA World Cup 2022 schedule below:

Match 50 – Saturday, 3 December Argentina-Australia, Time: 20:00

 Match 51 – Sunday, 4 December England-Senegal, Time: 20:00

Match 52 – Sunday, 4 December France-Poland, Time: 16:00

Match 53 – Monday, 5 December Japan-Croatia, Time: 16:00

Match 54 – Monday, 5 December Brazil-Korea Republic, Time: 20:00

Match 55 – Tuesday, 6 December Morocco-Spain, Time: 16:00

Match 56 – Tuesday, 6 December Portugal – Switzerland, Time: 20:00

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Some athletes partaking in the 21st National Sports Festival, dubbed “Nigeria’s Olympics,” have voiced worries about the accommodations, electricity, and transportation plans with over 14,000 of them in attendance.

There were worries that Delta wouldn’t be able to accommodate the largest number of competitors ever at the national event on the scheduled date, but the state finished building the facilities for the event in record time, to the admiration of Nigerians who love sports and sports minister Sunday Dare.

However, in a separate conversation with our correspondent, some of the participants rued the poor arrangement on ground for their contingents.

Team Osun Para-table tennis coach Adigun Mutiu said he had high expectations ahead of the trip to Asaba, but confessed he was now disappointed on his arrival.

“Our expectation is that Asaba will give us the best festival experience, but accommodation has posed a great challenge since we arrived. Can you imagine that we don’t have light and water (in our camp)?

“For some of us from Osun, we feel really bad about that. We aren’t supposed to lack these basic amenities for a day. So far too, we haven’t seen shuttle buses for easy transportation,” he said.

Margaret Chidi from Imo State, a Para-athlete, reiterated Mutiu’s concerns.

“The festival has been okay but the only challenge we have is that the special athletes were not given friendly facilities,” she said.

A female Taekwondo athlete, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also told our correspondent about the discomfort at the Old National Youth Service Corps camp.

“There is no electricity and there are no sockets in the rooms where we are camped,” she said.

“The bathrooms are unisex and the male athletes have been entering the bath place without caution, which is embarrassing. There is also not enough water for all of us to take our bathe. Again, those who get to the bathroom late can’t shower.”

However, another Para-table tennis coach Ilesanmi Olatunji from Ondo State said they were happy with the facilities in their camp.

“The accommodation is okay and the organisation has been fantastic. My personal target here is to win gold for my state in Para-table tennis,” he said.

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Former Super Eagles coach and member of the FIFA Technical Study Group for the 2022 World Cup, Sunday Oliseh, has hailed Senegal and Morocco for reaching the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Morocco edged past Canada to top Group F and reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in 36 years.

Morocco finished on seven points, two more than runners-up Croatia, to advance from the group stage of the tournament to the next for a second time, 36 years after they became the first African country to do so at the Mexico World Cup in 1986.

The Atlas Lions, whose previous trip to the last 16 came in 1986, finished above 2018 finalists Croatia, while Belgium, ranked second in the world, are out after finishing third in the group.

Oliseh was impressed with the performance of the two African sides at the World Cup.

“The euphoria here in Qatar is infectious as my in-laws, Morocco, achieve a historic second round World Cup qualification. First, Senegal; now this. What a World Cup for Africa with African coaches! “I feel more is coming.” Oliseh said on Twitter.

He also applauded Mohammed Kudus for his creative display in Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Uruguay, adding that the future of the Black Stars is bright.

“Just watched Mohammed Kudus, a superstar on which Ghana can rebuild a top Black Stars team. A skilful, fast creative, humble, strong, sharp, shooter, hardworking with leadership “on pitch” qualities.

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Germany’s players covered their mouths for the team photo before their World Cup opener against Japan on Wednesday in protest at FIFA’s refusal to allow rainbow-themed armbands.

The captains of seven European teams had planned to wear the anti-discrimination armbands during the tournament in Qatar as part of a campaign for diversity, but backed down over the threat of disciplinary action from football’s governing body, including yellow cards.

The rainbow armbands had been viewed as a symbolic protest against laws in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.

Germany’s football federation said in a tweet moments after the photo protest that “human rights are not negotiable.”

“This is not a political position; human rights are not negotiable,” the DFB tweeted.

“To ban the armband is like banning our right to speak,” the federation added.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino was at the Khalifa International Stadium for the Germany-Japan match.

The German government spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said earlier in the day in Berlin that FIFA’s decision to bar captains from wearing the “One Love” armbands was “very unfortunate.”

“The rights of LGBTQ people are non-negotiable,” Hebestreit said at a regular press conference.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who was to attend the game in Doha against Japan, said FIFA’s ban was a “huge mistake.”

Not only players but fans should also be allowed to show pro-LGBTQ symbols “openly,” she told reporters in Qatar.

Security staff at the World Cup have ordered spectators to remove items of clothing featuring rainbow logos.

Supporters should however “make a decision for themselves” about whether they wanted to wear the symbols, Faeser said.

Underscoring tensions at the tournament over the issue, Belgium’s Jan Vertonghen said on Tuesday in Qatar that he was “afraid” to talk about human rights.

Vertonghen, speaking on the eve of Belgium’s opening game against Canada later Wednesday, said he did not feel comfortable.

“I’m afraid if I say something about this, I might not be able to play tomorrow,” the defender said.

“It’s an experience I’ve never had in football before.” I feel controlled. I’m afraid to even say something about this.

“We’re just saying normal things about racism and discrimination, and if you can’t even say things about it, that says it all.”

“I want to appear on the pitch tomorrow, so I’ll leave it at that.”

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Saudi Arabia stunned Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Tuesday, beating the two-time winners 2-1 in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

Salem Al-Dawsari hit a stunning winner to sink the red-hot favorites, bringing the South American side’s 36-match unbeaten run to a shuddering halt.

The win was fully deserved after Saudi Arabia came from behind after Saleh Al-Shehri cancelled out an early Lionel Messi penalty.

Playing a risky high defensive line, the athletic Saudis rode their luck in the first half when, three times, Argentina had the ball in the net only to be denied by an offside call.

But in a chaotic start to the second half, the Saudis swarmed all over Lionel Scaloni’s team and scored twice as the Arab nation beat the South Americans for the first time in five attempts.

In a first half dominated by Argentina, it seemed only a matter of time before Saudi Arabia’s risky defensive tactics would cost them.

That condensed the game into a sliver of green turf around the halfway line as the Asian side happily allowed Argentina’s back four to pass the ball among themselves.

It seemed Saudi Arabia were facing a long afternoon after VAR intervened to award a penalty when Saud Abdulhamid wrestled Leandro Paredes to the ground in the box at a corner.

Messi waited for goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais to dive to his left before coolly rolling the ball into the opposite corner.

But if the Saudis felt aggrieved at the technology, it would later help keep them in the game.

Three times Argentina had the ball in the net only to be denied by razor-tight offside calls, the first given by VAR.

There was no controversy about the equalizer three minutes into the second half, though, as Al-Shehri ran onto a touch from Feras Al-Brikan, beat Cristian Romero on the outside, and slotted the ball back across goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and into the far corner.

The sizeable Saudi contingent in the Lusail stadium—wwhere the World Cup final will be held—eexploded in joy.

Suddenly the Argentines were rattled, and five minutes later the turnaround was complete.

Al-Dawsari’s clever turn in the box beat two defenders before he shifted the ball past a third and rifled an unstoppable shot into the top right corner.

The crowd was going wild, and Hassan Al-Tambakti punched the air in delight after his desperate sliding tackle denied Messi a clear shot at goal.

Every Al-Owais save, including a point-blank block from Nicolas Tagliafico’s close-range prod, was greeted with rapturous cheers.

There was late drama after Al-Owais collided with Yasser Al-Shahrani and seemed to knock him out as his knee struck the defender’s head.

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