2024 Federation Cup: Key Fixtures To Watch Out For In Men’s Round 64.

The Nigerian FA has completed the Federation Cup round 64 draw and the draw produced some mouth-watering fixtures to watch out for in 2024. The 2024 Federation Cup draw took place at the Nigeria Football Federation secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, April 18. PauseUnmute Fullscreen Arguably, the biggest fixture in the Federation Cup round 64 is the game between last season’s runners-up Enugu Rangers, and fellow Nigeria Premier Football League giants Kano Pillars. The reigning champions of the tournament, Bendel Insurance have been given a relatively less competitive fixture. They will commence their title defense against Ogun State-based Nigeria National League side, Stormers FC. The reigning NPFL champions, Enyimba of Aba will commence their Federation Cup campaign against Warinje FC of Bauchi. National League League side, Solution FC of Anambra have paired to take on Oyo state-based NPFL club, Shooting Stars. Other key fixtures in the Federation Cup round of 64 include Akwa United Vs Cynosure FC of Abakaliki, Sunshine Stars Vs Jedo Academy of Sokoto, Plateau United Vs Ekiti United, and Abia Warriors Vs Ilaji FC of Oyo state. Also, the games featuring Ogun State winners, Beyond Limits, against National League One side Hammola FC will be interesting to watch, just like the game between Lagos State champions Ikorodu City and Green Berets of Kaduna. Note that the NFF are yet to announce the dates and venues for the men’s round 64 matches and the women’s round 32 games.

Arsenal defeat Chelsea 2-1 to win the FA Cup (photos)

A 4th minute goal from Alexis Sanchez and a  79th minute goal from Aaron Ramsey sandwiched  inbetween

Former Barcelona President, Sandro Rosell has been arrested

Victor Moses shares photo of him celebrating Chelsea's victory with his family

Footballer, Alex Iwobi, celebrates 21st birthday with family & friends (photos)

Nigerian International Footballer & Arsenal FC player, Alexander Iwobi turned 21-years-old on Wednesday and celebrated with his family and friends. See more photos after the cut.

Moses Simon Super Eagles star shares kiss with his wife in new photo

Simon and his wife Ibukun got married in December 2015 and the couple is known to show off their relationship on Instagram.

Super Eagles star Moses Simon and his wife Ibukun Sarah share a kiss in a cute Instagram photo which she shared.

In a new photo that Ibukun posted, the couple is seen kissing each other during an evening stroll.

  Ibukun Sarah 

“A wonderful Sunday... wish you all a fruitful week ahead,” she wrote alongside the photo.

The couple stays in Belgium where Simon plays his football for KAA Gent in Belgium top division.

Moses Simon has scored just two league goals this season 

Gent are currently in the Belgian Pro League Group stage and will next play Zulte Waregem on Tuesday, April 25.

After that game, they host Anderlecht on Sunday, April 30.

The 21-year-old has two league goals for Gent so far this season.

Photo: Nigerian footballer, Dele Alli wins Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year award for 2016-2017

Nigerian footballer and Tottenham midfielder, Dele Alli has won the young player of the year award at the Professional Footballers Association award. Dele won the award for the second successive year at the ceremony which held at the Grosvener hotel in London last night.

He beat notable players like Harry Kane, Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, Leroy Sane of Manchester City, Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Burnley centre-back Michael Keane, to win the award. Congrats to him.

Everton bans 'The Sun' over article on Ross Barkley that compared his grandfather to a gorilla

English Premiership side, Everton banned the Sun "from all areas of its operation" after the newspaper published "appalling and indefensible" allegations about Ross Barkley and the people of Liverpool. The article, written by columnist Kelvin MacKenzie, appeared on Friday.
MacKenzie was suspended after comparing the midfielder, whose grandfather was born in Nigeria, to a "gorilla".

He also wrote that men with similar "pay packets" to Barkley in Liverpool were "drug dealers".

Everton in a statement said: "The newspaper has to know that any attack on this City, either against a much respected community or individual, is not acceptable."

Merseyside Police are currently investigating whether MacKenzie's comments constitute a "racial hate crime".

The Sun apologised "for the offence caused" and added that it was "unaware of Barkley's heritage".

In February, Liverpool banned Sun journalists from its grounds over the newspaper's coverage of the Hillsborough disaster.

Russian Premier League Zenit out to slow Spartak title charge

Spartak are eight points clear of both city rivals CSKA and Zenit with eight matches to go.

Zenit St Petersburg will try to reinvigorate their fading Russian Premier League title hopes when they face leaders Spartak Moscow on Sunday.

Spartak, who won the last of their nine titles in 2001, are eight points clear of both city rivals CSKA and Zenit with eight matches to go.

But Zenit, who beat Spartak 4-2 in October, are hoping to do the double over the Muscovites to stay in the hunt following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Anzhi Makhachkala last time out.

Manager Mircea Lucescu was upset with Zenit's sub-par performance a week ago and expects his players to rediscover their best form in a clash against arch rivals.

"Some of our team leaders played too cautiously in the match against Anzhi due to the threat of missing the clash with Spartak through suspension," Lucescu told the Zenit website.

"We were just a pale shadow of our normal self, especially in the first half. But I'm confident that on Sunday we will see a completely different Zenit."

Spartak skipper Denis Glushakov said there would be no complacency within the squad, with matches still to play against both their title rivals ensuring the race is far from finished.

"For us each of the remaining games will be the match of the year," Glushakov said. "There are eight matches ahead and we must play for the win in every one.

"Of course the meetings with Zenit or CSKA are always important but a single match decides nothing. We should gear up for each of these eight games as if it's the biggest one."

On Saturday reigning champions CSKA will host a Rostov side that has kept a clean sheet in all five of their matches -- including four straight 0-0 draws -- since the league resumed following the winter break.

CSKA head coach Viktor Goncharenko said the results of this weekend's matches and his side's clash with Spartak on April 30 would likely determine this season's title winner.

"We try not to take into consideration our rivals' results as we know clearly that we need to play for the win in every game," he told CSKA's website.

"I think that the results of the games in the upcoming weekend will be crucial in terms of who wins the title. The outcome of our derby with Spartak will also have an impact."

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Saturday

Amkar Perm v Ufa (0900), CSKA v Rostov (1130), Anzhi Makhachkala v Samara (1400), Rubin Kazan v Krasnodar (1630)

Sunday

Orenburg v Terek Grozny (0930), Ural Yekaterinburg v Tomsk (1200), Arsenal Tula v Lokomotiv Moscow (1430), Spartak Moscow v Zenit St Petersburg (1700)

N'golo Kanté, Eden Hazard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic nominated for 2016/017 PFA Player of the Year award.

N'golo Kanté, Eden Hazard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic nominated for 2016/017 PFA Player of the Year award

Chelsea's star midfielder N'Golo Kante, Chelsea winger Eden Hazard and Man U supremo Zlatan Ibrahimovic, headline the stellar names of premier league stars nominated by the English Professional Footballers Association (PFA) for the 2016/017 player of the year award.
The six man shortlist includes Alexis Sánchez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, N'Golo Kante and Harry Kane.

N'Golo Kante, nominated for the same award last year could actually win it this year after his snub last year in Leicester City's glorious fairy tale Premier league win. Eden Hazard won the award two years ago under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and could also scoop it this year.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the true definition of 'fine wine getting better with age' as his 17 premier league goals for Man United has seen the club maintain a push for the top four spot even though he is at the ripe age of 35.