FIFA is considering a significant change to its disciplinary rules ahead of the expanded FIFA World Cup, aiming to reduce the number of players suspended for accumulated yellow cards

As reported by BBC Sport on Monday, the proposal would introduce a second amnesty point in the tournament, wiping all yellow cards at the end of the group stage as well as after the quarter-finals.

Under current regulations, players are suspended after receiving two yellow cards across a sequence of matches, a system that can see key players miss crucial knockout fixtures.

With the World Cup set to grow from 32 to 48 teams, the number of matches required to reach the latter stages will increase. Teams will need to play an additional round, meaning players could feature in up to six matches before the semi-finals. FIFA believes this raises the risk of suspensions for relatively minor offences, with more players potentially missing high-stakes games.

Rather than increasing the suspension threshold to three yellow cards, FIFA officials feel introducing two cut-off points is a fairer solution. Under the proposed system, players would need to receive two bookings within a shorter span of matches—either during the group stage or across the knockout rounds up to the quarter-finals—to trigger a ban.

The change is designed to preserve discipline while ensuring that major matches are less likely to be decided by the absence of top players due to accumulated cautions.

The proposal is expected to be discussed at an upcoming FIFA Council meeting, where a final decision on the rule adjustment could be made.

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The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has approached William Osula over a possible switch to represent the Super Eagles.

Osula, who is currently on the books of the Premier League club Newcastle United, is eligible to represent Nigeria through his father.

The 22-year-old was born to a Danish mother, and French-Nigerian father.

The striker has always identified with his Nigerian roots, even though he has featured for Denmark at the youth level.

Osula earned his first Denmark’s senior invitation for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March, but failed to make an appearance for the country.

Football journalist, Farzam Abolhosseini reported on X that the NFF has already made initial contact with the forward.

It remains to be seen if Osula will be willing to represent Nigeria at the senior level.

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Chelsea Football Club have sacked Head Coach Liam Rosenior following a run of bad results, the latest being a 3-0 loss to Brighton on Tuesday night.

The club expressed gratitude for Rosenior’s professionalism and integrity since his appointment midway through the season, but acknowledged that recent performances have not met expectations.

Calum McFarlane has been named Interim Head Coach until the end of the campaign, supported by Chelsea’s existing backroom staff. The club emphasized its focus on securing European qualification and progressing in the FA Cup.

Chelsea confirmed that the decision was not taken lightly and that a long-term appointment process will follow, aimed at bringing stability to the managerial role.

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The World Athletics (WA) has ruled against Favour Ofili’s attempt to switch national allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) announced the WA ruling in a statement on Thursday.

The WA’s national review panel rejected Ofili’s application because it was part of attempts by the Turkish Athletics Federation (TAF) to “induce recruited athletes to switch nationality abruptly and primarily for mercenary reasons.”

Ofili was one of eleven foreign athletes whose applications were submitted by Turkey to WA for allegiance switch.

In its ruling, WA said Turkey’s recruitment process undermines the integrity of national competitions and discourages countries from developing homegrown talent.

The athletics governing body added that the attempt also risks replacing local talent with imported competitors.

Ofili began the process of her nationality switch in 2025. The 23-year-old’s decision followed her accusations of neglect and career sabotage against AFN.

Ofili could not participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics because the Nigerian Olympic authorities failed to inform her of the minimum drug-testing requirements for competing in the event.

Another administrative error prevented Ofili from representing Nigeria in the 100m event four years later at Paris 2024, as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria failed to submit her name on time.

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Iran and Egypt have jointly raised objections to plans by local organisers in the United States to brand their 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage clash as an LGBTQ-themed “Pride Match.”

The match, scheduled to take place in Seattle, Washington, on June 26, was earlier announced by the local organising committee as part of the city’s annual Pride Weekend celebrations.

However, following last week’s World Cup draw that placed both nations in the same group, officials in Tehran and Cairo have formally rejected any attempt to associate the fixture with LGBTQ support activities.

President of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, told Iran’s ISNA news agency that both countries had lodged objections, describing the planned branding as an “irrational move that supports a certain group.” Iranian state television also reported that Tehran intends to submit an appeal to FIFA.

Homosexuality is criminalised in Iran under Islamic law. In Egypt, while not explicitly outlawed, same-sex relations are frequently prosecuted under laws relating to “debauchery.”

In a separate statement, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said it had written to FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom, rejecting “in absolute terms” any activities linked to LGBTQ advocacy during the match. The EFA argued that such initiatives conflict with the “cultural, religious and social values” of both nations and insisted the event should remain strictly focused on football.

The Egyptian federation also referenced FIFA’s statutes on political and social neutrality, saying matches should not be used to promote causes deemed sensitive or divisive.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico will mark Iran’s seventh appearance at the tournament. The country has no diplomatic relations with the United States, a rift that dates back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis.

Iran had initially threatened to boycott the tournament draw due to visa restrictions affecting members of its delegation, before later reversing the decision.

Meanwhile, Taj disclosed that some Iranian players could face visa complications linked to their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which the U.S. designated a terrorist organisation in 2019. He said contingency plans were being made to ensure the team can field replacements if needed.

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Key stakeholders in Nigerian volleyball have renewed calls for stronger involvement of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) in the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA), as the 27th edition concluded in Jos.

Although the volleyball event was not on the NVBF’s official calendar, senior officials of the federation, including Technical Director Timothy Samuel, were on ground to assess proceedings. Samuel commended the organisation but noted that earlier engagement with the federation could have strengthened the technical quality of the competition.

NVBF North Central Zonal Representative, Bolcit Barshep-Amakiri, acknowledged logistical constraints but said the standard of play remained encouraging. She regretted the absence of national coaches, noting that several emerging talents went unscouted because the federation was not formally integrated into the process.

National Beach Volleyball Coach, John Iwerima, stressed that the federation has historically supported NUGA, citing past editions where equipment and technical backing were provided. He praised the atmosphere at the Naraguta Campus venue and urged stakeholders to build on the momentum ahead of Calabar 2026.

Chairman of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Sports Council, Prof. Dereck Orji, described volleyball as one of Nigeria’s fastest-rising sports and called for university competitions to be upgraded to national standards. He emphasised the need for early talent recruitment and sustained private-sector involvement.

Nasarawa State University won gold in the men’s event, while Bayero University Kano clinched the women’s title.

The Enugu Sports Club has appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to intervene urgently in the ongoing encroachment on its land, particularly around the Golf Course.

The club’s new Executive Chairman, Chief Ifeanyi Nweke, made the appeal shortly after the inauguration of a 23-member executive committee at the club’s auditorium in Enugu.

Nweke lamented that the unauthorised activities on the club’s land were causing disputes and threatening the integrity of its property. He urged the state government to help safeguard the club’s assets and support its infrastructural projects.

He further sought the governor’s assistance in completing the club’s abandoned hotel project, providing an ambulance for emergency response, and installing solar energy systems to cut power costs. The chairman also appealed for a ₦10 million donation to furnish the club’s staff quarters.

Commending Governor Mbah’s efforts to host the forthcoming National Sports Festival, Nweke requested government support to upgrade the club’s facilities to international standards for the events assigned to it.

He praised Mbah’s transformational agenda, describing his leadership as “inspirational” and focused on making Enugu a model for rapid development.

Chairman of the occasion and former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo, lauded Nweke’s proactive leadership and urged members to rally behind him. He also called for the revival of the club’s children’s section with more educational and cultural activities.

Governor Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke, commended the club’s unity and progress, assuring continued government support.

Highlights of the ceremony included the swearing-in of new executives and presentation of Awards of Excellence to distinguished personalities.

Forty-eight years after the Federal Government shortchanged Enugu Rangers, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has finally stepped in to right the wrong.

At an emotional ceremony in Enugu on Wednesday, the apex Igbo body paid each surviving member of the 1977 African Winners Cup–winning squad ₦1 million, fulfilling a pledge the Federal Government never redeemed.

In 1977, when Rangers conquered Africa, the government rewarded them with ₦25,000, half of what Shooting Stars of Ibadan received for the same feat a year earlier.

The disparity sparked outrage across the Southeast, seen as another slight against Ndigbo in the post-war years.

Decades later, Ohanaeze says it could no longer wait for justice.

“This was a debt owed by the Federal Government, but it is the Igbo nation that has redeemed it,” declared Ohanaeze President General, Senator John Azuta Mbata.

“If the government forgot, the Igbo did not. Rangers gave us hope when we had nothing after the war.”

The event drew emotional scenes as football legends Emmanuel Okala, Dominic Nwobodo, and other surviving heroes received their cheques. Families of late players, including Coach Christian Chukwu, also got payments.

“Many of our teammates didn’t live to see this day,” Okala said tearfully.
“Since 1977, we’ve waited. This gesture means the world to us.”

For Ohanaeze, the gesture goes beyond money, it’s about memory, dignity, and the enduring Igbo spirit.

“Rangers were more than a team,” Mbata added.

“They were a symbol of resilience — proof that from the ashes, we could rise again.”

Justine Madugu and Bankole Olowookere have been nominated for the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year award for 2025.

Madugu masterminded the Super Falcons’ triumph at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco. The Super Falcons won a record-extending 10th title at the competition after rallying to beat the host nation 3-2 in the final. Madugu was also nominated for the Women’s Coach of the Year in the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

Flamingos head coach, Bankole Olowookere, is also in the running for the award. Olowookere will be hoping to guide the Flamingos to their first-ever title at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco this month. Nigeria will face Canada in their opening fixture of the competition on Sunday.

Flamingos captain Shakirat Moshood is in the running for the Women’s Young Player of the Year award.

The Super Falcons and the Flamingos are among the nominees for the Women’s National Team of the Year.