Musa aiming to restore Kano Pillars’ lost glory Kano Pillars are one of the most successful clubs in the Nigerian Premier Football League’s (NPFL) history, having won the league title four times and represented the nation at the CAF Champions League, where their best effort resulted in a semi-final appearance in 2009.  However, over the last decade, Masu Gida have endured a steady decline, finishing 11th in the league standings in 2023-24 and ninth last season, 18 points behind eventual NPFL winners Remo Stars, who secured their maiden title.  A combination of a lack of motivation among players and coaching staff, mismanagement, and poor funding has all contributed to the team’s fall from grace, but Pillars’ fans now have a new reason for optimism.  Kano state governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has appointed a new management board ahead of the 2025-26 NPFL season, with Nigerian football icon Ahmed Musa set to take up the role as the club’s new general manager following the expiration of the one-year tenure of the outgoing board.  Speaking to the media following the confirmation of his appointment, the 32-year-old Super Eagles forward vowed to help the club return to its past glory days, while stressing the need for the new board to tackle the club’s existing challenges head-on. He said:  “Kano Pillars is our club and one of the most successful in Nigeria, but in recent years, the story has changed. I want to assure everyone here that with your support and the backing of the board members, I will do everything possible to reposition the club and make it one of the finest not only in Africa but also globally. Having played here and with the experience I gained in Europe, I believe I can contribute meaningfully to help the club achieve its full potential.” After playing abroad for teams like Leicester City in the Premier League and Russian giants CSKA Moscow, Musa returned to Kano Pillars for a third stint with the club in October last year and will now serve as a player-manager for the upcoming campaign.  Check out our football predictions Busy summer ahead of 2025-26 NPFL season  While there are plenty of changes expected at the Kano-based club ahead of the upcoming season, other teams in the Nigerian top flight are already hard at work bringing in reinforcements and shipping out any surplus to requirements.  In the last week, nine-time league winners Enyimba released 22-year-old goalkeeper Zalli Abdullahi, while reigning NPFL champions Remo Stars parted ways with veteran attacker Franck Mawuena. Reports suggest Remo is eyeing Malian forward Adama Goita as his replacement.  Another Sky Blue Stars player whose future remains uncertain is Sikiru Alimi, who is understood to be in discussions with Rivers United over a more lucrative deal. Alimi’s current contract with the champs is set to run out at the end of this month.  More football news 

Will Archer help England back into the lead? While England are still favourites to win this series according to the best betting sites, there were plenty of reasons for criticism, especially the way their batting order crumbled at Edgbaston, where we saw six batters dismissed for ducks, while Ben Stokes’ bowling attack did very little to help matters and were far from the level produced by India’s pair with the new ball.  In fact, on a pitch that favoured pace, it was English spinner Shoaib Bashir who finished with the best figures, claiming five scalps in the match, though he did ship almost 300 runs. However, the Three Lions now have renewed hope heading to Lord’s, thanks to the return of Jofra Archer. Archer last represented his nation in the longest format of the game four years ago, as injuries have caused the fast bowler one setback after another. He was slated to feature in match two but was forced to return home ahead of the fixture due to a family emergency.  Indeed, there are a few concerns around whether the 30-year-old has had enough preparation, having only played one Test for Sussex in the lead-up. However, if he is fully fit, Archer will give the Three Lions some much-needed firepower with the ball, especially against India’s top order, which ran riot last week.  Check out our cricket predictions Can India’s captain continue his blistering form? The start of the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy marked the beginning of a new era for Indian Test cricket – one that is now led by Shubman Gill following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, and the newly appointed skipper is certainly making an incredible start to his new role.  Gill has been utterly sensational in this series, having already scored a stunning 585 runs in four innings. At Edgbaston, the 25-year-old smashed 269 and 161 in his first and second innings, becoming the first batsman in Test cricket to record scores of 250 and 150 in the same game.  Heading to Lords, Gill will now be aiming to become only the 11th Indian batter to get his name on the prestigious honours board, and if he does so, he will be only the first Indian captain to score a ton at the Home of Cricket since Mohammad Azharuddin in 1990.  View the latest cricket odds Who gets the axe for Bumrah’s return? Earlier this week, Gill confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will feature at Lord’s in the third match, and while few can argue with the world’s best fast bowler returning for an iconic matchup, there are concerns over who will be forced to miss out.  Akash Deep was brought in to replace Bumrah at Edgbaston, and he produced the best bowling performance of his career, becoming only the second Indian to take 10 wickets against England. As a result, leaving him out would be pure lunacy, while Mohammad Siraj has been the epitome of consistency in this series.  Therefore, it seems Bumrah’s return likely spells the end ...

Kujur becomes Indian national record holder in Greece meeting In another massive step forward for Indian athletics, Animesh Kujur produced a performance for the ages over the weekend, claiming first place at the 2025 Dromia International Spring and Relays Meeting Final B in Greece despite being listed as an underdog by most online betting sites. Kujur recorded an incredible time of 10.18s, which now stands as India’s national record, shaving two seconds of the previous headline time of 10.20s, posted by Gurvinder Singh in Bengaluru in March. Most notably, Kujur’s time in Greece was a full nine seconds better than his previous personal best.  The 22-year-old from Chhattisgarh has developed quite a reputation for himself over the last 12 months, having also etched his name in the history books in the 200m, where he clinched the national record with a time of 20.32s at the Asian Athletics Championships earlier this year.  Additionally, Kujur featured in India’s relay team at the National Relay Carnival in Chandigarh, where he, along with Singh, Manikanta Hobligdhar and Amlan Borgohain, earned another national record with a time of 38.69. In total, he now holds three separate national records simultaneously.  Notably, though, the Indian print sensation had a somewhat poor showing in the 200m in Greece, finishing seventh with a time of 20.73. However, India’s relay team claimed second place (39.99), finishing only behind the quartet of athletes from Turkey.  Check out our sports predictions Mohammed Afsal shines for India in 800m  While sprinters tend to receive most of the media attention in athletics, as was the case this past weekend with Kujur, his compatriot Mohammed Afsal deserves plenty of credit for his performance in the 800m event.  Afsal, who won silver at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, beat Jinson Johnson’s seven-year Indian record of 1:45:65 at the UAE Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai in 2018. He then smashed his own record at the Memorial Czeslawa Cybulskiegi in Poland this weekend with a stunning time of 1:44.96 in Heat A/1.  Other Indian athletes that shone over the weekend were Moumita Mondal, who posted a personal best of 13.24 to win the women’s 100m hurdles in Greece, while Lalu Bhoi and Mrutyam Dondapati claimed fourth and fifth in the 100m men’s Final A, respectively.  More athletics news

McDermott appointed as Pakistan fielding coach  Pakistan cricket has been through the wringer in recent times, with the national team suffering early exits from the World Cup in 2023 before a dismal display at the ICC Champions Trophy on home soil last year, where they failed to get beyond the group stage.  However, the Shaheens gave their loyal fans something to cheer last month, when they returned from their three-match ODI series against Bangladesh with a whitewash victory, marking their first limited-over series triumph since December last year.  The Pakistan Cricket Board has now made it their mission to return the national team to the glory days that saw them become world champions and one of the most feared teams around, which has resulted in plenty of behind-the-scenes moves being completed. Ahead of a jam-packed summer schedule, the PCB are set to undergo a major leadership change, with Salman Agha expected to take up captaincy across all formats of the game, replacing Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan.  Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood has already been appointed as the Green Shirts’ new head coach, and the latest backroom shake-up sees Australian Shane McDermott set to become the team’s new fielding coach across all formats.  Mike Hesson, who is the side’s new white-ball head coach, is believed to have been instrumental in the PCB’s decision to bring in McDermott, who previously served on the coaching staff of Australia A, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.  The 44-year-old Aussie is believed to have already begun settling into life in his new role, though the official announcement of his appointment is only expected to be made ahead of Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against the Tigers later this month.  Check out our cricket predictions PCB aim for longevity after frequent coaching turnover The Pakistan Cricket Board has come under the microscope in recent years, with several pundits and former Pakistani players blaming the organisation for contributing heavily to the team’s poor performances and fall from grace in recent times.  In the last 10 months alone, the Shaheens have seen two high-profile head coaches come and go, with the first being former South African batter Gary Kirsten, who stepped down from his role with the team just six months after his appointment.  Jason Gillespie, a World Cup winner with Australia, was handed the reins after Kirsten’s departure, but he also resigned just months into his tenure, while also openly claiming that he was owed payment from the PCB for his time with the team.  With McDermott set to replace former fielding coach Mohammad Masroor and Mahmood leading the team, Pakistan will be keen to build on their morale-boosting victory last month when they return to take on the Tigers in the shortest format.  More cricket news

Osayi-Samuel set for return to English football The English summer transfer window is in full swing, and we have already had several blockbuster moves completed as teams across the various leagues look to bolster their squads ahead of the 2025-26 season.  Over the weekend, we saw the latest EFL Championship transfer deal completed, with Birmingham City signing Nigerian international Bright Osayi-Samuel on a three-year deal following his contract expiration with Turkish giants Fenerbahce.  The 27-year-old made 178 appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side across all competitions and is now set to return to the English first division after four years, having played for Queens Park Rangers before heading to the Super Lig in 2021. Speaking to the media after confirmation of his new deal, Osayi-Samuel said:  “I want to play in the Premier League and show everyone what I can do. Coming to Birmingham City now is another step for me, an opportunity to show everyone where I’ve been for the last four years.”  Osayi-Samuel’s move to St Andrew’s came as something of a surprise, as he had been heavily linked with Besiktas, with whom he had reached an agreement in principle to join. However, it is understood that the deal fell through at the last minute.  Reports suggest that the Super Eagles defender had settled on a contract worth €1.9m per season with the Black Eagles, but a late alteration in demands by his agent and father, Nelson Osayi, led to the club pulling out of the deal.  Following Besiktas’ confirmation of scrapping their offer, Osayi-Samuel revealed that he was unaware of the new demands made by his father and requested a further meeting with the club. Unfortunately, Besiktas’ president refused to reopen negotiations.  Check out our football predictions Busy summer at St Andrew’s as Blues aim for back-to-back promotions After earning promotion back to the English second tier last season, Birmingham City’s recruitment team have been very busy in the transfer market over the last few weeks, with Osayi-Samuel being the fourth new addition the club has made this month.  The Blues have also secured the services of Kyogo Furuhashi, who spent just six months with Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais. The Japanese midfielder signed a three-year deal at St Andrew’s and expressed his willingness to help his new employers succeed in their goal of returning to the Premier League. He said:  “I’m here to help the team. I’d like to express what I can do on the pitch. I don’t want to talk a lot, but there’s a chance that we can go up to the Premier League. We all want to aim for that and after nine months, it will be great if we share the happiness of achieving that.” Birmingham’s other signings for the upcoming season include a loan deal for shot-stopper James Beadle and a €3.5m deal for Demarai Gray, who will be returning to England following a two-year stint in the Saudi Pro League with Al Ettifaq.  More football news

Jaiswal joins elite list of Indian batsmen to reach impressive feat The Indian cricket team has undergone a major overhaul this year, with the likes of stalwarts including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin all calling time on their international Test careers following the completion of the Indian Premier League.  Leading up to their tour of England, the Indian selection committee had to make several big calls as they looked to usher in the next generation of cricketers to represent the country, with Shubman Gill appointed as captain to succeed Sharma and Rishabh Pant elected as his deputy.  At the top of the batting order, Yashasvi Jaiswal is now partnered by KL Rahul, and while there were questions about their ability to produce the type of performances that Sharma and Kohli had done for years, those concerns are evaporating at pace following their showings at Headingley and Edgbaston.  Jaiswal, in particular, has been nothing short of incredible since breaking into the national team in 2023, already up to fourth place in the ICC Test batting rankings, and he added another record to his resume over the weekend in India’s second innings.  Despite only managing 28 runs, the 23-year-old’s knock saw him become the joint-fastest Indian cricketer to reach 2,000 runs in Test cricket, surpassing some of the greatest of all time, including Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Vijay Hazare.  India’s young opener reached the landmark in just 23 Tests (40 innings) and now joins Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag at the top of the list, while also becoming the second-youngest to reach the 2,000-run mark for his nation, only behind Tendulkar.  Fastest Indian batsmen to reach 2,000 runs 40 innings – Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Yashasvi Jaiswal 43 innings – Vijay Hazare, Gautam Gambhir 44 innings – Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar 45 innings – Sourav Ganguly 46 innings – Cheteshwar Pujara  Check out our cricket predictions Records tumble in second India vs England Test In addition to Jaiswal’s landmark-reaching effort last week, the second Test between India and England saw several records sent tumbling, starting with the Men in Blue finally securing their first win at Edgbaston ever, following seven defeats and one draw.  India’s 336-run margin of victory was another record-breaker, as it was the team’s biggest win in terms of runs outside of India, surpassing the 318-run triumph they posted against the West Indies in North Sound back in 2019.  Akash Deep’s 10-wicket haul for 187 runs in the match is now the best figures and only the second 10-for for an Indian bowler in England. He and Mohammed Siraj claimed 17 scalps combined, which is the joint-highest by Indian new-ball bowlers in a Test.  Shubman Gill became the fourth-youngest Indian captain to win a Test match, and the team’s new skipper also broke Virat Kohli’s record (293) for the most runs scored by an Indian captain in a Test, posting an incredible 430 runs across both innings.  More cricket news

England greats heap praise on India’s bounce back at Edgbaston Indian cricket players and fans were left scratching their heads last week, when despite their team scoring five centuries – including an incredible double-ton by Rishabh Pant – they still ended up losing the first of their five Test matches at Headingley, a result that also confirmed our cricket predictions.  However, the Shubman Gill-led side bounced back spectacularly in their second match at Edgbaston this week, securing a commanding 337-run victory over the Three Lions on Sunday to level the series at 1-1 heading into what should be a blockbuster showdown at Lord’s.  India’s performance in the second Test has received massive praise from several former players, including the likes of former Englishmen Stuart Broad and Nasser Hussain, as well as legendary Indian batter Wasim Jaffer. Broad admitted on Sky Sports ahead of the final day:  « We have to be honest, India have out-bowled and out-batted England in this Test match – that’s why they’re 536 runs ahead, needing seven wickets to win the Test match. They have been superb this week, and that was just an outstanding spell from Akash, bringing the stumps into play.” Not only did the victory allow the Men in Blue to level the series at 1-1, but it also earned major plaudits from former Indian batter Jaffer, who echoed similar sentiments to Broad and Hussain. He said:  « Outbatted. Outbowled. Outfielded. Outplayed England. What a comeback from Team India. 1-1 going into the Lord’s! Congratulations on first Test win skipper @ShubmanGill. Many more to come.” England and India now have a relatively short turnaround time before they go again, with the series set to head to the Home of Cricket in just three days for the third Test between these fierce rivals.  Check out our latest sports predictions Akash Deep hands Gambhir major selection conundrum  In the lead-up to the Edgbaston Test, the majority of the news headlines revolved around the availability of the world’s top fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who is only slated to play three matches in the series as part of his workload management.  Despite a week-long break between the first and second Test, Bumrah and India’s selection panel opted to allow the 31-year-old speedster to sit out the Edgbaston match, which caused major concern over whether they would be able to contain England’s Bazball approach.  Akash Deep was given the nod to replace Bumrah in the starting lineup for the second Test, and the 28-year-old grabbed his opportunity with both hands, notching up 4/88 in the first innings before earning a career-best 6/99 in the second innings.  Deep’s performance capped off an already incredible team effort from India, while individually, he became only the second Indian bowler to claim 10 scalps in England since Chetan Sharma did so way back in 1986.  While Bumrah is widely expected to return to the Indian team for the Lord’s Test later this week, there are now major questions over how the team’s selection committee will ...