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Thursday, 29 October 2026Lagos · LondonUpdated 17:46 GMT

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Reported

Oliseh says Mikel snubbed him as Super Eagles coach and NFF warned him about three stars

A football on a grass pitch
Stock image: Peter Glaser baraida / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Former Super Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh has reopened old wounds from his time in charge of the national team, reportedly describing a snub by John Mikel Obi as one of the biggest insults he suffered in the job.

What he said

Speaking on a podcast, in comments reported on Thursday, 29 October 2026, Oliseh is said to have explained that he paid for his own trip from Belgium to the United Kingdom to meet Mikel and Victor Moses at a bar in central London, together with his assistant coach. According to Oliseh, Moses came and gave honest feedback about problems in the squad, which he said he respected, but Mikel did not turn up and did not reply to his WhatsApp message.

The NFF warning

Oliseh also reportedly said that when he took the job, officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) told him to stop inviting Mikel, goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and striker Emmanuel Emenike, describing the three as troublesome for the federation. He said he now regrets not following that advice. The NFF has not commented on his account, and Mikel has not publicly responded.

Background

Oliseh, a former Super Eagles captain, coached the national team from 2015 until he resigned in 2016. His spell was marked by public disputes with players and officials. Enyeama retired from international football during that period after a falling-out with the coach. Mikel, who captained Nigeria and won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, has since become a popular podcaster and pundit.

How fans reacted

Fans were divided, with some saying the former coach should let the past go and others saying his account helps explain the tension in the team at the time.

More gist

SportReported
Victor Osimhen in a Nigeria jersey
Photo: Fédération Guinéenne Football / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Osimhen closes in on Galatasaray's record for goals by a foreign player

Victor Osimhen now has 68 goals for Galatasaray after his derby brace against Fenerbahçe, leaving him third on the club's list of top foreign scorers. Mauro Icardi holds the record with 77 goals.

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Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is moving quickly up Galatasaray's list of all-time foreign goalscorers, and the club record is now within reach.

Where he stands

Osimhen's two goals in Monday's 2-1 derby win over Fenerbahçe took his tally for the Istanbul club to 68, according to reports on Thursday, 29 October 2026. That puts him third among foreign players in the club's history. Romanian great Gheorghe Hagi is second with 72 goals, while Argentine striker Mauro Icardi holds the record with 77, just nine more than Osimhen.

His form this season

The 27-year-old has reportedly scored nine goals and provided three assists in nine appearances in all competitions this season under coach Okan Buruk. His derby double was celebrated widely by Galatasaray fans and by Nigerians on social media.

Background

Osimhen first joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli and became a fan favourite after a prolific first season that helped the club win the Turkish league title. He later completed a permanent move. The former African Footballer of the Year remains Nigeria's main attacking threat, and his form will be closely watched by Super Eagles fans.

What happens next

At his current rate, Osimhen could pass Hagi within weeks, and could challenge Icardi's record before the end of the season.

SportReported
Vincent Kompany waving to fans
Photo: Mike Serigrapher / Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany discharged from hospital after collapse

Vincent Kompany has left hospital after collapsing at Bayern Munich's training ground. The club says he suffered meningeal irritation and will rest and take medication, with no date set for his return to the touchline.

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Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, days after he collapsed at the club's training ground. The club said he will now rest at home before returning to work.

What happened

Kompany collapsed on Friday while watching a second-team training session. Bayern later said the cause was meningeal irritation, an inflammation of the membranes around the brain. Earlier that week he had skipped media duties before the Champions League match against Arsenal because of a viral infection, although he was in the dugout for the 2-2 draw.

What the club said

Sporting director Max Eberl described the discharge as the best possible news for everyone at the club. He said Kompany would rest and take medication and expressed confidence that the coach would return at full strength. Assistant coach Aaron Danks confirmed that Kompany would only return after receiving medical clearance and said there was no fixed timescale. In his absence, the coaching staff led the team to a 6-1 win over Magdeburg in the German Cup.

Background

Kompany, a former Manchester City captain and Belgium international, took charge of Bayern in 2024 after spells as manager of Anderlecht and Burnley. He led the club back to the Bundesliga title in his first season and remains popular with players and fans.

How fans reacted

Messages of support poured in from around football after news of the collapse broke, with former teammates and rival clubs wishing him a full recovery. Fans welcomed the update on Wednesday but urged the club not to rush him back.

SportReported
MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which hosted the 2026 World Cup final
Stock image: Thecoolone1223 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

FIFA reportedly made $5bn from 2026 World Cup tickets and hospitality

FIFA reportedly earned about $5 billion from tickets and hospitality at the 2026 World Cup in North America, roughly five times the figure from Qatar 2022. Fan groups have called the prices extortionate, and FIFA says it will publish official figures after its audit.

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FIFA reportedly earned about $5 billion from ticket sales and hospitality at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, far more than its original estimate and around five times what it made in Qatar four years ago.

The figures

According to a report in a British newspaper, the $5 billion figure compares with an earlier FIFA estimate of $3.3 billion for the same revenue stream. Total revenue from the tournament is put at about $15 billion. Qatar 2022 reportedly brought in $929 million from tickets and hospitality. The 2026 tournament had 40 more matches because of the expanded 48-team format, but much of the increase is said to come from higher prices and dynamic pricing, where ticket costs rise with demand. FIFA's resale platform also reportedly takes a 30 per cent cut of resold tickets.

Criticism

Fan groups have described the prices as extortionate and scandalous. Football Supporters Europe called them a monumental betrayal of fans, many of whom also faced high travel and hotel costs in North America.

FIFA's response

FIFA has not officially confirmed the $5 billion figure. A spokesperson said more than 100,000 of the 6.81 million tickets were sold at $60, including more than 1,000 for the final. The spokesperson said the money would be reinvested in football, including support for its 211 member associations, and that official revenue figures would appear in its annual report after audits. FIFA also plans to raise funding for member associations to $6.35 billion for 2027 to 2030.

Why it matters

The figures are likely to add to debate over the cost of attending major tournaments, with fan groups already pressing for price caps at future World Cups.

2027 elections
Governor Seyi Makinde, right, in a blue cap and sunglasses, with Rotimi Babajide at a rally
Photo: LastBornOfTheGods / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Makinde takes campaign to Enugu despite warnings about Obi's stronghold, questions Tinubu's Saudi trip

Oyo governor Seyi Makinde, who is running for president on the APM ticket, told a town hall in Enugu that his team was almost talked out of campaigning in the South East because it is seen as Peter Obi's territory. He also asked the Presidency to explain the real purpose of President Tinubu's trip to Saudi Arabia.

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Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) for 2027, has taken his campaign to the South East, telling supporters in Enugu that his team was almost discouraged from coming to a region widely seen as Peter Obi's base. On the same day, he raised questions about President Bola Tinubu's trip to Saudi Arabia.

What he said in Enugu

Speaking at an APM town hall meeting in Enugu on Thursday, 29 October 2026, Makinde said people had warned his team against campaigning in the South East because the zone was regarded as belonging completely to Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate. He said he decided to bring his message there anyway and urged Nigerians to reject politics that divides people along ethnic and tribal lines.

His question about Tinubu's trip

In a video shared the same day by an Oyo affairs account on X, Makinde said he had read on social media that the President was travelling to Saudi Arabia to pray for Nigeria. He remarked that prayers can be answered from within Nigeria too, and asked the Presidency to tell Nigerians the true situation. He did not say what he believed the situation to be.

How people reacted

Reactions online were divided. Some users backed his call for openness, while others accused him of politicising a religious trip, and one asked whether he was wishing the President ill because of the election. The Presidency has said the President is performing Umrah, and an aide has rejected claims that the trip is for medical treatment.

Background

Obi won most of the South East in the 2023 presidential election and remains very popular there. Makinde, who is serving his second and final term as Oyo governor, is one of several candidates now trying to build support across regions. Tinubu left Abuja for Makkah this week, and Atiku Abubakar and activist Omoyele Sowore have also questioned the trip.