Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah has welcomed his third child and first son, named Lail, Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan said after the Turkish club’s third-round league match against Amedspor.

Doğan said Salah and his Cameroonian teammate André Onana travelled outside Turkey following the match as their wives were due to give birth.

“After the Amed match, we travelled abroad with Onana and Salah. Onana welcomed twins, while Salah welcomed a baby boy. I congratulate their families and wives,” Doğan was quoted as telling Turkish media.

Salah’s sister, Rabab Salah, later revealed the baby’s name on Instagram, posting a photograph of a baby hat and congratulating her brother on the birth of Lail.

The child is Salah’s first son. The Egyptian star and his wife, Magi, already have two daughters, Makka and Kayan.

Doğan’s comments came after a photograph of Salah and Onana aboard a private jet circulated online, prompting questions among Trabzonspor supporters and local media about the reason for their trip.

The club president said both players had travelled for family reasons following the match.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims by Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso that President Bola Tinubu can be defeated in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the ruling party remains confident of retaining power.

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, said the APC would win the presidential, governorship and other elections in Kaduna State, rejecting claims of growing opposition to the party in the North.

Musa spoke on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, shortly after Obi and Kwankwaso told supporters in Port Harcourt that they were prepared to resist any attempt to manipulate the 2027 election.

Asked whether the APC could lose Kaduna, Musa said, “APC will win in Kaduna. That I know.”

Pressed on whether his prediction covered the governorship and presidential elections, he replied, “Definitely. Presidential, governorship, and all levels.”

Musa also rejected suggestions that northern voters were turning against the APC and defended Tinubu’s economic policies, saying the President had taken “very painful decisions” whose benefits would become clearer over time.

Earlier, Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, told supporters that voters would not allow their ballots to be subverted at polling units, insisting that attempts to manipulate the 2027 election would face resistance.

Kwankwaso, Obi’s running mate, warned against assuming that control of state governments guaranteed victory at the presidential level, citing the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 despite being the incumbent.

The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, also dismissed the opposition’s claims as “cheap talk” and “wishful thinking”, reminding Obi and Kwankwaso that Muhammadu Buhari won re-election as a sitting President in 2019.

“Presidential election is not won on empty rhetoric or wishful thinking. We are confident that Nigerians will re elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Basiru said.

Shooting Stars head coach Salisu Yusuf has praised his players for their quick adaptation to his tactical philosophy after guiding the Oluyole Warriors to a 2-1 victory over Inter Lagos in their opening match of the EuroMatch Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) 2026/2027 season.

Speaking in a post-match interview Yusuf also commended the atmosphere at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, describing it as a proper football environment driven by the passion of the supporters and commitment of the club’s stakeholders.

“The atmosphere was good. It was a proper football atmosphere where you could see the passion and love the fans have for the team, as well as the commitment of the various stakeholders in charge of the club,” Yusuf said.

The experienced tactician, who had only joined the team about a week before their opening fixture, believes significant progress is already being made in how the players approach matches.

According to him, the players are beginning to control games better and circulate the ball more effectively, a key component of his coaching philosophy.

“Yes. The players are now able to control games better compared to what they played last season. They are circulating the ball more effectively, which is vital to my coaching philosophy. I believe that within a short period, the players will be able to perform at an even higher standard,” he added.

Attention now turns to a major continental assignment as Shooting Stars prepare to face Tunisian side CS Sfaxien in Abeokuta. The encounter will mark a historic return of continental football to the city after 27 years.

Yusuf revealed that he intends to trust the same group of players who featured against Inter Lagos, expressing confidence in their individual and collective abilities.

He was particularly pleased with the team’s tactical response after conceding an equaliser. While Inter Lagos created several attacking opportunities down the left side after restoring parity, Yusuf said his players successfully addressed the problem after the interval.

“In the second half, they had no such opportunities. The players were quick to adapt to the tactical instructions, and that made me very happy,” he concluded.