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Nigerian Winger Quits RB Leipzig For Saudi’s Al-Qadsiah

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Young Nigerian winger Suleman Sani has completed his surprise move from RB Leipzig to Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah

 

The transfer ends Sani’s short Bundesliga adventure without playing a single competitive minute for the German club.

The Nigeria youth international joined Leipzig from Slovakian side AS Trenčín in January 2026 after building a strong reputation as an exciting young winger. Six months later, he is heading to Saudi Arabia in a deal worth up to €8 million, according to reports

The transfer was completed on Sunday, September 6, the final day of Saudi Arabia’s transfer window. Sani is expected to sign a three-year contract with Al-Qadsiah, with an option for another season.

The move gives the 20-year-old a fresh chance to play regular senior football after injuries and strong competition at Leipzig prevented him from making his first-team debut.

Sani began his senior journey with Nigerian club Akwa United before moving to AS Trenčín in Slovakia in September 2024. He quickly gained experience in European football and finished his Trenčín spell with 16 goals and seven assists in 59 competitive appearances.

Those numbers convinced Leipzig to invest about €5 million in the winger in January. The German club handed him a contract running until June 2031 and gave him the No. 18 shirt.

Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer was excited by the signing.

“In Suleman Sani, we’ve signed a highly talented young winger,” Schäfer said at the time. He described Sani as a player with the attributes needed to develop at Leipzig and said the club would give him time to settle in Germany.

Sani was equally confident when he arrived.

“Moving to RB Leipzig is a big step for me, and something I’m extremely proud of,” he said. He also praised the club’s reputation for developing young players and said he was looking forward to learning every day.

However, the dream did not develop as planned. Sani struggled with injury problems after moving to Germany and could not force his way into Leipzig’s senior squad. He trained with the Under-19 team during August as the club prepared for the new Bundesliga campaign.

Leipzig also had several attacking options competing for places. Antonio Nusa, Johan Bakayoko, Brajan Gruda, Tidiam Gomis and other young forwards were ahead of Sani in the first-team picture.

When Leipzig opened the 2026-27 Bundesliga season with a 3-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach, Sani was not part of the senior matchday group.

Al-Qadsiah now gives Sani a route to regular first-team football. The Saudi club finished fourth in the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League under former Liverpool and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. The team also strengthened heavily during the summer, including the signing of Tijjani Reijnders from Manchester City.

Leipzig will also make money from the deal. The German club paid just over €5 million for Sani in January and is set to receive up to €8 million from Al-Qadsiah, creating a reported profit of about €3 million despite the Nigerian never playing a competitive match for the club.

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Troops Discover, Detonate IED In Borno

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Troops of the Nigerian Army have discovered and safely detonated a pressure-plate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, according to security analyst Zagazola Makama.

 

Makama reported that the incident occurred at about 3:50 pm on September 28, when troops of the 26 Task Force Brigade, Gwoza, discovered the device approximately 400 metres off a road near their location.

The device was identified as a pressure-plate IED and was subsequently handled by an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.

According to the report, the EOD team successfully rendered the device safe before detonating it in situ.

The report concluded that the successful disposal of the device prevented a potential threat to troops and other road users in the area.

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Guardiola Reacts To Manchester City Guilty Verdict

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Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has broken his silence following the club’s guilty verdict, releasing a resolute statement of solidarity despite his previous insistence that he would walk away if ownership had lied to him regarding financial irregularities.

 

Guardiola addressed the situation on September 30, releasing a 54-word statement across his official social media platforms.

The comments mark his first public remarks regarding the investigation since the Premier League officially confirmed on September 29 that an independent commission had found the club guilty of 114 financial charges.

The official league announcement followed initial reports that had first broken via The Athletic and Reuters four days earlier, on September 25.

“I want every single Man City fan to know I am here; more than ever,” Guardiola stated. “I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”

The timing of Guardiola’s departure from the Etihad Stadium provides a complex backdrop to his current stance.

The manager abruptly resigned from his post in May 2026, concluding a decade-long tenure (2016–2026) that yielded six Premier League titles, alongside the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League.

He was subsequently replaced by former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, whom Guardiola referenced in his statement.

During the earlier stages of the Premier League’s investigation, Guardiola famously declared that he would immediately resign if he discovered the club’s hierarchy had lied to him regarding their financial operations.

Following the formal guilty verdict, rival supporters weaponised his May departure, theorising that the manager resigned precisely because he received advance knowledge of the impending legal outcome.

Despite that narrative and the proven financial breaches during his tenure, Guardiola has publicly backed the institution.

Manchester City now face the sentencing phase of the tribunal process. The independent commission wields absolute disciplinary authority to determine the club’s punishment. The sweeping regulations permit the panel to impose unparalleled sporting sanctions.

These potential consequences range from severe financial penalties and significant points deductions to the retroactive stripping of historical titles or permanent expulsion from the English top flight.

The club has formally indicated its intention to appeal the verdict, describing itself as “disappointed and surprised” by the commission’s opinion and maintaining there is “irrefutable evidence” supporting its position.

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Ronaldo Abandons National Team Camp After Tension With Manager

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Cristiano Ronaldo has officially confirmed his departure from the Portuguese national team camp, releasing a statement that promises to eventually reveal the underlying truth behind his sudden exit.

 

The announcement directly followed a press conference in which national team manager Jorge Jesus dismissed rumours of a rift between the pair.

According to his official release, the 41-year-old forward ultimately finalised his decision after a subsequent meeting with Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proença.

“After the press conference of the national team, and following a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team camp,” Ronaldo stated.

Refusing to elaborate immediately on the specific internal dynamics, he added: “In time, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that motivated me to leave the national team, to which I always devoted myself.”

“Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates good luck, without exception,” he concluded.

The tension originated during Portugal’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Norway on September 27.

Jesus opted to leave Ronaldo as an unused substitute at the Ullevaal Stadion. The omission sparked widespread reports of severe friction, which Jesus subsequently attempted to play down during his latest media address by claiming there was never a problem in the first place.

Following his departure from the camp, Ronaldo is now unavailable for Portugal’s upcoming Nations League fixture against Denmark.

This is not the first time Ronaldo’s role as a starter has generated significant managerial friction.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, former head coach Fernando Santos notably benched the captain for the knockout stages.

Ronaldo was left out of the starting lineup for both the 6-1 Round of 16 victory over Switzerland and the subsequent 1-0 Quarter-Final elimination against Morocco, a decision that created similar unrest within the national setup at the time.

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