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Nigeria drop to 35 in latest FIFA rankings

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Nigeria dropped down to 35th position in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola world rankings following a lacklustre display in November that saw them end the year without a win.

The rankings released by the world football body on Friday showed that Nigeria dropped three places from the 32nd position in November.

The Super Eagles dropped three places from their previous position, following a poor performance against Sierra Leone in their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures. They also dropped from number three to four in Africa.

Gernot Rohr’s men squandered a four-goal lead to tie the Leone Stars 4-4 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State, in the first of their double-header qualifiers on November 13.

Four days later, the three-time African champions were held 0-0 in Freetown by their less-fancied opponents.

Nigeria still top Group L with eight points after four games, but the results delayed their qualification for the continental showpiece in Cameroon.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone are among the biggest movers on the continent as they climbed four places to 116th in the world.

Senegal moved up one spot to 20th in the world and are number one in Africa.

Tunisia remained second on the continent and 26th globally while reigning African champions Algeria dropped one spot to 31st and third in Africa.

According to the latest ranking, Equatorial Guinea and Burundi are the biggest movers in Africa climbing 10 spots after avoiding defeats in their AFCON qualifying games.

In the global rankings, Belgium retained their number one spot, with France and Brazil occupying the second and third positions.

England and Portugal completed the top five positions.

The next FIFA rankings, the last for 2020, will be announced on December 10.

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Transfer: Gabriel Jesus Could Leave Arsenal as Napoli Show Interest

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Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus could leave the club this summer, with Italian side Napoli reportedly interested in signing the Brazilian forward.

According to Sky Italia, Napoli’s new manager, Massimiliano Allegri, is a long-term admirer of Jesus and is keen to explore the possibility of bringing him to Serie A.

Jesus and Allegri share the same agent, Giovanni Branchini, who was reportedly spotted at Napoli’s pre-season training camp in Castel di Sangro on Friday.

A meeting could reportedly take place to discuss a potential move for the Arsenal forward.

Napoli’s interest could depend on their ability to offload one of their existing strikers. The club would reportedly need to find new destinations for Lorenzo Lucca, who spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest, or Romelu Lukaku before making a move for Jesus.

Arsenal are reportedly willing to consider offers of around £18 million for the 29-year-old, who has entered the final year of his contract with the Gunners.

Jesus joined Arsenal from Manchester City in 2022 and could now be heading for a new challenge in Italy if Napoli’s interest develops into a formal transfer.

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Transfer: Liverpool Agree Loan Deal for Barcelona Defender Araujo

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Liverpool have reportedly reached an agreement with Barcelona to sign Uruguay international Ronald Araujo on loan.

According to Sky Sports, the deal could be completed this weekend, with the 27-year-old defender set to move to Anfield on a straight loan arrangement.

Araujo renewed his Barcelona contract last year, extending his stay at the Catalan club until 2031.

However, the defender endured a difficult campaign last season and was subsequently granted an extended leave of absence from the team.

The proposed move to Liverpool would give Araujo an opportunity to revive his career in a new league and country.

The Uruguay international joined Barcelona from Uruguayan club Boston River in 2018 before making his first-team breakthrough a year later.

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LaLiga: Mourinho Introduces Four New Rules at Real Madrid

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Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly introduced a series of new rules at the club after identifying what he considered bad habits within the dressing room.

Mourinho returned to the Spanish giants for a second spell this summer and has already begun implementing changes to improve discipline and professionalism within the squad, according to AS.

One of the new measures concerns players’ diets. The Portuguese manager has reportedly ended the freedom for players to eat whatever they choose, with the club’s nutritionist now responsible for overseeing their meals.

Under the new system, menus will be carefully structured and determined according to the nutritional needs of the players.

Mourinho has also introduced a disciplinary measure for players who arrive late to training. Such players will reportedly be required to undergo individual gym sessions.

Another rule concerns injury rehabilitation. Players recovering from injuries will now be expected to complete their rehabilitation at the club’s training ground under the supervision of Real Madrid’s medical and fitness staff rather than working independently with external personnel.

The changes are part of Mourinho’s reported efforts to establish greater discipline and control within the Real Madrid squad following his return to the club.

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