Sports
Real reason Paul Pogba was banned from active football for 4yrs
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Paul-Pogba.jpg&description=Real reason Paul Pogba was banned from active football for 4yrs', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Paul-Pogba.jpg&description=Real reason Paul Pogba was banned from active football for 4yrs', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
Juventus player Paul Pogba has been banned from football for four years following a failed drug test, according to reports by Italian media.
In September, the ex-Manchester United player received a provisional suspension due to elevated testosterone levels found in his drug test.
Testosterone is a hormone that increases the endurance of athletes.
The 30-year-old was randomly tested after Juventus’ first match of the season on August 20, 2023.
According to BBC Sport, Pogba is expected to challenge Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal’s ruling.
Juventus informed the BBC that they were notified by the anti-doping tribunal on Thursday morning.
This decision implies that Pogba will not be able to participate in any matches until 2027, when he reaches the age of 33.
The ban was backdated to the date of the failed test.
Pogba injured in first start after 12 months
During the initial suspension, Pogba’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said, “What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule.”
BBC reports that Pogba was found to have violated rules due to the presence of non-endogenous testosterone metabolites in the test, indicating an external source of the substances.
Juventus welcomed back Pogba, a former player of the club, with a four-year contract in July 2022 following his departure from Manchester United as a free agent.
During his time with the Italian giants from 2012–2016, he appeared in 178 matches and scored 34 goals.
The 2018 World Cup winner has faced ongoing injury issues since returning to Juventus, causing him to miss the recent World Cup in Qatar.
This season, Pogba has accumulated 51 minutes on the pitch as a substitute in matches against Bologna and Empoli.
During the previous season, he accumulated a total of 162 minutes across various competitions but did not score any goals.
Sports
2026/2027 Champions League table after Match Day 1
Paris Saint-Germain sit top of the Champions League table after Match Day 1 fixtures.
The current holders thrashed Slovan Bratislavia 6-1 at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
They are only ahead of Bayern Munich on goal difference. The Bundesliga champions put a goalless first half behind them to crush Bodo/Glimt 5-0 on Thursday.
The top five places are completed by Barcelona, Manchester United and Como 1907.
The bottom three teams are Sabah FC, Slovan Bratislava and Bodo/Glimt.
Match Day 2 fixtures will be played in the week that begins October 13.
After each club has played eight matches, the top eight move into the last 16 and those ranked between ninth and 24th will go to the play-offs.
Sports
Falconets Hold China To Draw, Keep U-20 World Cup Hopes Alive
Nigeria’s Falconets remain in contention for a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after playing out a goalless draw with China at Arena Sosnowiec in Poland.
The result earned Nigeria their first point in Group F, following their 2-0 defeat to Spain in their opening game.
The Falconets created opportunities against China but were unable to convert any of their chances as both sides settled for a share of the points.
China entered the encounter on the back of a 5-0 victory over New Caledonia and moved to four points, leaving them second in the group.
Spain lead the standings on six points and have already booked their place in the Round of 16. The European side opened the competition with a 2-0 victory over Nigeria before recording one of the biggest wins in the tournament’s history.
Nigeria’s final group game will be against New Caledonia on Sunday, September 13, with the Falconets needing a positive result to keep their campaign going.
Another dropped point could bring their World Cup journey to an end.
Sports
D’Tigress Players Get $100,000 Each as FG Completes Tinubu’s Historic AFROBASKET Rewards
The Federal Government has paid the naira equivalent of $100,000 to each player of Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, completing the cash component of the Presidential Rewards announced after the team’s historic triumph at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) also confirmed that each team official received the naira equivalent of $50,000.
According to the commission, the payments were made on September 9, 2026, and all players and officials have confirmed receipt of the funds.
D’Tigress made history by winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket title for a record fifth consecutive time and seventh time overall, further cementing Nigeria’s dominance in women’s basketball on the continent.
The NSC said the latest payment means the Federal Government has now fulfilled all components of the rewards promised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the team.
In a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Kehinde Ajayi, on Wednesday, the commission said the package comprised three-bedroom apartments in Abuja, national honours and cash awards.
«“The entire presidential rewards promised to each member of the team by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, comprising a 3-Bedroom flat in Abuja, national honours of OON and Naira equivalent of $100,000 to players and $50,000 to officials have been fully redeemed and completed,” the statement said.»
The commission recalled that D’Tigress players and officials had earlier received the title documents to their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja, as well as certificates confirming their national honours.
The documents were presented in February 2026 during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Lyon, France, and were duly signed by President Tinubu.
The NSC said the cash component was subsequently processed following the team’s participation in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany.
Super Falcons Next in Line
The commission also provided an update on the Presidential Rewards promised to Nigeria’s senior women’s football team, the Super Falcons, following their achievements on the international stage.
The Falcons have already received title documents for their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and certificates of national honours.
The documents were presented during the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, held in July and August.
The NSC said the cash component of the Falcons’ reward is expected to be paid before their next official engagements.
Under the package, each Super Falcons player is entitled to the naira equivalent of $100,000, while each official is to receive $50,000.
FG: Athlete Welfare a Priority
The National Sports Commission described the reward programme as part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to improve the welfare of Nigerian athletes and recognise outstanding sporting achievements.
The commission said the initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope and Shared Prosperity agenda, which it said places athletes’ welfare and appropriate rewards high on the government’s priorities.
It also commended President Tinubu for his support for Nigerian sports, saying his policies had strengthened the commission’s reform efforts and contributed to the development of a more sustainable sports economy.
The NSC further acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
According to the commission, the collaboration helped ensure that the Presidential Rewards were implemented “in record time within the due process requirements.”
The payment brings to a close the Federal Government’s reward package for the D’Tigress players and officials, following their his
-
News21 hours agoNASS Suspend South Africa Visits, Boycott Parliament Activities Over Xenophobic Attacks
-
Foreign21 hours agoMore Flights Delayed As UK Air Traffic Control Problem Causes disruption
-
News20 hours agoAuditor-General Flags ₦522.4m Aviation Ministry Payments for Undelivered Guns, Ammunition
-
News22 hours agoIndia Moves to Bridge BRICS Divisions Ahead of Summit
-
News20 hours agoNigerian Bishop Shot Dead in Johannesburg
-
News21 hours agoSAD! Reigning Miss Austria Beauty Queen Dies At 22
-
News16 hours agoFG promises to decrease transport fares nationwide from October 1
-
News13 hours agoBREAKING: Fear, Anger as Sokoto Residents Storm Streets Over Kidnappings, Attacks
