In a move to build its brand awareness among Nigerian football fans, Lekki Astro Sports Club League is seeking national and international sponsorship deals to boost an exhilarating season of action, star-studded matchups, and unforgettable moments.

The Lekki Astro League is a fast-growing all-star sports club league in the Lekki Axis of Lagos, with over 100 quality multi-ethnic and diaspora members from various walks of life, aged between (35-60) years. It has members including some ex-Super Eagles players and prominent ex-European-based professional players.

The league kicks off in October 2024 and ends towards the end of the year with awards and a gala night takes place in December 2024.

A press release by the league management reads:

“LASC League has a long-standing connection with football globally and we look forward to developing annually. It is an annual tournament, which aims to promote peace, love, and unity through football to keep fit while challenging ourselves further through competition. The league will bring Nigerians and other part of Africa together with the motive of unity irrespective of ethnic and religious differences.”

“The Lekki Astro League is purely Nigerian, as all members are Nigerians even though some members reside abroad. All materials and equipment for the league are sourced locally.”

“Our objective is to have sponsors partner with us as we kick-start our 2024 league cup in October 2024 and wrap up our annual End of the year/awards night coming up in December 2024.

According to the statement, Lekki Astro League is an intra-football tournament comprised of four football teams while the kick-off stretches across six weeks with 12 matches to be played in a regular league format. The four teams participating in this season are Team Harrison Group, Team Smart FC, Team Success, and Team Las Pinas Luxury.

The statement continues: “The 3rd edition of the LASC league promises to be bigger and better than the previous editions, as we gradually continue to improve on the template that was established from the inaugural edition. This is the first time we will be having entirely different sponsors from the initial editions.

This year’s edition promises to be more exciting as our membership increases annually with competent individuals who are competent on the field of play,” it concluded.

LASC league is delighted to announce the individual sponsorship of Chief Harrison Okorie, Mr. Smart Ibe, Mr Chima Njoku, and Mr. Chigozie Igwebuike to commence the “incredible season”

Jude Bellingham has worn Real Madrid’s number five shirt since joining the club in 2023.

The English all-rounder chose the number which was formerly worn by one of Madrid’s greatest-ever players.

Antonio Rudiger was in possession of the shirt number which Bellingham originally wanted before settling for five.

Jude Bellingham has quickly become an iconic name at Real Madrid. Since moving to the Spanish capital in the summer of 2023, he has been a key cog in the system for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, most notably scoring a stunning winner away to bitter rivals Barcelona.

Kids across the city idolise him, buying his name and shirt number on the back of their jerseys. When Bellingham moved to Real Madrid, he chose to become the club’s number five. Traditionally, the number is used for defensive-minded players, but the Birmingham City prodigy is an exception.

He was unable to wear his beloved number 22, so he struck a compromise. Inspired by one of the greatest Real Madrid players of all time – Zinedine Zidane – we have outlined everything you need to know about the background story surrounding Bellingham’s kit number.

Why Bellingham is Real Madrid’s Number 5
His father used to have a Zidane shirt when he was younger

Bellingham wears the number five shirt to pay homage to Zidane. The legendary Frenchman made 227 appearances for the Galacticos, registering 49 goals and 67 assists. Most notably, he scored one of the greatest Champions League goals of all time in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen.

Zidane also returned to Madrid as manager and won the Champions League three times in a row. A legend in every aspect, it makes sense that Bellingham wanted to honour his legacy in the Spanish capital, even if it was not his first choice. “There wasn’t much else left,” the midfielder said at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony as he explained his decision.

“It adds a little bit of pressure, but I wanted to pay homage to one of my idols.”

However, there is also personal significance to Bellingham wearing the number five shirt. When he was growing up, his father – Mark Bellingham – had a Zidane shirt. “My father always wore a Real Madrid shirt around the house with ‘Zidane’ on the back, which is funny because, in a way, it has come full circle. He gave it to me when I arrived here in the summer,” Bellingham said via Talksport.

“He always wore it and I always told him: ‘Who is this guy you have on your shirt?’ And he always answered: ‘When you’re older, we’ll see him on YouTube.’ Now that I’m wearing number five, it has ended up being a pretty significant story. Really significant to me.”

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-2 win against Columbus Crew to help the club to win the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the first time.

The Argentina playmaker opened the scoring with a close-range finish and doubled the away side’s lead in first-half stoppage time with a sublime free-kick.

Crew winger Diego Rossi halved the deficit in Ohio before former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez restored Inter Miami’s two-goal lead and they held on after Cucho Hernandez’s penalty.

Miami’s victory means the club will finish top of the table and have won the Supporters’ Shield – which is given to the MLS club with the best regular season record – for the first time since they debuted in 2020.

Atletico Madrid have been sanctioned with a partial stadium closure and fine after crowd trouble in Sunday’s derby game against local rivals Real Madrid.

The La Liga match was halted for about 20 minutes in the second half after Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois complained to officials that home fans behind his goal were throwing objects on to the field.

Appeals were made over the stadium loudspeakers for fans to stop throwing objects but they were ignored, prompting the suspension of the game.

The Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee has now ruled Atletico must close the lower south section of the Metropolitano Stadium, where the trouble occurred, for the next three games.

The club have also been fined 45,000 euros (£37,460) for what the body called “very serious” and “totally unacceptable” offences.

The match finished 1-1 after Atletico’s Angel Correa scored a stoppage-time equaliser to cancel out Eder Militao’s opener.

Atletico have said they have already identified and banned one supporter over the matter.

Ademola Lookman starred as Atalanta claimed a comfortable Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

The Italians have now taken four points from their two Champions League fixtures this term after beginning their campaign with a goalless draw against Arsenal.

And this result never looked in doubt from the moment former Charlton and Everton forward Lookman created their 21st-minute opener with a curling delivery from the left that was flicked home by Albania captain Berat Djimsiti.

Having already rattled the Shakhtar crossbar, Lookman then doubled Atalanta’s lead a minute before the interval, with a placed effort into the bottom corner from Sead Kolasinac’s pass.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side put the contest beyond doubt three minutes after the restart when Raoul Bellanova capitalised on some hesitant defending to nod in Davide Zappacosta’s cross at the back post.

Shakhtar, who are playing their home matches at Schalke’s ground due to Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia, struggled to trouble the visiting defence and have one point from two games.

As Bologna prepare to face Liverpool in their first away trip in the Champions League or European Cup since the 1960s, here is a look at what to expect from the Rossoblu at Anfield and how they replaced the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Joshua Zirkzee and coach Thiago Motta.

Bologna were one of the surprise packages of the 2023-24 season in Serie A, storming to a fifth-placed finish, which was enough for them to qualify for the Champions League due to the competition’s expansion and Atalanta’s victory in the Europa League final.

The Rossoblu had looked strong contenders to finish last season in the top four, but fell just short in the final weeks of the campaign.

How Bologna replaced Calafiori, Zirkee and Motta
Thiago Motta was credited as the mastermind behind Bologna’s success last season. His services have since been snapped up by Juventus, who currently lead the Serie A table after six matches, with a record zero goals conceded over that period.

The club have replaced the former Italy international with former Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano, who, like his predecessor, tends to favour a back four and a front three.

There have, of course, been some fairly major personnel changes over the last few months. Italy international Riccardo Calafiori was sold to Arsenal for a sum just shy of €50m after an impressive break-out season in Serie A.

Bologna brought in a handful of defenders to replace him, including Nico Casale from Lazio and full-backs Juan Miranda and Emil Holm. However, the Calafiori ‘replacements’ have been promoted from within, as Sam Beukema and Colombia international Jhon Lucumi have been the go-to options at centre-back for most of the campaign.

The club also made a huge profit from the sale of Joshua Zirkzee to Manchester United, although a large chunk of that fee was paid back to the Dutchman’s former club, Bayern Munich.

Still, Bologna opted to bring in Thijs Dallinga, who became the club’s most expensive purchase of the summer at €15m. Similarly to how they replaced Calafiori, though, the most used striker so far this season has been Santiago Castro, who joined from Velez Sarsfield in January.

What to expect from Bologna against Liverpool at Anfield
Like their hosts, Bologna are expected to line up in a form of 4-3-3 when they take on Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday. Stefan Posch, Charalampos Lykogiannis and the aforementioned centre-backs Beukema and Lucumi have been mainstays in the back four so far this campaign.

Similarly, Switzerland internationals Remo Freuler and Michel Aebischer are good bets to start in midfield, as are the more advanced Giovanni Fabbian and Kacper Urbanski, who have had more opportunities in the starting line-up while Lewis Ferguson recovers from his long-term injury.

Though they sold Zirkzee, Bologna were able to keep hold of some of their other star attackers, such as Dan Ndoye and Riccardo Orsolini, who should also start against Liverpool if fit. It remains to be seen whether Italiano sticks with Castro, or gives Thijs Dallinga a run out at centre-forward.

Liverpool will of course be the firm favourites on home soil, but Bologna showed they are capable of keeping clean sheets in Europe with a 0-0 against Shakhtar Donetsk last time out.

Football-Italia