The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that clubs that fail to honour matches in the national preliminaries of the President Federation Cup will be fined N1 million.

The directive was made known by the NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, in a statement released on Monday.

According to the statement, the state preliminary matches of the competition will take place between March 22 and April 26, 2026. Clubs that fail to appear for a match after completing registration at the state level will be fined N500,000.

The NFF also said the final matches of the state competitions must be played on April 25 or April 26, after which each state Football Association and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will submit two representatives for the national stage of the competition.

Meanwhile, the NFF Disciplinary Committee has announced several decisions following protests from clubs in the Nigeria National League and the Nigeria Premier Football League.

In the case involving Gombe United and Jigawa Golden Stars, the committee found that Gombe United fans entered the field during the match and pressured the referee to change a goal kick decision to a penalty.

As a result, Gombe United were fined N1 million for pitch encroachment. The centre referee, Terwase Chia, was suspended for the rest of the season for professional misconduct. Jigawa Golden Stars were also fined N500,000 for refusing to continue the match in protest. The match result was confirmed as 0–0.

In another case, the committee ruled on a protest involving Wikki Tourist and Katsina United.

The committee found that Wikki Tourist failed to provide adequate security, which allowed unauthorised persons into restricted areas. Supporters of the club were also found to have thrown dangerous objects onto the pitch.

Wikki Tourist were fined N2 million for poor security, N1 million for unsporting conduct, and another N1 million for throwing dangerous objects. The club was also ordered to play five home matches away from Bauchi as part of the punishment.

In a separate decision involving Kwara United and Rivers United, the committee ruled that Kwara United failed to control their supporters, which led to harassment and injuries to match officials and players.

The club was fined N2 million for failing to provide proper security, N1 million for the behaviour of their supporters, and N2 million as compensation for damages and treatment of injured officials.

The committee also deducted three points and three goals from Kwara United’s total and ordered the club to play five home matches away from Ilorin.

The NFF stated that all the decisions are subject to the right of appeal.

Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush was the match winner on Saturday night as they beat Newcastle 3-1 in the FA Cup

17:00, 09 Mar 2026

Pep Guardiola could not hide his delight on Saturday night as Manchester City progressed to the FA Cup quarter finals. Despite going behind early on to Newcastle, City rallied and were deserving winners.

After the game, Eddie Howe insisted the Blues were on their way back to their best. A huge compliment, particularly as City were without their talisman. Erling Haaland was rightly rested and Omar Marmoush replaced him.

The Egypt international repaid Guardiola’s faith with a match-winning brace that earned him praise from the boss. “He’s a top striker and the finishing, especially our second goal and our third is his biggest quality. He has to improve in small spaces and his first control but he deserved it.”

The unfortunate thing for Marmoush is he will almost certainly lose his place to Haaland on Wednesday night for the trip to Real Madrid. The Norwegian was rested specifically with the Champions League in mind.

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However, that does not mean Marmoush’s efforts were in vain. MEN Sport has looked at the 27-year-old’s performance at St James’ Park and spotted three ways he can offer City a different threat without Haaland.

Pressing

Haaland is an exceptional athlete but there are some things City sacrifice to have a goalscorer of his quality on the pitch. One of those can be pressing from the front. Guardiola once said he loved it when Haaland ‘presses like an animal,’ and while that is in his repertoire, it is not a constant in his game.

What was impressive about Marmoush was how quickly he closed down the Newcastle defence throughout the match. In the second half, he did exceptionally to win the ball from Malick Thiaw to spark an opportunity for Jeremy Doku to cross.

Finding pockets

Considering how good he is, it is no surprise Haaland sees scoring goals as ‘easy’. In a recent interview, the striker admitted he was inspired by Leicester City icon Jamie Vardy when he was growing up.

Vardy, much like Haaland, loves to play off the last man and use his pace to score. This is a trait Haaland adopted and nobody can argue with its effectiveness.

Interestingly, Marmoush showed for his second and City’s third, how he can offer something entirely different. Instead of looking for Matheus Nunes to play the through ball, the striker held back to allow himself a pocket of space on the edge of the box to fire past Aaron Ramsdale.

It was a smart decision as Newcastle’s defenders frantically regathered their shape. He still had a lot to do, but that difference to Haaland can give opposition teams a major headache.

Invisible man

When a centre-back sees he will be coming up against Haaland, they know instantly he will be their sole focus. As we saw at the Etihad against Newcastle last month, Dan Burn’s job was to effectively wrestle with Haaland and stop him from scoring.

It worked but opened up space for other players and, ultimately, City won. Haaland plays a selfless role in that respect and that can be forgotten.

What was striking about Saturday night was how often defenders were not man marking Marmoush. He became the invisible man just gliding under the radar before popping up to score.

His first was a prime example. By the time the ball reached him at the back post, Newcastle’s players were not alert to the danger and Marmoush was free to fire in.

Marmoush will not be the centre-forward at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. But, Guardiola will be delighted the striker has added another dimension to an already stacked attack.

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) congratulated India cricket team after their victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.India registered a commanding 96-run victory in the summit clash, lifting the trophy in front of a packed home crowd.

The triumph marked a historic milestone as India successfully defended the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title, becoming the first team in the tournament’s history to retain the trophy. The victory was also significant as India became the first nation to win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on home soil, making the occasion even more memorable for millions of fans.Under the leadership of captain Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian team showcased fearless and dynamic cricket throughout the competition. With explosive batting, disciplined bowling and exceptional fielding, the side remained consistent across all phases of the tournament and delivered when it mattered most.The BCCI also praised head coach Gautam Gambhir and the support staff for their leadership, planning and preparation, which helped build a confident and well-balanced team capable of performing under pressure.“The Board also commends the Men’s Selection Committee for identifying and backing a group of players who combined experience with youthful energy, resulting in a formidable squad that delivered on the biggest stage. The BCCI also thanks all its affiliated State Associations for their continued contribution in helping achieve this vision,” BCCI said in a statement.Congratulating the team, BCCI president Mithun Manhas said, “Winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is a moment of immense pride for the entire nation. To defend the title and achieve this feat on home soil makes it even more special. The team played outstanding cricket throughout the tournament under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav and the guidance of Head Coach Gautam Gambhir. I congratulate every member of the squad, the coaching staff and the selectors for this remarkable accomplishment.”BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said, “Indian cricket is currently in its golden phase. India hosted two major ICC events — the ICC Women’s World Cup last year and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup — and to emerge champions in both is simply remarkable. This success is also a reflection of the strong foundations laid over the years through progressive planning and vision. The contributions of Mr Jay Shah during his tenure in strengthening Indian cricket’s structures and global standing have played a significant role in shaping this era of excellence. Kudos to Captain Suryakumar Yadav and his fearless group, the team management led by Gautam Gambhir and the selectors for building a balanced side capable of excelling on the world stage yet again.”BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla added, “This victory is the result of collective effort, meticulous preparation and the commitment shown by the players and support staff throughout the tournament. The team has displayed remarkable composure and confidence in high-pressure situations, a hallmark of champion sides. To win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in front of our home fans makes the moment even more special and memorable. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of ICC Chair Mr Jay Shah, whose strong leadership continues to strengthen the global growth of the game. We thank the ICC for organising such a wonderful tournament that showcased the very best of T20 cricket. This triumph will remain a historic milestone for Indian cricket and a source of immense pride for the entire nation.”

Fans of ENHYPEN have expressed frustration online after another schedule change affected the group’s video call fansign event. On March 8, the organizers of the event titled [VIDEO CALL EVENT 2] ENHYPEN ‘THE SIN: VANISH’ announced that the event would no longer take place on its previously scheduled date of March 10, 2026.

In an official notice shared online, the organizers says that the event has been postponed due to “unavoidable circumstances.” The video call event will now take place on April 2, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. KST, while the test call for participants has been scheduled for 7:00 p.m. KST on the same day.

In the notice, the organizers apologized to participants and fans who had been preparing for the event. They stated that the team would work to provide a “smoother and more stable service” and asked fans for their understanding regarding the change.

The announcement came shortly after another disruption related to ENHYPEN’s another online fansign events earlier in March. On March 2, a separate video call event involving ENHYPEN was canceled only two hours before its scheduled start time. At the time, the organizers explained that the postponement was due to the members’ poor health.

The second cancellation drew criticism from some fans, many of whom had already adjusted their schedules to participate in the event. Several participants also raised concerns about the lack of earlier notice. One fan wrote online,

“If you’re going to do that, you should give me a refund. What are you doing taking the money?”

Others also questioned the repeated schedule changes and expressed confusion about the newly announced date.

“Shouldn’t there be a clause that allows cancellation when changing the date of the call? It’s so arbitrary. What if I don’t receive the test call? What if someone else shows up during the call? Threats are rampant” said this fan.

“I don’t think there’s any need to badmouth the members. I’m just annoyed by companies that treat fans’ time and money as a joke” wrote this user.

“Is there a problem with Hello Live? Why does it keep doing that in the episodes they do?” asked another fan.

Some ENHYPEN fans said the situation suggested that there might be additional factors behind the postponements.

“There must be something going on. There’s no communication ” said one netizen.

“It seems like there’s trouble with the record label, probably due to money ” read a comment,

“At this point, it seems like there really was a contract problem” wrote this user.

“It seems like there’s trouble with the record label, probably due to money” added this fan.

ENHYPEN’s THE SIN: VANISH surpasses 2 million first-week sales, continues steady run on Billboard charts

Meanwhile, ENHYPEN began 2026 with a strong commercial performance following the release of their seventh mini-album THE SIN: VANISH on January 16, 2026. The album recorded high sales both domestically and internationally soon after its release. Data from Hanteo Chart showed that THE SIN: VANISH sold 2,075,056 copies between January 16 and January 22, becoming the first album of 2026 to surpass two million copies within its first week.

On its release day alone, the album sold more than 1.6 million copies, becoming the highest first-day sales figure recorded by any album this year. THE SIN: VANISH is the group’s fourth album to exceed two million first-week sales and the third album to reach the milestone within a single week, following ROMANCE: UNTOLD and DESIRE: UNLEASH.

The album also continued to perform on international charts. According to the March 7 chart update published by Billboard on March 3, THE SIN: VANISH ranked No. 95 on the Billboard 200, the publication’s main album chart. The release remained on the chart for six consecutive weeks since debuting at No. 2 on the January 31 chart.

In addition, the album held No. 2 on the World Albums chart for three consecutive weeks and ranked No. 7 on the Top Album Sales chart. ENHYPEN as a group also appeared at No. 57 on the Artist 100 chart.

Outside of music promotions, ENHYPEN continues to engage with fans through their self-produced variety show EN‑O’CLOCK. New episodes of the show is released every Thursday on the group’s official YouTube channel.