Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, has expressed regret over missing the opportunity to buy Arsenal for $2 billion in the past.

Speaking with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua in New York on Monday, Dangote acknowledged that the chance to purchase the Premier League club may have passed.

“I think that time has passed. The last time we had this interview, I mentioned that once I finished the refinery, I would try to buy Arsenal,” he said.

“But the issue now is that everything has gone up, and the clubs are doing well—especially Arsenal, who are performing exceptionally well now.

Back then, they weren’t doing as well.”He continued, “I don’t think I have the excess liquidity to buy a club for $4 billion just for promotional purposes. I’d rather invest the money elsewhere.

I’ll always remain Arsenal’s biggest fan and continue watching their games, but buying the club doesn’t seem sensible at this point.

.”Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Dangote added, “I do regret not buying Arsenal earlier when I could have for $2 billion, but at the time, my resources were more needed for completing my other projects.”

Nigeria’s clubsides will once again be absent from the lucrative group stage of the CAF Champions League, as NPFL champions Enugu Rangers were eliminated in the playoffs by Angola’s Esperança Sagrada today.

Rangers lost the second leg of the second preliminary round 3-1, leading to their exit from the competition with a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.

Earlier, Nigeria’s other representative, Remo Stars, was knocked out in the first round.In recent years, Nigerian clubs have struggled to reach the group stages of the tournament.

Enyimba remains the only Nigerian club still competing on the continental stage.

Nigerian attacker, Victor Boniface has expressed his pride after playing his first game ever in the UEFA Champions League.

Boniface made his Champions League debut on Thursday evening when Bayer Leverkusen thrashed Feyenoord 4-0 in a group game at the Stadion Feijenoord.

The Super Eagles forward fired blank and also failed to register an assist against Feyenoord despite playing for 62 minutes before coming off for Patrick Schick.

Boniface, however, took to social media to express his pride and excitement to have made his bow in the competition.

“From paying 30 naira to watch champions league football at nights back then at the 323 army barracks, Akure to playing my first Champions League game. Proud of this moment,” he wrote on his verified X account.

Boniface despite being out of competitive action for three-months with an adductor injury had 21 goals and ten assists in 34 games in all competitions for Die Werkself last season.

So far this season, he has scored three goals and contributed one assist in five matches to take his tally for Leverkusen to 24 goals and eleven assists in 39 fixtures for the club.

Boniface on Saturday bagged two goals and an assist to help defending champions, Leverkusen put their first loss in 35 Bundesliga games against RB Leipzig at the BayArena behind them.

The forward started against Hoffenheim who have been in turmoil for weeks and basically toyed with the opponents who were playing at home with Boniface in the mood for destruction.

Boniface set up Martin Terrier to score his first Bundesliga goal in the 17th minute to give the visitors a deserved lead before he then danced around defenders to add the second.

The Super Eagles striker scored on 30 minutes courtesy of an assist from Granit Xhaka and got his brace on 75 minutes after being set up by Jeremie Frimpong.

Ademola Lookman will aim to score his first goal in five games against Arsenal whom Atalanta face in their UEFA Champions League group opener at the Gewiss Stadium on Thursday.

Lookman scored five times from three Europa League starts at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, however, he has never found the net in four career appearances against the Gunners.

He played twice against Arsenal in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons while he was still at Everton with the Nigerian losing the first Premier League game 5-2 before a 1-0 triumph.

Lookman played another Premier League game against Arsenal in 2020/21 during a loan spell at Fulham, securing a 1-1 draw before he lost 2-0 on loan at Leicester City in 2021/22.

Atalanta return to the UCL after memorably lifting their first European trophy last season, becoming the only team to beat Bayer Leverkusen, winning 3-0 in the Europa League final.

Back in May, a Lookman hat-trick helped La Dea get over losing the Coppa Italia final a few days earlier and the Nigerian attacking sensation is also in the mood to score more goals.

After La Dea lost two of their first three Serie A matches, they appear to be back as they twice fought back from behind to beat Fiorentina on Sunday with Lookman scoring the winner.

Meanwhile, Lookman has said that he and his teammates are charged for the clash with Arsenal. “We are charged and ready to face the match with the right spirit,” the Nigerian ace said.

“Arsenal are a very strong team and I know what to expect from them,” he acknowledged. “Playing against a team of that level is always a difficult challenge but we are ready,” he said.

Atalanta booked their Champions League ticket through a stellar Serie A campaign last season and Lookman is determined to prove their rightful place on Europe’s biggest stage this term.

“We earned this place in the Champions League thanks to our great last season and we want to show that we deserve to be here,” he emphasized. “The Gewiss Stadium will be full to it’s brim.

“And it will be a special environment for a European night like Thursday.” He joined Atalanta from RB Leipzig for €9.3m in 2022 and has scored 33 goals and rendered 19 assists in 80 games.

Bayer Leverkusen head coach, Xabi Alonso has said that he is now expecting the best from Victor Boniface even as the Bundesliga rates the Nigerian a crucial cog in the club’s squad.

Alonso said this about Boniface who after a slow start this season bagged a brace against Hoffenheim on Matchday 3 and assisted Martin Terrier’s goal in a 4-1 win at the PreZero Arena.

“It was very important for his confidence and mood,” said Alonso after the game. “I’m now expecting the best from ‘Boni’. It’s always difficult for defenders to play against him [but] he can and must do more. He knows it and the team needs it.”

Alonso can feel confident that there is indeed more to come from the 23-year-old, who in footballing terms is entering what should be his prime years.

The goals had been coming, despite Boniface only breaking his mini-drought in what was his third Bundesliga outing this season. He had averaged 17 shots on goal across the first three matchdays, four more than any other player.

Some 100 shots on goal last term, at an average of four per game, might suggest he is a ‘shoot on sight’ kind of striker, but Boniface’s decision-making far exceeds that.

Indeed, he was 1v1 with Oliver Baumann after springing the offside trap last Saturday, before squaring for Terrier for an easier finish, and he regularly picks out his teammates.

The official Bundesliga website also wrote about the Super Eagles forward: “Victor Boniface, a crucial cog in Bayer Leverkusen’s all-conquering machine.

“Florian Wirtz has been tipped for a Ballon d’Or while Álex Grimaldo’s attacking stats make a mockery of his status as a defender but Boniface may just be Alonso’s most important player at Leverkusen.”

Boniface joined Leverkusen from Union Saint-Gilloise, amid little fanfare, in the summer of 2023. One short season later he had displaced Patrik Schick as Die Werkself’s first-choice striker before firing Bayer to a Bundesliga and DFB Cup double.

On what it is that makes the Nigerian No.9 so hot to handle, bundesliga.com takes a closer look: “First, a cold hard look at the numbers: in 38 games across all competitions, Boniface has scored 24 goals.

“He also uses his physically imposing frame to bring others into play and has added 11 assists. All told, he has enjoyed a direct goal-involvement every 68 minutes he has played for Leverkusen.”

Victor Boniface will be gunning for his 25th goal in the colours of Bayer Leverkusen who will meet Feyenoord in a Champions League group game at the Stadion Feijenoord on Thursday.

Boniface despite being out of competitive action for three-months with an adductor injury had 21 goals and ten assists in 34 games in all competitions for Die Werkself last season.

So far this season, he has scored three goals and contributed one assist in four matches to take his tally for Leverkusen to 24 goals and eleven assists in 38 fixtures for the club.

Aiming to make a major impact on the Champions League after last season’s record-breaking feats, Leverkusen will meet Feyenoord with Boniface aiming to maintain his very strong form.

Boniface on Saturday bagged two goals and an assist to help defending champions, Leverkusen put their first loss in 35 Bundesliga games against RB Leipzig at the BayArena behind them.

The forward started against Hoffenheim who have been in turmoil for weeks and basically toyed with the opponents who were playing at home with Boniface in the mood for destruction.

Boniface set up Martin Terrier to score his first Bundesliga goal in the 17th minute to give the visitors a deserved lead before he then danced around defenders to add the second.

The Super Eagles striker danced around defenders to score on 30 minutes courtesy of an assist from Granit Xhaka and got his brace on 75 minutes after being set up by Jeremie Frimpong.

FootballCritic gave the striker a stunning rating of 9.9 for his Man of the Match performance and it was proof he has the potential to be one of Europe’s elite forwards if he stays fit.