Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen, Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze, and Alex Iwobi all impressed in their final club appearances before departing for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Osimhen scored as Galatasaray thrashed Antalyaspor 4-1 on Saturday, sending a warning to Nigeria’s AFCON opponents ahead of the tournament in Morocco.

The league leaders came out firing from the opening whistle, with Leroy Sane opening the scoring in the seventh minute before Roland Sallai doubled the advantage four minutes later.

Osimhen delivered the moment everyone had been waiting for in the 56th minute. Receiving Yunus Akgün’s exquisite pass on the left wing, the Nigerian striker drove purposefully into the box before unleashing a thunderous shot from an impossibly tight angle to make it 3-0.

Antalyaspor managed a consolation goal late on, but Mauro Icardi came off the bench to wrap up the win with a fourth.

With this result, Galatasaray increased their points to 39 and maintained their leadership position.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Fulham trio delivered impressive performances as they inflicted a seventh straight Premier League defeat on Burnley.

Harry Wilson set up two Fulham goals before scoring their third in the entertaining clash.

The visitors led when Wilson’s low corner inexplicably beat Clarets full-back Quilindschy Hartman, allowing Emile Smith Rowe to divert in from three yards.

Burnley responded well through Lesley Ugochukwu’s strike, but Fulham were gifted a second just after the half-hour mark as Calvin Bassey was allowed to head home uncontested after a fine control and cross from Wilson.

Wilson then made it 3-1 with a classy guided shot into the far corner after being picked out by Nigerian winger Chukwueze.

Oliver Sonne scored a late consolation for Burnley, but it was too little too late.

Bassey and Chukwueze both played the full 90 minutes, while Iwobi came off in the 79th minute for Sasa Lukic.

The Super Eagles stars will now report to Nigeria’s AFCON training camp in Cairo, Egypt, which opens on Monday, December 15.

A friendly against hosts Egypt follows on Tuesday, before the Super Eagles fly out to Fez, Morocco, where all their Group C matches will be staged.

Nigeria have been drawn alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, with their opening fixture scheduled for December 23 against Tanzania.

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw has named three injured players Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra and Assane Diao in his final 28-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Diao suffered a thigh injury for Como last weekend, Diarra has not played since undergoing groin surgery in September for Sunderland, while Sarr has missed Crystal Palace’s last three matches after suffering ankle ligament damage against Manchester United.

Senegal’s core remains intact, featuring established stars across Europe and the Gulf.

Captain Kalidou Koulibaly, attacking icon Sadio Mané, and midfield anchor Idrissa Gana Gueye all make the squad, while Pape Matar Sarr, one of Africa’s most exciting young midfielders, will play a central role after a strong season with Tottenham.

Up front, Thiaw has named a dynamic and varied attack.

Boulaye Dia, Habib Diallo, Nicolas Jackson, Iliman Ndiaye, and Cherif Ndiaye provide depth and versatility, giving Senegal one of the most potent forward lines in the competition.

In defence, Moussa Niakhaté, Ismail Jakobs, Antoine Mendy, Abdoulaye Seck, and rising prospect Mamadou Sarr join Kalidou Koulibaly in forming a unit built on physical presence and athleticism.

The goalkeeping department includes experienced Edouard Mendy, in-form Le Havre keeper Mory Diaw, and Nice’s Yehvann Diouf.

The Terangha Lions will begin their campaign on 23 December against Botswana before facing Benin and DR Congo in Group D.

WWE legend John Cena has retired from professional wrestling, bringing the curtain down on a 24-year in-ring career after his final match at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.

‎Cena bowed out at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where he faced Gunther in his farewell bout.

‎The 48-year-old was defeated after being forced to submit to a sleeper hold in a contest that lasted just under 25 minutes, ending one of the most decorated careers in WWE history.

‎Fans inside the arena watched in disbelief as Gunther relentlessly kept Cena locked in the hold during the closing moments of the match, despite loud chants urging the veteran to fight on.

‎When Cena eventually tapped out, some supporters were seen in tears.

‎The ending stunned fans, as Cena, long known for never tapping out during his career, was forced to submit for the first time, finally giving in to Gunther’s sleeper hold.

‎After the bell rang, wrestlers from the WWE locker room emerged to honour him.

‎Cena then left his wristbands and boots in the ring — a traditional sign of retirement — before walking up the entrance ramp, turning back and offering a final salute to the crowd and cameras.

‎Cena retires as a 17-time world champion, the most title reigns recognised by WWE.

‎He also headlined WrestleMania on six occasions and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

‎His trademark “You Can’t See Me” catchphrase became one of the most recognisable slogans in sports entertainment.

‎He debuted in WWE in 2002, losing to Kurt Angle, and initially struggled to establish himself as a singles star.

‎His career turned around after he adopted the “Doctor of Thuganomics” persona, a character known for freestyle rap promos, which quickly made him a fan favourite.

‎Beyond wrestling, Cena successfully crossed over into Hollywood, becoming one of the few WWE stars to enjoy sustained success as a film actor.

‎Cena had announced at the Money in the Bank Premium Live Event on July 6, 2024, that he would retire from in-ring competition at the end of 2025.

‎His retirement tour officially began at the Royal Rumble in January, where he was eliminated by Jey Uso.

‎He later shocked fans by turning heel — a villain persona — for the first time since 2003 at Elimination Chamber on March 1.

‎Cena went on to win his record-breaking 17th world title by defeating Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania in April, before dropping both the title and the villainous persona to Rhodes at SummerSlam in August.

‎A tournament was subsequently organised to determine Cena’s final opponent, with Gunther emerging winner and earning the right to face him at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

‎Speaking after the event, current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes struggled to hold back his emotions as he reflected on Cena’s impact.

“It’s just still like, when it’s that good you don’t want it to end and I know that’s vague but he did everything by the book and taught so many people and set such a high standard, such a high bar,” Rhodes said.