NIGERIA

Nigeria has moved up a place in the latest FIFA men’s rankings for June.

The Super Eagles, who were ranked fortieth in the world in the ranking released in May, gained six points and moved to thirty-ninth.

The Eagles’ rise in the rankings was largely due to their impressive performance in the recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone in the month under review.

Jose Peseiro’s men defeated the Leone Stars three-two in the game played in Liberia.

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Nigeria’s Women’s National Football team, the Super Falcons are now ranked fortieth in the world, a remarkable improvement from their last ranking in May.

According to the latest FIFA Women’s World ranking released, Nigeria moved up two spots on the ranking from forty-second to fortieth in the world.

The Super Falcons also remain number one in Africa with 1554.94 ranking points, ahead of South Africa, (54th), Ghana (58th), Cote d’Ivoire (66th), Morocco (72nd), Tunisia (76) and Zambia (77th).

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Super Falcons head coach, Randy Waldrum, says his team is not adequately prepared for next month’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Waldrum decried the lack of support from the Nigeria Football Federation while appearing on The Sounding Off Of Soccer podcast, hosted by John Krysinsky.

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The Nigeria Football Federation will, tomorrow, host a send-forth dinner for World Cup-bound senior women national team, Super Falcons.

This is coming, ahead of the team’s departure from the country to participate in the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand from twentieth July to twentieth August, this year.

Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, will lead a choice cast of eminent political chieftains and top government functionaries, including Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Ismaila Abubakar.

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The Interim Management Committee IMC, has announced that the transfer window for the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier League season will open on Saturday.

According to the LMC, clubs will be allowed to officially begin processes for the transfer of players on the stipulated date.

The transfer window, which will run for two months, will close first September.

The new campaign will commence twenty-sixth to twenty-seventh August.

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Clubs in the Nigeria Premier League have been reminded to commence the licencing processes for the 2023–24 season.

Following the submission of the season’s report by the Interim Management Committee to the Nigeria Football Federation NFF, clubs that qualified for the CAF Club competitions were invited to commence their procedures with the NFF in line with CAF Club Licencing Regulations 2022.

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Niger Tornadoes’ head coach, Bala Abubakar, has announced that he is leaving the club ahead of his reported move to Lobi Stars.

He confirmed his exit from the club on Thursday.

Abubakar is expected to be unveiled as the new head coach of Lobi Stars on Friday.

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Sikiru Alimi is yet to reach an agreement with Shooting Stars over a new contract.

Alimi’s previous contract with the Oluyole Warriors has expired, and the club is keen to keep hold of the experienced forward.

The striker is, seeking an improvement on the previous deal before signing a new contract.

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Negotiations for the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte are back on track after Joshua’s team agreed to remove their late requested rematch clause, skysports.com reports.

A significant hurdle for the second fight has been overcome as talks continue for a summer showdown at The O2 twelfth August.

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ENGLAND

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign England midfielder Mason Mount from Chelsea on a five-year contract for £55m, plus £5m in add-ons.

Mount, will be Erik ten Hag’s first signing of the summer as he looks to strengthen his side following United’s qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Chelsea spent £600m last season and needed to sell before 30th June to ease Financial Fair Play concerns.

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Manchester United are willing to shell out £69 million for Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos,

The club’s president, Rui Costa confirmed the development.

The 22-year-old has attracted the interest of several top clubs after bagging 27 goals and 12 assists last season.

Costa believes United will pay up for the Portugal international after they rejected an offer worth around £52 million from an unidentified club.

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Chelsea has identified Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin as a potential replacement for Edouard Mendy who joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

Transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Chelsea ‘appreciates’ Trubin as they seek cover for Kepa Arrizabalaga following Mendy’s departure.

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Chelsea defender, Reece James, has turned down a possible move to join Premier League rivals, Arsenal.

The English right-back blatantly rejected Arsenal after a Gunners fan expressed his desire to see him at the Emirates Stadium.

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Seamus Coleman has signed a new one-year deal with Everton until the end of June 2024.

The Republic of Ireland right-back, 34, was appointed club captain in 2019 and is the Toffees’ longest-serving current player.

He has made 409 appearances for Everton since joining from Sligo Rovers in 2009.

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Treble-winning Manchester City are confident that they will break the seven hundred million pounds revenue barrier this season setting a British record and blowing rivals Manchester United out of the water in the process.

United currently hold the honour after they brought in six hundred and twenty-seven million pounds in 2018-19 and earlier this week Old Trafford.

Officials announced that they will top that with a forecast of between six hundred and thirty milion pounds and six hundred and forty million pounds for the current year.

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A jury has heard that Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy raped a young woman and told her “it’s fine, I’ve had sex with 10,000 women”.

Mendy is accused of attacking the woman, at his home in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire, in October 2020.

He is also accused of the attempted rape of another woman, aged 29 at the time, who claimed the footballer also attacked her at his home two years before.

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OTHER SPORTS

In Tennis; World number one Iga Swiatek has reached the semi-finals of a WTA Tour grass-court event for the first time.

The Polish 22-year-old beat Russia’s Anna Blinkova 6-3 6-2 at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany.

Swiatek will play unseeded Italian Lucia Bronzetti, ranked 65th, in the semi-finals.

Elsewhere, Cameron Norrie and Novak Djokovic both gained victories in their singles exhibition matches at the Hurlingham Classic in London.

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Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki announced Thursday she is set to return to professional tennis, three years after retiring to start a family.

Wozniacki, 32, bowed out in 2020 after winning 30 WTA titles including her sole Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open in 2018.

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In Golf; England’s Justin Rose has a one-shot lead over Jamie Donaldson after the opening round of the British Masters.

The world number 31 carded eight birdies and a solitary bogey to record a seven-under-par 65 at The Belfry.

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Rugby’s leaders are aiming to make a decision on the sport’s future global calendar by October after talks in London this week.

A two-tier men’s tournament in July and November has been proposed for alternate years.

It is also understood the Six Nations Championship could lose one of its rest weekends to accommodate a longer November international window.

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In Cricket; England came close to wasting a superb fightback with some brainless batting late on the second day of the second Ashes Test against Australia at Lord’s.

The home side had done much to reverse the damage of a poor opening day, bowling Australia out for 416 and reaching 188-1 in response.

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OTHER LEAGUES

France Midfielder, N’Golo Kante has purchased Belgian third-tier club Royal Excelsior Virton.

Kante, will take over from Flavio Becca as chairman of the club based near the Luxembourg border on first July.

It is the same date he will join Saudi Arabia Pro League side Al-Ittihad from Premier League Chelsea.

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The top seven players with the highest net worth in 2023 have been revealed.

These are football’s wealthiest athletes in the world.

The players make their remarkable wealth from a combination of lucrative contracts, endorsement deals, and prize money.

Among such players are Paris Saint-Germain’s superstar, Kylian Mbappe, veteran Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Brazil superstar Neymar, Dave Whelan, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

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Yvan Le Mee, agent of Real Madrid defender, Ferland Mendy, says the club cannot sign Kylian Mbappe from PSG this summer.

According to him, the Frenchman’s wage demands are way too high for Los Blancos.

Mbappe told PSG that he will not be extending his stay beyond the expiration of his current deal in June 2024.

And the French forward has since been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.

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Three NFL players have been suspended for the entire 2023 season for betting on games last season, while a fourth faces a shorter ban for a separate gambling violation.

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and defensive end Rashod Berry, along with free agent Demetrius Taylor, have been sanctioned by the NFL.

Rodgers, and Berry, were then released by the Colts on Thursday.

Tennessee Titans right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, meanwhile, received a six-game suspension for betting on other sports at the team facility.

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France’s top administrative court on Thursday upheld a ban on women football players wearing Islamic hijab headscarves, after the issue was seized on by politicians claiming secularism was at risk.

The Constitutional Council said “Sporting federations whose task is to ensure the good functioning of public services can impose a neutrality requirement on their players in competitions and sporting events, to guarantee the smooth running of matches and any clashes or confrontation.

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TODAY’S QUOTE

“NEVER SAY NEVER BECAUSE LIMITS, LIKE FEARS, ARE OFTEN JUST AN ILLUSION, WORDS FROM MICHEAL JORDAN.