NIGERIA
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Super Falcons head coach, Randy Waldrum says his team is battle ready for their opening fixture against Canada at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The West Africans will be up against the Olympic champions at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Thursday.
The Canadians will head into the game as the overwhelming favourites, but Waldrum stated that his charges are up for the task ahead.
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Super Falcons captain, Onome Ebi says the team wants to make a big impact at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Ebi, who will be making her sixth World Cup appearance in Australia and New Zealand said the team has high hopes going into the competition.
The Super Falcons, who are Africa’s most successful side, made it to the quarter-final once, at the 1999 edition hosted by the United States of America.
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Rivers United General Manager, Okey Kpalukwu, has been elected as Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League Club Owners Association.
Remo Stars owner, Kunle Soname, and Doma United owner, Suleman Umar were elected as the vice chairman for the Northern and Southern zones.
Newly promoted Nigeria Premier League side Sporting Lagos General Manager, Godwin Enakhena won the General Secretary position, while Barrister Ferdinand Ugwuarua of Rangers will serve as the body’s coordinator.
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Rangers head coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, has admitted that his team is behind schedule in their preparation for the new season.
Ilechukwu hopes to put up a formidable team before the start of the season.
The Flying Antelopes resumed training on Monday.
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Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen who plays for Napoli has joined the rest of the team in Dimaro, northern Italy, as the Serie A champions continue their pre-season training ahead of the 2023/34 season.
After new manager Rudi Garcia confirmed his imminent return, Osimhen’s arrival was announced by the club on Tuesday with a picture of the player in their new training kit with the caption ‘Osi’.
Napoli commenced pre-season on Monday, but Osimhen was generously granted an extended holiday by the club following his national team duties with Nigeria.
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Women’s hurdles world record-holder, Tobi Amusan has claimed her second consecutive victory in two days, racing to first position in the one hundred metre hurdles event at the Gyulai István Memorial meet on Tuesday.
Amusan won the race with a time of 12.35 seconds, her second fastest time in 2023.
American duo, Nia Ali with 12.41seconds and Lay Lay Johnson with 12.50seconds came second and third.
Amusan who also won the one hundred metre hurdles at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday, has now won all four races she competed in this month.
She will defend her world title in Budapest, Hungary, next month.
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Meanwhile, Tobi Amusan has been charged with an alleged anti-doping rule violation, casting doubt on her participation in next month’s world championships.
According to her, the Athletics Integrity Unit has charged her with an alleged rule violation for having three missed tests in twelve months.
Amusan, vowed to resolve the charges against her before this year’s competition, set to be held next month in Budapest.
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The newly appointed Head Coach of the Nigeria Senior Women’s Basketball Team, D’tigress, Rena Wakama, has named twenty players for FIBA Africa Women Championship.
The team would be going for their sixth title, having won three in a row in the past Afrobasket continental showpiece.
The twelve nations championship will also serve as qualifications for the FIBA World Championship scheduled to hold in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
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ENGLAND
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England forward, Marcus Rashford has signed a new deal to stay at Manchester United until 2028 worth three hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds-a-week
Rashford had been in talks with United for a considerable period, with his previous contract due to expire in 2024.
The striker enjoyed a resurgence under new manager Erik ten Hag last season, scoring thirty goals in fifty-six games.
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Manchester United have agreed a forty-seven point two million pounds deal for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana.
The Old Trafford club will pay forty-three point eight million pounds up front for the Cameroon player, with an additional three point four million pounds in add-ons.
United hope he will be able to join them on their upcoming tour of the United States although they have to arrange a visa for the player.
Also, Manchester United outcast, Alex Telles is close to being the latest name to move to the Saudi Pro League, by entering talks with Al-Nassr.
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Tottenham captain, Harry Kane and James Maddison both played for Tottenham as they lost three-two to West Ham in Ange Postecoglou’s first match in charge.
Kane is in the final twelve months of his Tottenham contract and his is a transfer target for German side Bayern Munich.
Kane played the first half of the match in Perth, Australia, while Maddison made his debut following his forty million pounds move from Leicester City.
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Meanwhile, Tottenham fans took to social media to slam their side’s ‘horrible’ defending from set pieces on Tuesday, as West Ham scored twice in five minutes to mark a miserable start to Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at the club.
The team, who began their pre-season tour of Australia with a clash against Premier League rivals West Ham, were hoping for a positive start under Postecoglou during his first match in charge.
But quickfire goals from Danny Ings and Divin Mubama put the north London side two goals behind at the twenty-three minute mark and prompted Tottenham fans to vent their frustration on social media.
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Chelsea’s threadbare squad for their pre-season tour has left Blues fans fearing the worst already, given how new boss Mauricio Pochettino is taking just six midfielders with him to the US.
More alarmingly, those six midfielders Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lewis Hall, Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei have averaged just seven point six starts in the Premier League each.
Fernandez and Gallagher are the Blues’ only senior central midfielders in the squad, leaving Pochettino with a selection headache already.
Meanwhile, Chelsea defender, Wesley Fofana has undergone anterior cruciate ligament surgery which is set to rule him out of action for several months.
Fofana did not travel with the Blues squad on a pre-season tour to the United States in order to have specialist medical assessments.
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Also the dou of Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were in positive spirits as they returned to Chelsea training despite their uncertain futures at Stamford Bridge.
The pair, along with Romelu Lukaku, were not required to return to Cobham until Tuesday after the squad departed for their pre-season tour in the US on Monday as they are not in boss Mauricio Pochettino’s plans.
Both players look likely to leave the club this summer after falling down the pecking order before Pochettino’s arrival at the club.
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Brighton have rejected a second Chelsea bid, believed to be about seventy million pounds, for midfielder, Moises Caicedo.
The Ecuador international asked to leave Brighton in January amid interest from Arsenal.
Brighton refused and Caicedo subsequently signed a new contract in March that runs to 2027.
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Arsenal have unveiled their new men’s away kit for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
The club announced the unveiling of the new kit on their website on Tuesday.
The new strip features a yellow base colour, black lines that the Gunners say are inspired by the map of Islington, and light-blue accents on the collars and sleeves.
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Arsenal legend, Ian Wright, has insisted that the club’s summer signing, Kai Havertz will surprise many with his quality next season.
Wright also said that Arsenal fans will love Havertz, who joined Mikel Arteta’s side from Chelsea this summer.
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Newcastle are close to agreeing a deal for Harvey Barnes as Leicester prepare to travel to Thailand on Thursday.
Barnes is a prominent target for the Magpies and is set to be sold this summer, with the Foxes valuing the winger around the thirty-five million pounds to forty million pounds mark.
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Liverpool’s midfield rebuild could be given a further boost, with the opportunity to sign Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich.
The Reds made evolving their engine room a priority this summer and have already drafted in Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and RB Leipzig’s Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined fee of around one hundred and five million pounds.
However, with Fabinho on the verge of moving to Saudi Arabian champions Al-lttihad and doubts of Jordan Henderson’s future, Jurgen Klopp still requires further reinforcements in midfield.
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Everton have registered their interest in signing Super Eagles forward, Kelechi Iheanacho.
The Leicester City striker has one-year remaining on his contract, as the team could be forced to sell the Nigerian to avoid him leaving on a free transfer next summer.
Leicester City will look to sell Iheanacho for between ten million euros to fifteen million euros.
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Former Manchester United footballer and ex-Wales manager Ryan Giggs has been cleared of allegations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend and her sister.
It comes after charges were withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service at a hearing at Manchester Crown Court.
Giggs, has always denied assault and controlling or coercive behaviour towards Kate Greville, and assaulting her sister Emma.
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Reigning Women’s Super League champions Chelsea will play Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on first October in their first match of the 2023-24 season.
Manchester United women, runners-up in 2022-23, begin with an away game on the same day against Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Arsenal women entertain Liverpool women at Emirates Stadium in their opener, with Manchester City women away at West Ham women.
Newly promoted Bristol City women face Leicester women, while Everton women play Brighton women.
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England women players will pause discussions over performance-related bonuses until after this summer’s Women’s World Cup.
Players for some nations are set to receive bonuses from their country but as things stand the Lionesses will not.
The FA and Professional Footballers’ Association have held talks over the issue this month.
England face Haiti on Saturday in their first Group D match in the tournament, which is being staged in Australia and New Zealand.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Athletics; Rhasidat Adeleke became the fourth Irish athlete to meet the qualifying standard for the Paris Olympics by clocking 22.36 seconds for the two hundred metre.
The Dubliner’s time, just 0.02s off the national record she set in April, came when finishing second in the World Continental Tour Gold meet in Hungary.
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In Boxing; Chantelle Cameron expects to defend her undisputed light-welterweight crown against Katie Taylor for the second time, but she would sooner challenge for the Irishwoman’s lightweight belts.
Undefeated Cameron, beat Taylor, on points in Dublin in May.
Taylor – the undisputed lightweight champion – asked for the rematch, which will reportedly take place in November.
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In Cricket; England thrashed Australia in Taunton to draw the Women’s Ashes series and inflict a first bilateral one-day international series defeat on the tourists since 2013.
The 69-run win means the points-based and multi-format Ashes series is drawn 8-8, but holders Australia retain the Ashes.
World champions Australia were set a revised target of 269 in 44 overs after rain interrupted their pursuit of England’s 285-9, which was set up by Nat Sciver-Brunt’s second successive century.
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In Tennis; Bjorn Borg’s son Leo celebrated his first ATP Tour win with a straight-sets victory over Elias Ymer on clay at the Swedish Open.
Borg, 20, was handed a wildcard entry and beat Swedish compatriot Ymer 7-6 6-3 at the Bastad Tennis Stadium.
Ranked at a lowly 437th, Borg plays mostly on the ITF Tour, the lowest level of the men’s professional game.
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In Golf; World number one Scottie Scheffler has been watching “valuable” online videos of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods’ Open wins at Royal Liverpool to help him prepare for this week’s Championship.
McIlroy won the 2014 Open here, while Woods won the 2006 edition.
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OTHER LEAGUES.
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Former Real Madrid player, Isco has accused former Sevilla sporting director, Monchi of grabbing him by the neck during a heated argument last year.
The midfielder left the La Liga club last December after only four months.
He has now opened up on his bitter relationship with Monchi in an explosive interview.
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Bayern Munich have confirmed the appointment of Christoph Freund as the club’s new sporting director, having enjoyed success in the same role at RB Salzburg.
Freund will take up his post first September and brings to end Bayern’s search for a new sporting director after they parted ways with Hasan Salihamidzic last season.
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Bayern Munich have increased their asking price for Senegalese forward Sadio Mane due to Saudi interest in the forward.
The Africa Cup of Nations winner could be on the move from the German side.
Mane joined the Bundesliga champions from Liverpool a year ago.
The Bundesliga champions will not sell the winger for anything less than twenty-seven million pounds, plus bonus payments.
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Napoli head coach, Rudi Garcia has again reiterated that he expects Nigerian international, Victor Osimhen to remain at the club.
Osimhen is a subject of interest from European big guns after a stellar campaign with the Partenopei last season.
The forward’s hefty price tag has scared suitors away, and Garcia is hopeful the Nigerian will be at the club next season.
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Argentina superstar, Lionel Messi has stepped out onto the training field for the first time as an Inter Miami player, joining his teammates early on Tuesday.
Messi was officially unveiled in a huge ceremony, and the hard work starts now ahead of his expected debut on Friday.
He was pictured alongside fellow new signing and Barcelona legend, Sergio Busquets, and the rest of the squad at the team’s Fort Lauderdale base.
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Inter Miami are in advanced talks to sign Luis Suarez in what would be another stunning signing for the team and Major League Soccer.
Suarez played alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona and their families were very close.
Suarez and Inter Miami have been negotiating for months and progress has been made.
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The Saudi Pro League’s new director of football, Michael Emenalo is intrigued by the audacity of its new acquisition and youth development strategy.
Emenalo will lead a player acquisition centre of excellence to provide a centralised approach to luring more world-class international players.
The former Chelsea technical director will also assist with squad mapping.
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The World Cup begins on Thursday and captains will wear FIFA’s new ‘Unite’ armbands, but the governing body of world football has been criticised for a lack of pro lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning stance.
It was announced last month that FIFA had partnered with the United Nations to create eight stakeholder-sanctioned armbands that can be swapped out or worn during the month-long tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The ‘Unite’ armbands are a solution to the ‘OneLove’ armband debate that sparked the threat of sanctions being issued to countries, including England and Wales, during the men’s World Cup in Qatar last winter.
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Meanwhile, Fifa president, Gianni Infantino says he only wants to talk about positive things during the Women’s World Cup when asked about issues such as gender pay disparity.
At a news conference in Auckland on the eve of the biggest Women’s World Cup yet, Infantino also joked about his extraordinary monologue before the men’s World Cup in Qatar.
He said he felt tired after only just arriving in New Zealand.
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Teams at Euro 2024 will be expected to travel to group-stage matches by coach or train instead of flying, to reduce their carbon impact.
European football governing body UEFA says it wants next summer’s tournament in Germany to be the most sustainable European Championship of all time.
Group games have been regionalised to favour travel by land.
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Hampden Park aims to be in the running to host a UEFA club competition final in 2026 or 2027.
The Scottish Football Association, registered interest in the Women’s Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, with all proposals to be complete by twenty-one February 2024.
UEFA said its executive committee would appoint the host associations of the eight finals in May 2024.
The national stadium in Glasgow has staged six European finals.
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The 2026 Commonwealth Games are in doubt after the Australian state of Victoria cancelled its plans to host due to budget blowouts.
The Commonwealth Games Federation struggled to find a host before Victoria volunteered in April 2022.
But the premier said the projected cost had now tripled and become “well and truly too much” for the state to bear.
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TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is not about how hard you can hit. It is about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward…words from Sylvester Stallone.
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