NIGERIA

Super Falcons star, Rasheedat Ajibade, says the team is fired up for their next game against Australia at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Ajibade, who missed the Super Falcons clash with Canada due to suspension, acknowledged the enormity of the task before his team but is upbeat they can come out with a win.

The Super Falcons and the Matildas will do battle at Brisbane Stadium on Thursday.

It will be another huge test for the Nigerian Ladies after they held Olympic champions Canada to a barren draw last Friday.

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Super Falcons midfielder, Halimat Ayinde is keen to taste action at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The talented midfielder missed Nigeria’s opening fixture against Canada due to suspension.

Ayinde is now expected to return to action when the Super Falcons take on co-hosts Australia in their second Group B game at the Brisbane Stadium on Thursday.

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Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph has urged Super Falcons duo of Asista Oshoala and Ifeoma Onumonu to step up their game against Australia in the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Atlanta Olympic gold medalist stated that both players have the potentials to cause havoc to any defence at the tournament.

He urged Oshoala and Onumonu to rediscover their form against Australia on Thursday.

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Nigeria Professional Football League champions, Enyimba will know their opponent in the preliminary stage of the CAF Champions League on Tuesday.

The draw for the 2023 edition of the CAF Inter clubs competition will hold in Cairo, Egypt.

Enyimba is a two-time winner of the competition.

Joining Enyimba in the CAF Champions League is Remo Stars.

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Abdulahi Maikaba has been named head coach of Nigeria Professional Football League side, Kano Pillars.

Maikaba replaced Evans Ogenyi, who was sacked despite helping the Sai Masu Gida gain promotion back to the Nigeria Premeir League.

The former Flying Eagles coach is taking charge of the club for the second time.

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Meanwhile, Kano Pillars players have been directed to resume training on Tuesday to begin preparations for the new season.

Chairman of the club, Babangida Umar Little, who stated this, pointed out that players with running contracts are expected back at the club.

He warned that any player who fails to return will face the wrath of the club.

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Former Sunshine Stars player, Franklin Sasere has linked up with twenty time Hungarian champions Ujpest FC.

Sasere who joined Nigerian duo, Vincent Onovo and Peter Ambrose at Ujpest, arrived from Liechtenstein club, FC Vaduz.

The length of the contract and transfer fee were not disclosed by the club.

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Napoli manager, Rudi Garcia says there is a possibility of Nigerian international, Victor Osimhen leaving the Partenopei this summer.

Garcia is keen to keep Osimhen at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona but admitted there was a chance the striker could still leave before the end of the transfer window.

Osimhen has been a subject of transfer speculations since the end of last season.

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Nigeria’s junior national cricket team, Junior Yellow Greens, begin their chase for a Sri Lanka 2024 ICC Under-nineteen Men’s Cricket World Cup ticket at the University of Dar-es-Salaam Cricket Oval, Tanzania.

The eight-day event, which bowled off with a rain-washed doubleheader between host Tanzania and Kenya; on one hand and Namibia and Uganda, on the other, showed that weather could be a factor in deciding the series.

Nigeria’s coach, former national-team player, Daniel Gim, said his team is in good shape and looks forward to making the best of the talents that the team is made of.

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The Nigerian four by one hundred metre relay team and their counterparts from four other African countries, including Cameroon, Niger Republic and Mali will feature in this year’s Warri Relays on Thursday in Asaba, Delta.

The event would be used to honour former Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa, Dr. Awoture Eleyae, who died last Friday in Benin City.

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IN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Africa’s four representatives at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup began the tournament last week with something of a whimper, playing one game each without a single win.

The continent is being represented by Nigeria who have participated in all editions of the competition; champions, South Africa; Morocco, and Zambia.

While all teams have played four matches, they only have a draw to show for it. That point came from Nigeria who battled to a barren draw with Olympic champions, Canada.

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Colombia got their 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup off to the perfect start with two-nil victory over South Korea in Sydney.

Catalina Usme put the South Americans ahead from the penalty spot, before teenager Linda Caicedo, doubled the lead through an error from Korean keeper, Yoon Young-geul.

That was enough to give Colombia their second ever win at the tournament.

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Ary Borges scored the first hat-trick of the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup as Brazil cruised to victory over Panama.

The winger netted a double in the first half and set up Bia Zaneratto shortly after the interval with a backheel, before heading home the fourth goal.

It means Brazil maintain their perfect record of winning all nine of their opening games at Women’s World Cups.

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Germany has begun their Women’s World Cup campaign in style as captain Alexandra Popp scored twice to see off debutants Morocco in Melbourne.

It was a comfortable victory for world number two side Germany, who are heavy favourites to top Group H.

Striker Popp, who was ruled out of the Euro 2022 final through injury, made her mark with two clinical headers in the first half.

Klara Buhl pounced on a rebound shortly after half-time to extend Germany’s lead, before Morocco’s Hanane Ait el Haj and Yasmin Mrabet poked into their own net on separate occasions.

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Striker Cristiana Girelli came off the bench to head an eighty-seven-minute winner in Italy’s Women’s World Cup opener against Argentina.

It looked as though Italy were going to be frustrated in Auckland by a gritty defensive performance from Argentina before substitute Girelli came good to earn the one-nil victory.

The experienced Juventus attacker had replaced Giulia Dragoni in the eighty-three minute, taking over from the midfielder who at the age of sixteen years and two hundred and fifty-nine days became one of the youngest players in the tournament’s history.

Argentina’s next match is against South Africa in Dunedin on Friday.

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ENGLAND

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Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, arranged a face-to-face meeting with Andre Onana to lure him to the team after losing faith in David de Gea at the end of last season.

Onana completed his forty-seven million pounds move to Old Trafford from Inter Milan last week, but Ten Hag got the ball rolling on the deal several weeks earlier.

His decision to pursue Onana came after De Gea’s disastrous end to the season that culminated in him failing to keep out two long-range Ilkay Gundogan volleys in the FA Cup final as United were beaten two-one by bitter rivals Manchester City.

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Manchester United have launched their new adidas away kit for the 2023/24 football season.

The club announced the launching of the new away kit on their website on Monday.

The new away kit will be unveiled during the club’s U.S pre-season tour, as United take on Wrexham AFC in San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on twenty-fifth July

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Tottenham forward, Son Heung-min believes the club must respect Harry Kane’s decision over his future as the talisman weighs up leaving this summer.

The team’s owner, Joe Lewis told chairman Daniel Levy that Kane must be sold in the current window if he refuses to sign a new contract.

As it stands, there are no indications that the striker is open to pledging his future to his boyhood side.

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Liverpool got a worthy workout in their second of five pre-season friendlies on Monday but Jurgen Klopp’s new-look team could only draw to German second-tier side Greuther Furth in an end-to-end thriller.

The Reds led three-one in the second half after a Darwin Nunez brace added to Luis Diaz’s opener but questions must be asked of their defence as the Germans scored three goals in quick succession to go four-three ahead, as Mohamed Salah then scored an eighty-nine minute equaliser.

It ends the first leg of Liverpool’s pre-season preparations in Germany, with Klopp’s men set to arrive in Singapore on Thursday ahead of two matches against Leicester and Bayern Munich.

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Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp says more fresh faces must arrive at the team before the first game of the Premier League season.

The Reds already bolstered their creative options by signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for thirty-five million pounds and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for sixty million pounds.

However, a Saudi storm has jeopardised their plans with Jordan Henderson completing his Al-Ettifaq medical and Al-Ittihad and Bayern Munich chasing Fabinho.

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Brentford striker, Ivan Toney looks increasingly likely to switch agents to CAA Stellar.

Toney is banned from playing until seventeenth January after being found guilty of breaking Football Association betting rules.

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Chelsea have received a boost in their pursuit of Nigerian International, Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen’s contract renewal talks with the Serie A champions have stalled over a release clause.

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Chelsea midfielder, Conor Gallagher is set to leave the club this summer as Tottenham and West Ham lead the race to sign him.

Chelsea have deemed Gallagher surplus to requirements despite him scoring in their last two pre-season wins over Brighton and Wrexham.

West Ham are “ready to push ahead of Tottenham” as they look to bring in two midfielders after selling Declan Rice to Arsenal.

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Chelsea player, Callum Hudson-Odoi has agreed personal terms with Fulham ahead of a proposed move to the West London club.

After spending last season on loan in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, Hudson-Odoi returned to a Chelsea side in the midst of an overhaul under new boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The former Tottenham boss, made clear that he sees no place for Hudson-Odoi in the first team picture at Stamford Bridge.

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West Ham are reportedly considering a move to sign out-of-favour AC Milan star, Divock Origi with Gianluca Scamacca’s future at the club uncertain.

Origi joined the Rossoneri last summer on a four-year deal after a successful spell at Anfield that saw Jurgen Klopp successfully utilise him as an impact player off the bench.

Starts at the San Siro proved hard to come by for the Belgian however, with Stefano Pioli preferring fellow Olivier Giroud up front.

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Wilfried Zaha has joined Galatasaray following the expiration of his Crystal Palace contract.

Zaha, has signed a three-year deal and would be paid a signing on fee of two million pounds and an annual salary of three point seven-five million pounds

Zaha started out at Palace aged just twelve, spending most of his career there.

The forward made four hundred and fifty-eight appearances for the Eagles, the third-most in the club’s history, and scored ninety goals.

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The Football Association’s commercial director, Navin Singh has resigned after just eighteen months in the role following their controversial decision to sell the international TV rights for the FA Cup to the Premier League.

Singh resigned to take up a new role as Chief Operating Officer at Six Nations rugby.

Singh is the second FA commercial director to leave in less than two years following the departure of his predecessor, Kathryn Swarbrick, who also left after less than two years as commercial and marketing director to join adidas.

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Former England forward, Trevor Francis has died aged sixty-nine after suffering a heart attack in Spain.

In 1979 he became Britain’s first one million pounds footballer when he moved from Birmingham City to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest.

He won two European Cups with Forest in 1979, when he scored the winner against Malmo, and 1980.

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Former Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest midfielder Chris Bart-Williams has died at the aged of forty-nine.

Sheffield Wednesday confirmed he had died in the United States, where he was a coach and mentor.

Bart-Williams started his career at Leyton Orient and scored on his full debut for the club in a four-nil win against Tranmere Rovers as a sixteen year-old.

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OTHER SPORTS

In Rugby; A foul play ‘Bunker’ review system is one of a number of innovations set to be used during rugby’s Summer Nations Series.

The series runs from the 29th July to 27th August to offer warm-up games before the World Cup in September.

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In Cricket; England deserve to draw the Ashes by winning the fifth and final Test, says opener Zak Crawley.

The 25-year-old hit 189 in the rain-ruined fourth Test at Old Trafford, which saw Australia retain the Ashes.

Australia lead the series 2-1 heading into the fifth Test at The Oval.

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In Tennis; Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next month’s Canadian Open in Toronto because of fatigue.

The 36-year-old Serbian lost a five-set Wimbledon final to Spain’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz a week ago.

He will be replaced by American Christopher Eubanks in the main draw.

This is according to the tournament organisers.

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After a spectacular London Diamond League all attention now turns to the year’s headline event: the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Many of the sport’s biggest stars harbouring podium aspirations took their opportunity to impress at London Stadium in the last Diamond League event before the Worlds begin on 19 August.

Backed by an enraptured crowd of 50,000 fans, several British athletes delivered promising performances on home soil to further sharpen their preparations.

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OTHER LEAGUES.

Rangers will play Genk or Servette in the third round of Champions League qualifying.

Michael Beale’s side will be at Ibrox on eight to nineth August, with the second leg on fifteenth August.

Swiss side Servette are at home to Genk of Belgium on Tuesday in the first leg of their second-round tie.

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Real Madrid Manager, Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid are lucky to have the fantastic Jude Bellingham after the England midfielder impressed on debut in a three-two pre-season win against AC Milan in Los Angeles.

It was another Englishman, Fikayo Tomori, who got his name on the scoresheet, heading the opener for AC Milan, but two second-half goals from Federico Valverde and a superb winner from Vinicius Junior, who ran on to a sublime Luka Modric pass, sent the majority of fans in a seventy thousand crowd at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena home happy.

Bellingham’s sixty-two minute debut had flashes of his natural technique and confidence, twice bringing roars of approval from the crowd and then praise from his manager Ancelotti.

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Real Madrid are continuing to make rapid progress with their ambitious renovation of the Bernabeu, a mega-millions project stretching back to 2019.

The overhaul, believed to be worth four hundred and ninety-four million pounds, is designed to bring the iconic stadium into the modern age, although it has been hit by several delays.

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Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal have made a world record two hundred and fifty-nine million pounds bid for Paris Saint-Germain forward, Kylian Mbappe.

The France captain, who has a year left on his contract, refused to sign an extension at the French champions and was not part of the pre-season tour to Japan.

PSG want to sell Mbappe now rather than let him leave for free next summer.

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Borussia Dortmund have signed midfielder Marcel Sabitzer from Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.

The Austria international has joined Dortmund on a contract until thirty June, 2027.

Sabitzer had a stint on loan at Manchester United last season after signing for the Old Trafford club in January.

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Bayern Munich forward, Sadio Mane is considering an offer to join Saudi Arabia Pro League side Al-Nassr.

Mane, has fallen out of favour at the Bundesliga champions after an underwhelming first season following a thirty-five million pounds move from Liverpool last summer.

Mane has spoken to Al-Nassr but no deal has been agreed with the Saudi club.

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Lionel Messi is set to be appointed captain of Inter Miami after just one game.

Head coach of the MLS side, Tata Martino, said Messi would be given the armband.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner captained the side on his debut off the bench, scoring a stunning last-minute free-kick to clinch a two-one win over Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.

Inter Miami’s current captain is Gregore, a defensive midfielder, but he is out with a long-term injury, and Messi is set to take over.

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

“Winning solves everything.”.. Says Tiger Woods.

“Victory is fleeting. Losing is forever.”…Says Billie Jean King.

“I’ve never lost a game. I just ran out of time.”…Says Michael Jordan.