NIGERIA
The Chairman of the Nigerian Women’s Football League, Aisha Falode, has reiterated that the Nigeria Football Federation, will still be responsible for the payment of 2023 Women’s World Cup prize money to the Super Falcons.
Falode made this known on the backdrop of reports that FIFA would directly pay the Super Falcons player their money instead of the Federation.
Falode, said the World Cup prize money would be ring-fenced to ensure it gets to the players without interference from a third party.
She noted that FIFA did not say it would pay the players directly, stating that the Federation would receive the funds from which to pay the Super Falcons.
==============================
Super Falcons have returned to training at the Lion FC ground on Thursday ahead of their Round of sixteen clash with England.
All the twenty-three players took part in the exercise.
Midfielder Deborah Abiodun is available again after sitting out the games against Australia and Republic of Ireland due to suspension.
Randy Waldrum’s side will take on the Lionesses of England at the Lang Park, Brisbane on Monday, by 8.30am Nigerian time.
=======================================
Super Falcons forward, Asisat Oshoala says her biggest dream was to be a professional lawyer and not a footballer.
Oshoala, who netted a goal in Super Falcons’ three-two win over Australia in the ongoing 2023 Women’s World Cup, said it has always been her dream to become a lawyer.
========================================
Bendel Insurance has opened a training camp in Lagos, ahead of the commencement of the Nigeria Professional Football League.
The Benin Arsenals are reportedly on a pre-season tour of South West, as the team is temporarily based in the Badagry area of the state.
Monday Odigie’s tutored side played a goalless draw against Kwara United on Wednesday’s first game of their tour in Ijebu-Ode.
================================
Katsina United have returned to training ahead of the upcoming 2023–24 Nigeria Premeir League season.
The Chanji Boys embarked on a two-week break after returning from the Naija Super Eight pre-season tournament last month.
Usman Abdallah’s side secured promotion to the top flight during the Nigeria National League Super Eight playoffs in Asaba.
=================================
Rivers United forward, Deputy Echeta says his hunger for success lured him to join the team.
Echeta who was unveiled as a Rivers United player after signing for an undisclosed fee, left Bendel Insurance after the expiration of his contract.
The enterprising forward helped Bendel Insurance win the 2023 Federation Cup.
=====================================
The Nigeria Senior Women’s Basketball Team D’tigress on Thursday in the ongoing Afrobasket Women’s Championship, crushed host country Rwanda, 79-48 to reach another final.
D’tigress has been dominant in the competition since 2015 are yet to loose any match and are now gunning for their fourth successive championship trophy.
The D’tigress has extended their unbeaten run to twenty-three games and will face the winner between Senegal and Mali in the final on Saturday.
====================================
Team Nigeria will be looking to mark their appearance at the 2023 World University Games in Chengdu, China with some medals in their last two events as the competition gradually winds down.
Nigeria will be in action in the women singles and doubles event of the badminton event on Friday, while the male and female four by one hundred metre relay quartets would also be eyeing a podium finish.
====================================
Nigeria will be represented by two school teams when the second edition of the World Secondary Schools Soccer Tournament gets underway in China next year.
This follows the success of Nigeria’s sole flag bearers, FOSLA Academy, the pet school of former NFF President, Sani Lulu, in the inaugural edition of the tournament in Rabat, Morocco.
FOSLA Academy reached the Round of sixteen of the tournament but failed to book a quarterfinal berth, but it was a performance that guaranteed them a slot in the 2024 edition of the showpiece in China.
=====================================
IN WOMEN’S WORLD
Two-time champions Germany has crashed out of the Women’s World Cup group stages in the biggest shock of the tournament through a draw with South Korea.
It is the first time in Germany’s history, they have failed to reach the knockout stages.
One of the pre-tournament favourites, Germany knew they needed to better Morocco’s result against Colombia to progress in Group H, but that match finished one-nil to Morocco.
An early goal by South Korea’s Cho So-hyun shook the Euro 2022 finalists in Brisbane, but captain Alexandra Popp netted her fourth goal in three matches to equalise shortly before half-time.
Germany’s players fell to the ground at full-time and were in tears as they were consoled by staff members.
====================================
Meanwhile, German media have slammed the exit of their women’s team from the World Cup as a ‘disgrace’ after they crashed out of the tournament in the group stages.
The German press have not held back in their criticism of their failure to qualify for the round of sixteen, with Bild calling it an ‘historic World Cup debacle’ and a ‘horror’.
====================================
Morocco have reached the round of sixteen on their Women’s World Cup debut after beating Colombia one-nil, although the South Americans progress as Group H winners.
Germany’s failure to beat South Korea means Morocco are into the knockout rounds as runners-up.
Anissa Lahmari scored the only goal through a rebound after captain Ghizlane Chebbak’s penalty was saved.
Morocco who lost six-nil to the Germans in their opener before successive wins – will face France in Adelaide.
Colombia, who earned two wins in their first two matches and finish above Morocco on goal difference, will play Jamaica in Melbourne on eight August.
=================================
England women defender, Lucy Bronze says she can help keep Lauren James’ “feet on the ground” and has formed a strong bond with the Chelsea star.
James, has been one of the standout performers at the Women’s World Cup, producing a stunning performance in the six-one win over China on Tuesday.
She has three goals and three assists in as many games and manager Sarina Wiegman said she did special things.
==============================
USA captain, Lindsey Horan has told critics that they have no idea after the defending champions came under fire at the Women’s World Cup.
The top-ranked nation in the world had an underwhelming tournament and only scraped through to the round of sixteen with a draw against debutants Portugal.
That prompted criticism from fans and former players, including two-time USA World Cup winner, Carli Lloyd, who said the tactics were “too predictable”.
==================================
ENGLAND
Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez for twenty-five million pounds plus add-ons.
The Blues have been looking to add a goalkeeper to their squad following the sale of Edouard Mendy to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia.
Sanchez, would challenge Kepa Arrizabalaga for the number one spot.
=====================================
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that his team need to strengthen in all areas in the remainder of the summer transfer window.
Chelsea offloaded two hundred and fifty million pounds worth of talent so far in the ongoing transfer window.
The Blues are desperate to trim their squad after spending six hundred million pounds in the last two transfer windows.
While Pochettino remains determined to trim his squad even further, the Argentine wants to strengthen the spine of the team.
=====================================
Chelsea midfielder, Carney Chukwuemeka has refused to rule out the possibility of representing Nigeria in future.
Chukwuemeka, who was born in Austria to Nigerian parents, was part of England squad to the FIFA Under-twenty World Cup in May.
The player who is still eligible to play for the Super Eagles, claimed it was an option he would consider later in his career.
====================================
Arsenal star, Eddie Nketiah is raring to lead the team’s frontline after the shock loss of Gabriel Jesus to a knee injury and has had the opportunity to pick Arsene Wenger’s brain.
The Brazilian striker was not in the squad for Arsenal’s Emirates Cup clash against Monaco, which they won on penalties after a one-all draw.
The team’s manager, Mikel Arteta revealed Jesus had a knee operation after discomfort related to a previous surgery in the same area, which he picked up during the World Cup in December.
==================================
Arsenal owner, Stan Kroenke says Saudi Arabian football can be positive partners for the Premier League.
Kroenke did not believe the Saudi Pro League was a threat to England’s biggest clubs.
====================================
Also, Arsenal goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale says he will no longer stay quiet when he encounters homophobic comments in dressing rooms and on social media.
Ramsdale said he wants football to be welcoming for everyone so his brother, who is gay, can attend matches without fear of abuse.
Writing for The Players’ Tribune, he added he “felt bad” for the Tottenham fan who assaulted him in January.
===================================
Newcastle United have agreed a deal for Southampton right-back Tino Livramento worth forty million pounds including add-ons.
Livramento joined the south-coast club from Chelsea in 2021 for five million pounds.
His departure comes after Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season.
===================================
Brighton expect that Moises Caicedo will still be at the club when the transfer window closes on first September.
The midfielder has been the subject of a series of bids from Chelsea following Arsenal’s interest in January.
No club has reached Brighton’s valuation so far and they do not expect that situation to change this summer.
====================================
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp has been seen fuming at Liverpool fans who asked him to sign an autograph.
The Reds are currently on a pre-season tour in Singapore, and suffered a last gasp four-three defeat by Bayern Munich.
The Bundesliga champions snatched the victory from right out of the clutches of the Premier League side, with Josip Stanisic scoring in the eighty minute to level the scores at three-all draw.
================================
Manchester United star, Marcus Rashford has set his sights on breaking Wayne Rooney’s all-time Manchester United goal record after committing his future to the club.
Rashford scored one hundred and twenty-three goals in three hundred and fifty-nine games since coming through the Manchester United academy to establish himself as one of the stars of the team.
Having put pen to paper on a new five-year deal worth three hundred thousand pounds a-week, Rooney’s record of two hundred and fifty-three goals appears within reach.
=================================
Manchester United youngster, Amad Diallo will no longer leave the club on loan this summer after picking up an injury against Arsenal last month.
The Red Devils have confirmed that the winger would miss the start of the new Premier League campaign, which begins with a clash against Wolves at Old Trafford on fourteen August.
Diallo, who prospered on loan at Sunderland last season, was set to undergo another loan spell this term, but interested clubs have now been put off a deal as a result of the injury.
===============================
Manchester United plan to unveil Rasmus Hojlund before their friendly with Lens on Saturday after he passed his medical and agreed a five-year contract.
Erik ten Hag’s side will play their penultimate friendly of the pre-season campaign at Old Trafford, and fans would be treated to sight of the club’s latest seventy-two million pounds signing.
The Danish wonderkid joins the Red Devils from Atalanta as their priority signing after first securing the services of Mason Mount and Andre Onana earlier in the window.
==================================
Former England international, Rio Ferdinand has chosen Manchester United’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana over Arsenal’s goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale.
Ferdinand believes Onana is ahead of Ramsdale due to his resume.
He said this while explaining why he would choose Onana over Ramsdale in his combined eleven.
====================================
Nottingham Forest owe millions in overdue payments to players and agents.
According to a report, those who left the club this summer were due to be paid their bonuses for last season, which include Premier League survival payments, at the end of July.
It can also be disclosed that a number of agents, also owed millions, are now considering legal action, which could potentially see winding up petitions issued against the club.
===================================
Burnley have become the latest football club to be the focus of a documentary after ‘Mission to Burnley’ was confirmed for release next week.
Vincent Kompany and his players are preparing for their return to the Premier League and opening match against reigning champions Manchester City eleventh August.
===================================
West Ham have announced that Vanessa Gold has become the club’s joint-chair, the position previously held by her late father David Gold.
Gold joins David Sullivan and Karren Brady on the board of directors at the London Stadium, taking over the shares of her father, who died in January at the aged of eighty-six.
=====================================
Willian could depart Fulham for Saudi Arabia just two weeks after he rejected interest from Nottingham Forest to sign a new deal at Craven Cottage.
The former Chelsea and Arsenal player, penned a new one-year contract on seventeen July, ending speculation over his future.
===================================
Aston Villa defender, Lucas Digne is a target for Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal less than eighteen months after joining the club in a twenty-five million pounds deal.
The France full-back is unlikely to be part of coach Unai Emery’s first-choice starting eleven in the season ahead and Saudi sources have indicated Al-Hilal – who have already signed Ruben Neves and Kalidou Koulibaly from Wolves and Chelsea – are pressing ahead with a move for Digne.
====================================
OTHER SPORTS
In Tennis; Andy Murray won his first singles match since Wimbledon by beating American Brandon Nakashima 7-6 6-4 in the Citi Open second round.
The Briton, who lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round at Wimbledon last month, received a first-round bye in Washington.
Murray, will play Taylor Fritz, who beat fellow American Zachary Svajda 6-3, 6-3, in the last 16 on Thursday.
====================================
In Golf; Japan’s Hinako Shibuno compiled a stunning 64 to lead after the opening day of the Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links.
Shibuno, who won the 2019 Women’s Open, posted five birdies in her first seven holes to streak to the top of the leaderboard in fine style in Troon.
==================================
In Cricket; England’s Ben Foakes hit his first century in white-ball cricket – but still could not prevent Surrey getting off to a losing start in the One-Day Cup.
Just like Essex, who were hammered by 168 runs by Nottinghamshire at Chelmsford, Surrey also stumbled badly on home soil, being beaten by five wickets by Leicestershire, with 46 balls to spare at The Oval.
======================================
An English professional rugby union player, Marcus Smith is destined to be included in England’s World Cup squad, after head coach Steve Borthwick confirmed on Thursday that he intends to take three fly-halves to France.
The box-office Harlequins prodigy lost his starting place to Owen Farrell during the Six Nations and George Ford’s return from injury led to speculation that Smith might miss the cut when thirty-three players are named on Monday for the global showpiece.
==================================
OTHER LEAGUES.
Ajax have signed Portuguese forward Carlos Borges from Manchester City in a deal worth up to seventeen point three million pounds.
Last season, Borges finished top scorer in the Premier League two, the top flight of academy football with twenty-one goals in twenty-four matches.
Borges leaves Manchester City having never made a senior appearance for the first team, after joining their academy in 2014.
==================================
Somalia has suspended a sports official for nepotism after a novice sprinter was allowed to compete in an international sports competition.
The Sports official, Nasra Abubakar Ali, took almost twice as long as the winner to finish the one hundred Metres at the World University Games in China.
An investigation by the Somali Ministry of Youth and Sport revealed she was not a sports person, or a runner.
Meanwhile, the Chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation, Khadijo Dahir had been accused of abusing her power and defaming Somalia.
==================================
TODAY’S THOUGHT
Leadership, like coaching, is fighting for the hearts and souls of men and getting them to believe in you….Words from Eddie Robinson.
securityandsafetymatters 