NIGERIA
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has constituted its standing and ad-hoc committees.
Its Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, said a total of 17 standing committees and three ad-hoc committees were constituted by the NFF.
He added that the judicial committees had been constituted earlier.
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Sadeeq Yusuf has joined Nigeria Professional Football League side, Kwara United on a free transfer.
Yusuf signed a two-year deal with the Harmony Boys.
The pacy forward was allowed to leave Akwa United at the end of last season.
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Lobi Stars Chairman, Dominic Iorfa has withdrawn a court case instituted against one Paul Tion for character assassination and defamation.
Iorfa told the court of his intention to withdraw from it despite the huge insult metted on his person by Tion, citing forgiveness and compassion.
The judge at the upper area court 1 in Markurdi A. N. Gwar, in his ruling, frowned at Tion over what he described as a conduct unacceptable and demanded a disclaimer from the defamatory publications.
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Nigerian international, Victor Osimhen has withdraw from training on Tuesday following an ankle injury.
The team announced that the Nigeria international left training prematurely due to the setback.
He sustained the injury after colliding with new signing Nathan during a practice match.
The striker, was visibly pained as he limped off the pitch and instantly applied an ice pack to his ankle.
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Al-Hilal are desperate to sign Victor Osimhen before the end of the ongoing summer transfer window and has offered the Nigerian striker a lucrative deal worth €200 million.
Transfer News Live on Tuesday quoted Calcio Napoli as saying that Al-Hilal’s latest offer to Osimhen will see the Super Eagles striker earn €40m a year over a five-season deal.
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Watford are trying to snap up highly-rated teenager Daniel Daga amid competition from Premier League giants Liverpool and Serie A’s AC Milan.
The 16-year-old turned heads with his performances for Nigeria at this year’s U-20 World Cup in Argentina, playing above his age group.
The combative defensive midfielder plays for FC One Rocket in the Nigerian National League but it’s his performances for the Nigerian U-20 side, at the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup, where he was part of the team that were beaten by South Korea in the quarter-finals
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Anthony Joshua will face Finnish boxer Robert Helenius in London on Saturday after being drafted in as a late substitute for Dillian Whyte.
The proposed all-British heavyweight fight was called off last weekend after “adverse analytical findings” in a drug test taken by Whyte, who has promised to clear his name.
Helenius, 39, fought in his own country on Saturday but has agreed to fight the former two-time world heavyweight champion.
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Emerging Nigerian basketball star, Myles Hosten, has been voted to the Basketball Without Borders’ (BWB) 2023 Boys All-Stars team.
Hosten was among the top prospects chosen at the end of the 19thBWB Africa camp held at the American International School, Johannesburg.
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IN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) has pledged to help the Super Falcons to get all the money they are being owed by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).
FIFPRO issued a statement to this effect on Tuesday, saying it will swing into action on behalf of Nigeria women’s senior national team.
It said during the ongoing Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the Nigerian players expressed the desire to remain focused on their performance without making public statements or facing other distractions.
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Nigeria’s women’s football team, fresh from an impressive run to the last 16 of the World Cup, are demanding their national federation “honour their commitments” and pay them outstanding bonuses and expenses.
The Super Falcons resumed their battle with the federation after they bowed out of the World Cup losing on penalties to European champions England on Monday.
Their build-up to this year’s tournament was overshadowed by a row with their national federation over bonuses.
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Football fans have rated the Nigeria Super Falcons high in performance at the ongoing Women World Cup tournament, in spite of Monday defeat through penalty kicks.
The fans assessed the team, saying the outcome of the match was inspiring and won many hearts for women football in Nigeria.
They were of the opinion that the nine time Africa champions were the better team in spite of losing 2-4 on penalty shootout to England after a 0-0 draw, to bow out of the tournament in the round of 16 match.
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Eugenie Le Sommer scored twice as France cruised into the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals, thrashing Morocco four -nil to end the African side’s dream run.
Goals from Kadidiatou Diani, Kenza Dali and Le Sommer put France 3-0 ahead at half-time in Adelaide, with Le Sommer adding her second after 70 minutes.
France will now face Australia in the last eight in Brisbane on Saturday.
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Colombia set up a Women’s World Cup quarter-final against England with a hard-fought one-nil victory over Jamaica.
Catalina Usme, who captained Colombia in Melbourne, curled home the decisive strike in the 51st minute.
It was the first goal Jamaica had conceded at the tournament after 321 minutes of play, but they could not find a response.
This is the first time Colombia have reached the last eight of the Women’s World Cup.
They will face European champions England at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Saturday.
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The English Football Association have released a statement following Lauren James’ red card against Nigeria.
James was dismissed in the second half of the match against the Super Falcons for stamping on Michelle Alozie.
The Chelsea women forward is handed an automatic one-game ban, which could be extended via FIFA’s disciplinary process
The Association are now awaiting the length of her suspension from FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee.
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England women forward Lauren James has apologised for her red card during the Women’s World Cup last-16 win over Nigeria and says she will learn from the experience.
She was sent off following a VAR review for stamping on Michelle Alozie’s back in a tie England won on penalties.
James will be suspended for Saturday’s quarter-final against Colombia.
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ENGLAND
Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez will have a medical ahead of becoming West Ham’s first signing of the summer.
Alvarez has been the subject of interest from the Hammers for some time and an agreement has been reached with Ajax over a deal thought to be worth around £35m.
A central figure in the Mexico side that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States this summer, the 25-year-old is viewed as a replacement for Declan Rice, although his attributes are mainly as a defensive midfielder.
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Premier League captains have confirmed that players will continue to take the knee before some matches this season.
Players will take the knee during the opening and closing rounds of Premier League fixtures.
Designated No Room For Racism fixtures in October and April and Boxing Day fixtures will also begin with players taking the knee.
The gesture has been used by players since the murder of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests.
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Newcastle United have signed Southampton defender Tino Livramento in a deal worth up to forty million pounds.
The deal is worth an initial £32m and the Englishman has signed a five-year contract.
Livramento, who joined Southampton from Chelsea for five million pounds in 2021, is Newcastle’s third summer signing.
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Chelsea striker Christopher Nkunku will be out for “an extended period” after undergoing surgery on his injured knee.
The France forward, suffered the problem during the first half of Chelsea’s pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago last week.
Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino said at the time he hoped the injury would not be a “big issue” for his £52m striker.
Chelsea, who host Liverpool in their Premier League opener on Sunday, have not specified a length of absences.
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Tottenham have completed deals for Netherlands Under-twenty-one defender Micky van de Ven and Argentina Under-twenty forward Alejo Veliz.
The team signed Van de Ven, from Wolfsburg for an initial £34m which could rise to a reported £43m with add-ons.
Veliz, has joined the London club from Rosario Central for a reported £13m fee subject to a work permit.
Both players have signed six-year contracts at Tottenham.
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Liverpool star, Virgil van Dijk says he can appreciate why there are “doubts” over Liverpool’s prospects for the new season.
Six senior players departed Anfield this summer including Jordan Henderson, Van Dijk’s predecessor as captain.
Pre-season results have been mixed, with a defensive midfielder yet to arrive after three failed bids for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia.
Liverpool have signed midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but they are the only two arrivals so far.
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Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui is poised to leave the club, with former Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil set to replace him in charge.
The club have known for sometime that Lopetegui, wanted to quit Molineux before the new season started.
Talks held today over the Spaniard’s exit from the club have been amicable.
Several candidates were considered but O’Neil impressed the hierarchy and is set to be named Lopetegui’s replacement.
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Tuesday’s Champions League qualifier between AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb has been postponed after a fan was stabbed to death in the Greek capital.
The Greek supporter, died following brawls between rival fans outside AEK’s Agia Sophia Stadium in a northern suburb of Athens.
Police said eight others were injured and 98 arrests were made.
Uefa had banned visiting supporters from both legs of the third-round qualifying tie over security concerns.
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OTHER SPORTS
In Cricket; Maia Bouchier hit a fine half-century to steer Southern Brave to a five-wicket victory over London Spirit in a rain-shortened match at Lord’s.
After the game was reduced to 85 balls per side, Bouchier hit 63 not out from 42 as Brave reached their target of 105 with three deliveries to spare.
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In Tennis; Andy Murray is through to the second round of the Canadian Open in Toronto after a straight-set victory over Lorenzo Sonego in blustery Toronto.
Murray, beat the Italian 7-6 6-0 in two hours and nine minutes at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
The Scot previously won the tournament in 2009, 2010 and 2015.
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Caroline Wozniacki said she was “definitely a little rusty” following her first-round victory at the Canadian Open on her return to tennis after retiring in 2020.
The former world number one, 33, has since given birth to two children and beat qualifier Kimberly Birrell of Australia 6-2 6-2 in Montreal.
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In Rugby; Zander Fagerson will be available for Scotland’s opening match at the World Cup after receiving a reduced ban for charging into a ruck.
The Glasgow tighthead prop was sent off for a high tackle on Pierre Bourgarit 50 minutes into Scotland’s win over France at Murrayfield on Saturday.
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In Golf; The PGA Tour says the FedEx Cup will return to a 36-event season in 2024 and the play-off champion will receive a record $25m bonus.
The season will tee off in January and conclude in August, with 70 players advancing to the play-offs.
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In Cycling; Great Britain’s Neil Fachie claimed his 19th world title and Frances Brown also took gold at the Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.
Fachie’s triumph with Elizabeth Jordan, and pilots Matthew Rotherham and Amy Cole, came in the mixed B team sprint.
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OTHER LEAGUES
Real Madrid begin life after Karim Benzema, looking to wrest back the Spanish title from Barcelona as the La Liga season kicks off this weekend, seemingly content to play the waiting game for Kylian Mbappe.
Benzema, the reigning Ballon d’Or, swapped the Santiago Bernabeu for Saudi Arabia in June after 14 seasons in Madrid, where he is second on the club’s all-time goalscoring list with 354 trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a bid to bridge the 10-point gap that separated them from Barcelona last season, Madrid splashed out 103 million euros on England international Jude Bellingham and swooped for Turkish prodigy Arda Guler.
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Nick Marsman has been booted out of Inter Miami weeks after he questioned Lionel Messi’s transfer to the club.
The 32-year-old had in June stated that Inter Miami was not ready for Messi’s arrival.
He played down Inter Miami’s infrastructure and whether it was good enough to welcome a player of Lionel Messi’s stature.
Weeks after him questioning the club’s decision to sign the Argentine superstar, Marsman has seen his contract terminated by the club.
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Southampton were dumped out of the Carabao Cup after a 3-1 first-round defeat at League Two Gillingham as Robbie McKenzie scored twice.
Ashley Nadesan gave the Gills the lead after only 11 minutes, slotting into the corner after Dom Jefferies burst down the left wing behind the Saints defence and crossed into the box.
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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.
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