NIGERIA
Akwa United head coach, Fatai Osho says he is unperturbed by the defeat of his side’s defeat to Enyimba in a pre-season friendly.
The Promise Keepers suffered a 3-1 defeat against the reigning Nigeria Professional Football League champions in a pre-season friendly in Uyo.
The former Rivers United coach disclosed that the encounter was an opportunity to assess his team’s readiness for the new season.
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Usman Abdallah has left his post as head coach of Nigeria Professional Football League side, Katsina United.
Abdallah guided the Chanji Boys to NPFL promotion in Asaba last month.
The management of the club decided not to renew his contract.
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Rangers midfielder, Chukwudi Nwaodu says the team’s target is to win the Nigeria Professional Football League next season.
Nwaodu was recently appointed captain of the Flying Antelopes, following Uche John’s departure to Rivers United.
The Coal City side last won the NPFL title in 2017.
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The Nigeria University Games Association says it will find ways to enhance the performance of its athletes in subsequent international competitions.
Its comment follows the country’s underwhelming performance at the just concluded World University Games in Chengdu, China.
After missing the last edition in Napoli 2019, the country was represented by twenty-seven athletes selected from twenty-two schools in seven events at this year’s game in China but the contingent failed to win any medal at the games.
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World Athletics has declared that Tobi Amusan, the reigning World 100m hurdles champion will get the chance to defend her title in Budapest, Hungary if she is cleared of her whereabouts failures.
The world governing body for the sport has included the 26 year old in the list of athletes that will compete for Nigeria but her participation is dependent on if she scales the anti-doping rule violation charge against her by the Athletics Integrity Unit.
Amusan was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for three whereabouts failures last month and the Nigerian has decided to contest the charge.
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A blurry-eyed Anthony Joshua woke up to a message at 07:00 informing him that Dillian Whyte had failed a voluntary drugs test, forcing their all-British heavyweight rematch to be cancelled at just a week’s notice.
Joshua felt a responsibility towards his promoter, the undercard boxers and fans who had booked travel and accommodation and insisted the show should go ahead.
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IN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP.
Ashleigh Plumptre says the Super Falcons gave everything in their penalty loss to England at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The defender played every minute in Monday’s round of 16 defeat to England’s Lionesses. Coach Randy Waldrum’s girls lost 4-2 on penalties to the European champions after normal and extra time ended goalless.
Despite crashing out of the Australia and New Zealand edition of the competition, Plumptre has praised the team for their performance.
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England forward Lauren James has been given a two-match ban by Fifa for her red card in the Women’s World Cup game with Nigeria.
James, was sent off for stamping on the back of Michelle Alozie in the last 16-tie, which England won on penalties.
The dismissal came with an automatic one-game ban which Fifa has increased, meaning she will miss the semi-final if England get there.
The Lionesses face Colombia in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
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Nigerian football enthusiasts say they perceive bias on the ruling of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee after it awarded England’s Lauren James a two-game ban as a result of her red card against Nigeria in the round of 16 of the ongoing Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The England forward was given the marching orders in the 87th minute of the encounter after stamping on defender Michelle Alozie.
The decision, however, didn’t go down well with some Nigerians, who labelled it double standard, as the country also missed the services of Deborah Abiodun throughout their stay in Down Under to a three-game suspension after she was also given a straight red card in Nigeria’s opening game against Canada.
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Teenage winger Salma Paralluelo came off the bench to score a 111th-minute winner as Spain beat the Netherlands to reach the Women’s World Cup semi-finals for the first time.
Mariona Caldentey had appeared to give Spain the win in normal time when she slammed home an 80th-minute penalty via the post after Stefanie van der Gragt handled in the box.
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Netherlands forward Lineth Beerensteyn says she celebrated the USA’s World Cup exit as the defending champions had “a really big mouth”.
The USA beat the Dutch in the 2019 final but their title defence ended with defeat by Sweden on penalties on Sunday.
The four-time winners’ last-16 exit was their worst performance at a World Cup.
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The second Southwest Closed Scrabble Championship will hold in Abeokuta, Ogun State, tomorrow.
The championship is aimed at unearthing and harnessing players from the region for national and international championships.
The organisers said participants are expected from Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Osun and Ekiti states.
They said the competition would involve 12 round of games in the Opens, Intermediate and Masters categories, with minimum ratings pegged at 1100, 1101-1399 and 1400.
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ENGLAND
The 2023-24 Premier League season kicks off on Friday as reigning champions Manchester City travel to a Burnley side led by a modern Blues legend.
Vincent Kompany won 10 major trophies as a City player but will be in the opposition dugout after leading the Clarets back to the top-flight in his first season as their manager.
After holding off the challenge of Arsenal to win their ninth top-flight title, City will be hoping to steal an early march on their rivals, many of whom have spent big this summer to try to close the gap.
On Saturday, the Gunners host Nottingham Forest, while Newcastle face Aston Villa in a contest between two sides making their return to European competition this campaign.
Sunday brings the debut of two new bosses as Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou takes his side to Brentford before Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea host Liverpool.
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says it will be “impossible” for his side to repeat last season’s Treble success.
The team finished 2022-23 with a hat-trick of major trophies and begin this year’s Premier League campaign against newly promoted Burnley on Friday.
Guardiola said winning the league, Champions League and FA Cup again would be too difficult.
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West Ham have signed Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez from Ajax in a deal thought to be worth about £35m.
He was a central figure in the Mexico side that won the Concacaf Gold Cup in the United States this summer.
Alvarez is the club’s first signing of the summer following the departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m.
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Bournemouth have completed the signing of midfielder Alex Scott from Bristol City for a reported fee of £25m.
He agreed a long-term contract with the Cherries and becomes manager Andoni Iraola’s fifth signing of the summer.
Scott played three matches for England at the U20 World Cup in Argentina earlier this year.
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Former England defender Micah Richards has claimed Gabriel Jesus’ injury has already “killed” Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League.
Jesus will miss the start of the campaign after undergoing minor knee surgery last month.
Richards believes the Brazilian’s absence could have a significant effect as the Gunners look to end their 20-year wait for a league title.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Cycling; Great Britain’s Sarah Storey won her 36th Para-cycling gold at the Cycling World Championships.
The 45-year-old was the second starter in the C5 individual time trial and set a time of 39 minutes 48.89 seconds over a 28.2km course in Dumfries.
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In Tennis; Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the US Open due to injury, the tournament organised have said.
The Australian has been beset by injury problems this year and has played just one ATP Tour match in 2023.
Kyrgios missed Wimbledon with a wrist injury, while knee and foot injuries kept him out of the Australian Open and French Open.
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British number one Katie Boulter was swept aside in straight sets by American teenager Coco Gauff in the second round of the Canadian Open.
Boulter, 27, had not dropped a set in coming through two qualifying matches and her main-draw opener in Montreal.
But she lost 6-2 6-2 to 19-year-old Gauff, who will face Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the last 16.
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In Golf; American Ally Ewing has a one-shot lead after the first day of the Women’s Open at Walton Heath.
The 30-year-old sank a birdie on the 15th and then recorded an eagle at the par-five 16th to sign for a round of 68, which included four other birdies.
South Korean duo Amy Yang and Jeongeun Lee6 hit rounds of 69 and are among the chasing pack at two under.
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In Cricket; Shabnim Ismail took a magnificent hat-trick for Welsh Fire to seal a thrilling three-run victory over Birmingham Phoenix.
Phoenix needed four runs to win from the last three balls when Ismail dismissed Tess Flintoff for 55, and Erin Burns and Issy Wong for nought.
England wicketkeeper Amy Jones was left stranded on 48 at the other end.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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Bayern Munich and Tottenham have agreed a deal in principle for England captain Harry Kane worth more than £86.4m.
Kane, has one year left on his contract with Spurs and must now make a decision about whether or not to leave.
The forward is Tottenham’s all-time top scorer with 280 goals in 435 appearances.
Kane was linked with Manchester United earlier this summer before Bayern made him their main target.
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Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and is likely to miss the majority of the season.
The Belgium international will have surgery in the coming days.
Courtois, who was named the best goalkeeper in the world at last year’s Ballon d’Or awards, has won Spain’s La Liga twice since joining Real in 2018.
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Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has told the Parisians he will not leave the club under any circumstances this summer.
Mbappe feels let down by PSG’s transfer policy amid reports linking him with a move to Real Madrid.
The France captain will be frozen out of PSG’s squad and will not play for the club until his contract runs out next season.
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TODAY’S FIXTURES
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IN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL
Spain. VS. Netherlands
Japan. VS Sweden
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PREMIER LEAGUE
Burnley. VS Manchester City
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SPANISH LA LIGA
Almería VS Rayo Vallecano
Sevilla. VS. Valencia
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SOCCER ACTION CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND.
ON SATURDAY.
IN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP- QUARTER-FINAL
Australia. VS France
England. VS. Colombia
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IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Arsenal. VS. Nottingham Forest
AFC Bournemouth. VS West Ham United
Brighton & Hove Albion. VS Luton Town
Everton. VS Fulham
Sheffield United. VS Crystal Palace
Newcastle United. VS. Aston Villa
ON SUNDAY
Brentford. VS Tottenham.
Chelsea VS. Liverpool
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IN SPANISH LA LIGA
ON SATURDAY
Real Sociedad VS Girona
Las Palmas VS Mallorca
Athletic Bilbao VS Real Madrid.
ON SUNDAY
Celta Vigo VS. Osasuna
Villarreal VS. Real Betis
Getafe VS Barcelona
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TODAY’S THOUGHT
“Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.””..Words from Ted Williams.
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