GLOBAL ASSOCIATION
The ruling body FIFA, has been fined $163,000 by a German court, in connection with regulations on football agents.
A Dortmund district court, in a ruling seen by German news agency, imposed the administrative fine because it believed FIFA, was still violating its verdict from May in favour of agents.
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The resounding success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, held in Australia and New Zealand, has garnered widespread acclaim from AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.
The event, organized by Football Australia, New Zealand Football, the Local FIFA Subsidiary, and FIFA, has been hailed as the most spectacular edition in the tournament’s history.
Shaikh Salman also commended the remarkable performances of Asian teams and officials, showcasing their prowess on the global stage.
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NIGERIA
Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh has assured that government will ensure the resuscitation and turn-around of the facilities at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium to meet up with international best standards.
Enoh gave the assurance after the inspection tour of the edifice, stating that the facility has the capacity to become one of the best multi purpose Stadium Complex in Africa.
According to him, government will ensure the maintenance of the current infrastructure with a view to making it better, in line with global standards.
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An ad hoc committee investigating the face-off between Super Falcons and Officials of the Nigerian Football Federation NFF, has once again summoned the president of NFF, Ibrahim Gusau.
Chairman of the Committee, Blessing Onuh, issued the summons after Gusau shunned the invitation of the committee.
The committee was set up to investigate the issue of payment of allowances to the Super Falcons team following their exploits at the World Cup in Australia.
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Akwa United have unveiled Fatai Osho as their new head coach.
Osho was unveiled at an impressive ceremony at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
The young tactician assumed the role after the previous handler of the team, Deji Ayeni left the post at the end of last season.
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Benue State Governor, Hyacenth Alia has assured Lobi Stars of maximum support ahead of the upcoming Nigeria Professional Football League season.
Alia who gave the assurance during a visit to the team in Makurdi, commended the efforts of the management of the club in upholding the status of the team in the NPFL.
He also set up a five-man committee to map out a strategic plan to support the team.
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Rivers United forward, Albert Korvah has been handed his maiden invitation by Liberia for the games against Ghana and Morocco.
The Lone Stars will travel away to Agadir ninth September for their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Atlas Lions of Morocco.
Liberia will then face fellow West Africans, Ghana in a friendly four days later in Accra.
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The Nigeria Boxing Federation NBF, has commenced camping for its athletes ahead of the Africa Olympics Qualifying Bouts in Dakar, Senegal, from sixth to sixteenth September.
Its Secretary General, Dapo Akinyele, said fourteen boxers from seven weight categories are camped at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
He said the federation has a mandate to ensure that Nigeria qualifies for the Paris 2024 boxing events.
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Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan on Wednesday qualified for the final of the 100m hurdles event at the ongoing 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
Amusan, who ran in lane seven, returned in time of 12.56seconds to finish first in Heat 2 of the semi-final, to ensure she booked her place in the final.
In spite of a slow start, the reigning world champion recovered in time, clocking to finish ahead of Jamaican Achkara Nungent and Dutch Nadine Visser, who finished in time of 12.60s and 12.62s
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Nigeria’s women’s senior volleyball team have qualified to play the fifth place match after beating Morocco 3-0 ( 26-24,25-21,29-27 ) in the best loser match at the ongoing 2023 Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship in Yaounde, Cameroon.
The match is played at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports de Yaounde on Wednesday.
Nigeria had earlier on lost to Kenya in the quarterfinals match on Tuesday 0-3 (14-25,17-25,11-25).
Nigeria played in the group pool A with Cameroon (host), Burundi, Mali, Algeria and Egypt.
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IN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
England’s Georgia Stanway says she has no idea fans were waiting at the airport for the Lionesses’ return from the World Cup final in Australia.
Fans waited in the terminal to greet the team, who left the airport without going through the arrivals area.
Stanway said she only knew of fans’ disappointment at not seeing their heroes on social media.
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Former United States winger, Megan Rapinoe, says female footballers campaigning for equality means they are “playing two games at the same time.
Her career ended with a last-16 exit at the Women’s World Cup and she said some had been “waiting for this stumble”.
Rapinoe also criticised the “misogyny and sexism” shown by Spanish football federation president, Luis Rubiales during their win in the final.
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Meanwhile, Luis Rubiales faces mounting pressure after photos emerged of the Spanish FA president lifting Athenea del Castillo over his shoulder during their Women’s World Cup celebrations.
Rubiales is at the centre of the World Cup ‘kiss-gate’ scandal after kissing Spanish women’s player Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth without consent after Spain beat England one-nil in the World Cup final on Sunday.
He refused to resign despite being hit with a sexual assault probe as one football chief launched a criminal complaint in the wake of his actions towards Hermoso.
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Footage has emerged of Spanish head coach Jorge Vilda appearing to touch a female staff member inappropriately during the Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England.
Video footage taken seconds after Olga Carmona’s 29th-minute goal against the Lionesses footage shows the Spanish staff celebrating and Vilda’s left hand seeming to linger on a female staff member’s breast.
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ENGLAND
Former England defender, Micah Richards, reckons Manchester United’s midfielder, Bruno Fernandes’ on-field antics are proving to be detrimental to his team mates in his new role as club captain.
Richards criticised Fernandes for his conduct and theorised that his behavior could be having an adverse effect on the team.
The Portuguese attacking midfielder replaced Harry Maguire as skipper this season, having worn the armband for much of the last campaign with the England international out of first team consideration.
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Meanwhile, Manchester United have had a tricky week off the field with the Mason Greenwood decision and the protracted takeover saga dominating the headlines.
There has also been criticism of Bruno Fernandes following his antics in the defeat to Tottenham, while the team have come under fire for a below-par start to the season.
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Manchester City have confirmed that midfielder Bernardo Silva has extended his deal with the club.
The Portuguese international had a big part to play as Pep Guardiola’s side won the Treble last season, lifting the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
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Meanwhile, Manchester City are close to completing the fifty-five point four million pounds signing of winger Jeremy Doku.
Doku, who has sixteen caps for Belgium and came through the ranks at Anderlecht before joining Rennes in 2020, is moving to the Premier League after three injury-hit years in France.
He takes the place of Riyad Mahrez, who moved to Saudi club Al-Ahli for thirty million pounds.
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Manchester City are weighing up a move for Eberechi Eze after a deal to land Lucas Paqueta collapsed.
The Crystal Palace midfielder has been on Manchester City’s radar for the last six months after senior scouts were left heavily impressed by his control of games for the Eagles.
The Treble winners are still looking for a midfielder given the dramatic betting allegations levelled at Paqueta, who had been ready to leave West Ham United for around eighty-five million pounds.
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Former Manchester United striker, Dimitar Berbatov, has named three Premier League teams that might surprise people this season.
According to him, they are Brighton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
Berbatov claims the three clubs are not given “enough credit” and hinted they could crash into the top six.
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Arsenal are in a racing to complete a planned one hundred million pounds summer fire sale as Monaco prepare an improved offer for Folarin Balogun.
Striker Balogun has been deemed surplus to requirements at the Emirates Stadium but the club still value him at fifty million pounds.
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Former Chelsea defender, Marcel Desailly has fired a warning to the club’s record signing Moises Caicedo following his awful debut against West Ham United in a Premier League tie.
Desailly said Caicedo needs to adjust, be committed and put in a match winning mindset for Chelsea going forward.
According to him, Caicedo, needs a major shift in attitude if he is to fulfil his potential and meet the demands of playing for a ‘big club’ like the Blues.
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Chelsea, Inter Milan and Monaco have all enquired about signing Arsenal striker, Folarin Balogun.
Arsenal’s valuation of Balogun, believed to be in the region of fifty million pounds, meant that Chelsea have not made an offer as things stand.
French side Monaco reportedly had a bid rejected by Arsenal, with Serie A club Inter Milan also interested.
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Manchester United target, Sofyan Amrabat has been excluded from Fiorentina’s 24-man squad for their Europa Conference League play-off first leg on Thursday.
Last year’s finalists travel to Rapid Vienna without the Morocco international even though he was on the bench in their Serie A opener against Genoa on Saturday.
The club have reportedly set the midfielder a deadline to decide whether he wants to leave with multiple clubs interested.
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Tottenham are preparing to launch their bid for Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson.
The Wales international is valued around fifty million pounds by Forest who have already rejected offers over thirty-five million pounds from Brentford this window.
Chelsea and West Ham have also been considering bids for the player.
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West Ham United have suffered a second setback in their pursuit of Mohammed Kudus.
Ajax rejected the latest bid from West Ham for Kudus thought to be in the region of thirty-four million pounds plus add-ons.
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Two of Ivan Toney’s former Northampton team-mates have been charged with breaching Football Association’s gambling rules after sharing betting tips with the Brentford striker.
Non-league players, Dean Snedker and Lewis Wilson, who both played with Toney at his first club Northampton are accused of placing over one thousand, two hundred bets between them on matches.
Snedker and Wilson remain active participants in the game at Rushden & Diamonds and Banbury Town so are banned from betting on football.
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Nottingham Forest have signed World Cup-winning defender Gonzalo Montiel on a season-long loan from Sevilla with an option to make the move permanent.
Montiel scored the decisive penalty kick in the shootout as Argentina beat France in the final in Qatar last year.
The 26-year-old is Forest boss Steve Cooper’s fifth signing of the summer and has taken the number 29 shirt.
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OTHER SPORTS
In Athletics; Britain’s Josh Kerr stunned Norway’s Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to take 1500m gold at the World Championships in Budapest.
Kerr, Olympic bronze medallist in Tokyo, timed his surge for gold to perfection inside the final 200m.
The 25-year-old clocked a season’s best three minutes 29.38 seconds to make his first podium at a World Championships.
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Katie Moon and Nina Kennedy decided to share their pole vault gold medal in a touching moment at the World Championships in Budapest.
American Moon and Australia’s Kennedy both cleared 4.90 metres but missed all three attempts at 4.95m after a draining two hours and 10 minutes.
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In Cricket; Southern Brave cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Manchester Originals at Old Trafford to reach their third successive Hundred final.
Brave have finished top of the women’s table and will be joined by either Northern Superchargers or Welsh Fire, who will play in the eliminator.
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In Tennis; Britain’s Jack Draper suffered another injury scare in the run-up to the US Open after retiring from his second-round match at the Winston-Salem Open.
Draper, 21, lost the first set tie-break against Tallon Griekspoor and decided he could not continue.
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Britain’s Liam Broady started his latest attempt to reach the US Open main draw for the first time with a win in the opening round of qualifying.
Broady, 29, fought back to win 4-6 6-1 6-2 against Jelle Sels in New York.
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In Golf; Rory McIlroy has said the absence of LIV players from Team Europe will have no bearing on their chances of reclaiming the Ryder Cup this year.
European stalwarts Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter are ineligible after resigning from the DP World Tour.
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OTHER LEAGUES
Al-Ittihad manager, Nuno Espirito Santo has told the club that Karim Benzema does not fit into his plans.
Benzema joined the Saudi Pro League champions earlier this summer, signing a three-year deal after calling time on his fourteen year career at Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, there are tensions between the Frenchman and Santo.
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TODAY’S THOUGHT
Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer….words from Ted Williams.
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