NIGERIA
The Nigeria Football Federation says it is no longer owing the senior female football team popularly known as the Super Falcons.
Its President, Ibrahim Gusau, made this known on Thursday in Abuja while appearing before the House ad-hoc committee after being summoned.
The committee was also told that the NFF had as of last week Friday, the Super Falcons had been paid the match bonuses and allowances owed them.
=====================================
Chairperson of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on the financial dispute between the Falcons and the Nigeria Football Federation, Blessing Onu, has ordered the football body to produce payment slips for players and officials of the women’s national team at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.
She made this known in Abuja on Thursday while quizzing the NFF president Ibrahim Gusau, who appeared before the committee.
Onu said documents of how the Falcons were funded at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the breakdown of match bonuses and the payment slips for 23 players and the coaching crew be provided by the NFF before August 30.
=====================================
Nigeria Professional Football League coaches are pleased with the Interim Management Committee’s decision to postpone the league resumption date of the incoming NPFL season by two weeks.
The IMC had originally set 26th August as the kickoff date for the new 2023/24 NPFL season, but it was extended to 8th September.
According to a statement released by the IMC, the reason for the extension is to properly prepare for a full season, since it won’t be played in an abridged format.
=====================================
Administrators of the 20 clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League say they are looking forward to the kickoff of the 2023/24 season, dismissing insinuations that they were responsible for the postponement of the start of the new season.
General Secretary of the club owners, Godwin Enakhena, explained that the shift in kick-off date from 26th August to 9th September was only communicated to the association by the NPFL board.
=====================================
Nigerian international, Alex Iwobi has been ruled out of Everton’s Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison Park due to a hamstring injury.
Iwobi picked up the hamstring injury during Everton’s 4-0 thrashing in the hands of Aston Villa in their Premier League encounter, which took place at Villa Park last Sunday.
====================================
Odion Ighalo has scored on his competitive debut for Al Wehda which travelled away to thrash Al Tai 3-0 in a Saudi Arabian Professional League match that was played on Thursday.
Ighalo replaced Hussain Al-Eisa in the 86th minute and needed only six minutes to open his goal account for Al Wehda as he netted in the second minute of added time (92 minutes).
The Nigerian striker hit the back of the net courtesy of an assist from Faycal Fajr who actually turned provider from goalscorer, having also netted in the 34th minute of action.
======================================
Bundesliga 2 side Kaiserslautern has signed Nigerian midfielder Afeez Aremu from St Pauli for an undisclosed fee.
The 23-year-old signed a two-year deal with an option for another year.
Aremu, who made 54 appearances for St Pauli in over three seasons before his departure, said the move was the next developmental stage of his career.
=====================================
Italian Serie A side Udinese has announced that Super Eagles of Nigeria goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye has joined the club from Watford FC on a contract that runs until 30 June 2027.
The club made the announcement on its website on Thursday, describing Okoye as a goalkeeper with a real physical presence and impressive technique.
=====================================
Defending champion Tobi Amusan lost her world women’s 100m hurdles crown to Jamaica’s Danielle Williams on Thursday in a shock win in Budapest.
Amusan and 2019 winner Nia Ali were never in the hunt, finishing sixth and last
Amusan says she will be back “stronger” next year after she lost her world women’s 100m hurdles crown to Jamaica’s Danielle Williams.
=====================================
Nigeria’s Mathew Obinna (22-0-0-22KO) is set to face Malawi’s Isaac Chilemba (27-9-3-11KO) for the vacant Universal Boxing Organisation world light heavyweight title.
The Lagos-born 35-year-old pugilist will be in hostile territory as his clash with Chilemba holds at the Bingu National Stadium, Lilongwe in Malawi 30th September.
=====================================
A total of 173 players from 13 states and 36 clubs across the country will take part in the fourth edition of the Efunkoya Cadet Table Tennis Championship, which serves off on Friday at the National Stadium, Lagos.
The two-day event will see the players compete for five titles in different categories singles (boys and girls), doubles (boys and girls) and mixed doubles events.
According to the tournament referee, John Peters, this year’s turnout exceeded the previous editions, with the largest being 2022 where 64 boys and 37 girls took part.
=====================================
IN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
World football’s governing body has opened disciplinary proceedings against Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales for his behaviour at Women’s World Cup final.
Rubiales kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain beat England.
=====================================
Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales will quit his post after being roundly condemned by the football world and beyond for forcibly kissing a Spain player on the mouth following the Women’s World Cup final.
Rubiales, 46, will submit his resignation as president of the Spanish football federation on Friday at an extraordinary general assembly
=====================================
Manchester United Women have rejected a significant offer from an unnamed club for England goalkeeper Mary Earps.
The 30-year-old was named best goalkeeper at the recent Women’s World Cup as the Lionesses reached the final, where they were beaten 1-0 by Spain.
=================================
England fans will be able to buy Mary Earps replica goalkeeper shirts after Nike said “limited quantities” would go on sale.
The sportswear brand has faced criticism in recent weeks, with Earps expressing dismay the jerseys would not be made commercially available.
==================================
An investor group featuring ex-England player Eni Aluko is seeking to buy Women’s Championship club Lewes.
Mercury 13 is promising $100m of investment across women’s football.
=====================================
Republic of Ireland defender Aine O’Gorman has retired from international football after winning 119 caps.
The 34-year-old initially ended her time with the Republic squad in 2018 before returning for a three-year spell which culminated in being part of the group at the recent Women’s World Cup.
======================================
ENGLAND
Manchester City have completed the signing of Belgium winger Jeremy Doku from Rennes for £55.4m.
Last season’s Treble winners have agree a five-year contract with the 21-year-old, who scored 10 goals in 75 Ligue 1 appearances across three seasons.
Doku, who has 16 caps for Belgium, has taken the number 11 shirt.
=====================================
Chelsea have completed the signing of Brazilian forward Deivid Washington from Santos for a fee in the region of £17.2m.
Washington, 18, has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge with the option of a further year.
He is Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino’s ninth signing of the summer transfer window.
=====================================
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw is set for an extended period on the sidelines after suffering a muscle injury.
United are still assessing the full extent of the injury but acknowledge the 28-year-old left-back will be out for a number of weeks.
He will miss England’s games against Ukraine and Scotland next month.
======================================
Liverpool have no plans to sell Mohamed Salah amid fresh speculation linking him with a move to the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Ittihad are reported to be interested in the Egypt forward, 31, who joined the Reds from Roma in 2017.
======================================
Spain defender Aymeric Laporte has left Manchester City to join Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in a deal worth £23.6m.
The 29-year-old joined City from Athletic Bilbao in January 2018 for a then club record £57m.
======================================
Wolves have rejected a £47m offer from Manchester City for Portugal midfielder Matheus Nunes.
Wolves signed the 24-year-old on a five-year contract last summer, paying a club record £38m to Sporting Lisbon.
=======================================
Boss Brendan Rodgers says Celtic will “look at” recruiting a new defender after three players were ruled out for eight weeks.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh are all expected to be missing until October.
Fellow defender Yuki Kobayashi and midfielder Reo Hatate are set to return after next month’s international break.
======================================
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean failed to correct a mistake in a match to save his friend and fellow official Anthony Taylor from extra “grief”.
Dean was the video assistant referee (VAR) for Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham in August 2022.
Just before a late Harry Kane equaliser Chelsea felt they should have had a penalty after Cristian Romero pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair.
=======================================
OTHER SPORTS
In Athletics; Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith claimed a gutsy 400m silver at the World Championships as he finished an agonising 0.09 seconds behind Jamaican champion Antonio Watson.
The 28-year-old led until the closing stages but could not hold off Watson, who clocked victory in 44.22 secs.
======================================
Jamaica’s Andrew Hudson was left with shards of glass in his eye after two buggies transporting athletes crashed at the World Athletics Championships.
The buggies, used to take athletes from the training centre to the stadium in Budapest, collided on Thursday.
======================================
In Cricket; Birmingham Phoenix thrashed London Spirit by 77 runs in the final game of The Hundred group stages at Edgbaston.
Fast bowler Adam Milne took 4-20 and Tanveer Sangha 3-16 as Spirit slumped to 108 all out in pursuit of 186.
=======================================
In Tennis; Britain’s Andy Murray will play France’s Corentin Moutet in the US Open first round as he starts his latest bid to go deep at a Grand Slam.
Murray, 36, has not reached the last 16 of a major since 2017.
=======================================
Briton Harriet Dart’s hopes of reaching the US Open are over after a straight-set defeat by Yanina Wickmayer on a rain-hit day of qualifying in New York.
Dart, 27, struggled with her serve in a 6-3 6-4 second-round loss to the Belgian, notching seven double faults and making only 50% of first serves.
=======================================
In Rugby; England wing Anthony Watson has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup in France with a calf injury.
England head coach Steve Borthwick says Watson picked up the injury during last weekend’s warm-up defeat by Ireland and will be out for a number of weeks.
=======================================
OTHER LEAGUES
Inter Miami came back from 2-0 down to reach their second final since Lionel Messi joined the MLS side last month.
The Argentina forward, 36, had two assists in a thrilling US Open Cup semi-final at FC Cincinnati, which ended 3-3 after extra time.
=======================================
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out signing striker Kylian Mbappe from Paris St-Germain this summer.
The 24-year-old Mbappe has so far refused to sign a contract extension with PSG, prompting speculation he could join the La Liga side.
=========================================
Hearts have it all to do in Greece next week if they are to reach the Europa Conference League groups after succumbing to a first-leg defeat at home to PAOK.
Having been fuelled to a comeback win against Rosenborg last week by a febrile Tynecastle atmosphere, Hearts had the place rocking to its foundations once again as the fast start they craved was duly delivered.
=========================================
Aberdeen came from two goals down to earn a sensational draw against Swedish champions Hacken in the Europa League play-off and reignite their chances of reaching the group stages.
Two goals in four minutes inside the final quarter from the likely source of Bojan Miovski and the less-likely one of Nicky Devlin sent the travelling fans from dejection to delirium.
=========================================
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.
securityandsafetymatters 