IN NIGERIA
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Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director, Austine Eguavoen is set to coach Super Eagles for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic and Amavubi of Rwanda.
The Nigeria Football Federation has delayed the appointment of a new head coach for the Super Eagles after announcing it will employ an expatriate in June.
The Super Eagles will begin their quest for a place at AFCON 2025 with an home game against neighbours Benin Republic on 7th September.
The three-time African champions will visit the Amahoro Stadium, Kigali to keep a date with Rwanda three days later.
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Sports Minister, John Enoh, has ignited excitement among football fans by hinting at an imminent announcement regarding the Super Eagles’ new head coach.
Enoh revealed that the long-awaited decision is on the horizon, raising hopes that a new coach will soon take the helm of the national team.
The Super Eagles coaching position became vacant less than two months after Finidi George resigned from his role, leaving the team without a head coach as crucial qualification games loom.
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Nigeria’s senior men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, slipped from 39th to 42nd position in the latest FIBA ranking released on Thursday.
D’Tigers’ drop in the latest FIBA ranking was a testament to their failure to qualify for the concluded Paris 2024 Olympics Men’s Basketball Tournament, which was won by the USA.
The team missed out on the Paris 2024 Olympics after recording a winless streak at the 2024 FIBA Olympic pre-qualification tournament held at Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the USA, who won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament, remained at the top of the ranking, while Serbia overtook Germany to sit in the second position.
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Super Eagles goalkeeper, Victor Sochima has joined Tanzanian club Tabora United.
Sochima put pen to paper after completing his routine medical.
The player joined Tabora United as a free agent following his departure from former Nigeria Premier Football League champions Rivers United.
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Supporters of Enyimba Football Club of Aba have expressed optimism that the club would do well in the upcoming Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, and the CAF Confederation Cup competition.
The supporters said in Aba that the club has all it takes to finish well in the domestic and continental competitions as its current administrator, Nwankwo Kanu, has exposed the players to both local and international club friendlies.
They said if the club remains determined and players’ welfare is prioritised, they will do well in the leagues.
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Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta has constituted a 7-man Local Organising Committee for the 8th National Youth Games scheduled for 10th September in Asaba.
The Committee had Chief Solomon Ogba as chairman and Festus Ohwojero as secretary.
Meanwhile, the Joint Technical Meeting for the games will hold between 18th and 20th August, while the games will end on 20th September.
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Enugu Rangers captain Ugwueze Chinemerem is optimistic about getting a good result in Sunday’s CAF Champions League first leg, first preliminary round fixture against Comoros Islands side, U.S. Zilimadjou, at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
Speaking shortly after the Nigerian champions arrived in the Akwa Ibom State capital, Chinemerem said they respected their opponents but they would do the needful to secure a plausible result, having prepared intensively for the encounter.
El-Kanemi Warriors goalkeeper George Abine remains confident that the club will progress to the next round of the CAF Confederation Cup despite playing their first leg at an adopted home ground in Ikenne, Ogun State.
The 2024 Federation Cup champions will face Dadje FC of Benin Republic on Saturday at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne after their home ground in Maiduguri didn’t meet up with CAF accreditation standards.
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Nigeria sprinters Favour Ofili and Samuel Ogazi, as well as shot put thrower Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, are among the highest gainers in the latest World Athletics rankings released by the body after the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Ofili, who finished sixth in the women’s 200m, which was won by the USA’s Gabby Thomas, moved up from the 31st to eighth place in the 200m rankings.
She takes the lead in the event in Africa and is currently ranked 138th in the overall (all events) women’s ranking.
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Israel Adesanya is banking on his wealth of experience to gain the upper hand in the highly-anticipated UFC Welterweight title fight with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, this weekend.
The two-time UFC middleweight champion, who has seen both triumph and adversity in the octagon, believes his time in the trenches, both in winning and regaining the belt, will give him the edge in the main event.
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ENGLAND
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Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag is concerned his team are “not ready” for Friday’s Premier League opener against Fulham.
New signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will be in the squad but only arrived on Thursday.
They have had a limited chance to train with their new team-mates, leaving Ten Hag with a selection dilemma for the match at Old Trafford.
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Tottenham have suspended Yves Bissouma for their Premier League game at Leicester City on Monday after footage appeared to show the midfielder inhaling laughing gas.
Spurs made the move despite the player apologising for a severe lack of judgement, having posted a video of himself on social media on Saturday which showed him inhaling from a balloon.
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Nottingham Forest manager, Nuno Espirito Santo and defender Neco Williams have been fined for misconduct by the Football Association after last season’s defeat by Everton.
Nuno has been fined forty thousand pounds and handed a one-game touchline ban, which is suspended until 31st May 2026, while Williams has been fined twenty-four thousand pounds.
It follows their comments after Forest had three penalty decisions go against them in their two-nil Premier League defeat at Goodison Park in April.
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Arsenal are in talks with Real Sociedad about signing Spain midfielder Mikel Merino.
Merino was part of the Spain team that won Euro 2024 and featured in all seven matches in the tournament, scoring a late winner against Germany in the quarter-final.
The player has less than one year remaining on his contract which may help Arsenal to complete a deal, as he would be able to speak to clubs about signing on a free transfer in January.
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Manchester City midfielder, Kalvin Phillips is set to join newly promoted Ipswich Town on loan for the season.
Phillips failed to break into the City starting side since his forty-five million pounds move from Leeds United two years ago.
He joined West Ham on loan for the second half of last season in an effort to secure an England spot for Euro 2024 but a combination of poor form and injury wrecked his chances of making Gareth Southgate’s squad.
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Bournemouth have agreed a club record forty point two million pounds deal to sign Brazil striker Evanilson from Porto.
They will pay thirty-one point seven million pounds with the potential for another eight point five million pounds on top, should certain clauses be met.
The Cherries had also been looking at Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah.
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Brighton have activated the forty million pounds release clause for Leeds United forward Georginio Rutter.
The Seagulls have had a number of previous bids turned down but, having triggered the clause, the decision is now in the 22-year-old’s hands.
Rutter came on during the second half of Leeds’ three-nil defeat by Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup first round at Elland Road on Wednesday.
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Newcastle United say Sandro Tonali will be available again from 28th August following a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules.
The Italian Football Federation sanctioned the player in October 2023 for breaching the rule which prohibits players placing bets on football events organised by itself, Uefa and Fifa during his time in Italy.
The Italy midfielder joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July 2023 for fifty-five million pounds and his ban came after he had played twelve games for the Magpies.
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Crystal Palace defender, Marc Guehi says he is so relaxed and chilled about his future, as he continues to be linked with a move away from the club.
Newcastle United have made a third bid to sign the England centre-back, believed to be in the region of sixty million pounds.
He played one hundred and eleven times for Palace since a 2021 move from Chelsea and impressed for England on their run to the Euro 2024 final.
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OTHER LEAGUE
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Ajax defeated Panathinaikos 13-12 in a Europa League penalty shootout on Thursday with 34 kicks from the spot required to settle the tie.
After the second leg score on the night ended 1-0 to the Greek visitors for 1-1 on aggregate, the third round qualifying tie was decided by penalties at the Johan Cruyff ArenA.
Both teams took a total of 17 penalties each before Anton Gaaei slotted his attempt home to secure a memorable victory.
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Former Borussia Dortmund forward, Marco Reus has signed for Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy and says he wants to bring the championship back to the club.
The player spent twelve years at Dortmund before leaving at the end of last season.
He is following in some illustrious footsteps given David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are three of Galaxy’s most famous ex-players.
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President of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe, will attend the funeral of the former CAF President, Issa Hayatou on 16 August 2024.
The late President Issa Hayatou will be buried in Garoua, Cameroon.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Boxing; Mexican boxing star Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has backed Anthony Joshua to emerge victorious if the long-awaited showdown between the British-Nigerian and Tyson Fury ever materialises.
Despite both British heavyweights losing their titles to Oleksandr Usyk, the prospect of an all-British clash between Joshua and Fury remains one of the most talked-about bouts in the boxing world.
Fans have long clamoured for the fight, which many believe would settle the debate on who truly is the best heavyweight of their generation.
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In Basketball; The Boston Celtics will raise their championship banner on 22nd October when they host the New York Knicks in the first game of the 2024-25 NBA season.
The league announced the full regular-season schedule on Thursday, headlined by an opening-day doubleheader.
After the Knicks-Celtics matchup, Anthony Edwards will square off with his 2024 Olympic teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second game.
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A scouting report on Michael Jordan prior to the 1984 draft has emerged and it makes for interesting reading 40 years on.
Jordan is widely viewed as the best basketball player of all time, with six NBA championships to his name with the Chicago Bulls.
He was the driving force in two separate three-peats, either side of a surprise foray into baseball with the Chicago White Sox.
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Former two-time UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya says the UFC can not erase Francis Ngannou’s legacy after it appeared to distance itself from the former heavyweight champion.
Cameroon’s Ngannou left the UFC in 2023 and later joined the PFL.
Nigeria-born Adesanya was speaking before his fight against South African middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis on Saturday at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia.
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In Cycling, British cyclist Pfeiffer Georgi abandoned the Tour de France Femmes after getting caught up in a late crash on stage five, which also caused leader Demi Vollering to slip down the standings.
Georgi went down in a mass pile-up with six point three kilometres to go and her team DSM-Firmenich PostNL later confirmed she will no longer take part in the Tour.
The 23-year-old competed for Team Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing fifth in the women’s road race.
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Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn says the backlash to her performance at the Olympics has been devastating.
Gunn who is known as B-girl Raygun has been the subject of a social media storm since breaking’s debut at the Paris Games last week.
A petition calling for an apology from Gunn, as well as from Australia’s Olympic chef de mission Anna Meares, now has more than fifty-four thousand signatures.
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In Cricket, Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah, says India will not step in to host October’s Women’s T20 World Cup if it has to be moved from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India earlier this month after weeks of deadly anti-government protests.
The International Cricket Council, said it was closely monitoring developments in the country, which is set to host the tournament from 3rd to 20th October.
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TODAY ‘S FIXTURES
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IN ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester United vs Fulham
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IN SPANISH LA LIGA
Celta de Vigo vs Deportivo Alavés
Las Palmas vs Sevilla
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SOCCER ACTION RESUME THIS WEEKEND
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IN ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
ON SATURDAY
Ipswich Town vs Liverpool
Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Everton vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Newcastle United vs Southampton
Nottingham Forest vs AFC Bournemouth
West Ham United vs Aston Villa.
ON SUNDAY
Brentford vs Crystal Palace
Chelsea vs Manchester City
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IN SPANISH LA LIGA
ON SATURDAY
Osasuna vs Leganés
Valencia vs Barcelona
ON SUNDAY
Real Sociedad vs Rayo Vallecano
Mallorca vs Real Madrid
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
THE REWARDS ARE GOING TO COME, BUT MY HAPPINESS IS JUST LOVING THE SPORT AND HAVING FUN PERFORMING….WORDS FROM JACKIE JOYNER KERSEE.
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