Nigeria’s senior women’s football team, the Super Falcons, have retained their thirty-sixth position in the latest global ranking by FIFA.
According to the ranking released on Friday, the Falcons also maintain their position as the top-ranked women’s football team in Africa.
The ranking follows the team’s disappointing performance at the recently concluded Women’s Summer Olympics football event in Paris, France.
The Falcons failed to progress to the quarterfinals after suffering three consecutive defeats, losing one-zero to Brazil and Spain, and three-one to Japan, finishing bottom of Group C.
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Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team D’ Tigers has dropped four places in the latest FIBA ranking released on Friday.
The D’Tigers slumped from 39th to 42nd position in the world ranking.
The former African champions tallied 299.7 points during the month under review to occupy sixth position on the continent.
South Sudan hopped from 34th to 23rd in the FIBA World Ranking to become the top-ranked African team, overtaking Cote d’Ivoire.
Angola, Tunisia, and Egypt complete the top five teams in Africa.
Olympic champions U.S.protected their lead at the top, while Serbia jumped up two spots to get to the second spot with a total of 758.9 points, overtaking Germany.
Meanwhile, basketball enthusiasts have called for urgent action for the team to get back to reckoning and get back to position in the world ranking.
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Nigeria’s representatives in this year’s CAF Champions Club competitions, Enugu Rangers, Remo Stars, Enyimba, and El-Kanemi Warriors, will get $50,000 each as participation fees in the preliminary stages of the Champions League and Confederation Cup.
Nigerian champions Enugu Rangers and runners-up Remo Stars are representing the country in the Champions League, while Enyimba, who finished third in the NPFL, and President Federation Cup winners El Kanemi Warriors are competing in the Confederation Cup.
CAF announced the new monetary reward in a statement on Friday.
“In line with the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe’s promise to improve club competitions and provide more financial assistance to clubs, the clubs participating in the preliminary stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will receive USD 50,000 each,” the continental football body stated on its website.
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The highly anticipated UFC middleweight title showdown between Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis, dubbed the “Battle for Africa,” headlines the promotion’s first-ever all-African title fight on Sunday morning in Perth, Australia.
With cultural pride, national identity, and the coveted middleweight belt on the line, the clash has evolved beyond mere sport into a charged debate over who can rightfully claim to be Africa’s true champion.
The tension between these two fighters has been simmering for months, sparked by Du Plessis’ challenge to the legitimacy of Adesanya and other African-born UFC champions like Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou.
Du Plessis, who trains and resides in South Africa, insists his presence on the continent gives him a stronger claim to the title of “African King.” In contrast, Adesanya, who was born in Lagos but moved to New Zealand at age 10, has fiercely defended his African roots, accusing Du Plessis of disrespecting the legacy of past African champions.
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Over 500 runners, mostly from the Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, will compete for a share of the total cash prize of N3.5m in the maiden Surulere 10km Marathon, which holds on Saturday within the bustling area of the state.
The 10km marathon is the first of a twin event tagged ‘’LERE FUNATHON’, which is organised by UB40 Sports Marketing and Starlite Sports Marketing with the support of the Surulere Local Government Area and the Lagos State Sports Commission.
Chairman of Surulere LGA, Sulaimon Yusuf, announced the prize for the event on Friday while restating their commitment to the continuation of the event.
“It is our delight to partner with the organisers of this event. We expect our runners to be as ready as possible.
The chairman has pledged to give a sum of N1m to the winner, N500,000 to the second-placed runner, and the third-placed runner gets N250,000 in both male and female categories,” Yusuf said through the LGA’s Supervisory Councillor on Sports.
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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has responded to reports linking the club with Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.
Maresca was cautious in his comments about potential transfers while speaking during his first pre-match press conference of the Premier League season ahead of their 2024/25 week 1 with Manchester City on Sunday.
“The only thing I can say, I have to say the same: They are not our players, so it’s not correct to talk about a Napoli player or an Atletico Madrid player,” Maresca stated.
The Blues have been heavily linked with moves for both Osimhen and Felix as they look to bolster their attack for this season, with reports suggesting they recently had a €45m bid for Felix rejected by Atletico Madrid.
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Joshua Zirkzee made himself a Manchester United hero on his debut with a late winner to beat Fulham 1-0 in the opening match of the Premier League season on Friday.
Zirkzee, lacking match fitness after his £36.5m ($47 million) move from Bologna last month, came on only for the final half hour.
The Dutch international saved the Red Devils from a frustrating evening at Old Trafford when he poked in Alejandro Garnacho’s cross on 87 minutes.
United boss Erik ten Hag survived at the end of last season, despite finishing eighth in the Premier League, thanks to winning the FA Cup.
Whether that shock victory over rivals and English champions Manchester City in May could be a springboard remains to be seen after a performance that was eerily reminiscent of many last season.
Ten Hag said on the eve of the game that his side were “not ready” for the new campaign with key players missing through injury or a lack of match fitness, and it showed.
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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca insists it is only a matter of time before his expensively rebuilt team challenges Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Maresca, hired from Leicester in the close-season, is Chelsea’s sixth manager in a troubled period since Todd Boehly’s consortium bought the club in 2022.
The Blues finished 28 points behind champions City last term and have endured a summer of upheaval as Boehly embarked on a spending spree that has left Maresca with a dangerously bloated squad.
After leading Leicester to promotion from the Championship last season, Maresca will endure a Premier League baptism of fire when City visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday to start their bid for a fifth successive title.
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Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund on Friday announced the highest single year turnover figure in their history, with the club generating 509.1 million euros ($559 million) last season.
The amount, which does not take into account money raised from transfer fees, represents a 24 percent increase on the previous season.
Despite a disappointing fifth placing in the Bundesliga, Dortmund’s surprising run to the Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid, was the major reason for the club’s record income.
Increased TV revenue and merchandising were also factors in the increase.
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Leicester striker Patson Daka has been ruled out for a “few months” with an ankle injury, new Foxes manager Steve Cooper said Friday.
Zambia international Saka suffered the setback during Leicester’s final pre-season friendly with Lens and has now undergone surgery, Cooper said, adding Jamie Vardy and Conor Coady were set for spells on the sidelines as well.
“Patson is not great,” said Cooper ahead of his side’s Premier League opener at home to Tottenham on Monday. “He’s suffered quite a serious ankle injury.
“He’s had an operation and will be out for a few months. Vards has been injured since the second week of pre-season, he’s closer to returning but will be a little while.
“It’s not great. Conor Coady will be out for a few more weeks with his hamstring.
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The highly anticipated Premier League kicked off on Friday with Manchester United securing a 1-0 lead against Fulham.
However, today’s Premier League action kicks off at 12.30 pm with Liverpool taking on Ipswich.
The Reds will be looking to secure three points against the newly-promoted side.
Meanwhile, the 3pm slot features several key matches.
Arsenal will host Wolves at the Emirates Stadium, aiming to maintain their momentum in the title race.
Everton will face Brighton at Goodison Park, while Newcastle will take on Southampton at St. James’ Park.
Nottingham Forest will go head-to-head with Bournemouth at the City Ground.
Rounding off the day’s fixtures, West Ham will host Aston Villa at 5.30 pm.
The Hammers will be eager to continue their strong start to the season against a resilient Villa side.
These matches promise to deliver an exciting day of Premier League football as teams battle for crucial points.
12.30pm:
Ipswich vs. Liverpool
3pm:
Arsenal vs. Wolves
Everton vs. Brighton
Newcastle vs. Southampton
Nottm Forest vs. Bournemouth
5.30pm:
West Ham vs. Aston Villa
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