IN CLUB WORLD CUP
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns has crashed out of this year’s FIFA Club World Cup after playing goalless draw with Fluminense in their final Group F game on Wednesday.
The result means all four African representatives, Sundowns, Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca and Esperance have been knocked out.
Fluminense now joins Flamengo, Corinthians and Palmeiras in the round of sixteen.
Also, Borussia Dortmund narrowly beat South Korean side Ulsan HD one-nil to qualify for the last 16 of the Club World Cup as Group F winners.
=======================
Inter Milan and Monterrey have advanced to the round of sixteen of the 2025 Club World Cup after dispatching their respective opponents on Thursday morning.
Inter Milan scored twice in the last 18 minutes to beat River Plate two-nil.
Francesco Esposito scored Inter’s first goal seven minutes after River had been reduced to ten men by the dismissal of Lucas Martinez Quarta, and Alessandro Bastoni added the second in stoppage time.
In the other game, Monterrey booked a spot in the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup with a thumping four-nil win over Urawa Red Diamonds at the Rose Bowl.
Monterrey will face Borussia Dortmund in the round of sixteen.
======================
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says the team must be prepared to suffer in the challenging heat of Orlando during Thursday’s crunch Club World Cup match against Juventus.
City’s six-nil thrashing of UAE side Al Ain was played at the enclosed Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with the the air conditioning turned on.
======================
Arsenal has agreed a deal with Brentford to sign midfielder Christian Norgaard.
Sources have indicated the Gunners have been discussing a fee worth in the region of an initial ten million pounds, with a possible five million pounds in performance-related add-ons.
The move for Norgaard comes just a week before Thomas Partey’s Arsenal contract expires.
Ghana international Partey, has been in talks over a new deal to stay at Emirates Stadium, but no agreement has been reached.
=======================
Burnley has signed goalkeeper Max Weiss from Karlsruher for a reported fee of four point three million pounds
The 21-year-old, who has appeared for Germany Under-20s, signed a four-year deal and is the Clarets’ first signing of the summer.
Weiss, who featured in every game last season and helped the Bundesliga 2 side secure an eighth-place finish, said he was thrilled to join a club with big ambitions.
Burnley travel to Tottenham Hotspur for their opening Premier League game of the season on Saturday, 16th August.
==========================
Former Wales manager Rob Page has been appointed head coach of the Liverpool Under-twenty-one team.
He now succeeds the long-serving Barry Lewtas at Anfield.
=============================
Former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate says he does not miss managing the Three Lions and carrying the weight of the job.
The 54-year-old stepped down from the England role last summer after his side were beaten in the Euro 2024 final by Spain.
Southgate guided England to two European Championship finals during his seven and a half years in charge, finishing runner-up on both occasions.
The fourth-placed finish England achieved at Russia 2018 was the side’s best performance at a World Cup since 1990.
The former Middlesbrough manager, who received his knighthood on Wednesday for services to English football, said he does not miss being in charge of the team.
Southgate became the fourth England manager in history to be knighted, after Sir Walter Winterbottom, Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson.
===============================
The fixtures for the 2025-26 English Football League season will be released on Thursday.
Relegated Premier League sides Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester will be joined in the Championship by promoted Birmingham, Charlton and Wrexham, who return to the second tier for the first time in more than forty years after three straight promotions.
In League One, Cardiff and Plymouth will be looking to secure an immediate return to the second tier along with Luton, who suffered their second consecutive relegation to come down with them on a dramatic final day.
In League Two, Barnet and Oldham will be making their EFL return after winning promotion from the National League last season.
The EFL Trophy group stage line-up will also be unveiled on Thursday, alongside the draw for the Carabao Cup first round.
========================
England Under-twenty-one are one match away from winning back-to-back Euros after Harvey Elliott’s brilliant double sent them into the final.
The defending champions set up a showdown against Germany on Saturday in Bratislava by overcoming the Netherlands.
England won the tournament for the first time in thirty-nine years in 2023, and Lee Carsley’s side could now match the feat of successive triumphs in 1982 and 1984.
=====================
Germany will play England in the final of the European Under-twenty-one Championship after two early goals helped them beat France three-nil in the semi-final.
Nelson Weiper, Nick Woltemade and Brajan Gruda scored a goal each for Germany.
The final takes place in Bratislava on Saturday.
======================
Former England midfielder Adam Lallana has retired from playing at the age of thirty-seven.
Lallana, who won thirty-four caps for his country, returned to Southampton last season after making his name in his first spell there.
He only made five starts as Saints were relegated to the Championship but also worked as a coach, a role he will continue at St Mary’s under new boss Will Still.
Lallana joined Liverpool from Saints for twenty-five million pounds in 2014 and went on to win the Premier League and Champions League.
=======================
IN NIGERIA
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has fulfilled the long-standing pledge of houses to the victorious 1994 Super Eagles Team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.
The Director, Public Building and Housing Development, Pemi Temitope, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja.
Temitope while symbolically handing over the letter of allocation to a member of the team, Efan Ekoku, explained that the allocation of the housing units to members of the victorious team was done in various States across Nigeria.
He said while some members received their houses in their respective States, others collected theirs in Abuja.
Responding, Efan Ekoku represented by his niece, Lisa Nwagbogun, commended the Nigerian government for fulfilling her promise to the team.
===========================
The President of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, Ibrahim Gusau, has commended Abakaliki FC for their remarkable journey to the final of the 2025 President’s FA Cup, describing the team’s run as one of the most inspiring stories of the tournament.
Abakaliki FC, a club that was relegated to the Nationwide League One, defied the odds by defeating top-flight sides including Katsina United, Enyimba International, and Ikorodu City to book their place in the final.
Gusau hailed the performance of the underdog side, noting that their achievement underscores the depth of talent in the Nigerian National League.
Abakaliki FC will face Kwara United at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, on Saturday.
======================
Chelsea defender, Tosin Adarabioyo says playing for the Super Eagles is a decision he is considering for the future.
Adarabioyo, speaking after Chelsea’s victory over Espérance de Tunis, said it was a conversation he wanted to have.
The defender explained that the focus was now on the game against Benfica in the knockout stage of the ongoing competition.
========================
Paris FC sporting director François Ferracci has expressed his delight at the arrival of Moses Simon at the club.
Simon was officially unveiled by the newly Ligue 1 club on Wednesday.
The Nigeria international put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Stéphane Gilli’s team.
The 29-year-old is the club’s first high profile signing of the summer.
Ferracci revealed that Simon showed genuine interest in joining the team despite interest from other clubs.
=======================
Former Nigerian international Sunday Oliseh has advised Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen to play in the Premier League if he wants to remain in the limelight.
Oliseh described Osimhen as a huge asset to Nigerian football.
=======================
Favour Ofili may face a three-year wait to fly Turkey’s flag, as global rules throw a wrench in her alleged shock switch from Nigeria, despite heartbreak, scandal, and years of being failed by her home federation.
In line with World Athletics’ eligibility rules, the 22-year-old sprint sensation, who competed for Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics, could be subject to a mandatory three-year waiting period before she can compete for her alleged new country.
She currently holds Nigeria’s national two hundred metres record with a time of 21.96 seconds, breaking Blessing Okagbare’s long-standing record and etching her name into history books.
==========================
Ahead of the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has released D’Tigress’ preliminary squad.
According to the Media Coordinator, Akeem Busari, the team has officially begun preparations to defend their title.
Busari said the team will open camp with structured activities, including homecoming games in Abuja this July.
The NBBF reaffirmed its commitment to selecting Nigeria’s strongest squad to defend the title and maintain continental dominance.
=============================
Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olapade, says the upcoming CAA Under-eighteen and Under-twenty Championships will help discover new talents who will represent Nigeria in major international competitions.
The Championships is scheduled to hold from 16th to 20th July in Abeokuta, Ogun.
No fewer than ninety-five athletes are poised to represent Nigeria at the junior championships.
========================
The Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) says about seventeen States have indicated readiness to host the 2025 Olympic Day celebration across the country.
President of NOC, Habu Gumel, would kickoff the event at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on 28th June.
He listed the states to include Edo, Plateau, Ondo, Taraba, Enugu, Delta, Kwara, FCT, Anambra, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Kogi, Gombe, Osun, Imo, and Lagos State, which is currently housing the Secretariat of the NOC.
=============================
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos has declared open the 23rd Senior African Fencing Championship, taking place in Lagos.
The opening ceremony, which began on Wednesday, brought together over 200 athletes from twenty-six African countries, including Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, and Senegal.
The governor who spoke through the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu welcomed delegates and urged stakeholders to harness fencing’s potential for youth empowerment, social progress, and economic transformation in Africa.
=============================
Egypt won the tournament’s first gold medal, reaffirming their status as one of Africa’s fencing giants.
The Five-day tournament is holding at Charterhouse Lagos, with continental powerhouses showcasing their dominance.
Team Nigeria delivered a spirited performance, with rising stars Wisdom Okanlawon and the Idongesit siblings, Mahadi and Mahathir—advancing to the knockout stages of the Men’s Individual Épée event.
In spite facing seasoned opponents in the preliminaries, the trio displayed remarkable skills and determination.
Veteran fencer Adegbola Babade, the oldest member of Team Nigeria, also progressed to the round of 32.
============================
OTHER LEAGUES
Barcelona has announced their long-awaited return to the new Camp Nou for an August 10th friendly after years of work to expand and modernise the iconic stadium.
The traditional pre-season Joan Gamper Trophy match will only mark the stadium’s partial reopening, with construction work continuing in various areas, the current Spanish champions said in a statement.
This includes the completion of the new third tier, the dual VIP ring, the roof installation, interior spaces and development of the stadium’s surrounding area.
========================
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy says criticism that he and other players chased money by moving to Saudi Arabia is wide of the mark.
The 33-year-old left Chelsea for Al-Ahli in a sixteen million pounds deal in 2023, and in May the Africa Cup of Nations winner helped his Saudi club win the Asian Champions League – making him one of the few players to win both that competition and its European equivalent.
Mendy said Al-Ahli’s project appealed to him because they made him feel he had an important role to play.
=======================
Portugal legend Luis Figo believes Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has not done enough to merit any nomination for this year’s Ballon d’Or award.
Figo ruled out Mbappé from the running for the award, pointing to his failure to lead his side to major honours last season.
======================
Cristiano Ronaldo is close to agreeing a new contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
The 40-year-old Portugal captain’s deal was due to expire at the end of June, but sources indicate a two-year extension is close to being finalised.
Ronaldo posted on social media the chapter is over following the Riyadh club’s final Saudi Pro League game of the season last month, leading to speculation he was set to leave.
=========================
Rangers defender Max Aarons is hoping to bring a new energy after joining the team on loan from Bournemouth for the 2025-26 season.
The 25-year-old right-back has become Russell Martin’s first signing at Ibrox despite reported interest from the Premier League and Championship.
Aarons, who played for England at under-twenty-one level, will challenge Rangers captain James Tavernier for a starting place in the absence of the injured Dujon Sterling.
=====================
OTHER SPORTS
In Tennis, Emma Raducanu succumbed to defeat by teenager Maya Joint in an edgy second-round match at Eastbourne.
The 22-year-old lost 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 to the Australian 19-year-old, who secured just the second grass-court win of her career.
Former US Open champion Raducanu rallied from five-two down in the deciding set to force a tie-break.
Earlier, defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova saved match points against a British player for the second day in a row to reach the quarter-finals.
Jodie Burrage held three match points on Krejcikova’s serve in the deciding set but the Czech, playing only her sixth match this year after a lengthy lay-off with a back injury, battled to a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 win.
==========================
Also, Sir Andy Murray says he is trying to keep his children away from damaging social media platforms as he backed calls for more action to prevent abuse of sport stars.
His appeal comes after British tennis player Katie Boulter spoke to BBC Sport about the scale of unsavoury and hurtful comments she has received online, including death threats.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray, who retired from professional tennis in August 2024, said the prevalence of social media abuse “hasn’t really changed”, despite athletes speaking out on the subject for many years.
The 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon champion added that by the end of his career he paid no attention to “hostility” he received online, but he found it “difficult” when starting out as a professional.
========================
In Rugby, Wales set off for Japan on Wednesday hoping the Two-test trip will see them end their painful run of international defeats.
Wales, who are under the guidance of caretaker coach Matt Sherratt, will face Eddie Jones’ Japan side in Kitakyushu on Saturday, 5th July, with the second Test in Kobe a week later.
Wales suffered a 17th straight Test defeat – a record for a tier one nation – when they were hammered 68-14 at home by England in March.
The miserable stretch has seen Wales sink to an all-time lowest position of 12th in the world rankings, with Japan one position below them.
Wales will arrive in Japan on Thursday for nine days of preparation as they seek a first international win since October 2023, with Sherratt’s side aiming to give the chaotic Welsh rugby scene a much-needed boost.
========================
TODAY’S FIXTURES
IN FIFA Club World Cup
Juventus vs Manchester City
Wydad Casablanca vs Al Ain
========================
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Most of us never run far enough on their first wind to find out they have got a second….words from William James.
securityandsafetymatters 