IN NIGERIA
Super Falcons head, Justine Madugu says his team is mentally, psychologically, and tactically ready for the clash with the Copper Queens of Zambia.
Madugu stated that he has overhauled the team’s offensive and defensive strategies after closely analysing Zambia’s style of play, noting both their individual and collective strengths and weaknesses.
Emphasising that there would be no margin for error, he added that his players would remain vigilant throughout the match, maintaining strong self-belief and confidence in their pursuit of victory.
The 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final fixture will hold at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca on Friday, at 5.pm.
The winner of the match between Nigeria and Zambia will progress to the semi finals to confront the winner of the encounter between Cup holders South Africa and Senegal.
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Super Falcons defender, Ashleigh Plumptre says they are battle ready for the clash with the Copper Queens of Zambia.
Plumptre said her teammates are in good spirit ahead of the game.
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Former Banyana Banyana of South Africa captain, Simphiwe Dludlu has played down the Super Falcons chances of winning the title at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Falcons are the most successful side in the history of the competition with nine titles.
Justine Madugu’s side alongside holders South Africa, Zambia, and Ghana have been tipped as favourites for the title at the WAFCON 2024 finals.
Dludlu believed the Super Falcons are not good enough to lift the trophy.
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Nigeria Women Football League, champions Bayelsa Queens have unveiled their provisional squad for the WAFU Zone B Women’s Champions League qualifiers.
Head coach Whyte Ogbonda named twenty-five players in the provisional squad.
Captain Blessing Illivieda, reliable forward Janet Akekoromowei, and Emem Essien are some of the top stars on the list
Flamingos star Shakirat Moshood, goalkeeper Linda Jiwaku, new signing Dooshima Mary, and Lucky Mary were also included in the squad.
The tournament will be held in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire from Saturday, 9th to Sunday, 24th August 2025.
The winner will automatically qualify for the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League.
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Super Eagles star, Ola Aina has blasted former head coach Gernot Rohr for excluding him from the squad to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Aina alongside Mikel Agu, were the last two players dropped as Rohr settled on his final twenty-three man squad for the 2018 tournament.
Aina believed he should have made the squad to the 2018 World Cup.
The Nottingham Forest star said he was desperate for the Super Eagles to qualify for next year’s tournament to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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Flying Eagles will face Niger Republic in the semi-finals of the 2025 WAFU B Under-twenty tournament in Ghana.
The pairing was confirmed after the conclusion of the final matches in Group B on Thursday.
To reach the semi-finals Niger Republic held Burkina Faso to a goalless draw to finish second on four points.
On their part, the Flying Eagles reached the semi-finals with a comfortable four-one win against Benin Republic in their second Group A fixture..
The Flying Eagles are using the WAFU B Under-twenty tournament to prepare for this year’s FIFA Under-twenty World Cup in Chile.
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Enyimba coach, Stanley Eguma has confirmed that he has agreed to a two-season contract extension with the team.
Eguma served as interim Head Coach of Enyimba during the second half of the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League season, following the departure of Yemi Olanrewaju.
He did not disclose other details of his new deal with the People’s Elephant, which came after a prolonged negotiation process.
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Monaco has identified Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface as their top target for the summer transfer window.
The 24-year-old, who scored twenty-one goals across all competitions during the 2023–24 season but struggled with fitness issues last term, has emerged as a prime target for Monaco, who are actively reinforcing their attacking options.
The Nigerian international was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia during the January window but remained at Leverkusen, where he has continued to attract interest from several European and Asian clubs.
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Former Inter Milan striker, Christian Vieri has backed his former club move for Super Eagles star Ademola Lookman.
Lookman is close to joining the Nerrazzuri from Atalanta.
Cristian Chivu’s side have offered forty million euros for the Nigeria international, but Atalanta has reportedly demanded for around fifty million euros for their talismanic winger.
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Nigerian international Edna Imade is determined to make a big impact at Spanish Liga F club Real Sociedad.
Imade will spend the 2025/26 season on loan with the Blue and Whites.
The Nigerian linked up with German club Bayern Munich from Granada.
She expressed her enthusiasm, and commitment to her new club.
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Rivers United and Ikorodu City will clash in a crucial Group A encounter on Friday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, as both teams battle for a place in Sunday’s Eko International Cup final.
The CAF Champions League representatives need only a draw to progress to the final, whilst hosts Ikorodu City require an outright victory to advance after managing a 2-2 draw with Shooting Stars in their opener.
Rivers United made a commanding start to the tournament, defeating Shooting Stars 2-0 to top Group A with three points. Goals in each half from Ubong Friday and Maclyn Biokpo were enough to see off the Ibadan-based side.
The President of the Confederation of African Athletics, CAA, Halmad Kalkaba, says he believed athletes of African descent would dominate track and field worldwide during his time.
Kalkaba said this while adressing newsmen at the ongoing CAA African U18/U20 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta.
Also, the Confederation of African Athletics has elected Algeria as the next host of 4th edition of the combined U-18 and U-20 African Athletics Championships in 2027, saying the senior championship would be held in Accra, Ghana in 2026.
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It was a clean sweep for Nigeria in the U18 women 100 metres finals as Miracle Ezechukwu’s 11:88s Rosemary Nwankwo 11:96s and Miriam Jegede 12:20s won the gold, silver and bronze medals at the ongoing Confederation of African Athletics Championships in Abeokuta.
The Nigerian duo of Chioma Nweke 11:65s and Success Oyibu 11:78s also clinched gold and silver medals of the U20 women’s 100 metres finals while Lou Yonan Chantal of Cote d’Ivoire settled for bronze with 11:87s in the U20 women’s 100 meters final.
In the U18 men’s 100 metres final, South Africa’s Mukona Manavhela 10:61s and Jayden Fourie 10:76s won gold and silver medals just as Nigeria’s Clifford Igbigbidje 10:89 took the bronze.
The other two Nigerians in the boys U-18 100m final; Destiny Egbon and Adeola Adeniji finished fifth and 6th.
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Nigeria’s men’s team reclaimed their crown at the 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships with a dominant win over Côte d’Ivoire in Thursday’s final.
The four-day championship is ongoing at Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Nigeria’s women’s team, led by Ajoke Ojomu, maintained regional dominance, defeating Benin Republic, Ghana, and Guinea to retain their title.
The championship also serves as a qualifier for the 2025 African Championships, set for later this year in Kigali, Rwanda.
After losing the title to Togo in 2024, the Nigerian men returned with renewed determination.
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U.S.-based Atlanta Hawks centre, Onyeka Okongwu, has shown interest in representing Nigeria’s D’Tigers at the upcoming FIBA AfroBasket 2025 tournament, scheduled for Angola, from 12th to 14th August, across three cities: Benguela, Luanda, and Namibe.
If confirmed, Okongwu’s inclusion would bolster Nigeria’s frontcourt as the team aims to reclaim dominance in African basketball.
Tunisia are the defending champions, while Nigeria last won the title in 2015., across three cities: Benguela, Luanda, and Namibe.
No longer in the running for title contention, Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress will face a date with Argentina on Friday, as the classification rounds take place at the ongoing FIBA U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Brno, Czechia.
The coach Juliana Akhere-led side were beaten 77-51 by Eastern European side Hungary in the round of 16, to exit the race to become world champions.
However, there is still pride to play for when they take on the South Americans at the Starez Arena Vodova Hall in Brno, for the right to finish in positions 9 to 16.
IN ENGLAND
Liverpool is in advanced talks to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike in a deal worth more than seventy million pounds.
Multiple sources have indicated that Liverpool aim to have the transfer wrapped up by this weekend.
Ekitike is open to joining the Premier League champions, who want to sign a central striker.
Liverpool has also shown a major interest in Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, but the Magpies are adamant the Swede was not for sale at any price.
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Newcastle is expected to accelerate their interest in Brentford striker Yoane Wissa after withdrawing from their pursuit of Hugo Ekitike.
Wissa, is also a target for Tottenham and Nottingham Forest
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Manchester United has made a third bid for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo that could be worth up to seventy million pounds.
The offer is understood to be an initial sixty-five million pounds, with five million pounds in add-ons.
United has remained confident about getting Mbeumo and had been hopeful of adding the Cameroon international to Ruben Amorim’s squad.
Brentford is yet to respond to the offer.
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Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has debunked reports circulating in the media that he was planning to leave the Etihad Stadium.
Several reports have suggested that the 34-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements as Pep Guardiola’s seeks to rebuild his aging squad.
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Wolves has inducted former forward Diogo Jota into their Hall of Fame in a tribute that honours both his remarkable achievements for the club and the deep impact his passing has had on the footballing world.
The Portugal international and his 25-year-old brother Andre Silva, who was also a footballer, died in a car crash on 3rd July in the Spanish province of Zamora.
Jota moved to Wolves from Atletico Madrid in July 2017 in a deal which was initially on a season-long loan and then made permanent before going on to join Liverpool in 2020.
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Rapper Snoop Dogg has become a co-owner and investor at Swansea City after taking a minority stake in the Championship club.
Snoop Dogg was the surprise model as Swansea launched their home kit for the 2025-26 season last weekend.
The Swans have now announced that the 53-year-old American star has followed Real Madrid and Croatia legend Luka Modric by joining the club’s ownership group.
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Police say the number of football matches in England and Wales with reported incidents of disorder increased by eighteen during the 2024-25 season.
The Home Office says the number of reported incidents rose from one thousand, three hundred and forty-one in 2023-24 to one thousand, five hundred and eighty-three and included football-related violence, disorder, anti-social behaviour and harm.
It means at least one incident was reported at more than half of over three thousand matches played last season from the Premier League down to the National League and games in FA Cup, League Cup, Football League Trophy, Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and international fixtures.
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England women have produced a remarkable comeback to continue the defence of their European title as they beat Sweden in a breathtaking quarter-final penalty shootout.
Defender Lucy Bronze, England’s seventh penalty taker, slammed her spot-kick into the roof of the net before Sweden’s Smilla Holmberg put her effort over the bar at the end of a chaotic shootout.
Sweden only scored two of their seven penalties, with England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saving two of them, while her Swedish counterpart Jennifer Falk kept out four spot-kicks and missed a chance to win it when she put her shot over the bar.
Victory for Sarina Wiegman’s side came after they fought back from two-nil down with eleven minutes of normal time left, to take the game to extra time in Zurich.
England women will face Italy for a place in the Euro 2025 final when the teams go head-to-head on Tuesday, 22nd July.
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OTHER LEAGUES
French police has reportedly launched a probe into payments made by Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe to officers, amid questions over whether the funds were for World Cup duties or personal protection.
The payments are believed to be linked to Mbappe’s promise to donate his 2022 World Cup prize money to the security personnel who guarded the team throughout the tournament.
The forward signed a document confirming this commitment and consulted his lawyer to ensure the donations would not be taxable for the recipients.
Authorities are investigating whether the payments were genuinely related to World Cup duties or were intended as personal protection for Mbappe.
Meanwhile, Mbappe has said he is ‘ready to answer any questions’ regarding the situation.
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Former Wales forward Ronald ‘Wyn’ Davies has died at the age of eighty-three.
Born in Caernarfon in 1942, Davies enjoyed an outstanding career in the 1960 and 1970 playing for teams including Wrexham, Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and both Manchester clubs City and United.
Nicknamed ‘Wyn the Leap’ because of his heading ability, the forward represented Wales thirty-four times, scoring six goals.
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OTHER SPORTS
In Athletics, The women’s marathon world record holder, Ruth Chepngetich, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for a banned substance.
The diuretic hydrochlorothiazide was detected in a sample collected from Kenyan Chepngetich on 14th March, the AIU said in a statement., external
Chepngetich broke the world record to win the Chicago Marathon in October 2024, clocking a time of two hours, nine minutes and fifty-six seconds.
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In Cycling, Tadej Pogacar has regained the overall lead of the Tour de France as he stormed up the Hautacam climb to win stage twelve.
Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike team were expected to attack the reigning champion on the first true mountain stage of this year’s Tour, which ended with the first summit finish.
Pogacar was also sporting dressings on his left arm after falling at the end of Wednesday’s stage, but the Slovenian showed no ill effects as he attacked on the gruelling final climb.
The three-time Tour winner went clear early on the thirteen point five kilometres ascent and continued to stretch his lead, winning the stage by two minutes ten seconds from Vingegaard.
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In Cricket, seamer Kate Cross says England needs to be given time to rebuild and recover from the Ashes scarring at the beginning of the year,
Cross was in the Ashes one-day international and Test squads but did not play as she struggled with a back injury, with England eventually losing 16-0 in the points-based series.
After strong media criticism surrounding the performances and their attitude, England replaced then-coach Jon Lewis and captain Heather Knight with Charlotte Edwards and Nat Sciver-Brunt respectively, and they comfortably won all six white-ball matches against West Indies in their first series in charge at the beginning of this summer.
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In Rugby, Ugo Monye says the British and Irish Lions will have even greater confidence of beating Australia in the first Test after seeing the Wallabies’ under-strength line-up,
The tourists were favourites to win this summer’s three-match series, as they did on their last visit Down Under in 2013, but former Lions wing Monye says Andy Farrell’s side will be boosted by some notable absentees in the Australia XV.
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt has named a team without experienced lock Will Skelton and powerful back row Rob Valetini, who both have calf injuries, for the opening Test in Brisbane.
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In Golf, A trio of Englishmen made superb starts to the 153rd Open Championship on a rain-lashed opening morning at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
Former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick slam-dunked a chip for birdie on the notoriously difficult par-three 16th to join unheralded Dane Jacob Skov Olesen and China’s Li Haotong in the lead on four under par.
Matthew Jordan briefly reached that number but is one back after a 68, while Lee Westwood, who finished fourth when The Open last visited this course in 2019, is in a group at two under.
World number one Scottie Scheffler, who looked like he was not particularly enjoying the stormy weather, and hit just three out of 14 fairways, had two late birdies to join Jordan on three under.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
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