IN NIGERIA
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The Super Eagles has bowed out from the 2024 Africa Nations Championship, CHAN, in style after the team defeated Congo two-nil in their final group game.

The Super Eagles, who had already been knocked out following defeats to Senegal and Sudan, produced an improved display in their final group game.

Anas Yusuf broke the deadlock in the 55th minute after Sikiru Alimi’s cushioned header to fire home from close range.

Alimi then sealed the result deep into stoppage time, meeting a cross with a stooping header before being replaced by Godwin Obaje.
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Former Nigerian international, Friday Ekpo has praised the Home Eagles for picking up the maximum points against Congo in the final group game of the 2024 African Nations Championship, CHAN.

Ekpo stated that the team has done enough to restore respect.
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Super Eagles star, Ademola Lookman has returned to Bergamo, and is preparing to train with his Atalanta teammates.

Lookman shunned training for several days without permission to force a move to Inter Milan.

The Nigeria international was accompanied to training on Tuesday by his father and a friend.

The 27-year-old will now await sanctions by the Bergamo club.

Atalanta will get their league campaign underway with a visit from the newly-promoted Pisa on Sunday.
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South Africa Premier Soccer League  Kaizer Chiefs has announced the signing of Nigerian striker Etiosa Ighodaro from Mamelodi Sundowns.

Kaizer Chiefs confirmed the signing in a statement on their website.

Ighodaro spent the past five seasons in South Africa after being signed by Sundowns from Abuja College.
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Nigeria’s senior men’s team, D’Tigers, will resume their quest to challenge for a second AfroBasket title when they take on the Teranga Lions of Senegal in a quarter-final clash on Wednesday at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda in Angola.

Nigeria will be looking to maintain their 100 per cent record at the ongoing tournament when they go to battle against their Francophone counterparts.

Coach Mohammed Abdulrahman’s side topped Group B with maximum six points to get into the last eight.

They dismissed Madagascar 77-59 in their opening game, before easing past defending champions and three-time tournament winners Tunisia 87-66.

The West Africans closed out the round-robin phase in style by beating Cameroon 99-90 to register a third win from three games.
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Ezekiel Nathaniel has promised to deliver even more speed at the World Championships in Tokyo after breaking his own Nigerian 400m hurdles record once again with a stunning performance at the Silesia Diamond League.

The 22-year-old produced another breakthrough run in Poland, clocking 47.31s to lower his national mark for the fifth time this season.

His effort was enough to finish second behind Tokyo 2021 Olympic champion Karsten Warholm, who stormed to a world lead of 46.28s, with Nathaniel’s time now ranking as the fifth fastest in the world this year.
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Former heavyweight contender Ike Ibeabuchi and his opponent Abiodun Afinni have both expressed their readiness to go up against each other when the pair meet in the ring on Saturday, August 23, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

Ibeabuchi, 51, nicknamed “The President,” expressed belief his return to the ring will mark another phase in his career and vowed to take down Afinni within the opening three rounds.

He had been earlier scheduled to face British knockout specialist Danny “The Brixton Hammer” Williams, however, his opponent withdrew having suffered an injury while training, which then paved the way for Abiodun Afinni to act as a replacement.
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President of the Nigeria School Sports Federation, Olabisi Joseph, says the inaugural sports camp organised for students from the six southwestern states of Nigeria will be the launchpad of a transformative experience for future athletes.

More than 600 students from Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti and Osun, along with over 150 game masters, took part in the inaugural sports camp organised by the WAMUFAT Foundation in partnership with the NSSF.

The week-long event  11th to 16th held at the Agroterra Sports Complex in Joga-Orile, near Abeokuta, Ogun State, offered participants hands-on exposure to modern sports training and mentorship.
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Nigeria brought the curtain down on the Confederation of African Athletics Region II Senior Athletics Championships in Accra on a triumphant note, clinching multiple gold medals on the final day of action on Tuesday at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.

The highlight of the day came in the men’s 200m, where Chidera Ezeakor produced a stunning performance to win gold in 20.77s, a new personal best.

Ezeakor, who had already improved his record with 21.05s in the heats, found another gear in the final to win the regional crown.

Ghana’s Edwin Gadayi followed home in 21.14s for silver, with compatriot Marizuk Shaibu third in 21.21s, and Nigeria’s Audu Abdulgafar finished just outside the medals in fourth.
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IN ENGLAND
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Liverpool winger, Mohamed Salah has won the Professional Footballers’ Association men’s player of the year award, with Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers named young player of the year.

Sir Gareth Southgate is the 2025 recipient of the PFA merit award for his contributions to football and achievements with England.

Salah is the first player to win the accolade on three occasions after playing a key role in Liverpool’s title success last season.

The Egypt international was the Premier League’s top scorer in 2024-25 – registering twenty-nine times and providing eighteen assists.

Reds team-mate Alexis Mac Allister, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, Chelsea forward Cole Palmer and Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice were also on the shortlist.
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Arsenal women midfielder, Mariona Caldentey has been named the Professional Footballers’ Association women’s player of the year, with her new team-mate Olivia Smith awarded the young player award.

USA manager Emma Hayes won the PFA merit award in recognition of her contributions to women’s football during an illustrious career with Chelsea.

Caldentey scored nineteen goals in forty-one appearances in all competitions in her first season with the Gunners, following a move from Barcelona, including nine goals and five assists in the Women’s Super League.

Arsenal team-mate Alessia Russo, Manchester City pair Mary Fowler and Yui Hasegawa, Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert and Manchester United’s Phallon Tullis-Joyce were also on the shortlist.
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Wolves has signed defender Jackson Tchatchoua for ten point eight million pounds on a five-year deal from Serie A side Hellas Verona.

The Cameroon international can play as a right-back or wing-back and was last season named the fastest player in Serie A with an average top speed of 34.88 kilometres per hour.

He is Wolves’ fifth signing of the window as they secured the permanent transfer of forward Jorgen Strand Larsen after a successful loan spell, plus forward Fer Lopez, winger Jhon Arias and defender David Moller Wolfe.
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Newcastle United star, Alexander Isak says promises have been broken by the team and the relationship cannot continue as he looks to force through an exit this summer.

Nineteen days have passed since Newcastle rejected Liverpool’s one hundred and ten million pounds bid for the Sweden international, who remains in a stand-off with the club over his future.

Isak believed he would be allowed to leave Newcastle if a big club came in for him and offered the right price.

He posted a statement on Instagram to explain why he was not in attendance at the Professional Footballers’ Association’s awards gala, where he was named in the Premier League team of the season.
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Ashvir Singh Johal has become the first Sikh to take charge of a professional British club with his appointment as Morecambe manager.

The 30-year-old also becomes the youngest manager in the top five tiers of English football.

The Shrimps were taken over by the Panjab Warriors consortium on Sunday, ending a lengthy period of uncertainty for the National League club.

Johal, who has never managed a first-team side, replaces Derek Adams, who was sacked on Monday.
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Brighton women has re-signed England striker Michelle Agyemang on loan from Arsenal for the 2025-26 Women’s Super League campaign.

Agyemang played a key role in helping the Lionesses to win Euro 2025 and was named Young Player of the Tournament.

The 19-year-old is a graduate of Arsenal’s academy but spent last season on loan with the Seagulls, scoring five goals in twenty-two appearances across all competitions.
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Liverpool manager, Gareth Taylor says he stayed true to his role when dealing with disagreements with England forward Chloe Kelly in his previous job.

Taylor, who joined Liverpool in August, spent five years at Manchester City where he managed Kelly before her dramatic move to Arsenal, originally on loan in January.

Kelly pushed for a move away from the club, referencing negative behaviour towards her and saying she wanted to be happy again in a social media post, and later criticised City for attempting to assassinate her character on transfer deadline day.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has made his La Liga debut as Real Madrid earned a narrow win against Osasuna.

The summer signing from Liverpool had played five times for his new club at the Fifa Club World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals, under new boss Xabi Alonso.

Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal from the penalty spot as Real won their opening league game of the season in Alonso’s first domestic match in charge.

The France international sent goalkeeper Sergio Herrera the wrong way after he had been fouled in the box.

Osasuna had Abel Bretones sent off in injury time for catching Goncalo Garcia.
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A disastrous opening twenty minutes left Rangers’ hopes of Champions League qualification hanging by a thread, as a clinical Club Brugge side tormented the hosts inside a seething Ibrox.

After a stuttering start to the season, the lure of Champions League riches offered potential salvation and credit in the bank for new head coach Russell Martin, who remains under scrutiny from many fans after an unconvincing start to the season.

Danilo’s second-half tap in gives them a slither of hope for next Wednesday’s second leg in Belgium, but their performance levels would need to be hugely improved to give them any chance.
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Marseille has placed Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe on the transfer list for unacceptable behaviour following last week’s defeat at Rennes.

French midfielder Rabiot and former Norwich winger Rowe were reported to have been involved in spat after the Ligue 1 fixture.

Marseille suffered a one-nil loss at Roazhon Park despite Rennes being reduced to ten men in the 26th minute.

The team said in a statement that the decision to put the pair up for sale was taken due to unacceptable behaviour in the dressing room after the game.

Marseille added that it had been done in agreement with the technical staff and in accordance with the club’s internal code of conduct and was communicated to the two players by the club.
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AC Milan icon Roberto Donadoni believes Luka Modric’s experience will play a big part in helping the club this season.

Donadoni stated that Modric’s personality will inspire other players in the team.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Boxing, Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski says it would be a no-brainer to stage his next title defence being against Britain’s Lerone Murphy.

Manchester’s Murphy thrust himself into contention for a championship bout by knocking out Aaron Pico with a sensational spinning back elbow at UFC 319 on Saturday.

Murphy, who is sixth in the UFC’s featherweight rankings and took the fight at three weeks’ notice, extended the winning start to his career to 17.

It was the 34-year-old’s ninth straight victory in the UFC since debuting in the promotion in 2019.
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In Tennis, Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz might have lost in the revamped US Open mixed doubles, but they certainly won the hearts of the New York crowd.

In a party-like atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Britain’s Raducanu and Spain’s Alcaraz saw their chances of claiming a one million dollar winning prize ended by fellow Briton Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula.

Despite the presence of home player Pegula, it was the losing pair who were heavily backed by a sizeable crowd at Flushing Meadows.

Pegula and Draper won 4-2, 4-2 in the new shortened format, which is part of the US Open’s reimagination of the mixed doubles.
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In Cricket, Manchester Originals has completed only the third 10-wicket victory in the history of The Hundred women’s competition as they defeated Trent Rockets at Trent Bridge.

Captain Beth Mooney hit 47 from 37 deliveries and Kathryn Bryce 61 from 45 as Originals chased their target of 112 with 18 balls to spare.

England bowlers Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Filer starred in the Rockets innings, taking 2-12 and 3-23 respectively as Originals restricted the home side to 111-7.

The win moves Originals into the play-off places with four wins from six matches, while Rockets remain in sixth with four defeats from five games.
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The Welsh Rugby Union, WRU, will propose reducing the number of professional sides in Wales from four to two.

Welsh rugby’s governing body has produced a radical plan which includes its optimal solution for transforming the struggling game.

The WRU is expected to announce its preferred proposals this week which will include two organisations each having a men’s and women’s side.

Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets are currently the four professional men’s sides in Wales, but the WRU is suggesting the number of teams is halved.

The news comes despite the fact that Ospreys have plans to move into a revamped stadium at St Helen’s in Swansea for the 2026-27 season, while Scarlets have recently unveiled new investors.
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In Golf, Rory McIlroy says he will continue to take advantage of the luxury of picking his own tournament schedule, even if it means missing more signature events.

The world number two is behind only American Scottie Scheffler in the FedEx Cup standings before this week’s final PGA Tour event of the year at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta which, for the first time since 2019, will not see the season-long leaders benefit from starting strokes.

While the 2025 PGA Tour season concludes this week, McIlroy still maintains DP World Tour commitments and will play in India and Australia, and at the Irish Open, before the end of the year.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

When I step onto the court, I don’t have to think about anything. If I have a problem off the court, I find that after I play, my mind is clearer and I can come up with a better solution. It’s like therapy. It relaxes me and allows me to solve problems….words Basketball Legend, Michael Jordan.