IN ENGLAND
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Tottenham star Mateus Fernandes scored what he called the best goal of his career inside three minutes of his Tottenham debut in a behind-closed-doors friendly.

The eighty-five million pounds signing from West Ham struck a first-time volley into the top corner from range to decide the game as Roberto de Zerbi tested out his players in a one-nil win over League One side MK Dons.

Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka also caught the eye with a sharp save from close range on his first appearance since joining on a free from Burnley in June.

Partnering Fernandes in a midfield double pivot was one hundred million pounds signing Sandro Tonali, making his first run-out since joining from Newcastle.

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Arsenal has confirmed defender William Saliba is set to miss an extended period after suffering a back injury while at the World Cup with France.

The 25-year-old had been managing a back issue for several weeks and carried the problem into the World Cup but was forced off after thirty minutes of France’s semi-final loss to Spain.

After returning to London and being seen by a specialist, it was decided that surgery is not needed with a managed recovery programme to be commenced instead.

Saliba was forced to sit out France’s World Cup bronze final defeat by England.

Mikel Arteta’s side will take on Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, 16th August – five days before the Gunners begin the defence of the Premier League title, hosting promoted Coventry City.

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Manchester City midfielder, Phil Foden has signed a new four-year contract which will keep him at the club until 2030.

The 26-year-old’s previous deal was due to expire next summer but he has opted to extend his stay under new head coach Enzo Maresca.

Foden was given his first-team debut as a 17-year-old by former boss Pep Guardiola and has gone on to make three hundred and sixty-nine appearances for City, winning six Premier League titles, one Champions League and two FA Cups.

He was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad in May after an inconsistent season where he made only twenty-three Premier League starts.
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Ipswich Town has signed Morocco defender Issa Diop from Fulham for an undisclosed fee.

The 29-year-old, who played five games for Morocco as they reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, has signed a deal until the summer of 2030.

Diop brings significant Premier League experience to an Ipswich squad promoted from the Championship last season having played one hundred and seventy-three games in the top flight for Fulham and West Ham.

He becomes Ipswich’s sixth signing of the summer following the acquisition of Ghana winger Abdul Fatawu from Leicester for twenty million pounds.

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Aston Villa has agreed a loan deal for Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho until the end of the 2026-27 season, with an obligation to buy.

The 22-year-old has already completed a medical in Birmingham and has pre-agreed a four-year contract at Villa Park if the loan deal becomes permanent.

The terms of the obligation to buy clause has not been disclosed by either club, but it is expected to be triggered if certain conditions are met, such as the number of appearances the Argentina international makes next season.

Chelsea believe the terms are easily reachable and that they will achieve their original forty-three million pounds valuation.

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Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit has disclosed that Enzo Fernández appears to have lost his commitment to the club.

Petit cited the midfielder’s ongoing links to Real Madrid, unhappiness with the team’s project, and controversial public communications as reasons why fans believe his mind is elsewhere.

Chelsea has been firm on their valuation, expecting a fee in the region of one hundred and twenty million pounds if he attempts to force a move.

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Southampton head coach, Tonda Eckert has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association for his role in the Spygate scandal.

Saints were kicked out of the Championship play-offs in May after admitting they spied on three clubs during the campaign.

An independent disciplinary commission ruled at the time that the espionage was authorised by Eckert and was a contrived and determined plan from the top down.

Since then the club has been the subject of an investigation by the FA, looking into who participated in the spying and assessing the culpability of those who knew it was happening.

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Liverpool has issued over four hundred lifetime bans after more than one point two million pounds of assets relating to the illegal selling of tickets was seized by police.

The club worked with Merseyside Police to seize the assets from organised ticket touts.

The police operation focused on the laundering of criminal proceeds from illicit ticket sales and took place alongside the club’s crackdown on ticket touting, both online and in the ground.

The club has since issued four hundred and thirty-two lifetime bans to the guilty parties, and one hundred and fifteen indefinite suspensions.

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Wrexham is closing in on appointing Newcastle United chief Steve Nickson as their new sporting director.

Nickson is expected to leave his role as head of recruitment with the Magpies this summer to join the ambitious Welsh Championship side.

The recruitment chief – who played a key role in Joelinton’s forty million pounds switch to St James’ Park from Hoffenheim in 2019 in addition to that of Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon in 2022, has attracted interest from recently relegated West Ham United.

Premier League Newcastle are yet to officially confirm Nickson’s departure, although he is now poised to join the Red Dragons in September in a newly-created role.

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Swansea City has signed Motherwell’s New Zealand international winger Elijah Just.

The 26-year-old scored three goals at this summer’s World Cup where he featured in all three of the All Whites’ group games.

Just joined Motherwell in 2025 having spent the majority of his career playing in Denmark.

He made forty-three appearances for the Fir Park club, scored seven goals and was nominated for Premiership player of the year.

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Arsenal women have brought in Spain goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez on a free transfer – their sixth signing of the summer.

The 27-year-old joins the Women’s Super League side after leaving Real Madrid at the end of last season.

Rodriguez will wear the number 16 shirt and will compete for minutes with Daphne van Domselaar and Anneke Borbe, both of whom struggled with injuries last season.

Arsenal have had a busy transfer window as they prepare for the 2026-27 Women’s Super League season, with Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle, Selina Cerci, Geraldine Reuteler and Lisa Baum all reinforcing Renee Slegers’ squad.

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IN NIGERIA
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Nigeria’s Super Falcons will take on Tanzania in an international friendly on Thursday as part of their preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The warm-up fixture will be played at the La Noria Sports Complex in Casablanca and is scheduled to kick off at 6:00 p.m.

The encounter will provide head coach Justine Madugu with a final opportunity to assess his squad’s readiness ahead of the continental tournament.

Madugu’s side will travel to Rabat this weekend, where they will play their Group C matches at the tournament.

The nine-time African champions will begin the defence of their WAFCON title against the Scorchers of Malawi at the Al Madina Stadium, Rabat next Tuesday.

The Super Falcons will also face the Copper Queens of Zambia, and Egypt in the group.
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Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso — three countries led by military governments—are bidding to jointly host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Malian Football Federation said in a statement that officials met with Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe on Saturday in New York “with a view to a joint bid to host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations”.

The three neighbours and allies within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) are led by post-coup juntas and grappling with insecurity amid deadly attacks from jihadist groups which have killed thousands.

The Malian federation said the CAF meeting marks “a pivotal stage in the bidding process”, enabling the three member associations to “proceed with the steps outlined in CAF regulations for the awarding of the 2032 AFCON”.
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The Confederation of African Football, CAF, announced a substantial increase in the prize money for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

CAF confirmed that the winners of this year’s tournament would receive two million dollars, representing a one hundred per cent increase from the one million dollars the Super Falcons earned after claiming their record-extending 10th continental title at the last edition.

The governing body also increased the tournament’s total prize fund by sixty-seven per cent, from three point four hundred and seventy-five million dollars to five point eight million pounds.

The runners-up will now receive seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, a fifty per cent increase, while the third-placed team will earn forty-three per cent more than in the previous edition.

In addition, each of the sixteen participating teams will receive one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in participation funding, up from one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars previously, a twenty per cent increase.

CAF also highlighted the remarkable growth in investment in the competition under its current leadership.

Morocco will host the WAFCON 2026 finals from 26th July to 16th August.

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Abia Warriors football club has confirmed the return of Head Coach Imama Amapakabo to the club’s dugout after he served the suspension imposed on him by the management.

Amapakabo, a former Nigeria junior international, previously had a managerial spell with Rwandan club Etoile de L’Est, where he replaced Maurice Nshimiyamana in 2024.

The former Super Eagles assistant coach was suspended by the Abia Warriors management following the club’s two-nil home defeat to struggling Kun Khalifat FC of Owerri in the 2025/2026 NPFL Matchday 37 Oriental Derby.

The former Golden Eaglets coach said the responsibility rests with the technical crew, who will prepare and submit their schedule for management’s review and approval.

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Super Eagles striker, Tolu Arokodare, who plays for Wolves forced the cancellation of a training session after he refused to leave the pitch.

The 25-year-old Nigeria international sat down and demanded the club let him move to Fiorentina.

Wolves have rejected a bid from the Serie A side, having accepted an offer from Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Arokodare’s actions led to new boss Cesar Peixoto terminating the session on Monday.

The latest incident is another flashpoint in the forward’s career at Molineux after he was disciplined in April following a confrontation with young forward Mateus Mane.

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Super Eagles star, Frank Onyeka has expressed his delight after completing a permanent move to Championship club Coventry City.

Onyeka joined the Sky Blues from Brentford on loan during the January transfer window with an obligation to sign permanently.

The Nigeria international played a key role in Coventry City’s promotion to the Premier League, scoring once in fourteen Championship appearances.

The defensive midfielder is thrilled to continue his journey with Frank Lampard’s side.

Onyeka also reflected on his first few months at the club.

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Super Eagles star Taiwo Awoniyi is on target as Nottingham Forest continued the pre-season preparations for the 2026/27 Premier League campaign with a three-nil win against Championship side Blackburn Rovers in Portugal.

After Igor Jesus swept Forest into the lead with half-time approaching, two quickfire second-half goals from first Arnaud Kalimuendo, then Awoniyi ensured the Reds would claim a second successive win following the team’s two-nil win against Notts County.

Oliver Glasner’s side still have two fixtures to come as part of the pre-season training camp in the Algarve, with a behind-closed-doors game against Vitória S.C. before the Reds take on Portuguese giants Sporting CP on Friday 31st July.

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Serie A newcomers Venezia have completed the signing of Nigerian striker Akor Adams from Spanish club Sevilla.

The 26-year-old penned a long-term contract with the Orange and Green, keeping him at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo until 30th June, 2030.

Adams arrived after an impressive spell at Sevilla, where he scored ten goals and provided four assists in thirty-seven appearances across all competitions.

Speaking after sealing the move, the Super Eagles forward said Venezia’s ambition and project convinced him to join the newly promoted side as he looks forward to helping the club establish itself in Serie A.

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Falconets striker, Janet Akekoromowei has sealed a move to Portuguese champions Benfica.

Akekoromowei penned a two-year contract with an option for a further two years.

The 18-year-old expressed her great satisfaction with the opportunity to represent Benfica and highlighted the privilege of joining the club.

The striker also revealed her desire to be part of the Benfica family and give her all on the field to help her teammates achieve their goals set for the 2026/27 season.

The former Bayelsa Queens striker also recalled the words of Christy Ucheibe, former Benfica player, and highlighted the positive impact that the testimony had.
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The Nigeria Basketball Federation has unveiled the men’s 3×3 basketball roster that will carry the country’s hopes at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, naming a trio that blends homegrown talent with experience drawn from the Nigerian diaspora.

The squad comprises Esosa Kelvin Okundaye, who wears jersey number nine and hails from Benin; Marcel Esonwune, who wears number 12 and is based in New York, United States; and Robert Chima Ukawuba, who wears number four and hails from Lagos.

Okundaye is expected to bring agility and an explosive style of play that federation officials believe will prove crucial in the fast-paced three-a-side format, while Esonwune, representing the diaspora contingent, brings international experience and veteran leadership built up in the United States.
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Seventy-two Nigerian athletes will compete across 10 sports at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, which formally get underway today, with the National Sports Commission targeting a record 20 gold medals, a tally that would surpass the country’s previous best of 12 achieved at Birmingham 2022.

Team Nigeria completed its build-up with a three-week high-performance training camp in Aberdeen, Scotland, before the first batch of athletes and officials departed for Glasgow earlier in the week, with a second batch moving into the Games Village on Friday to join teammates already on ground, with the official opening ceremony scheduled for Friday.

Nigeria’s campaign begins with its para powerlifting team, a discipline that has consistently delivered medals for the country at major championships.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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FIFA has unveiled the official FIFA World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament, selected by fans, with newly crowned champions Spain leading the way with three players in the Best eleven.

Arranged in a 4-3-3 formation, the team features standout performers from seven countries who impressed during the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Spain’s title-winning campaign earned defender Marc Cucurella, full-back Pedro Porro and midfielder Rodri places in the side.

Runners-up Argentina has two representatives in captain Lionel Messi and defender Lisandro Martínez, while France also contributed three players, Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé, winger Michael Olise and centre-back Dayot Upamecano.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham, Norway striker Erling Haaland and Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha completed the eleven-man team.

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Spain midfielder Gavi says he does not believe Argentina’s Leandro Paredes should be suspended for his part in the confrontation following the World Cup final.

Argentina players Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada plus assistant coach Roberto Ayala all appeared to be involved in the fracas on the pitch as Spain celebrated their one-nil win.

Paredes seemed to push Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and unused substitute Gavi tried to intervene but was forced to the ground by Almada.

Paredes pushed the Barcelona midfielder to the turf by putting his hand in the Spaniard’s face.

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Italian Football Federation president, Giovanni Malago has confirmed that Pep Guardiola held talks about becoming Italy head coach.

Malago confirmed talks had been held with the Spaniard and that exceptions could be made for his salary.

Guardiola left Manchester City this summer after ten successful years in England, during which time he won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups and the Champions League.

Italy has been without a head coach since Gennaro Gattuso resigned in April following the country’s failure to qualify for a third World Cup in a row.

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Major League Soccer says it is investigating allegations of tampering by Inter Miami after the club signed Brazil midfielder Casemiro.

Miami announced they had signed the 34-year-old who left Manchester United at the end of last season, on a deal that runs to the end of the 2027 MLS campaign, with an option to extend until June 2029.

The MLS released a statement saying it was reviewing a tampering allegation” against the club.

The investigation concerns Casemiro’s discovery rights, an MLS regulation that gives a specific club first refusal over a player should they want to join.

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Rangers intend to contest a four-match touchline ban given to manager Derek McInnes for describing as disgusting the decision to award Celtic a late penalty at Motherwell in May.

The comments, made at the end of last season when McInnes was in charge of Hearts, related to a stoppage-time spot-kick for handball that was converted by Kelechi Iheanacho.

Celtic’s three-two victory at Fir Park on 13th May kept them one point behind Hearts, who they beat to the title a few days later in a final-day decider.

Responding to the Scottish FA penalty, which is an immediate three-game ban with one suspended until the end of the season, Rangers say the remarks were directed at the decision, rather than representing any broader criticism of officials.

McInnes will be in the stands as Rangers open the Scottish Premiership away to Dundee United on 31st July.

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OTHER SPORTS
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In Boxing, Heavyweight contender Brandon Moore has warned British professional boxer Anthony Joshua that Kristian Prenga possesses the power to recreate the upset Andy Ruiz Junior. caused.

Moore, who previously sparred with the Albanian fighter, stated Prenga carries genuine concussive force and could emulate Ruiz’s historic knockout over Joshua.

The prediction stems from Moore’s intense sparring sessions with Prenga. Having felt Prenga’s raw power firsthand, Moore is confident the Albanian has the physical tools and the aggressive style needed to shatter Joshua’s game plan.

According to Moore, Prenga’s heavy hands make him a severe threat to catch Joshua clean, similar to the combinations Ruiz landed at Madison Square Garden.
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British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua has begun preparing for a fight with Tyson Fury by training with a specially made heavy bag replica of the Gypsy King, ahead of both men’s tune-up bouts this weekend.

Joshua and Fury have signed contracts to finally settle a decade’s worth of debate over a domestic showdown, but must first come through separate warm-up assignments, with Joshua facing Kristian Prenga on Saturday in Jeddah and Fury taking on 46-year-old veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand.

Joshua’s first-ever boxing coach, Sean Murphy, unveiled the bespoke bag and told DAZN it had been designed specifically to resemble Fury, describing it as reproducing the Gypsy King’s chin for practice purposes.

Murphy said Joshua had provided all the bags currently hanging in the gym and had personally funded other refurbishments at the facility, including new ring covers and an overhaul of the female changing room.

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In Cricket, Durham coach, Ryan Campbell says Ben Stokes is likely to balance his county commitments with franchise cricket around the world.

The former England Test captain, who made his final appearance against New Zealand at Trent Bridge earlier this month, underlined his continued value to Durham by helping them victory over Derbyshire with an unbeaten century in the One-Day Cup.

While Stokes intends to turn out in the majority of the side’s remaining matches this season, he has also spoken of his interest in playing overseas.

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Also, Former Australia batter David Warner has pleaded guilty to drunk driving, after being charged following a random breath test in Sydney in April.

The plea had been expected after his lawyer, Bobby Hill, said after a court hearing in May that the cricketer accepted responsibility and knew his behaviour had been foolish and reckless.

Warner had drunk three glasses of wine at a friend’s apartment before getting in his car on Easter Sunday, Hill said at the earlier hearing.

Sentencing has been set for 18th August, when Warner faces a minimum disqualification from driving of six months, a potential fine of up to one thousand, one hundred and fifty pounds and a potential prison sentence of up to nine months.

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In Rugby, The High Court has been told that hundreds of cases in rugby’s multi-million-pound concussion legal action should be thrown out.

Players from both codes of the sport claim that the authorities failed to put safeguards in place to protect them from the consequences of repeated head impacts.

World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union, Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League deny breaching a duty of care to protect the players from injury.

Lawyers representing the governing bodies have argued that claims should be thrown out due to documents surrounding the neurological testing process not being disclosed, which they claim is a breach of a 2024 court order.

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In Cycling, Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen won stage seventeen of the Tour de France following a bunch sprint.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider powered over the line with a good gap over his rivals to win his first stage in what had been a frustrating three-week race.

The 28-year-old won the prestigious green points jersey in 2023, but had struggled in this race to catch compatriot Tim Merlier in the final phases of sprints.

After stage seven, he was seen on social media tossing his bike in frustration after his illustrious team-mate, the powerhouse classics legend Mathieu van der Poel had mis-timed his lead-out and Philipsen became blocked in.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable…words from John Wooden.