IN WOMEN’S AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS
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Debutants Malawi have pulled off the biggest upset in this year’s Women’s African Cup of Nations after edging out defending champions Nigeria’s Super Falcons in Group C.
Sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga got the three goals for Malawi while Rasheedat Ajibade and Uchenna Kanu were on target for the Super Falcons.
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Four goals from Barbra Banda saw Copper Queens of Zambia thrash Egypt six-nil, in their first Group C game at the Women’s African Cup of Nations in Morocco.
After dominating most parts in the first half, Zambia took the lead on 25 minutes from the penalty spot by Rachael Nachula following a foul on Banda.
Banda then made it two-nil in the 60th minute from another penalty before getting her second of the game just three minutes later to make it three-nil.
With three minutes left Banda completed her hat-trick to put Zambia four-nil up while Eneless Phiri added the fifth goal in the 93rd minute.
Banda was not done scoring as she got her fourth strike to extend the scoreline to six-nil.
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The Nigeria Football Federation has condemned the racist abuse directed at Super Falcons star forward Esther Okoronkwo by some Moroccans on social media.
The NFF’s statement comes after reports of a theft at the Super Falcons’ Marriot Hotel in Casablanca, where the suspect accused of stealing cash was arrested.
According to the country’s football governing body, the stolen money was recovered in full and the person responsible was sentenced to six months in prison.
Following the incident, Okoronkwo became the target of racist abuse and offensive emojis on social media, which the NFF strongly condemned.
The NFF reiterated its commitment to protecting the safety and dignity of the players while maintaining that the team remains focused on its sporting objectives.
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Beşiktaş sporting director, Önder Özent has dismissed reports that the club has received an official bid for Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi.
Ndidi has been heavily linked with a move away from the Turkish Super Lig side during the summer transfer window.
Özent clarified that while there was genuine interest from Saudi Arabia, Beşiktaş have not received any formal proposal for the Nigerian international.
Ndidi joined the Black Eagles from Leicester City last summer and quickly established himself as a key figure in the team.
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IN ENGLAND
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Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso’s first match has been defined by four strikers, an untouchable one, one that struggled again and could leave, a promising talent, and one that could join.
The star was Joao Pedro, who scored a nine-minute hat-trick to help Alonso’s side to a six-four win against Western Sydney Wanderers in a match that highlighted the gulf between Premier League and A-League teams.
Perhaps it was the disappointment of being left out of Brazil’s World Cup squad that inspired the forward to showcase his finishing prowess and his power and pace in an entertaining spectacle at Accor Stadium.
Alonso described Joao Pedro as very, very hungry and determined to have a great season.
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Manchester City midfielder Rodri will be sidelined for a short period of rehabilitation following back surgery.
New manager Enzo Maresca said on Friday that Rodri would have an operation on Monday, and that he needs a holiday, he needs to rest and recover and then he will be back with us.
No timeline has been set for his return.
City face Arsenal in the Community Shield on 16th August before their Premier League opener against Bournemouth on 23rd August.
City said Rodri had been feeling discomfort for some time but has now undergone a procedure to address the issue.
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Manchester City winger Savinho is open to leaving the club with a view to exploring a move to Tottenham.
The Brazil international is a key target for Spurs head coach Roberto de Zerbi and City are aware of the interest in the 22-year-old.
It is understood Savinho is keen to leave during this transfer window, with the machinations towards his potential move to London now under way.
Tottenham held talks to sign Savinho last summer, but the Etihad club were not looking to sell at that stage.
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Chelsea women is set to sign attacking midfielder Giulia Dragoni from Barcelona.
The 19-year-old spent the last two seasons on loan at Roma, and Chelsea have been tracking her progress for several years.
Dragoni has already made twenty-four appearances for Italy since her debut aged 16 and has experience in the Women’s Champions League with Roma.
She joined Barcelona in 2023 after graduating from Inter Milan’s youth academy.
It is understood Chelsea were attracted to Dragoni’s quality because of her versatility and ability to play across multiple attacking positions and in midfield.
She is set to become the club’s fourth summer signing as they seek to regain the Women’s Super League title following Manchester City’s success last season.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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European football’s governing body Uefa and Prime Minister Andy Burnham have criticised proposals from Fifa to seek private investment in its competitions, including the World Cup.
Fifa, the sport’s global governing body, said it intends to expand football development funding to more than ten billion dollars and invite third-party investment in a new venture.
In a lengthy statement outlining the proposals, Fifa says it will invite third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments in a new subsidiary, Fifa Forward Enterprise to consolidate its commercial and event operations.
However, Uefa issued a statement criticising the proposals, which it claimed crosses a line.
Burnham said going ahead with the idea would mean Fifa had sold out.
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Former Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane has been confirmed as the head coach of the France national team.
Didier Deschamps, France’s longest-serving manager, ended his 14-year stint in charge after the nation’s semi-final exit to Spain at the 2026 World Cup.
Zidane, widely considered to be France’s greatest player, will sign a contract that will see him lead the nation through the 2030 World Cup qualifiers.
On being appointed, he said it was a great source of pride to lead the French national side following their fourth-place finish at the World Cup.
President of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo described the new head coach as a legend of French football.
Zidane’s first competitive fixture in charge will be a Nations League trip to Turkey on 25th September.
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Manager Roberto Mancini has been appointed Italy manager for a second time, just a day after Andrea Pirlo ruled himself out of the running for the job and technical director Paolo Maldini resigned.
Gennaro Gattuso left his role as Italy boss in April after the Azzurri failed to qualify for a third successive World Cup.
Pirlo looked set to take over but on Monday pulled out following controversy over his ties to a Russian betting company.
Claudio Ranieri, who led Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2015-16, will replace Maldini as technical director.
Maldini, who was appointed to the role two weeks ago, and adviser Leonardo resigned following the decision not to appoint Pirlo.
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European refereeing officials says Video assistant referees should only be used to change blatantly incorrect decisions and clear missed incidents.
Chief refereeing officers from all fifty-five European national football associations met last week with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board to address recent changes to the game’s laws.
Attendees said lengthy, microscoping reviews indicate VAR has gone beyond its original scope.
Uefa said at its recent meeting that refereeing bosses agreed a return to those original aims is needed.
Officials acknowledged recent clarification from Ifab around the correct interpretation of the mistaken identity rule introduced before this summer’s World Cup, which says if a player is booked or sent off but the foul was committed by the opposition team the decision can be changed.
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Hearts endured another painful game against Sturm Graz as the Tynecastle side’s first Champions League campaign in twenty years ended in a swift exit.
Two second-half goals handed Wouter Vrancken’s men a six-nil aggregate defeat their heaviest in a two-legged European tie – by the slick Austrians in the second-round qualifier.
Hearts now drop into the Europa League third qualifying round where they will face the winners of the tie between St Gallen and Benfica, but those sides meet in the second leg on Thursday, with St Gallen two-one up.
With a four-goal lead from the first leg, Seedy Jatta thought he had ended any chance of a Hearts comeback after 25 minutes in Edinburgh.
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Denmark striker Kasper Hogh says Celtic are a really good match for him after becoming the club’s record signing.
The 25-year-old has joined for a reported fee of eleven million pounds from Bodo/Glimt and becomes the Scottish champions’ second summer recruit, following the arrival of Camilo Duran.
Hogh, who scored fifty-four goals in one hundred and three games for Norwegians Bodo/Glimt, five of which were in last season’s Champions League, has penned a four-year deal with the option of a further year.
The Dane’s big-money arrival will ease some of the fan pressure on Celtic’s board after Japan forward Daizen Maeda’s exit to Ipswich Town.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Tennis, British number two Cameron Norrie ended a six-match losing streak with a 6-4,-6-1 win over Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round of the Mifel Open in Mexico.
Norrie had not won since the Madrid Open in April, a run which included a first-round exit to qualifier Michael Zheng at Wimbledon.
The fifth seed dropped only five points on serve in the second set and broke American Kovacevic twice to set up a meeting with Australian James Duckworth or American Aidan Mayo in the last 16.
British number two Katie Boulter was knocked out of the Citi Open in the first round, extending her losing run to four matches.
American Ashlyn Krueger triumphed 3-6 6-2 6-2 in Washington DC as Boulter won only four points from 2-0 up in the deciding set.
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In Boxing, British world champion Caroline Dubois has split with trainer Shane McGuigan and will be relocating to America.
The unified lightweight champion will defend her WBC and WBO titles against American Amelia Moore on 29th August on an all-female Most Valuable Promotions card in Birmingham.
Dubois confirmed she and McGuigan had mutually agreed to part ways after working together since she turned professional in 2021.
The news emerged just hours before Wednesday’s news conference in London, where the British and American fighters gathered to promote the UK v USA-themed event.
Also on the card, three-weight world champion Terri Harper, returns for the first time since her defeat by Dubois, taking on Texas fighter Miranda Reyes.
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In Cricket, An amateur cricket match has made global headlines after a fielder was accused of cheating by clicking his fingers to get a wicket.
The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League has started an investigation into a second XI Division 2 game between Saltburn and Norton.
A viral video on social media appears to show a Saltburn fielder clicking his fingers as the ball passes Noman Shabir’s bat before being caught by wicketkeeper Josh Bowes.
It has been suggested that the finger-clicking was designed to trick the umpire into thinking the batter edged the ball.
Saltburn won by 159 runs and are top of Division 2 by 18 points.
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In Rugby, Champions Northampton will host Newcastle Red Bulls on the opening day of the 2026-27 Prem rugby season.
Saints beat Exeter to lift the trophy for the second time in three seasons in June and start the new campaign at home on Friday, 25th September.
The Chiefs are also at home for their first game, with Gloucester set to visit Sandy Park on the Saturday.
Elsewhere across the opening weekend, Harlequins are at home to Bath on Friday, Sale host Bristol on Saturday evening and Leicester play Saracens in the only match on Sunday.
The 2026-27 Prem final will be held on Saturday, 19th June 2027 at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with the season to take a series of breaks around international fixtures.
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In Golf, Charley Hull began the week of the final golf major of the year by convincing her caddie Adam Woodward he had won a lottery prize worth one hundred thousand pound.
Unfortunately for Woodward, Hull had bought the ticket in a Blackpool joke shop.
The only way he can really hit the jackpot is if his boss breaks her major duck at this week’s AIG Women’s Open.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Nature has given us all the pieces required to achieve exceptional wellness and health, but has left it to us to put these pieces together….words from Diane McLaren
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THAT ENDS TBS SPORTS AS EDITED BY BABAJIDE ALLI-BALOGUN AND TOSIN OJOBORUN
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