IN WOMEN’S AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS
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The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has apologised to President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians following the Super Falcons’ failure to secure automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
A statement by the NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, said the Super Falcons and the Nigerian football family, expressed regret over the outcome.
Gusau acknowledged the disappointment caused, stating that the Super Falcons entered this year’s tournament with the hopes of the country.
He noted that the NFF, technical team and players are committed to doing everything within their power to secure Nigeria’s place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Gusau added that the NFF will also undertake an honest assessment of preparation, technical planning, logistics and overall operations, with a determination to identify areas requiring improvement and ensure the team is better prepared for the challenges ahead.
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Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu has hinted that he could make a change in goal following Chiamaka Nnadozie’s costly error in Nigeria’s one-nil defeat to Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Nnadozie was at fault for Cameroon’s decisive goal, scored by Maeva Nyadjou in the 19th minute of the keenly contested encounter.
Madugu’s side will now turn their attention to Thursday’s play-in clash against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana.
Ahead of the crucial encounter, Madugu acknowledged that he could consider other goalkeeping options in his squad, raising the possibility of Nnadozie being replaced for the showdown with South Africa.
Victory over Desiree Ellis’ side would keep Nigeria’s World Cup hopes alive by securing a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Ghana will take on Cote d’Ivoire in the other play-in encounter scheduled for Thursday.
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Super Falcons star, Asisat Oshoala has stressed that the team cannot afford to miss out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Oshoala emphasised the importance of securing qualification, and urged Nigerians to continue to support the team as they battle for a place at Brazil 2027.
Justine Madugu’s side must now navigate a more difficult route to the global showpiece, beginning with Thursday’s play-in clash against Banyana Banyana of South Africa.
The encounter is scheduled to take place at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, with kick-off set for 9pm.
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South Africa star, Lebohang Ramalepe has urged her teammates to show mental toughness ahead of their crucial FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification clash against Nigeria’s Super Falcons.
Desiree Ellis’ side missed out on automatic qualification after suffering a disappointing two-one defeat to hosts Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Ahead of the decisive encounter, Ramalepe rallied her teammates to demonstrate greater mental resilience against the Super Falcons.
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Flying Eagles trio, Muiz Adeleke, Oraro Lucky and Odinaka Alfred have been included in the WAFU B Under-twenty Team of the Tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Team of the Tournament, which is in a 4-4-2 formation, was unveiled on the WAFU B U-20 X handle.
Champions, Burkina Faso dominated the best eleven with five players followed by the Flying with three players, Côte d’Ivoire had two while Niger Republic produced one.
Alfred is included in central defence in a back four, Lucky is in the centre of the midfield four while Adeleke makes up one of the front two.
Adeleke finished top scorer at the regional championship with five goals.
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Flying Eagles striker, Kparobo Arierhi has joined Norwegian club Sogndal on loan until the end of the season.
Arierhi linked up with Sogndal from Norwegian giants Lillestrøm.
The youngster is delighted to have been given the opportunity to represent the club.
Arierhi spent last season on loan with Mjøndalen, where he scored four goals.
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Flying Eagles Assistant Coach, Abdullahi Biffo, has penned an emotional tribute on late Katsina United defender, Chinedu Ozor, who slumped and died during a Preseason friendly match against Niger Tornadoes, exactly 37 years after Sam Okwaraji slumped and died during a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Angola in Lagos.
Ozor, 33, joined Katsina United on 14th July, 2026, following a completed transfer move away from Kano Pillars.
He had previously played for Heartland of Owerri for two seasons 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons before a transfer move to Kano Pillars in the 2025/2026 season.
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The National Sports Commission, NSC, and the Enugu State Government are intensifying preparations for the 23rd National Sports Festival, tagged the ‘Coal City Games 2026, Enugu 2026’, with the Main Organising Committee, MOC scheduled to undertake a comprehensive inspection of sports facilities and other critical infrastructure in Enugu.
The MOC delegation is expected to arrive in Enugu on 25th August, 2026, while the inspection exercise will take place on 26th and 27th August.
The programme will culminate in the unveiling of the official Coal City Games 2026 logo and mascot by the Local Organising Committee on 28th August, 2026.
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The Head Coach of Nigeria National League side Abakaliki FC, Starplus Anistar, has revealed why the Rice Boys hired former Super Eagles defender Jude Agada as the club embarks on a rebuilding process ahead of the 2026/2027 season.
Agada represented Nigeria between 1987 and 1990 and featured for Rangers and Udoji United.
The 61-year-old Agada arrived at Abakaliki FC alongside Idowu Anthony Paul and has instantly hit the ground running.
Anistar reeled out what Agada has already brought to the club, stressing that his contributions will help the club successfully navigate its campaign for promotion to the NPFL.
Coach Anistar Izuikem and his Abakaliki FC squad will face Nationwide League One side Flight FC, Gboko, in the Pre-season Tournament final on 12th August 2026, with the gaffer looking forward to finishing with the title.
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Spanish Liga F side FC Badalona have completed the signing of former Falconets midfielder Chinyere Kalu.
The 20-year-old joins Badalona from fellow Spanish club Levante UD as she continues her career in the Spanish top flight.
Kalu is no stranger to Liga F, having previously featured for Real Betis before her move to Levante.
The Nigerian midfielder will now look to make her mark at Badalona following her latest move.
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Nigeria’s beach volleyball duo, Joy Lawrence and Ifechukwu Odoh, began their campaign strongly at the Beach Volleyball Youth Development Championship in Saly, Senegal.
Competing in the Under-18 category, the Nigerian pair secured two convincing victories against Gambia and Cape Verde on the opening day.
Lawrence and Odoh first defeated Gambia 2-0 in a dominant display, winning their sets 21-9 and 21-13.
The Nigerians maintained their momentum in the second match, overpowering Cape Verde 2-0 with emphatic set victories of 21-7 and 21-3.
The victories placed the duo in strong position as they seek to advance further in the championship and gain international competitive exposure.
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Nigeria has won six medals, comprising one silver and five bronze at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships.
The feat also saw Nigeria secure Africa’s first-ever international medal in Wheelchair Fencing at a competition staged on the continent.
The competition is holding at the Rugby School Nigeria, Atlantic City, in Lagos.
This is the first time, an international wheelchair fencing event will hold in Africa, with Nigeria already leading with five medals in the para-fencing events.
In the women’s epee Category A, Itunu Kumuyi and Joy Iorguma won bronze medals after reaching the semi-finals before losing to their Indian opponents.
In Category B, Joyce Otun and Abiola Rahamon also won bronze medals, further highlighting Nigeria’s breakthrough in para-fencing.
Chidinma Dennis completed the wheelchair fencing medal haul with a silver medal, after losing to India’s Sheranthi Thomas in the final.
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IN ENGLAND
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Former Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi has warned Mohamed Salah that while Turkish club Trabzonspor’s passionate fans will initially worship him, he must deliver top performances consistently or risk facing swift backlash from the supporters.
Recall that Salah received an astonishing reception from thousands of fans at the airport and a packed stadium following his move to the club.
Mikel noted that in a football-centric city like Trabzonspor, adoration is high, but the expectation to perform remains absolute.
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Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish contacted Dwight McNeil’s partner before the midfielder’s move to the club.
McNeil completed a move to Palace and signed a four-year contract in a swap deal that involved Brennan Johnson moving to Everton.
McNeil nearly moved to Selhurst Park in the January transfer window when Palace agreed a loan-to-buy deal.
That deal would have turned into a twenty million pounds permanent move, only for the transfer to fall through when the required paperwork could not be completed in time, even though McNeil had already passed a medical.
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The Professional Footballers’ Association has started legal proceedings against the English Football League over changes to salary caps in League One.
In May, the EFL announced, external that Squad Cost Rules would replace the Profitability and Sustainability financial framework from 2026-27.
In League One the changes would reduce the percentage of turnover that clubs could spend on wages from sixty percent to fifty percent.
Teams relegated from the Championship are permitted to spend sixty-five percent of turnover on wages in their first season in the third tier, down from seventy-five percent.
Manager pay has been incorporated into the new framework and clubs are also restricted to spending no more than fifty percent of injection of cash from owners on wages.
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Nottingham Forest have signed Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande from Portuguese club Sporting in a deal worth a reported thirty-four million pounds.
The 22-year-old signed a four-year contract with Forest, who have an option for a further year.
New Forest manager Oliver Glasner favours a 3-5-2 formation and Diomande is likely to play alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo in a back three.
He has 15 caps for Ivory Coast and was part of his country’s squad at the 2026 World Cup, making one appearance in a group-stage win against Curacao.
Diomande started his career at Olympic Sport Abobo in his homeland and was at Danish club FC Midtjylland before joining Sporting in January 2023.
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Crystal Palace is in talks to re-sign Evann Guessand on a season-long loan from Aston Villa.
The 25-year-old Ivory Coast forward spent the second half of last season at Selhurst Park and was part of the side that won the Conference League in May.
He only joined Villa in August last year but endured an underwhelming start to the season after his twenty-six million pounds transfer, scoring two goals in twenty-one appearances in all competitions.
After moving to Palace in January, Guessand scored his first Premier League goal in a one-nil win over Wolves and he came on in the Conference League final win over Rayo Vallecano.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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Paris Saint-Germain coach, Luis Enrique has voiced his frustration over his squad’s lack of preparation ahead of the 2026 UEFA Super Cup clash against Aston Villa in Salzburg on Wednesday.
Recall that international players from the FIFA World Cup 2026 and other summer breaks only reported back to training days before the game, leaving preparation heavily compromised.
Enrique stated that it was hard to expect a high-level performance when key members of the team have barely trained.
Despite the logistical chaos, he reiterated that PSG remains hungry to compete and wants to peak physically by the end of the campaign rather than the start.
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Paris Saint-Germain have been given an extra dressing room for the Super Cup after making their pre-game frustrations clear.
The Champions League holders were unhappy with their facilities at Red Bull Arena before Wednesday’s Super Cup match with Europa League winners Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s side are using Red Bull Salzburg’s home dressing room, leaving PSG with the away one in Austria.
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Sevilla have signed Scottish striker Robbie Ure from Swedish league leaders IK Sirius for an initial fee of five point five million pounds.
The 22-year-old completed his medical on Monday and signed a five-year contract after being offered the opportunity to lead the line at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
The La Liga side will pay five point five million pounds up front, with a further two point one million pounds in add-ons.
Ure will become the third Scottish-born player to play for Sevilla in official competition, the Spanish club said, following Ted McMinn in the 1980s and Duncan McVean Thomson during the 1915-16 season.
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Ligue 1 club AS Monaco is set to terminate the contract of former Manchester United and Juventus star Paul Pogba.
Nice-Matin informed Pogba a few weeks ago that they intended to end their professional arrangement early.
Reports say the club will look for a financial settlement with the player and pay out any outstanding wages.
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Rangers manager Youssef Chermiti faces a long recovery from anterior cruciate ligament damage sustained shortly after Rangers turned down an offer for the striker.
The 22-year-old Portuguese was injured during Sunday’s two-one home defeat to Hibernian as he collided with advertising boards following a jarring challenge.
A club announcement via social media states Chermiti will be out of action for a significant period of time.
He moved to Ibrox from Everton in September 2025, reportedly becoming Rangers’ most expensive purchase since Tore Andre Flo in 2000.
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Former Moroccan midfielder and North Africa director, Houssine Kharja has criticised UEFA’s opposition to Gianni Infantino’s policies, arguing that European bodies are panicking over losing their global hegemony and monopoly on talent.
The high-stakes feud follows a scrapped plan for private equity investment in FIFA commercial rights.
Reacting to the development, Kharja, expressed disappointment that internal disagreements spilled into public media instead of being resolved through closed-door dialogue.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Tennis; Rafael Jodar is on the verge of breaking the record for the fastest rise to the top 10 in men’s tennis history after beating Arthur Fils to reach the semi-final of the Canadian Open in Montreal.
The 19-year-olddefeated Frenchman Fils 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 and is now 11th in the live ATP rankings.
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In Basketball; The New York Knicks will tip off the 2026-27 in style, raising their championship banner on 20th October ahead of their home game against LeBron James and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers.
The star-studded affair that also includes Philadelphia’s Jaylen Brown and New York’s Jalen Brunson at Madison Square Garden is the middle game of three contests on the opening day of the season.
The Boston Celtics will visit the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET, while Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will host the Oklahoma City at 9:30 p.m. ET in a rematch of the Western Conference finals.
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In Boxing; Next weekend, Rolando Romero makes a first defence of his WBA welterweight world title as he takes on Teofimo Lopez in an intriguing all-American clash in Las Vegas.
Now, former unified champion of the division Keith Thurman has shared his thoughts on the fight.
Romero has been inconsistent in his career, losing by knockout to both Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz but also showing elite power and disciplined performances, becoming a two-division world champion and boasting a win over Ryan Garcia in his most recent outing, 15 months ago.
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In Cricket, Rocky Flintoff, the 18-year-old son of legendary former England all-rounder Andrew, hit his first senior professional century in Lancashire’s One-Day Cup match against Somerset at Taunton.
The right-hander dominated the bowling in crashing 10 fours and seven sixes in a superb 123 from 76 balls in Lancashire’s 443-6.
Somerset were then bowled out for 269 in response after George Balderson and Tom Aspinwall claimed four wickets apiece despite a battling 68 from Tom Lammonby.
Lancashire finished second in Group A on 20 points – behind leaders Leicestershire Foxes on net run-rate – and will play Durham at Old Trafford in the quarter-final on Friday.
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In Rugby, Royals owner Rob Couhig says Bath have had serious discussions about playing two of their 2026-27 games at Reading’s Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Bath confirmed they will play their final two home games of the Prem season away from the Recreation Ground to enable construction work to begin as part of a redevelopment.
Couhig, who took over as Reading owner in May 2025, said the League One club have had talks with Bath but would not disclose how far they have progressed.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
To know how much there is to know is the beginning of learning to live…words from Dorothy West.
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THAT ENDS TBS SPORTS AS EDITED BY BABAJIDE ALLI-BALOGUN AND TOSIN OJOBORUN.
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