Sport

Co-Hosts Mexico, Canada Shine at 2026 World Cup

By Web News 134

By Oluwakayode Banjo

Co-hosts Mexico have qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging South Korea 1-0 in their second Group A match.

Luis Romo scored the decisive goal in the 50th minute to hand Mexico a second consecutive victory and secure their place in the knockout stage.

In another Group A encounter, co-hosts Canada recorded their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory with a commanding 6-0 win over Qatar.

Qatar finished the match with nine players as Canada capitalised on their numerical advantage to seal an emphatic result.

Elsewhere, Czechia and South Africa settled for a 1-1 draw in another Group A fixture played on Thursday.

In a separate match, Switzerland defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1.

Attention now shifts to Friday’s fixtures, with co-hosts United States set to face Australia, while Scotland take on Morocco.

Edited by Maxwell Oyekunle

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Sport

Ebola Outbreak Halts DR Congo’s World Cup Training

By Web News 172

The Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled its pre-World Cup training camp in the capital, Kinshasa, because of an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country.

Preparations have been moved to Belgium amid the upsurge, which is thought to have killed more than 130 people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”, but said it was not at pandemic level.

Jerry Kalemo, a spokesperson for the national football team, told international media that pre-tournament games in Europe would go ahead as planned, as the squad gears up for their first World Cup since 1974.

DR Congo are due to play friendly matches against Denmark, on 3 June in Belgium, and Chile, on 9 June in Spain, ahead of the World Cup finals.

A spokesperson for the DR Congo team told the Reuters news agency that the squad’s training camp had been cancelled due to travel restrictions imposed by the US, who are hosting the World Cup this summer, along with Mexico and Canada.

The US’ public health agency has banned entry from non-Americans who have been in the DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, in response to the Ebola outbreak.

BBC/ Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

Foreign

FIFA President Confirms Iran’s Participation in World Cup

By Web News 199

FIFA president Gianni Infantino says, Iran will “certainly” participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the Middle East war.

“Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, which would definitely help,” Infantino told an economic conference organised by broadcaster CNBC.

“But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he said of the team’s upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June.

Report says, Infantino had made similar comments in March, when he attended an Iran-Costa Rica friendly in Antalya, Turkey, even though US President Donald Trump had previously suggested that Iranian players might not be “safe” in the United States.

Iran is scheduled to play its three Group G matches in the United States — two in Los Angeles, one in Seattle — with their base for the tournament in Tucson, Arizona.

– ‘Outside of politics’ –

Iran’s participation in the global tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico had been thrown into doubt by the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.

Iran raised the prospect of a “boycott” of the competition before asking FIFA to move its matches from the United States to Mexico, a request the world governing body rejected.

After several weeks of air strikes on Iran and Iranian reprisals against Israel and other countries in the region, a fragile truce came into effect on April 8.

But Tehran has sealed off the strategic Strait of Hormuz and since Monday Washington has imposed a blockade on ships coming from or heading to Iranian ports.

“Sports should be outside of politics,” Infantino said on Wednesday.

“If there’s nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact and together, we are doing the job,” he said.

The World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, starts on June 11.

PUNCH/Taiwo Akinola

Sport

2026 WCQ Playoffs: Chelle Names Super Eagles Squad, Recalls Okoye, Ejuke

By Web News 590

By Olaolu Fawole

Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has unveiled a 24-man squad including captain, William Troost-Ekong, striker, Victor Osimhen, and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali ahead of next week’s decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup African Play-off Tournament in Rabat, Morocco.

Three matches will be played by knock-out system in the format of semi-finals and final.

The semi-finals will take place on Thursday 13 November and the final on Sunday 16 November.

Also making the list are full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel, Calvin Bassey, and 89-cap midfielder Alex Iwobi, alongside rising defensive sensation Benjamin Fredericks.

Midfielders Frank Onyeka and Wilfred Ndidí also joined Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman in a squad brimming with pace, power, and technical quality.

Nigeria faces Gabon in the first semi-final at the 22,000-capacity Complexe Sportif Prince Héritier Moulay Al Hassan, while Cameroon lock horns with DR Congo at the 18,000-seat El-Barid Stadium, both in Rabat.

Chelle has also recalled goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and winger Chidera Ejuke, while midfield Raphael Onyedika, plus forwards Tolu Arokodare, Jerome Akor Adams, and Olusegun Olakunle, strengthen the attacking options.

Defender Semi Ajayi is suspended for the semi-final after accumulating two yellow cards during the qualifiers.

The players are expected to arrive in Morocco from their respective bases across Europe and beyond, converging on Rabat on Monday, November 10 as the Eagles begin their push for World Cup qualification.

Sport

 World Cup: Flying Eagles Name Final Squad

By Web News 1087

Preparations for Nigeria’s Flying Eagles ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup have been confirmed by key players’ withdrawals.

French club Stade Reims and Germany’s Hoffenheim have refused to release Nigerian players for the competition, which is not on FIFA’s official calendar.

Recalled, Emmanuel Chukwu and Precious Benjamin, both with Hoffenheim, will miss the tournament in Chile after the club turned down a request from the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.

Ibrahim Hafiz, a striker with Stade Reims, is also unavailable after the French side declined to release him.

All three players are considered key prospects for the team.

Head coach Aliyu Zubairu has adjusted his plans and named a final 21-man squad without several overseas-based players.

Enyimba winger Clinton Jephta, along with Bidemi Amole and Divine Oliseh, who featured at the U-20 WAFU B qualifiers in Togo, was left out.

Team captain Daniel Bameyi headlines the squad. Over 10 players named have participated in recent training camps and friendly matches.

New inclusions include Israel Ayuma, Ebenezer Harcourt, Charles Agada, Auwal Ibrahim, Kparobo Arierhi, Tahir Maigana, and Odinaka Okoro.

Vanguard/Adetutu Adetule

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Sport

Former Golden Eaglets Coach, Sebastian Broderick is dead

By Web News 554

Sebastine Brodericks-Imasuen, who led the Golden Eaglets to win the inaugural U-17 World Cup in 1985 is dead.

PUNCH reports that the late Nigerian coach was on life support at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for over a year.

Brodericks-Imasuen, 85, had been diagnosed with Ischemic stroke in December 2022 and had been receiving treatment before he took his last breath, our correspondent gathered.

Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks or narrows an artery leading to the brain.

The blood clot often forms in arteries damaged by the buildup of plaques (atherosclerosis).

One of the players Brodericks-Imasuen trained at the 1989 U17 World Cup in Scotland, Bamidele Oguntuashe, first broke the news before another confirmation came from Harrison Jalla, the Chairman, of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria Task Force through a WhatsApp post.

Jalla quoted family sources for the death of the iconic coach who had been bed-ridden for some months now.

He reportedly suffered from a stroke and diabetes.

The late coach was one of the football players who represented  Nigeria at the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968 and famously scored from a free kick to win the then Challenge Cup for Bendel Insurance in 1972.

As a coach, he was the head of a three-man crew that included Bala Shamaki and Christian Chukwu when the Nigerian team shocked the world in China in 1985.

He led the team again in 1987 to Canada and got to the final before losing through a penalty shoot-out to the then-Soviet Union.

At the third attempt in the competition, his team lost to Saudi Arabia by a penalty kick in the quarter-finals.

At another time, he was the assistant to Clemens Westerhof in the Super Eagles.

He began his football career in 1956 when as a student, he featured for the Onitsha team in the Challenge Cup.

In 1962, he joined the then ECN and was part of the Challenge Cup-winning side of 1965.

He was invited to the national team in 1962 but only became a regular in the build-up to the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico.

He was noted for his curving shots, especially from free-kick situations.

Popularly called ‘Sabara’, his biggest moment as a club player was when he scored the winning goal in the 3-2 victory for Bendel Insurance in the replay of the 1972 Challenge Cup with Mighty Jets of Jos at the Liberty Stadium – the first time the national cup final was held outside Lagos.

He later became a coach and handled the Midwest junior side to win a gold medal at the inaugural National Sports Festival in 1973.

Punch/Simeon Ugbodovon.

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Sport

World Cup Kiss: Rubiales in Court to Answer Criminal Complaint

By Web News 439

Luis Rubiales has entered a Madrid court to answer a criminal complaint over kissing Spanish player Jenni Hermoso, days after resigning as head of Spain’s football federation.

He said nothing as he walked into the national court to face accusations of sexual assault and coercion.

Mr Rubiales, 46, insists he had the footballer’s consent as she celebrated Spain winning the Women’s World Cup.

The court will decide whether the case goes to trial.

Spanish state prosecutors have formally lodged a criminal complaint against the former president of the football federation (RFEF), which will be heard by Judge Francisco de Jorge.

Spain won the Women’s World Cup in Australia on 20 August, but the team’s victory has been overshadowed ever since by Mr Rubiales’s actions during the celebrations after the final whistle.

He has maintained that when he held her head in his hands and kissed her on the lips it was mutual and consensual.

Hermoso, 33, says that the kiss was not consensual. Prosecutors submitted her initial complaint of sexual assault and added one of coercion, arguing that he had put pressure on the Spain forward to come to his defence amid uproar in the days after the kiss.

Spain’s left-wing government reformed laws on consent in the past two years after a notorious gang-rape case in 2016 that led to five men being cleared of rape.

Under the so-called “Only Yes is Yes” law, Mr Rubiales could face a fine or even a jail sentence if the case goes to trial and he is found guilty of sexual assault.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Sport

Spain World Cup Winner Carmona Hears of Dad’s Death after Final

By Web News 558

Spain captain Olga Carmona, who scored her country’s winner in the Women’s World Cup final, was told after the game that her father had died.

Carmona, 23, scored the only goal as Spain beat England to claim the trophy.

The Real Madrid left-back’s father had been fighting a long illness and died on Friday, Reuters reported.

“I know you have been watching me tonight and that you are proud of me. Rest in peace dad,” Carmona wrote on social media.

Carmona included a picture of her kissing her winners’ medal along with the message.

She added: “And without knowing it, I had my star before the game started. I know that you have given me the strength to achieve something unique.”

A gold star is added to the shirt of the winners of a World Cup, above the national team crest, every time they win the trophy.

“The RFEF deeply regrets to announce the death of Olga Carmona’s father,” the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) wrote on social media.

“The footballer learned the sad news after the World Cup final.

“We send our most sincere embrace to Olga and her family in a moment of deep sorrow. We love you, Olga, you are Spanish soccer history.”

Carmona started five of Spain’s seven games at the World Cup.

Spanish media outlet Relevo said

her family and friends decided not to tell her so she could focus on the final, with her mother and brothers arriving in Australia on Saturday to support her.

Her club Real Madrid also expressed “condolences and affection for Olga, her relatives and all her loved ones”.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Sport

Flying Eagles Tackles Argentina Wednesday

By Web News 416

By Oluwakayode Banjo

Flying Eagles of Nigeria will Wednesday night tackle Host Nation Argentina in the round of 16 of the FIFA Under 20 World Cup.

Flying Eagles who finished third in their group, will be hoping to upset the Host Nation to advance to the quarter-finals.

In other round of 16 fixtures today, Columbia will battle Slovakia, Brazil lock horns with Tunisia, while England face Italy

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Sport

Injury Sacks Senegal’s Sadio Mane from World Cup

By Web News 841

Senegal forward Sadio Mane will miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after suffering an injury on Tuesday at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

The Bayern attacker came off after just 20 minutes of the game against Werder Bremen, which ended 6-1 in favour of the Bundesliga champions.

Senegal’s World Cup campaign is scheduled to kick off in 13 days against The Netherlands at the Al Thumama Stadium, but they will now be without their talisman.

As Senegal’s highest goal scorer with 34 goals, the former Liverpool player was also pivotal to his country’s qualification where they also beat Egypt for the second time in the year, and also on penalties.

Mane joins a growing list of high-profile players who have picked up injuries ahead of the World Cup in Qatar. Some of the players include Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante (France), Timo Werner (Germany), Diogo Jota (Portugal), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands), and Ben Chilwell (England).

Concerns surrounding players’ fitness have been brought to the fore as many leagues around the world are still in play despite some of the players participating at the tournament.

Mane’s injury is said to be related to his tendon and is expected to keep him out for several weeks, L’équipe reports.

Punch/Adetutu Adetule

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Sport

Qatar 2022: Pogba May Miss Action

By Web News 588

A little over two weeks after Paul Pogba’s return to Juventus which was officially confirmed on July 11, he picked up a knee injury in training and is now facing serious questions of whether he will be fit for World Cup duty with France at Qatar 2022.

Initially, Pogba’s injury was not considered to be serious, as he was able to limp off the training pitch accompanied by Juve’s medical staff.

It soon became clear that the problem would be keeping Pogba out of action for some time, with Juve revealing in an official statement that tissues in his knee had been torn and further examination reveal he is now expected to undergo surgery.

An operation will keep him sidelined for a considerable period of time, followed by an extended recovery programme.

Pogba has returned to Italy from Juve’s pre-season tour of the United States, with two possible solutions to his knee problem now being considered.

The first will see him undergo a meniscectomy that will require around two months of recovery time – putting him back in contention for game time towards the end of October.

The second possibility would see medics look at suturing the meniscus, a procedure that boasts better full recovery rates but one that also requires a longer healing process to be taken in.

In that case, Pogba could be ruled out for four to five months.

The Player and club are said to favour a meniscectomy at this stage, given that a return to action can be made much sooner, but that decision may be taken out of Pogba’s hands.

If he were to be forced onto the treatment table for up to five months, then he would not come back into Massimiliano Allegri’s plans until 2023.

He would miss France’s latest quest for World Cup glory in the Middle East, which is due to get underway in November, while also sitting out the first half of Juve’s bid to reclaim a domestic crown in Serie A.

If he is only absent for a couple of months, then it could be that he misses around seven matches in the Italian top-flight as well as the start of a Champions League group stage campaign.

Punch/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

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