Sports Archives | Page 17 of 111

FIFA Appoints Match Officials for U-20 World Cup Chile 2025

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

The FIFA Referees Committee has announced the match officials who will oversee games at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025, which will take place from 27 September to 19 October. A total of 54 match officials (18 referees and 36 assistant referees) from 22 FIFA Member Associations are set to take charge of the matches. “Following the success of the FIFA Club World Cup, we look forward to another exciting tournament, for which we have once again appointed a very strong Team One line-up. From a refereeing perspective, it’s very important that the officials have the opportunity to be involved at a tournament featuring the stars of tomorrow and for us to carry out further testing of Football Video Support (FVS), which has been a great success so far,” said the Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina. The use of Football Video Support (FVS) at the tournament follows on from the trials implemented last year at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic. The FVS trials followed numerous requests from member associations for an alternative, cost-effective way of using technology to support match officials. Unlike the video assistant referee (VAR) system, FVS does not use dedicated video match officials and therefore does not check all match-changing incidents. Instead, the onus falls on the respective head coaches, who are allowed to make a limited number of review requests per game when they feel that a clear and obvious error has been made in match-changing incidents, such as goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents or cases of mistaken identity. The players can also recommend that their coaches request a review. “Chile is a football-loving country, and we have an excellent opportunity to ensure that this year’s edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup leaves a legacy on a refereeing level. The (FIFA) U-20 World Cup is a highly competitive tournament that requires officials to have a sound reading of the game,” noted FIFA Director of Refereeing Massimo Busacca.

WAFCON 2024: Falcons’ Captain, Ajibade Wins Woman of the Match Again

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago01 mins

Super Falcons’ skipper, Rasheedat Ajibade has once again been adjudged as Woman of the Match in their semi-final win over arch-rivals, South Africa at the ongoing Women Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The Spanish Liga F club Atlético Madrid player was in tears after she announced as the award for the second consecutive time. She however dedicated the award to her teammates for working hard to qualify for the final match of the tournament. “The captain leading the way! “Rasheedat Ajibade earns the TotalEnergies Woman of the Match award for her semi-final performance!,” CAF wrote on Twitter now X. Victory meant the Super Falcons’ first win over the Banyana in the Africa Cup of Nations in the three tournaments, with the South Africans having won group stages matches in 2018 and 2022 with 1-0 and 2-1 score-lines respectively.

Ademola Lookman Rejects Napoli Offer Insists on Inter Move

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago02 mins

Napoli have reignited their pursuit of Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman with a €5 million-per-season contract offer, but reports suggest the Atalanta star remains determined to join Inter Milan. According to Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport, Napoli’s bid surpasses Inter’s proposal of €4.5 million per season. However, Lookman has reportedly informed all parties that his priority is a move to San Siro this summer, turning down interest from both Napoli and Atletico Madrid. The 26-year-old has already reached a verbal agreement with Inter for a deal running until 2030, with wages expected to rise to €5 million during his stay. Inter are currently negotiating with Atalanta to reduce their €50 million asking price, with performance-related bonuses expected to play a key role in finalizing the deal. Meanwhile, Napoli, who have recently secured the signings of Noa Lang and Lorenzo Lucca, are still in the market for another winger but are unlikely to sway Lookman from his preferred destination.

Ranking Points, Cash Prizes Up for Grabs at WTT Contender Lagos

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago04 mins

Beyond the allure of the $100,000 prize pool, players at the 2025 WTT Contender Lagos are also chasing valuable ranking points at Africa’s most vibrant WTT Contender Series event, hosted at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. As the qualifying rounds enter Day 2 on Wednesday, July 23, Lagos remains the epicentre of thrilling table tennis action. Winners in each event will earn a substantial 400 ranking points—enough to trigger a significant leap in the global standings. Runners-up will receive 280 points, while semi-finalists and quarter-finalists will take home 140 and 70 points, respectively. All eyes are on Denmark’s Anders Lind and Japan’s Hina Hayata, who headline the Men’s and Women’s Singles events. Both are strong contenders for the top prize in Lagos. Hayata, 25, is widely regarded as the most successful player in the now-retired ITTF Challenge Series, which began in 2017. Known for her exceptional spin on both wings, she is coached by the experienced Daisuka Ishida. Since her breakthrough at the 2021 WTT Star Contender in Doha, Hayata has claimed five WTT Contender titles and a WTT Star Contender crown. Making her debut in Lagos, she aims to add her first African WTT Contender title to her growing list of achievements. On the men’s side, 13-time Danish champion Anders Lind—who has secured six singles titles along with multiple doubles and mixed doubles crowns—returns to Lagos, where he enjoys strong fan support. The 2025 WTT Contender Tunis runner-up sees Lagos as a favourable battleground, thanks to the passionate local crowd that fuels his performances. Meanwhile, the qualifying rounds have been marked by flashes of brilliance and a fair share of unforced errors. Yet, for the determined competitors, the goal remains the same: a coveted spot in the main draw of the singles events, where the sport’s elite await. With only a limited number of slots available, the journey from the qualifiers to the main stage has been anything but easy. Local Nigerian players have featured prominently in both the Men’s and Women’s Singles, joined by fellow African hopefuls, all vying for a breakthrough moment. While some players wrapped up their campaigns on Day 1, the action intensified on Day 2—Wednesday, July 23—as the final contenders for the main draw began to emerge. The spotlight will also shift to the Doubles and Mixed Doubles events, which kick off from the first round. Unseeded pairs will battle for a place among the top teams, hoping to make their mark in the elite rounds of the competition.

Sport Integrity Foundation Presents Half-Year Report of Activities in Nigeria Football

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago02 mins

The Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday received an independent Mid-Year report of Activities in Nigeria Football from the Sport Integrity Foundation. NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi (MON) hailed the efforts of the Foundation and praised it for contributing its quota as partners-in-progress to moving Nigeria football, which is in line with the objectives of the Ibrahim Gusau-led administration to inspire all stakeholders to contribute what they can to grow the Nigeria game. “We’re very impressed to see such initiative coming from your organisation. The NFF cannot see everything but having organisations like yours delights us. You are becoming an important eye for the integrity of the game. “The NFF board is very committed to ethics and integrity and we’re doing everything to make sure that anybody trying to bring the game into disrepute will be punished. We also need the collaboration of law enforcement agencies so that when we pass resolutions, such individuals can be punished within the ambit of the law,” Dr Sanusi said. The delegation of Sport Integrity Foundation included Abiola Shodiya, Co-ordinator and; Sammy Ejegwa, Georgina Bode and Taofeek Lawal, who are members.

WAFU B U20 Boys Tourney: Flying Eagles Strategise to Stop Ivorians in Final

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles know they must be at their very best to surmount the challenge of in-form Young Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in Wednesday’s Final match of the WAFU B U20 Boys Tournament in Accra, Ghana. The Ivorians have taken no prisoners at this tournament, winning all their four previous matches. They edged Burkina Faso 2-1 in their first match, and went on to conquer Niger Republic and Togo with 1-0 and 2-0 scorelines in their other two matches in the group phase. In Sunday’s semi finals, they came from behind to defeat host nation Ghana 2-1, underscoring their strength, resilience and adversity quotient. Forward Mohammed Abdullahi earned Nigeria a point with an 84th minute equalizer against the Black Satellites of Ghana in the competition’s opening match, and the Flying Eagles then came from behind to rout Benin Republic’s U20 boys 4-1 in the three-team group A. In their semi final, two-time FIFA U20 World Cup runners-up Nigeria edged the U20 boys of Niger Republic 4-3 after a penalty shootout, following 0-0 in regulation time. There will be plenty of fireworks at Ghana’s Centre of Excellence in Prampram on Wednesday, with the Nigerian President of WAFU B, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), seated alongside other top officials of WAFU at the grand finale. Wednesday’s encounter is an opportunity for Head Coach Aliyu Zubair to put some polish on his rising reputation as a winner, having led the Flying Eagles to win the WAFU B U20 Championship in Togo last year and coming away with a FIFA World Cup ticket from the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt a couple of months ago. Mohammed Abdullahi and Ezekiel Kpangu are the players to watch out for in the Nigerian side, while Abdoul Bamba and Ali Kone constitute potent threats at the fore of the Ivorians.

Nigeria Defeat South Africa 2-1 to Reach WAFCON Final

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago01 mins

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have booked their place in the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over South Africa’s Banyana Banyana on Tuesday at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca. Rasheedat Ajibade put Nigeria ahead in the 35th minute from the penalty spot after Folashade Ijamilusi was fouled in the box. South Africa fought back early in the second half, with Linda Motlhalo converting a penalty in the 58th minute to level the score. With the game finely poised, Nigeria’s resilience paid off as they capitalized on a late counterattack to secure the winning goal, sealing a dramatic 2-1 triumph. The result sends the Super Falcons to yet another WAFCON final, where they will battle for a record-extending 10th title.

Scottie Scheffler Wins The Open, Edges Closer to Career Grand Slam with Royal Portrush Triumph

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago02 mins

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler delivered a masterful performance to claim his first Claret Jug and fourth career major, cruising to a four-shot victory at The Open Championship held at Royal Portrush. Scheffler, who already boasts two Masters titles and a recent PGA Championship win in May, now has three legs of the career Grand Slam. A victory at next summer’s US Open would make him just the sixth player in history to complete the feat. The 29-year-old entered the final day with a four-shot lead and quickly widened the gap with three birdies in his opening five holes. Despite a double-bogey on the par-four eighth, Scheffler reached the turn five shots ahead. A steady back nine, capped with one final birdie, sealed a three-under-par 68, finishing the tournament at 17 under. Harris English, with a brilliant final-round 66, claimed second place—his second runner-up finish at a major this season—while Chris Gotterup, fresh off his Genesis Scottish Open win, finished third, one shot further back. Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Haotong Li shared fourth place, as Rory McIlroy’s quest for a home-soil victory ended in a tie for seventh alongside defending champion Xander Schauffele and Robert MacIntyre at 10 under. Scheffler’s dominant win at Royal Portrush further cements his position as the game’s top player and sets the stage for a historic Grand Slam attempt at the 2026 US Open.