Sports
Enugu fans stunned over Super Falcons 2-1 loss to S/Africa
Some football fans in Enugu on Monday were shocked over the Super Falcons of Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to Banyana Banyana of South Africa at the ongoing African Women Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
Some of them who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the match said it was time to groom new and energetic players for the national team.
Okechukwu Nnamani said the players showed weakness in strength and needed to be replaced with vibrant and energetic players.
“It seems like age is catching up on the players and they failed to withstand the fire power of the South Africans.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Enugu Coal City Girls advised female football administrators in the country to look into the players welfare and growth of the nation’s female league.
“I know that we can do better than this with the home base players with well organised league.
“We have to come back home and fix a lot of things that have gone wrong.
“Before, we used to hammer teams 5-0 but these days, those teams are now thrashing us and this shows that we are going down in female football,” he said.
Ignatius Okpara, former secretary of the Sports Writer’s Association of Nigeria (SWAN), said the girls’ performance was nothing to talk about.
“We have players who can do better than this set of players in the league. I do not know why we so much depend on foreign players.
“The coach should have talked to the girls after the interval to remove anxiety in their approach to the game,” he noted.
Okpara advised the team handlers to go back to the drawing board and correct the lapses and ensured that the girls finished well at the championship.
The Enugu State Boxing coach, Blaise Ude, said the game had been played and that the team should redeem its image with the remaining matches of the group.
“There is no need to cry over spilled milk; so, the only solution is for the team to come up better in subsequent matches in the group.
“Thank God, it is the first match of the group stage and not a knockout stage. We still have room to achieve our target at the championship with determination.”
Coach Anistar Izuikem of Stars Plus FC of Ngwo expressed shock over the loss to South Africa.
Izuikem said, “These girls defeated us at the group stage in Ghana and at the Aisha Buhari Football Tournament but we taught it was a fluke.
“Now, we know they mean business and the technical crew should not sleep over it because it is going to cause the country a lot.
“This is the only game we have been dominating in Africa and now we are at the verge of relinquishing the superiority, something has to be done.”(NAN)
Sports
Barcelona go three points clear after beating Osasuna
Barcelona go three points clear after beating Osasuna
Barcelona beat Osasuna in their rearranged La Liga fixture to move three points clear at the top of the table.
The game was meant to be played on 8 March but was called off 20 minutes before kick-off after the death of Barcelona’s first-team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick criticised the timing of this rescheduled match, coming a day after the end of the international break – with 27-goal Raphinha missing out after travelling back from Brazil duty.
“It’s disrespectful to the club to schedule that match on that date, no matter what club it is,” Barca defender Jules Kounde told DAZN.
“I think that beyond the lack of respect for the clubs, it’s a lack of respect for the players, because we have to understand that we’re not machines.”
Kounde played a full 90 minutes plus extra time and penalties in France’s victory over Croatia in the Nations League on Sunday.
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On Thursday, the Catalans were comfortable winners at their temporary Olympic Stadium home.
Ferran Torres slid them into the lead from Alex Balde’s cross.
Dani Olmo then won a penalty after being fouled by goalkeeper Sergio Herrera.
Herrera saved Olmo’s spot-kick – but it had to be retaken because an Osasuna player encroached in the box. Olmo scored the second time around, but in a busy first half later had to be replaced because of injury.
Substitute Robert Lewandowski headed in a third goal to cap a swift counter-attack.
Barcelona, who are three points above Real Madrid and seven clear of Atletico Madrid, are next in action at home to neighbours Girona in La Liga on Sunday.
Barcelona go three points clear after beating Osasuna
Sports
Messi-less Argentina thrash Brazil 4-1 to secure World Cup qualification
Messi-less Argentina thrash Brazil 4-1 to secure World Cup qualification
Argentina qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a stunning 4-1 victory over archrivals Brazil in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.
Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis MacAllister, and Giuliano Simeone clinched an impressive victory for the world champions, who had already been assured of a World Cup spot following Bolivia’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay earlier Tuesday.
The goalless draw created a joyous mood at the Estadio Monumental before a ball was kicked, and Argentina continued the party with a scorching performance.
Alvarez of Atletico Madrid opened the scoring after only six minutes, latching onto Thiago Almada’s through cross and finishing from close range beyond Brazil goalkeeper Bento.
Argentina’s fortunes improved six minutes later when Chelsea’s Fernandez scored the hosts’ second goal of the night after Brazil’s back four failed to deal with a low cross.
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Brazil, trailing a surging Argentina, was given a lifeline on 26 minutes when Cristian Romero made a mistake, allowing Mattheus Cunha to score.
Tottenham defender Romero was caught in possession 25 yards from goal, allowing Cunha to break in and shoot low past Emiliano Martinez to make it 2-1.
However, any thoughts of a Brazilian comeback were dashed in the 37th minute with a spectacular goal by Mac Allister.
Almada was once again the provider, lofting a pass into the box, which Mac Allister met with a first-time volley to make it 3-1.
With Argentina in perfect control, Simeone scored his first international goal in the 71st minute, making the score 4-1.
Argentina won without their talisman and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, while Brazil were without their star forward Neymar Jr.
Both players were forced to pull out of the squad last week due to minor injuries, thwarting the chance to see the two ageing stars resume their international rivalry.
Messi-less Argentina thrash Brazil 4-1 to secure World Cup qualification
Sports
Nigeria’s Super Eagles falter in W’Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe, S’Africa lead, Egypt, Morocco qualify
Nigeria’s Super Eagles falter in W’Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe, S’Africa lead, Egypt, Morocco qualify
Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday conceded a last-minute goal that dealt a major blow to their 2026 World Cup qualifying hopes.
While the Nigerian team failed to beat Zimbabwe in their sixth game played in
Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Bafana Bafana of South Africa defeated Benin 2-0 to consolidate the top spot.
The South African team leads with 13 points from six rounds, five clear of Rwanda (which drew with Lesotho 1-1) and Benin. Nigeria stayed fourth in the group with just seven points.
Elsewhere, Egypt and Morocco all but booked their places at next year’s tournament.
In the game between Nigeria and Zimbabwe, Victor Osimhen with a powerful header put the Super Eagles on course to claim just their second win in Group C after Friday’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda had rekindled their qualification hopes.
But the 21-year-old Chirewa, a late substitute, equalized in the 90th minute to earn Zimbabwe’s draw.
Eric Chelle, Super Eagles coach, named the same line-up that started the team’s 2-0 win over Rwanda on Friday.
Washington Arubi, the Zimbabwean goalkeeper, produced a couple of impressive saves to keep Nigeria at bay.
The goalkeeper clawed out a swerving header from Osimhen before denying the striker a few minutes later with another acrobatic dive to save a shot fizzing into his top corner.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have three more matches in September and October to finally determine their fate for the next World Cup proper.
They are to meet Rwanda, South Africa and Lesotho on September 8, October 6 and October 13 respectively.
Only the nine group winners secure automatic qualification. The four best-placed runners-up will compete to be the African contender in FIFA’s six-country playoff for the last two qualification spots at the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
How They Stand Now
South Africa — 13 points
Rwanda — 8 points
Benin Republic — 8 points
Nigeria — 7 points
Lesotho — 6 points
Zimbabwe — 4 points
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