Lookman brace, Osimhen’s goal give Nigeria 3-0 victory over Benin Rep

Ademola Lookman scored a brace while Victor Osimhen came off the bench to help Nigeria’s Super Eagles to a comfortable 3-0 victory in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Benin Republic.

Lookman scored in both halves. Osimhen struck in second half of the game.

The victory takes Nigeria to the top of Group D as they prepare for the next tie against Rwanda on Tuesday, September 10.

It serves as a confidence booster for the Nigerian side that struggled against the Cheetahs when they met last in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game. Gernot Rohr’s side came from behind to win the one 2-1.

Rodrygo scores as Brazil beat Ecuador in World Cup qualifier

Brazil got back to winning ways in the South American World Cup qualifiers with a drab 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Friday thanks to first-half goal by Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.

After its first streak of losses in three successive qualifiers, Brazil did just enough to earn the win that lifted the struggling five-time World Cup champions to fourth in the standings with 10 points.

They are eight points behind leaders Argentina and only two points over Ecuador in sixth, the last spot guaranteed a berth at the 2026 finals.

Playing their first match after a disappointing Copa America defeat to Uruguay in the quarter-final, Brazil had another lacklustre performance, dominating possession but failing to create clear chances throughout the match.

Brazil misplaced too many passes and struggled to connect up front, out of ideas on how to beat Ecuador’s rock solid defensive block.

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Ecuador were relentless while applying a physically aggressive pressure high with three hardworking forwards, making the locals uncomfortable when putting the ball in play. They Brazil almost no room to get inside their box either, forcing them to roam the ball horizontally around their penalty area and resort to strikes from long range.

Brazil’s only two shots on target on the first half were made by Rodrygo, who, after stinging the goalkeeper’s hands from a free kick early, were lucky to break the deadlock in the 29th minute. His effort fired from the edge of the box deflected off a defender and arched around the wrong-footed goalkeeper before hitting the right post and finding the back of the net.

Ecuador almost levelled in a counterattack right before the break, but defender Gabriel Magalhaes denied Moises Caicedo’s effort with a last-minute goal-line clearance.

Brazil came back even worse in the second half, with an uninspired Vinicius Jr creating their only shot on target in an absolutely morose 45 minutes, with boos greeting the final whistle.

“We needed this win, doesn’t matter if it was ugly or not. I’m happy with the victory and to have scored, and I hope it helps us getting better and progressing to the level that we want to reach moving forward,” Rodrygo told Brazilian TV Globo.

Rodrygo scores as Brazil beat Ecuador in World Cup qualifier

Paralympics: Onyinyechi Mark wins Nigeria’s first gold medal

Nigeria’s Onyinyechi Mark has made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by breaking the Paralympic record in the women’s 61kg powerlifting category, with a lift of 147kg.

Mark’s performance surpassed the previous record held by fellow Nigerian Lucy Ejike, marking an iconic achievement for Team Nigeria.

With one lift remaining, Onyinyechi Mark has all but guaranteed Nigeria’s first gold medal of the Games.

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Her closest rival is attempting 138kg on her final lift, while Mark aims to extend her record with a final attempt of 147kg, further cementing her dominance in the sport.

Team Nigeria has long been a powerhouse in Paralympic powerlifting and athletics.

At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, the country secured an impressive 10 medals, including four golds.

Athletes such as Lucy Ejike and Bose Omolayo have set global benchmarks, with Ejike herself holding multiple world records and gold medals in powerlifting.

Paralympics: Onyinyechi Mark wins Nigeria’s first gold medal