Tag: WORLD CUP
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Former Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick has attributed the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup partly to the new qualification format, which differed from the 2018 structure. He argued that Nigeria would have qualified under the previous system. He said this During the Big Sport Dialogue in Ikoyi, as he…
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Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that the 2026 World Cup will be his last, signaling the end of his illustrious football career. The 40-year-old, who has scored over 950 goals for club and his country Portugal, plans to retire in one or two years. He has expressed confidence about his current form and enjoyment of the…
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THOMAS TUCHEL PRAISES JUDE BELLINGHAM AFTER ENGLAND RECALL, SAYS MIDFIELDER’S EDGE KEY FOR WORLD CUP
England manager Thomas Tuchel has praised Jude Bellingham after recalling him to the national squad for upcoming matches against Serbia and Albania, saying the midfielder’s “edge” could be key to England’s World Cup hopes. Bellingham, 22, was controversially left out of the last squad, but Tuchel said the player responded perfectly by performing at a…
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Nigeria’s U-17 Women’s team, the Flamingos, has started the 2025 U-17 Women’s World Cup with a 1-4 loss to Canada. Despite high expectations, Nigeria fell behind early, with Queen Joseph equalizing before halftime. In the second half, Canada scored three more goals, including a key goal from Melisa Kekic and a late finish from Julia…
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Nigeria will face Gabon in the semi-finals of the African section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs after qualifying by defeating Benin 4–0. Gabon secured their spot as runners-up in Group F with a 2–0 win over Burundi, while Ivory Coast topped the group. Other qualifiers include DR Congo, who beat Sudan, and Cameroon,…
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Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, will depart Abuja early today Wednesday, October 8, to begin final preparations for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. Led by Head Coach Bankole Olowookere, the team will camp in Casablanca for two international friendlies against New Zealand (October 10) and Paraguay (October 14), before moving…
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Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal will miss Spain’s World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria after suffering a recurrence of his groin injury in the Champions League loss to PSG. The 18-year-old is expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks, casting doubt over his Clasico availability on October 26. Spain coach Luis de la…
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FIFA has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding ineligible midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a March 21, 2025 World Cup qualifier against Lesotho. South Africa must forfeit the match 3-0 in Lesotho’s favour, pay a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs (£9,000), while Mokoena received a warning. FIFA said the decision, based on breaches…
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Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have departed for Chile on Sunday to finalize preparations for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Led by head coach Aliyu Zubairu, the team began their build-up in Abuja last month, participating in several friendly matches. While in Chile, they will play additional warm-up games to fine-tune their squad ahead of…
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Venezuela has sacked head coach Fernando Batista and his entire staff, just one day after a crushing 6-3 home defeat to Colombia ended the Vinotinto’s hopes of qualifying for their first-ever World Cup. The decision, announced Wednesday night, followed a call from President Nicolas Maduro for a “restructuring of the technical staff.” The move marks…
