Sports
Ajibade, South Africa Coach Talk Tough Ahead Of Super Falcons Vs Banyana WAFCON Semifinal
Super Falcons captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, said Nigeria are ready for a fierce battle against arch-rivals South Africa in the semifinals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Speaking ahead of the showdown at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, Ajibade said the Super Falcons are embracing the pressure and living for big-match moments.
“These are the kind of games we want to play,” she told CAFonline. “Getting to the semifinal shows the effort the team put into every game. We try to improve ourselves in each match.”
After an unconvincing start to the tournament, the nine-time champions turned up the heat in the quarter-finals, spanking Zambia’s Copper Queens 5-0.
The result not only sent a warning to the rest of the continent but also reinforced the Super Falcons’ status as the tournament’s most dangerous side, with nine goals scored and none conceded so far.
Tonight’s clash will reignite one of African football’s fiercest rivalries, as Nigeria and South Africa meet again with everything on the line.
Banyana Banyana won the last WAFCON final between the two sides, edging the Falcons 1-0 in 2022, and head coach Desiree Ellis insists her team doesn’t need any extra motivation.
“The technical team has been really busy behind the scenes and leaving no stone unturned,” Ellis said. “I think you don’t need motivation for a semifinal, and we are ready for the game.”
South Africa, who are hoping to defend the title they won in Morocco three years ago, made it through to the semifinal after surviving a tense quarter-final against Senegal. They advanced 4-1 on penalties, having had only one full training session in the lead-up.
Despite the tight schedule, Banyana midfielder Gabriela Salgado remains confident in her team’s preparation.
“We know we’re going into the semifinal game, it’s going to be a challenge, but we are physically and mentally prepared,” she said.
The winner of the Nigeria Vs South Africa clash will face either Morocco or Ghana in Saturday’s final at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
Note that the Semi-final clash will kick off at 5 p.m. later today, July 22.
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The Pinellas County Forensic Science Center has received a request for cremation approval, though no date has been set.
Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71 following a heart attack. Official reports list acute myocardial infarction as the cause of death. The legendary wrestler, born Terry Bollea, passed away on July 24 in Florida.
According to documents obtained by Page Six, Hogan had also been battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a type of cancer that affects white blood cells, and had been previously diagnosed with atrial fibrillation — an irregular heartbeat condition.
His death has been ruled as natural causes, and the Pinellas County Forensic Science Center has received a request for cremation approval, though no date has been set.
Close friend Eric Bischoff, speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, recalled their last emotional conversation. “He sounded tired… he said, ‘I really want to see you, but I’m kind of embarrassed for you to see me this way.’”
Despite his illness, Bischoff said Hogan’s personality remained unchanged: “It was work for him to have a conversation, but he was the same guy.”
Hogan’s daughter, Brooke Hogan, paid tribute in a heartfelt Instagram post, reflecting on their complex relationship.
“When he left this earth, it felt like part of my spirit left with him,” she wrote. Brooke revealed that their relationship had been strained but noted they had reconnected during his illness.
She added, “We had been through almost 25 surgeries together… then everything started getting covered in a thick veil. It was like there was a force field around him.”
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Luis Diaz said former Liverpool teammate Florian Wirtz told him he would “enjoy” a move to Bayern Munich as the Colombian was unveiled by the Bundesliga champions on Thursday.
The German giants reportedly paid a fee which could rise to 75 million euros ($86.5 million) for the 28-year-old, whose deal runs until 2029.
Heavily linked with a move to Bayern, Wirtz left Bayer Leverkusen and signed with the Reds in June.
Diaz only had a few weeks with the German international at Liverpool but revealed Wirtz’s advice encouraged him to move to the Bundesliga.
“I spoke to Florian a few times and he told me that the Bundesliga is very intense, similar to the Premier League, that it was very physical, the stadiums are always full,” Diaz said Thursday.
“He said that I’d enjoy it. He wished me luck. I thank him for that”.
Diaz arrives as the third most expensive signing in Bayern’s history, but said he was unconcerned about the pressure the price tag would bring.
“I can’t say if I’m worth 70 million. I just want to settle in here as quickly as possible. That’s the most important thing,” he said.
The only two bigger transfer fees paid by Bayern were 95 million euros for England captain Harry Kane in 2023 and 80 million for French international Lucas Hernandez in 2019.
Diaz won the Premier League, FA Cup and two League Cups during his three-and-a-half years at Anfield.
The winger made 50 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool last season, scoring 17 goals and providing eight assists as Arne Slot’s team clinched the English league title for a record-equalling 20th time.
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FC Barcelona, on Thursday, produced a dominant attacking display to defeat FC Seoul 7–3 in an action-packed pre-season friendly.
The Spanish giants wasted no time asserting their superiority, with Robert Lewandowski opening the scoring in the 8th minute.
Rising star Lamine Yamal quickly followed up with goals in the 14th and 45+3 minutes, the latter coming just moments after Al-Arab had equalised for the hosts on the stroke of half-time.
Earlier, FC Seoul had found the net through Young-Wook in the 26th minute to briefly level the tie before Barcelona pulled away decisively.
Andreas Christensen added a fourth goal for the Catalan side in the 55th minute, setting the tone for a flurry of late strikes.
Ferran Torres and Gavi added goals in the 74th and 76th minutes respectively, before Torres sealed his brace with a second goal in the 88th minute.
FC Seoul’s Han-Min grabbed a consolation in the 85th minute, but it did little to take the shine off Barcelona’s commanding performance.
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