Sports
WAFCON Semi-Final: Super Falcons Vow To Break South Africa’s Unbeaten Streak
Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu says the Nigerian side is fully prepared to break South Africa’s long-standing unbeaten record in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
At 5 p.m. later today, July 22, the Super Falcons will face South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the semi-final stage of the 2024 WAFCON.
South Africa, the reigning champions, are going into the game with a 15-match unbeaten streak in WAFCON competition, a run that began after a painful loss to Nigeria back in 2016.
But Madugu is not intimidated by history. He said, “Yes, South Africa have not lost a game within regulation time since 2016. Like we said, records are meant to be broken. No matter how long it takes, one day it will be broken, and we are hoping that by Tuesday, by the grace of God, that record will no longer exist.”
Despite South Africa’s recent form, Nigeria still holds the bragging rights in their overall WAFCON head-to-head: eight wins out of eleven meetings, with a goal difference of 16-5 in the Falcons’ favour.
However, Banyana Banyana turned the table in the 2022 edition by defeating Nigeria in the group stage and going on to clinch their first continental title.
Madugu, fully aware of how much South Africa has grown under coach Desiree Ellis, is not underestimating the opposition.
“They have a very good team. For them to have won all their games to get them to where they are, obviously, we must appreciate and respect what they have done. So, we are not taking that for granted,” he said.
“You know football games can be very deceiving sometimes. You don’t judge teams based on what you see, particularly in their last game. But the prestige is equally there, so we are not looking at them as underdogs. They will be favourites as defending champions. They took the crown from us, and we want to do the same.”
On the other side of the touchline, South Africa’s coach Desiree Ellis remains unfazed by the forthcoming encounter. For her, the rivalry itself is all the motivation her team needs.
“We know what this match means. We know what it takes to beat Nigeria,” she told CAF Online.
“I don’t think that you need to communicate anything. It’s like a derby where you know who you’re up against. Players know the strength of Nigeria. So I don’t think any motivation is needed. The motivation is obviously the semi-final, but I don’t think it needs motivation because of the rivalry that there is.”
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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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