Sports
WAFU B: Flying Eagles brace for tough Elephants final test
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles are gearing up for a fierce showdown against rampant Ivory Coast as both sides square off in the final of the WAFU B U20 Boys Cup today (Wednesday) at the Centre of Excellence in Prampram, Ghana.
With the Ivorians enjoying a perfect run to the final, winning all four of their previous matches, the task before coach Aliyu Zubair’s men is clear; stop the Young Elephants or risk falling at the last hurdle.
Ivory Coast opened their campaign with a 2–1 victory over Burkina Faso, before seeing off Niger Republic and Togo with narrow wins of 1–0 and 2–0 respectively.
In Sunday’s semi-final, they showed grit to come from behind and knock out host nation Ghana 2–1.
For the Flying Eagles, the road to the final has not been without its own drama.
Mohammed Abdullahi rescued a point late on in their opener against Ghana, scoring in the 84th minute to force a 1–1 draw. Nigeria then stormed back from a goal down to dispatch Benin Republic 4–1, finishing top of their three-team Group A.
Their semi-final clash against Niger Republic ended goalless after 90 minutes, but Zubair’s boys held their nerve in a tense shootout, edging it 4–3 to book a place in Wednesday’s title decider.
The final will see WAFU B President, Ibrahim Gusau, in attendance alongside other dignitaries, as the region crowns its new youth champions.
For Zubair, it’s another opportunity to enhance his growing reputation.
The former Gombe United manager guided Nigeria to WAFU B glory in Togo last year, and followed up with qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup from the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
While Nigeria will look to the attacking duo of Mohammed Abdullahi and Ezekiel Kpangu for inspiration, the Ivorians boast firepower of their own in Abdoul Bamba and Ali Kone, both instrumental in their unbeaten run.
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.”
FOLLOW US ON:
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.
FOLLOW US ON:
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.
FOLLOW US ON:
Spirits Are Angry – Actor, Yul Edochie Talks About Why There Are Too Many Early And Untimely De@ths In Nigeria
Wrestling Legend, Hulk Hogan’s Cause Of Death Revealed As Family And Friends Speak Out
Dino Melaye Officially Joins ADC, Gets Membership Card After PDP Resignation (Video)
-
Education1 week agoHow A Class Of 24 Students Produced 2 Presidents, 4 Governors, 2 Ministers, 4 Emirs, 3 Justices, 4 Ambassadors and Other Influential Leaders
-
News2 weeks ago‘Sleeping Prince’ of Saudi Arabia dies after 20 years in coma
-
News2 weeks agoWhy Do You Continue To Lie Against Your Motherland? Presidency Calls Out Kemi Badenoch
-
News6 days agoLagos belongs to no tribe – Sowore kicks against renaming of Charly Boy Bus Stop, others
-
Lifestyle1 week agoPeople Who Abandon Their Heritage Do So At Their Own Peril – Gani Adams Warns
-
Politics2 weeks ago‘If I don’t give you electricity, don’t vote for me again’ – ADC reminds Tinubu of failed promise
-
News6 days agoYou can’t lie about your country and then we keep quiet – Dabiri-Erewa slams Kemi Badenoch over claim on Nigerian citizenship
-
Lifestyle6 days agoActor Odunlade Adekola has sadly lost his father