Sports
Nigeria vs Morocco: Super Falcons eye historic 10th title as home crowd await in WAFCON final showdown
Nigeria is on a quest to win a 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON.
The Super Falcons will take on Morocco in the final of this year’s tournament in Rabat on Saturday.
Justin Madugu’s ladies have easily been the best team.
Their group stage performances included a 3-0 thrashing of Tunisia and a 0-0 draw with Algeria, which led to an apology from Madugu.
The apology was followed up with an emphatic 5-0 thumping of Zambia in the quarter-finals, before they eliminated defending champions South Africa 2-1 in the semis.
Sports journalist, Biola Solace-Chukwu, has been in Morocco throughout the competition, keeping an eye on the Falcons.
She tells DAILY POST: “I think the Super Falcons grew with each match.
“Despite not scoring in the last group game against Algeria, there were obvious improvements and that especially showed in the quarter-final match against Zambia.
“The semi-final clash with South Africa was expectedly tough.”
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade has been one of the standout performers, winning three consecutive Man of the Match awards, including against Bayana Bayana.
But Solace-Chukwu has picked Ajibade’s team-mate, Ashley Plumptre, as the player that has caught the eye.
“Definitely Ashleigh Plumptre. My personal player of the match for every single match played so far,” she said.
Both Ajibade and Plumptre would have to be on their A-game, when they face the hosts in Sunday’s final.
It was Morocco that beat them in the semi-final of the 2022 WAFCON.
So, revenge is on the table. And as well as what has been dubbed ‘Mission X’.
“It’s going to be a battle,” Solace-Chukwu says as a matter of fact.
“Home advantage will definitely be a big factor, just as it was against Morocco in the 2022 semi-finals.
“The Olympic Stadium in Rabat has been packed with Moroccan fans all tournament and it’s expected to be the same for the final.”
But there is a reason the Falcons are the most successful team in Africa.
And they need to put history and the vociferous home support in the background, as they seek to assert themselves again on the continent.
That is why it is important they beat the Atlas Lionesses on their own patch.
Solace-Chukwu adds: “I think it brings the fear factor back for the Super Falcons. It will show this is still the dominant team in Africa.
“It will also be a good experience for the young players in the squad.”
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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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