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Nigeria to face Gabon in World Cup play-offs

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The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Gabon in the semi-finals of the African section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs, following the conclusion of the qualifying group games.

Nigeria secured its place after a commanding 4–0 victory over Benin Republic on Tuesday, October 14, while Gabon confirmed second place in Group F with a 2–0 win against Burundi.

DR Congo also sealed their qualification with a narrow 1–0 win over Sudan to finish runners-up in Group B behind Senegal, with Cameroon joining them after placing second in Group D behind Cape Verde.

DR Congo will take on Cameroon in the other semi-final.

The play-offs, which will feature the four best runners-up from the nine African qualifying groups, are scheduled to take place in Morocco from November 13 to 16.

Both semi-finals will be played on November 13, with the winners meeting three days later in a single-leg final.

The overall winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026 in a bid to qualify for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The matches will be played as single-leg knockouts in a venue to be determined by CAF later.

If tied after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time will follow, and if the scores remain level, a penalty shoot-out will decide the winner.

Morocco will host the mini-tournament, which gives Africa an additional opportunity to secure a place at the expanded 48-team World Cup.

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See also  Nigeria beat Zambia in West Africa Trophy opener
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Atletico push for Lookman as Fenerbahce near deal

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Atletico Madrid have intensified efforts to sign Ademola Lookman as the Turkish club Fenerbahce edge closer to completing a deal for the Nigeria forward, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Spanish side tried to sign the 28-year-old last summer but failed to reach an agreement with Atalanta.

Their primary midfield target, Leon Goretzka, announced on Friday that he would not leave Bayern Munich until the summer, forcing Sporting Director Mateu Alemany to pursue alternative options.

Atletico are now targeting Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi for midfield reinforcement, but Lookman remains their priority signing.

However, competition for the Nigeria international is fierce. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Fenerbahce’s deal is at the final stages, with the Turkish club offering a package worth €40m including variables.

According to Spanish publication Marca, Atletico acknowledge that Fenerbahce’s bid is currently higher than theirs, though they will do all they can to bring Lookman to Spain.

The player had expressed interest in a move to Spain during the summer.

Diario AS reports that Fenerbahce sporting director Devin Ozek is currently in Bergamo trying to finalise the deal.

Romano posted on Friday that while Atalanta and Fenerbahce have a verbal agreement on a €40m package, they are yet to agree on payment terms and conditions.

He added that Atletico Madrid have been calling in recent hours to ask about deal conditions.

Atletico could return for both Goretzka and Lookman in the summer, depending on what business Alemany completes before February 2.

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Bayern confirm Goretzka’s end-of-season exit

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FC Bayern Munich have confirmed that midfielder Leon Goretzka will leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires.

The confirmation was given by Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund, who said the 29-year-old will complete the season with the club before moving on as a free agent in the summer.

According to Fabrizio Romano’s post on Friday, Freund was quoted as saying, “Leon Goretzka will leave FC Bayern in the summer as a free agent, not now. Leon’s time at FC Bayern will be over in the summer. He will go another way after 8 successful years. We’ll fight together in the coming months to achieve big things.”

The statement rules out any immediate departure, with Bayern expecting Goretzka to remain part of the squad for the rest of the campaign.

Goretzka joined Bayern in 2018 from Schalke and has been a key member of one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.

During his time in Munich, he won multiple Bundesliga titles, domestic cups, and the UEFA Champions League.

Despite increased competition for places in recent seasons, the Germany international has remained an experienced figure within the squad.

Bayern and Goretzka are now set to focus on their remaining objectives for the season before the midfielder begins a new chapter in his career this summer.

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West Ham sign Fulham winger Traore

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West Ham announced on Wednesday that they had signed winger Adama Traore from Fulham for an undisclosed fee.

The 30-year-old will be reunited at the London Stadium with manager Nuno Espirito Santo, with whom he worked previously at Wolves.

The Premier League strugglers described the forward as “strong, quick and able to create and score goals”.

Traore, who has been a peripheral player for Fulham this season, came through Barcelona’s youth system before joining Aston Villa in 2015. He has also played for Middlesbrough and Wolves.

The winger, who has made 262 Premier League appearances, scoring 14 goals, said he wanted to help relegation-threatened West Ham to the “maximum”.

“I love the challenges,” he said. “I think, of course, we have to go game by game. And this is what we’re going to do, trying to do our best. I think everything comes from belief. And I believe we’re going to achieve what we’re looking for.”

Nuno is relishing the chance to link up again with Traore, who has won eight caps for Spain.

“Adama is someone who knows the Premier League very well, and his qualities, both as a player and a person, will help us between now and the end of the season,” he said.

“He will give us a different option in attacking areas. He is also motivated to fight for us and ready to bring energy, commitment and determination to our challenge.”

West Ham are third from bottom of the Premier League, five points from safety, but have won their past two matches, against Tottenham and Sunderland.

See also  AFCON: It’s tough for me – Nigeria goalkeeper, Nwabali opens up on injuries

The club has been active in the January transfer window as they battle for survival, signing forwards Pablo Felipe and Taty Castellanos earlier this month.

The January window closes on Monday.

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