Sports
Tinubu, Govs Splash ₦4.95 Billion Cash, Houses On Falcons
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday showered the victorious Super Falcons with ₦4.952 billion in cash rewards and conferred on them the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) following their record-breaking 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) triumph in Morocco.
The 24 players and 11 technical crew members arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday before proceeding to the Presidential Villa for an elaborate reception.
Nigeria staged a thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 in Saturday’s final at the Rabat Olympic Stadium, cementing their dominance in African women’s football.
During the reception, President Tinubu announced ₦4.602 billion in cash awards, a three-bedroom apartment each, and national honours for every member of the victorious squad.
Tinubu declared. “Nothing else could have represented it. Crucial time, crucial victory. On behalf of the grateful nation, I hereby confer on the players and the 11-man technical team the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger.
“Additionally, I direct the allocation of a three-bedroom apartment for each player and technical crew in our Renewed Hope Estate. There is a cash award of $100,000 (₦1,560/$) for each of the 24 players and $50,000 for each of the 11-man technical crew. With this, the Nigerian spirit is unyielding and will never die.”
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum also contributed ₦350 million, bringing the total cash reward to ₦4.952 billion.
The Falcons dominated the tournament:
Group Stage: Topped their group with seven points, conceding no goals.
Quarter-Finals: Thrashed Zambia 5-0.
Semi-Finals: A late Michelle Alozie strike sealed a 2-1 win over South Africa.
Final: Came from behind to stun Morocco 3-2 in Rabat, inspired by Esther Okoronkwo’s heroics.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade won the Player of the Tournament award, Chiamaka Nnadozie was named Best Goalkeeper, and coach Justine Madugu clinched the Best Coach Award.
This latest triumph adds to Nigeria’s previous WAFCON titles in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018, reaffirming the country’s status as the undisputed queens of African football.
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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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