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Chelsea Beat Man City To Win Women’s League Cup

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Chelsea edged past Manchester City in the Women’s League Cup final to win their first trophy under Sonia Bompastor and keep their bid for a historic quadruple alive.

Bompastor has exceeded expectations since succeeding Emma Hayes as head coach last May, winning 26 of her 28 games.

Mayra Ramirez netted an early opener for Chelsea, bundling in a rebound that bounced off City skipper Laia Aleixandri at Derby County’s Pride Park.

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Aoba Fujino levelled after the break with a stunning strike, but an own-goal by Yui Hasegawa restored Chelsea’s lead and ended their three-year losing streak in League Cup finals.

READ ALSO: Transfer: Chelsea Offered Opportunity To Resign Former Player From AC Milan

City, who were playing their first game under interim boss Nick Cushing following Gareth Taylor’s sacking five days ago, dominated play after Chelsea’s opener.

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But they were unable to find a way through during the first half as Chelsea’s solid centre-back pairing of Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn stood firm, limiting City’s chances to ambitious efforts from the edge of the box.

Chelsea appeared to regain control after the interval, but Fujino’s powerful strike flew past Hannah Hampton and into the roof of the net before Hasegawa’s own goal handed momentum back to Bompastor’s side.

They remain in the hunt for the Champions League and FA Cup, while they have all but secured a sixth successive Women’s Super League (WSL) title, sitting eight points clear at the top of the table with six games remaining.

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This final marked the start of an intense 12-day battle, with Chelsea and City playing each other four times in a row.

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Flying Eagles Arrive Chile’s Talca For FIFA U20 World Cup Campaign

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The Flying Eagles arrived in the Chilean city of Talca on Thursday afternoon ahead of their participation in the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup.

Nigeria is placed in Group F alongside Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia, with all group matches scheduled to be played in Talca.

Upon arrival, the two-time U20 World Cup finalists were warmly received by officials from FIFA, the Local Organising Committee, and hotel staff.

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The team later held its first training session in the evening to begin final preparations for the tournament.

READ ALSO:JSS 3 Student Hacks Man To Death In Cross River

According to The PUNCH, the Head coach of Nigeria’s U-20 national team, Ali Zubair, said the Flying Eagles have corrected the mistakes that cost them at the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and are now better prepared for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

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The Flying Eagles are lodged at Hotel Diego de Almagro in Talca. The team wrapped up a 12-day training camp in Santiago, where they played host nation Chile and Australia as part of the build-up to the FIFA U20 World Cup.

Nigeria opens its campaign for honours in this year’s edition with a game against Norway on Monday, 29th September at Estadio Fiscal de Talca, before other games against Saudi Arabia and Colombia.

READ ALSO:Christian Chukwu’s 1980 Green Eagles Teammate, Charles Bassey, Is Dead

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Nigeria’s national under-20 men’s football team is one of the most successful youth teams in Africa. The team has a rich history in the FIFA U20 World Cup, having participated in multiple editions since its debut in 1983.

Notably, the Flying Eagles have been runners-up twice — in 1989 (losing to Portugal) and 2005 (losing to Argentina, led by Lionel Messi).

They have also reached the semifinals on several occasions and are known for producing future Super Eagles stars such as Mikel Obi, Taye Taiwo, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Victor Osimhen.

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FULL LIST: Nigerian Boxer Efe Ajagba Breaks Into World’s Top 10 Heavyweights

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Nigerian heavyweight boxer Efe Ajagba has been ranked among the top 10 fighters in the world by The Ring magazine.

In its latest rankings updated on Thursday, Ajagba secured the No. 10 spot in the prestigious list, widely regarded as the sport’s most respected independent ratings.

The 30-year-old, who holds a professional record of 20 wins, one loss, and one draw with 14 knockouts, joins an elite lineup.

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READ ALSO:Two Japanese Boxers Die From Brain Injuries At Same Event

The heavyweight division is currently led by Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the champion’s position, with Britain’s Tyson Fury ranked first among contenders.

New Zealand’s Joseph Parker and Germany’s Agit Kabayel occupy the top three positions.

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Ajagba’s inclusion comes after a string of impressive performances that have reignited his world title ambitions.

READ ALSO:I Saw My Wife’s Lover’s Boxers, Trousers, Shirts In Our Bedroom, Man Tells Court

His most recent victory solidified his status as one of the leading contenders from Africa in the heavyweight division.

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The Ring magazine, founded in 1922, updates its ratings monthly based on results, performance, and track record, with input from boxing journalists and historians worldwide.

The development makes Ajagba the only Nigerian currently ranked in the heavyweight top 10.

Below is the full updated heavyweight ranking by The Ring:

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SWAN Orders Nationwide Boycott Of NFF Activities

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The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, has announced a nationwide boycott of all activities related to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, including the Federation’s upcoming Annual General Assembly, AGA, scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The directive, issued on Wednesday by the leadership of the association, follows what SWAN described as the NFF’s “deliberate and persistent exclusion” of the Association from the Congress, the Federation’s highest decision-making body.

In a statement jointly signed by the SWAN President, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, and the Secretary-General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, the Association condemned the NFF’s actions as “unacceptable, retrogressive, and an affront to the sporting media’s role in national football development.”

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The media is a critical tripod in the growth of sports globally. SWAN, as the professional body coordinating sports journalism in Nigeria, has consistently engaged with the NFF on the need to restore our rightful place in its Congress. Yet, while the Federation claims to be expanding its Congress, it continues to sideline us—a move that is both short-sighted and detrimental to Nigerian football,” the statement read.

READ ALSO:Edo SWAN Felicitates Deputy Governor On Birth Anniversary

SWAN accused the NFF leadership of adopting a divisive approach to football administration, warning that the continued decline in the nation’s football fortunes is a reflection of ongoing maladministration.

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“Despite enormous financial and institutional support from the Federal Government, state governments, and private sponsors, Nigeria’s football continues to nosedive.

“It is time to put a decisive end to this dangerous trend. Nigeria cannot afford to watch its most cherished sport deteriorate under avoidable circumstances,” the statement read.

Effective immediately, all SWAN members across the country are instructed to cease coverage and promotion of any NFF-related activity.

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READ ALSO:WAFCON: Ihezuo Strikes Late As Nigeria Edge Botswana To Reach Quarter-finals

A task force will be set up to ensure strict enforcement of this directive. Simultaneously, the Association will begin a thorough investigation and public exposure of the maladministration and backward practices now synonymous with the Federation’s operations practices that have contributed to Nigeria’s repeated World Cup qualification failures,” the statement added.

SWAN reaffirmed its position as a critical stakeholder in Nigerian football and vowed to resist any attempt to marginalize the sporting media.

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The exclusion of SWAN from the NFF Congress is no longer acceptable and will not be tolerated. We stand resolute in defending the integrity and rightful role of the sporting media in the Nigerian football ecosystem,” the statement concluded.

 

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