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CWC: Trump Put Your Medal In His Pocket, Took It To White House – Cucurella Tells Madueke

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Chelsea star, Marc Cucurella, has told his former teammate, Noni Madueke that President of the United States of America, Donald Trump collected his FIFA Club World Cup medal, put it in his pocket and took it to the White House.

The Spaniard said it was strange to him that the England international opted to join Arsenal before playing in the final against Paris Saint-Germain.

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DAILY POST reports that Madueke, born to Nigerian parents but represents England internationally, left the Chelsea team in the United States just hours after the semifinal win over Fluminense.

READ ALSO:‘Chelsea Lifted Duplicate Club World Cup Trophy After Trump Kept Real One’

He returned to London to for his medical and to put finishing touches on his move to Arsenal.

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Speaking to Gerard Moreno, Spanish full-back Cucurella, said the England player has missed a golden opportunity to have the FIFA Club World Cup medal

Cucurella wondered why Madueke failed to delay his move to Arsenal by a couple of days.

As quoted by talkSPORT, the Spain international said, “He[Trump] put it in his pocket. He has it there in the White House, very well placed.

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READ ALSO:Club World Cup Final Scuffle ‘Should Have Been Avoided’ Says Luis Enrique

Yes, I think so. I think he missed a good opportunity…

“In the end, I think it could have delayed him a couple of days since he left a day early or something like that. ”

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The left-back said it would not have cost Madueke anything to wait until the final match of the competition.

I think he missed a pretty good opportunity.”

Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain, PSG, 3-0 in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup to become the champions. Cole Palmer scored twice and assisted the third goal in the first half to seal a stunning win for Enzo Maresca’s side.

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[FULL LIST] 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia Lead Groups

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African 2026 World Cup qualifying tables after matches on Friday (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

Group A

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Egypt 7 6 1 0 16 2 19

Burkina Faso 7 4 2 1 19 7 14

Sierra Leone 7 2 3 2 8 8 9

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Guinea-Bissau 7 1 4 2 6 8 7

Ethiopia 7 1 3 3 7 9 6

Djibouti 7 0 1 6 4 26 1

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Group B

DR Congo 7 5 1 1 11 3 16

Senegal 7 4 3 0 10 1 15

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Sudan 7 3 3 1 8 4 12

Mauritania 7 1 2 4 4 9 5

Togo 7 0 4 3 4 9 4

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South Sudan 7 0 3 4 3 14 3

READ ALSO:I Still Call My Mum To Ask How Long To Boil Rice – DJ Cuppy

Group C

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South Africa 7 5 1 1 13 5 16

Benin 7 3 2 2 7 7 11

Rwanda 6 2 2 2 4 4 8

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Nigeria 6 1 4 1 7 6 7

Lesotho 7 1 3 3 4 8 6

Zimbabwe 7 0 4 3 5 10 4

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Group E

Morocco 6 6 0 0 19 2 18 – qualified

Tanzania 6 3 1 2 6 5 10

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Zambia 5 2 0 3 9 7 6

Niger 5 2 0 3 6 9 6

Congo 6 0 1 5 3 20 1

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— Eritrea withdrew before matchday 1

READ ALSO:[FULL LIST] World Cup: Nigeria, Others Face Elimination

Group F

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Ivory Coast 7 6 1 0 15 0 19

Gabon 7 6 0 1 16 6 18

Burundi 7 3 1 3 13 8 10

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Gambia 7 2 1 4 15 14 7

Kenya 7 1 3 3 12 11 6

Seychelles 7 0 0 7 2 34 0

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Group G

Algeria 7 6 0 1 19 7 18

Uganda 7 4 0 3 10 7 12

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Mozambique 7 4 0 3 10 15 12

Guinea 7 3 1 3 7 5 10

Botswana 7 3 0 4 10 11 9

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Somalia 7 0 1 6 3 14 1

READ ALSO:Brazil Names Squad Without Neymar, Vinicius For World Cup Qualifiers [FULL LIST]

Group H

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Tunisia 7 6 1 0 12 0 19

Namibia 7 3 3 1 9 4 12

Liberia 7 3 1 3 7 7 10

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Eq. Guinea 7 3 1 3 7 10 10

Malawi 7 3 0 4 6 7 9

Sao Tome 7 0 0 7 4 17 0

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Note: Group winners qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The four best-ranked runners-up enter a mini tournament and the winners qualify for the six-nation inter-continental play-offs with two finals places up for grabs

AFP

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[FULL LIST] World Cup: Nigeria, Others Face Elimination

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As African qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup heats up, Egypt and Morocco are edging closer to sealing their tickets to the global showpiece in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while Nigeria’s hopes hang by a thread.

With four rounds of matches left, the race across the nine African groups is intensifying, leaving several giants at risk of missing out.

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Below is the state of play across all groups:

Group A – Egypt in Command

Standings: Egypt lead Burkina Faso by five points.

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Key Matches: Egypt vs Ethiopia; Burkina Faso vs Djibouti.

Outlook: Two wins could seal Egypt’s qualification.

READ ALSO:Nigeria Crash Out Of FIBA U19 World Cup

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Group B – Three-Way Battle

Standings: DR Congo, Senegal, and Sudan are split by one point.

Key Matches: Senegal host Sudan and face DR Congo; Sudan visit Togo.

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Outlook: Sudan chase a maiden World Cup amid conflict at home.

Group C – Nigeria in Trouble

Standings: South Africa top with 13 points; Nigeria sit fourth with seven.

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Key Matches: Nigeria host Rwanda, then face South Africa away.

Outlook: Nigeria must win both to stay alive. A ruling on South Africa’s alleged ineligible player could impact standings.

READ ALSO:Brazil Names Squad Without Neymar, Vinicius For World Cup Qualifiers [FULL LIST]

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Group D – Cape Verde vs Cameroon

Standings: Cape Verde lead Cameroon by one point.

Key Matches: Cape Verde host Cameroon, then travel to Mauritius; Cameroon face Eswatini.

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Outlook: Cape Verde eye historic qualification; Libya and Angola still lurking.

Group E – Morocco Poised for History

Standings: Morocco boast a perfect record (5 wins in 5).

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Key Matches: Morocco play Niger and Zambia; Tanzania face Congo-Brazzaville.

Outlook: Atlas Lions could become Africa’s first confirmed qualifiers.

READ ALSO:‘Chelsea Lifted Duplicate Club World Cup Trophy After Trump Kept Real One’

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Group F – Ivory Coast vs Gabon

Standings: Ivory Coast one point ahead of Gabon.

Key Matches: Gabon host Ivory Coast; Ivory Coast face Burundi and Seychelles.

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Outlook: A tight race between two resurgent sides.

Group G – Algeria Closing In

Standings: Algeria three points clear of Mozambique.

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Key Matches: Algeria host Botswana, travel to Guinea; Mozambique meet Uganda and Botswana.

Outlook: Algeria well-placed but can’t slip up.

Group H – Tunisia in Control

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READ ALSO:Club World Cup Final Scuffle ‘Should Have Been Avoided’ Says Luis Enrique

Standings: Tunisia four points ahead of Namibia.

Key Matches: Tunisia vs Liberia; Tunisia vs Equatorial Guinea; Namibia face Malawi and Sao Tome.

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Outlook: Tunisia could qualify early, but an Equatorial Guinea appeal looms.

Group I – Ghana Push for Redemption

Standings: Ghana lead by three points over Comoros; Mali trailing.

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Key Matches: Ghana face Chad and Comoros; Comoros travel to Mali.

Outlook: Ghana could book qualification at home, making up for their AFCON 2025 failure.

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13 Super Eagles Players Arrive Camp For World Cup Qualifiers

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The number of players in the Super Eagles’ camp has increased to 13, as Nigeria intensifies preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa.

This follows the arrival of nine more players at the team’s camp in Ikot Ikpene on Tuesday, according to Promise Efoghe, the team’s media officer.

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The new arrivals include Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Ola Aina, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Moses Simon, Chidozie Awaziem, Adebayo Adeleye, and Benjamin Fredericks.

They joined the quartet of William Troost-Ekong, Amas Obasogie, Felix Agu, and Raphael Onyedika, who checked into camp on Monday.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Chelle Drops Osimhen, Lookman From Super Eagles Squad To Play Ghana, Russia [Full list]

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Efoghe confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria that out of the 23 players who were invited for the double-header fixtures, only 13 had arrived, with 10 more players still being expected.

A total of 13 players are currently in camp, and we are expecting the rest of the squad to arrive later today and early tomorrow,” Efoghe said.

He also shared details of the team’s upcoming media engagements.

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There will be a press conference with the coaching staff and selected players on Wednesday at the training pitch of the Godswill Akpabio Stadium,” Efoghe stated.

“For Friday, the pre-match press conference will holbe held the same venue, and the first 15 minutes of the team’s training session will be open to media coverage.”

READ ALSO:Ex-Super Eagles Coach, Monday Sinclair, Is Dead

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Players still beiexpected to be included arealkeeper Stanley Nwabali; defender Bruno Onyemaechi; midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka; and forwards Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Cyriel Dessers, Christantus Uche, and Tolu Arokodare.

Nigeria will host Rwanda on Friday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, in a Matchday 7 fixture. They will then travel to Bloemfontein to face South Africa on Monday, in a Matchday 8 encounter.

The Super Eagles currently sit third in Group C of the African qualifiers with two points from two matches, behind leaders South Africa (four points) and Rwanda (also four points but with an inferior goal difference).

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Only the top team in the group will qualify automatically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

READ ALSO:Super Eagles Defender Launches Under-13 Football Tournament In Edo

Full 23-Man Squad:

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Goalkeepers:

Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa);

Amas Obasogie (Singida Black Stars, Tanzania);

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Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece).

Defenders:

William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia);

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Calvin Bassey (Fulham, England);

Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England);

Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England);

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Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece);

Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes, France);

Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany);

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Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium).

READ ALSO:BREAKING: Former Super Eagles Coach, Christian Chukwu, Is Dead

Midfielders:

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Alex Iwobi (Fulham, England);

Frank Onyeka (Brentford, England);

Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas, Turkey);

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Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio, Italy);

Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium);

Christantus Uche (Getafe, Spain).

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Forwards:

Ademola Lookman (Atalanta, Italy);

Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy);

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Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray, Turkey);

Moses Simon (Paris FC, France);

Cyriel Dessers (Rangers, Scotland);

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Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium).

(NAN)

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