Sports
Mbappe Scores Double As Real Madrid Wave Goodbye To Ancelotti, Modric
Published
4 months agoon
By
Editor
Kylian Mbappe virtually wrapped up the European Golden Shoe award with a brace as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 2-0 on Saturday, on an emotional home farewell to Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric.
The Italian is leaving to coach the Brazilian national team, drawing a curtain on his second spell at the club where he won 15 trophies during a total of six years in charge.
Croatian midfielder Modric will play at the Club World Cup for Madrid but this was his final game at the Santiago Bernabeu. He was given a guard of honour when replaced late on.
Madrid fans displayed banners showing their affection for Modric and Ancelotti and sang both names on an emotional afternoon for Los Blancos.
READ ALSO: Real Madrid’s Mbappe Sent Off For Bad Tackle In Alaves Clash
It was a profitable one too for Mbappe, who scored twice to take the lead in the Golden Shoe standings from Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah could yet claim the prize if he scores four goals against Crystal Palace on Sunday in the final round of Premier League matches.
Mbappe was denied early on by Unai Marrero and then fired another decent opportunity over.
Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin made a good save from Sergio Gomez, who should have scored as he ran clean through but his effort was tame.
READ ALSO: Mbappe To Miss Real Madrid Copa Clash Against Real Sociedad
Pablo Marin handled as Arda Guler tried to flick the ball past him and Madrid were awarded a penalty after a VAR review.
Mbappe’s poor penalty was saved by Marrero but the French superstar turned home the rebound for his 30th league goal.
Ancelotti brought on Vinicius Junior after an injury to Brahim Diaz, who picked up a knock as Madrid looked to sign off a disappointing season, without winning a major trophy, in style ahead of the Club World Cup in the United States.
Madrid wide man Lucas Vazquez, out of contract this summer after spending his whole career at the club, bar one season on loan at Espanyol, was given an ovation as he was substituted.
READ ALSO: Mbappe On Target As Real Madrid Cruise To Leganes Win
Mbappe netted his second after Vinicius teed him up to move six goals clear of Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski in the battle to be La Liga top scorer.
Many at the Bernabeu were in tears when Modric departed late on, embraced by former Madrid midfield partner Toni Kroos on the touchline.
Madrid finish the season second in La Liga, behind champions Barcelona, who also beat them in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals. The champions face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday in their last La Liga game.
AFP
You may like
Real Madrid Secure Gonzalo García With New Contract Until 2030
Transfer: Real Madrid Put Three Players Up For Sale
Transfer: Real Madrid Agree To Alonso’s Two Requests
Vinicius, Mbappe Have To Defend: Real Madrid’s Alonso
Real Madrid Get New Manager
Real Madrid’s Asencio Indicted In Underage Sex Video Case – Reports
Sports
[FULL LIST] 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia Lead Groups
Published
1 day agoon
September 5, 2025By
Editor
African 2026 World Cup qualifying tables after matches on Friday (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):
Group A
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
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
Group B
DR Congo 7 5 1 1 11 3 16
Senegal 7 4 3 0 10 1 15
Sudan 7 3 3 1 8 4 12
Mauritania 7 1 2 4 4 9 5
Togo 7 0 4 3 4 9 4
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
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
Nigeria 6 1 4 1 7 6 7
Lesotho 7 1 3 3 4 8 6
Zimbabwe 7 0 4 3 5 10 4
Group E
Morocco 6 6 0 0 19 2 18 – qualified
Tanzania 6 3 1 2 6 5 10
Zambia 5 2 0 3 9 7 6
Niger 5 2 0 3 6 9 6
Congo 6 0 1 5 3 20 1
— Eritrea withdrew before matchday 1
READ ALSO:[FULL LIST] World Cup: Nigeria, Others Face Elimination
Group F
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
Gambia 7 2 1 4 15 14 7
Kenya 7 1 3 3 12 11 6
Seychelles 7 0 0 7 2 34 0
Group G
Algeria 7 6 0 1 19 7 18
Uganda 7 4 0 3 10 7 12
Mozambique 7 4 0 3 10 15 12
Guinea 7 3 1 3 7 5 10
Botswana 7 3 0 4 10 11 9
Somalia 7 0 1 6 3 14 1
READ ALSO:Brazil Names Squad Without Neymar, Vinicius For World Cup Qualifiers [FULL LIST]
Group H
Tunisia 7 6 1 0 12 0 19
Namibia 7 3 3 1 9 4 12
Liberia 7 3 1 3 7 7 10
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
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
Sports
[FULL LIST] World Cup: Nigeria, Others Face Elimination
Published
3 days agoon
September 3, 2025By
Editor
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.
Below is the state of play across all groups:
Group A – Egypt in Command
Standings: Egypt lead Burkina Faso by five points.
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
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.
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.
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]
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.
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).
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’
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.
Outlook: A tight race between two resurgent sides.
Group G – Algeria Closing In
Standings: Algeria three points clear of Mozambique.
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
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.
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.
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.
Sports
13 Super Eagles Players Arrive Camp For World Cup Qualifiers
Published
4 days agoon
September 2, 2025By
Editor
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.
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]
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.
“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
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).
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:
Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa);
Amas Obasogie (Singida Black Stars, Tanzania);
Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece).
Defenders:
William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia);
Calvin Bassey (Fulham, England);
Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England);
Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England);
Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece);
Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes, France);
Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany);
Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium).
READ ALSO:BREAKING: Former Super Eagles Coach, Christian Chukwu, Is Dead
Midfielders:
Alex Iwobi (Fulham, England);
Frank Onyeka (Brentford, England);
Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas, Turkey);
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio, Italy);
Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium);
Christantus Uche (Getafe, Spain).
Forwards:
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta, Italy);
Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy);
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray, Turkey);
Moses Simon (Paris FC, France);
Cyriel Dessers (Rangers, Scotland);
Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium).
(NAN)
- Rhodes-Vivour Dumps Labour Party, Joins ADC
- Police Foil Robbery Attacks On Anambra Roads, Recover Vehicles
- Gunmen Kill NSCDC Personnel In Edo, Abduct Expatriate
- New Edo Line Passengers Abducted
- W’Cup Qualifiers: Super Eagles Edge Rwanda 1-0 To Revive Qualification Hopes
- NCDC Alerts Nigeria As DR Congo Declares Ebola Outbreak
- NNPP Expels Reps Member, Drags Him To Court
- Why We Are Yet To Recognise ADC Leadership – INEC
- 5% Fuel Surcharge: What Nigerians Should Know
- Six Dead, Others Trapped As Gold Collapse
Trending
- Politics4 days ago
Court Ruling Clears Jonathan For 2027 Presidential Bid Amid Pressure From Parties
- News3 days ago
New Curriculum: Full List Of JSS, SS Subjects
- News5 days ago
OPINION: Crowns Of Crime And Shame
- Metro2 days ago
JUST IN: Ex-soldiers Resume Protest Over Unpaid Benefits
- News3 days ago
20-year-old TikToker Peller Buys N350m Lekki Mansion, Promises To Reveal Secret Benefactors
- Metro3 days ago
Lagos Enforces Ban, Seizes Single-use Plastics From Supermarkets
- Entertainment3 days ago
Veteran Actress, Peju Ogunmola, Loses Only Child
- News3 days ago
JUST IN: Ex-Ondo SDP Governorship Candidate Dies
- Sports4 days ago
13 Super Eagles Players Arrive Camp For World Cup Qualifiers
- Sports3 days ago
[FULL LIST] World Cup: Nigeria, Others Face Elimination