Morocco won a Women’s World Cup match for the first time after Ibtissam Jraidi struck early to give them a stunning 1-0 victory over South Korea on Sunday.

Having been thrashed 6-0 by Germany on their World Cup debut, this hard-earned win kept alive Morocco’s unlikely chances of reaching the last 16 in Australia and New Zealand.

As well as a first Morocco victory ever at the tournament, there was another piece of history when defender Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a hijab at the Women’s World Cup.

“We are just so glad that our efforts paid off,” said the goal-scorer Jraidi.

“I would like to dedicate this victory to Morocco and all the Arab nations at large. It was the fruit of our hard work.”

French coach Reynald Pedros saw his Morocco team take the lead after only six minutes in front of just over 13,000 fans in Adelaide.

Hanane Ait El Haj crossed and forward Jraidi nipped in ahead of her marker to expertly glance her header into the far corner.

Morocco, one of the lowest-ranked teams at the tournament at 72 in the world, were supposed underdogs against the 17th-ranked Koreans.

But they made by far the better start against shell-shocked opponents.

Colin Bell’s Korean side belatedly grew into the game towards the end of the first half, but like in their 2-0 opening defeat to Colombia, they lacked punch up front.

Many of the crowd were shouting for the Koreans and their team piled on the pressure in the second half as they attempted to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Morocco were grimly hanging on.

The Koreans had three players on two as they raced towards Morocco’s goal, only for Benzina to cynically clip an advancing Korean attacker and earn a yellow card.

Bell threw on attacker Casey Phair, the United States-born 16-year-old who is the youngest player ever to feature at a Women’s World Cup.

But Morocco held on for a gritty win that left South Korea facing an early exit from Group H, having failed to get even one shot on target despite all their possession.

“First of all, congratulations to Morocco on the win, the first in their World Cup history,” the Englishman Bell said.

“I’m not going to say it was deserved. They got off to a good start and that affected us in the first half.

“Second half we had almost all of the play, but the chances that we did create, we rushed them, we didn’t take them.

“I’ve experienced many ups and downs in football, and this is definitely one of the worst moments.”

[OpinionNigeria]

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand has continued to witness momentous moments that will be etched in history.

One such moment is the Super Falcons 3-2 win against co-hosts Australia on Thursday at the Brisbane Stadium.

The prowess of Uchenna Kanu, Osinachi Ohale (Player of the Match), Rasheedat Ajibade, and Toni Payne birthed the now notable moment of Oshoala taking off her jersey to celebrate netting the third goal that brought Nigeria victory in the match.

But Oshoala is not the first female footballer in world football to take off her jersey to celebrate a goal. Here are Five Female Footballers Who Removed Their Jerseys To Celebrate A Goal.

Brandi Chastain

Now retired American football player and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, Chastain became a hot topic in 1999 following how she chose to celebrate netting the winning penalty in the final of the Women’s World Cup.

Chastain, who had months before missed a penalty kick in a game against China, clinched the World Cup title for the US in a penalty shootout against China, in the finals.
The game which took place at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, saw Chastain remove her shirt to celebrate the win, a move that earned her praises and criticisms alike and is today considered worldwide a vital symbol of women’s athletics.

Valentina Giacinti

Giacinti, in a game against Inter Millan in 2021, netted four goals and celebrated by removing her shirt which took many aback. She however later addressed her fans stating that her reaction to the win was not planned.

Sam Kerr

Reminiscent of Brandi Chastain’s iconic goal celebration at the 1999 Women’s World Cup, Chelsea star Kerr, ripped off her jersey to celebrate netting an injury-time goal against Aston Villa in the 2022 Women’s Super League.

Chloe Kelly

Although met with a yellow card for removing her shirt to celebrate a winning goal at the 2022 Euro Championship Finals against Germany, Kelly made it to the list of women who have celebrated wins in this iconic way.

Asisat Oshoala

Sparking a massive social media conversation, Oshoala had many talking when she removed her shirt to celebrate the winning goal against Australia at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup Competition.

Oshoala, a Muslim, who came in as a substitute in the 63rd minute of the game, netted the team’s third goal in the 72nd minute of the game played at the Brisbane Stadium. She celebrated by ripping off her jersey, also showing her sports bra in the process, a move that has since been etched in the hearts of many.

American rapper Jay-Z is reportedly plotting a bid to take over Tottenham Hotspur after owner J oe Lewis was accused of insider trading.

Spurs owner Lewis has been charged with conducting an insider trading scheme by prosecutors in America, and if found guilty would be forced to give up his ownership of the club per Premier League rules.

On the backdrop of this, The Mirror reports that Jay-Z is waiting in the wings to come in.

The American rapper has previously opened up on his interest to invest in a Premier League club.

Speaking back in 2010, he said: “I don’t know a lot about the business of soccer, but in the future if the right opportunity presented itself, then who knows?

This interest was, however, reported at the time to be in Spurs’ great rivals Arsenal, having previously revealed his allegiances lie with the Gunners when it comes to football.

Bayern Munich announced on Saturday that Senegalese striker Sadio Mane was in talks “about a change of club” with reports suggesting he was destined for Saudi side Al Nassr.

The German champions left Mane out of a friendly match in Tokyo, posting on Twitter: “Sadio Mane is in contract negotiations about a change of club and is therefore not in the line-up today.”

The 31-year-old former Liverpool star is due to become the latest high-profile player to join the cash-rich Saudi league.

Bild and Kicker magazine reported he was on his way for a medical with Al Nassr.

Mane would be another major signing for the club that pulled off the first coup of a raft of signings by Saudi clubs by luring Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Mane won the Champions League and Premier League in six seasons with Liverpool and was a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s devastating front three with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

When Liverpool won their first English league title for 30 years in the pandemic-disrupted 2019-2020 season, Mane scored 18 goals.

But in the summer of 2022, when he won the African Player of the Year, Mane decided he wanted a new challenge — unconfirmed rumours said he was tired of sharing the limelight with Egypt’s Salah at Anfield.

Bayern made a big play for Mane, promising to make him the focal point of an attack which had just lost the services of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona.

After a strong start to the season at Bayern, it soon become clear that Mane was not clicking in Bavaria.

In a Bundesliga game against Werder Bremen in November, Mane suffered an injury to his fibula and his season was put on hold.

The injury forced him to miss the World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year in a crushing blow to Senegal’s chances.

While Mane returned to the Bayern team in 2023, his problems were underlined when he became involved in a physical altercation with teammate Leroy Sane following a Champions League defeat to Manchester City.

Bayern reportedly fined Mane around 350,000 euros ($385,000) and gave him a one-match suspension for his part in the incident.

He ended the season with an underwhelming 12 goals in 38 games across all competitions.

He is set to quit Bayern with two years left on his contract.

Aside from Ronaldo, Al Nassr have also signed Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, Brazil full-back Alex Telles and Ivory Coast midfielder Seko Fofana.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has disclosed that the huge spending from Saudi Arabia may end the English Premier League’s dominance.

The EPL has witnessed a massive exodus from the league to Saudi clubs. Players such as N’golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firminho, and others left this summer.

According to The Athletic, the 52-year-old now believes the Saudi League has the financial strength to compete, and that could hurt the dominance of the EPL.

“It is not about the threat; it is a reality. They want to create a strong league, and so far, they are the league who can do it.

“The Premier League spent more than the other [leagues] because the organisation of the Premier League is better and the broadcasts and the sponsors are higher than the other leagues, so the clubs can spend what they have.

“Right now, the Saudi League—I don’t know how long they will sustain that but the feeling is that they will stay. I would say the players want to take this experience to play in that league and they are able to do it.”

He also agrees with Cristiano Ronaldo, who said a few weeks ago that he ‘opened the door’ to players signing for Saudi clubs.

“A few months ago when Cristiano (Ronaldo) was the only one to go, no one thought this many top, top extraordinary players would go to play in the Saudi league. I think in the close future it is going to happen more and more.”

Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua is convinced he will win his rematch with Dillian Whyte on August 12.

When questioned about their previous fight in 2015, which Joshua won by seventh-round knockout, the two-time world heavyweight champion recalled Whyte’s strong left hook.

AJ admitted that he missed the hook because he was too concentrated on assaulting Whyte to notice the counter. The thundering left hook stunned him to his core, leaving him with a memory that continues to motivate him to this day.

At the same time, Joshua understands the significance of the upcoming bout for his career, having lost two straight fights against Oleksandr Usyk before returning with a win over Jermaine Franklin in April.

Joshua’s supporters are anticipating this vital fight with bated breath, hoping that a winning performance will rekindle his old tenacity. Also, there is a strong notion that Joshua’s victory may pave the way for a blockbuster clash with Deontay Wilder.

The boxing world is anticipating Joshua and Whyte’s epic rematch, aptly billed ‘History of Violence,’ as two titans collide once more at the O2 Arena in what promises to be a thrilling clash.

Ahead of the clash, Anthony Joshua told DAZN that victory is certain for him. “It’s a huge night for my career. I’m gonna be victorious, 100 percent. That’s my goal, that’s my plan. And yeah, that’s my motivation. So yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Respect to the team. May the best man win,” Joshua said.

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has approved the appointment of former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi as his Honorary Adviser on Sports.

Mikel’s appointment was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere.

The 36-year-old was born in Jos, the capital of Plateau State.

The former Chelsea star started his career at local club, Plateau United, before moving to Norwegian outfit, Lyn Oslo at the age of 17 in 2004.

Mikel had an illustrious career winning multiple titles with Chelsea, including the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.

The former midfielder represented Nigeria for 14 years, winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Mikel represented Nigeria 91 times and scored six goals.

He quit the round leather game in 2022.

Following Super Falcons’ remarkable 3-2 win against Australia at the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Thursday, here is highlights key talking from the game.

Randy Waldrum displayed his ruthlessness again.

The American showed bravery in his starting line-up by naming captain Onome Ebi on the bench in Super Falcons’ opener against Canada. Instead, he paired young defender, Oluwatosin Demehin with Osinachi Ohale in central defence.

The 66-year-old also started a green horn, Deborah Abiodun in defensive midfield against the Olympic champions.

Against Australia on Thursday, Waldrum was also brave enough to name experienced winger, Francisca Ordega who under-performed against the Canadians among the substitutes. He also stuck with Demehin in central defence.

Toni Payne is ‘madam’ versatile

The Sevilla of Spain star is no doubt a blessing to the team due to her versatility. Payne was deployed at right-back at the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Against Canada last week Friday, head coach, Randy Waldrum pushed her to the right-wing and she was excellent all through the game.

She put up a sublime display in central midfield against Australia at the Lang Park, Brisbane on Thursday afternoon.

Chiamaka Nnadozie proves her class again

The talented goalkeeper kept the Super Falcons in the mix with a number of vital saves early in the game. She was unlucky not to keep out Emily van Egmond’s opener for Australia late in the first half.

The Paris FC goalie has been an ever reliable star for the Super Falcons.

Osinachi Ohale catches the eye

The 31-year-old won the Player of the Match award. The experienced centre-back like in the previous game organised the defence with dexterity.

She made two tackles, four clearances and scored once.

Ifeoma Onumonu struggles again

The Gotham FC forward once again failed to impress in the green and white colour of Nigeria. Onumonu got the nod to lead the Super Falcons attack in place of Asisat Oshoala but was anonymous in the 63 minutes she spent on the pitch.

Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala said on Thursday that the team still has a lot to offer in Women’s football after their superb performance against co-host Australia at the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Super Falcons came from behind to beat Australia 3-2 at Brisbane Stadium.

Oshoala came in as a substitute, and her presence unsettled Australia in the 72nd minute as she scored Nigeria’s third and decisive goal from a tight angle.

Her goal came after Uchenna Kanu had levelled scores for Nigeria late in the first half, while Osinachi Ohale headed in Nigeria’s second goal in the 63rd minute.

Oshoala told newsmen after the match that the victory for the Super Falcons, who are currently ranked 40th in the world, against 10th-ranked Australia was a result of hard work and team spirit.

“I give kudos to my teammates. Everyone was out there to play their hearts out.

“Indeed, no one knows what this team is made of. We only have to come to the field and show ourselves and show the kind of heart we have.

“Like I said earlier, this team has a lot to offer and everyone and the world has seen that today,” she said.

Oshoala, in spite of having to start from the bench as a substitute, said it was all about the coach’s decision, adding that it was for the overall good of the team.

“Sometimes the coach makes important team decisions and to be honest with you, I wasn’t feeling too well.

“But I am not a selfish person and this is why we have 23 players in the squad for the World Cup.

“If someone is not 100 percent fit to play, then others can step up. As you can see, they all stepped up on the pitch today.

“So, it doesn’t matter for me where I am starting from; the most important thing is the team’s result,” she said.

NAN reports that Oshoala became the first Nigerian and African player to score in three Women’s World Cups.

On her latest feat, the FC Barcelona striker said she was not too concerned about her achievements, but was rather interested in the team’s success.

“Like I have always said, each tournament I go to, I always want to make sure I give everything for my teammates and fight for this badge.

“Nigeria is the best country in the world. Naija for life! Let’s go!” she said.

NAN also reports that table-toppers Nigeria are now on four points having played a goalless draw in their first game against Canada and a 3-2 win against Australia in their second group game.

They are closely followed by the current Olympic champions, Canada, who are also on four points, having also drawn one and won one game against the Republic of Ireland (2-1).

Australia are third on the table with three points, having won their first game 1-0 against the Republic of Ireland and suffered a 2-3 loss in their second game against Nigeria.

The Republic of Ireland currently occupy the bottom of the table with no points after losing two matches against Australia and Canada, respectively.

The Super Falcons will play their final group match against the Republic of Ireland on Monday and will need at least a draw to go through to the next round.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which is co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, kicked off on July 20 and is expected to end on August 20.

(NAN)