SPORTS
Lorenzo Colombo scored two first-half goals and Marco Nasti netted the game-winner to give AC Milan a 3-2 victory over English Premier League champion Manchester City on Saturday at New York.
Nasti lifted Milan ahead to stay in the 78th minute, the 20-year-old Italian striker taking a centering pass from Belgian right wing Alexis Saelemaekers and firing an inside right foot blast into the goal.
Several European sides are playing pre-season tune-ups in US venues ahead of next month’s start of their league campaigns.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland opened the scoring for Manchester City in the 19th minute, but Italian forward Colombo answered for AC Milan in the 30th and 34th minutes to lift the Italian side ahead 2-1 at half-time at Yankee Stadium.
City equalized in the 55th minute when Manchester hometown winger Micah Hamilton crossed the ball from the left side into the box.
English striker James McAtee headed the ball into the net, setting the stage for Nasti’s decider.
At Los Angeles, Gabriel Martinelli scored for Arsenal in the 81st minute to give the Gunners a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in a friendly at SoFi Stadium.
Danish 21-year-old striker Rasmus Hojlund opened the scoring in the 10th minute for United.
Marcus Rashford lofted a clearing pass down the left wing and Hojlund took the ball and battled Arsenal defender Ayden Heaven into the box, where he got a step ahead and blasted a goal between the legs of Gunners goalkeeper Karl Hein.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus netted the equalizer in the 26th minute, the Brazilian tapping in a centering pass from point-blank range as the Red Devils appealed in vain for an offside call.
Martinelli, who helped Brazil to Tokyo Olympic gold, came in from the left side and flicked in a right-footed shot inside the near post to give Arsenal the winning margin.
– Celtic rip Chelsea –
Earlier, Japan’s Kyogo Furuhashi and Denmark’s Matt O’Riley scored first-half goals to power Celtic over Chelsea 4-1.
Luis Palma and Michael Johnston added second-half goals for the Glasgow side, while Christopher Nkunku averted a shutout for the Londoners with an 89th-minute penalty kick.
Celtic, who beat Man City 4-3 on Tuesday, dominated the match at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
Celtic seized the lead in the 19th minute on O’Riley’s left-footed blast from the right side of the box inside the far post.
An unguarded Furuhashi tapped in a left-footed shot in the 33rd minute from point-blank range off a centering pass from O’Riley to give the Scottish side a 2-0 advantage at half-time.
Honduran striker Palma boosted the lead in the 76th minute and Johnston netted the Hoops’ final goal in the 79th.
AFP
The International Testing Agency (ITA) has handed Cynthia Ogunsemilore, Nigeria’s boxer, a provisional suspension for testing positive for a banned substance ahead of her opening fight at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In a statement in the early hours of Sunday, ITA said Ogunsemilore tested positive for furosemide in an out-of-competition doping test collected on Thursday.
Furosemide belongs to a group of medicines called loop diuretics (also known as water pills). The substance is given to help treat fluid retention (edema) and swelling that is caused by congestive heart failure, liver disease, kidney disease, or other medical conditions.
Furosemide is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on its prohibited list. The drug is categorised as a diuretic and a masking agent, which can prevent the detection of other performance-enhancing substances.
“The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter in line with the World Anti-Doping Code and the International Olympic Committee Anti-Doping Rules,” the statement reads.
“This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity, during the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“The athlete has the right to challenge the imposition of the provisional suspension before the Court of Arbitration for Sport – Anti-Doping Division. The athlete also has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample.”
Ogunsemilore was due to face Taiwan’s Wu Shih Yi in a round-of-16 bout on Tuesday.
The development reduced the Nigerian boxing contingent to one after Dolapo Omole pulled out of the Games due to injuries.
[TheCable]
Kazakhstan’s duo Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev won the first medal of the 2024 Olympic Games on Saturday after claiming an upset bronze in the 10-metre mixed team air rifle event.
Le and Satpayev cruised to victory over Germany’s Maximilian Ulbrich and Anna Janssen, outscoring their opponents 17-5 at Chateauroux.
Janssen, ranked world number one in the event, and Ulbrich, the world No.19, had been favourites to prevail against Le and Satpayev, ranked 33rd and 95th in the world respectively.
[Leadership]
I am in London, hopefully on my way, in the next few days, to Paris, the host city of the 2024 Olympiad. I am very excited about visiting Paris again after two previous experiences that are significant chapters in my life.
48 years ago, my flight to my first Olympic Games experience started in a city people used to say, in those days, was so beautiful and romantic that after seeing Paris, you can die happily!
It happened in the month of June. I was only a few weeks away from graduating from The Polytechnic, Ibadan. Through the Oyo State Sports Council, the National Sports Commission contacted the office of the Rector of The Polytechnic, seeking my release to come to Lagos and proceed immediately to join the national football team, the Green Eagles, that were on tour of Europe preparing for the 1976 Olympic Games.
Coming completely from the Blue, it may be the most pleasant shock of my life. It was a quantum leap into uncharted frontiers of fate and fame. The Olympics were for gods, yet here was I, from nowhere, about to become one!
I had to submit an incomplete final project to my supervisor in the Mechanical Engineering department with the offer to return and defend the project after the national assignment. It was a most unusual situation for everyone.
Meanwhile, the list of Nigeria’s contingent was with the International Olympic Committee, IOC, and had been released to the public. A scintillating performance by me in the quarter-final of that year’s Africa Cup Winners Cup for Shooting Stars FC at the National Stadium, Lagos, made Dr. Isaac Akioye, Director of the National Sports Commission, NSC, in charge of Nigerian sports, to send an urgent request to the IOC to replace the name of an already registered player with mine.
That’s how, as in a dramatic scene straight out of Hollywood, I found myself on a flight to Europe for the first time, to join the Green Eagles, already touring, training and playing international friendly matches in Greece, Germany, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia in final preparation for the Olympic Games.
At the end of the tour, some 10 days to the opening ceremony of Montreal ’76, the entire Nigerian contingent of athletes in various sports were assembled in Hotel Ibis, in Paris.
That was my first ‘taste’ of Paris. That’s where my 1976 Olympic story took off.
Of course, the rest of that story is now unforgettable history highlighted by the boycott of the Games by 28 African countries led by Nigeria and Tanzania, and several other equally historic consequences birthed through the decades till now.
I never got to visit Paris again until the France ’98 FIFA World Cup.
I was present when the Super Eagles put up their best performance at the championship, trouncing Spain by 3-2. Some friends and I spent the entire night walking the streets of Paris on a drinking binge.
A few days later, on the streets of Paris, I also endured the agony that followed Nigeria’s painful loss to Denmark that ended my short-lived second romance with Paris.
That was 26 years ago.
I have not been back there since then.
It is now Friday July 26, 2024. I am heading back to Paris to witness a new ‘episode’ of the biggest multi-sports event on the planet. I am excited about the prospects of Nigerian athletes at the Games. The country’s 88-athlete contingent is brimming with talent, confidence, determination and a positive spirit.
I am eager to embed with them, particularly those in athletics where I think more of Nigeria’s haul of medals will likely come from.
I look forward to playing an unofficial role as an official Sports Ambassador of Nigeria, and sports diplomat of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA. I intend to add my humble voice to encourage, inspire and motivate the athletes to run faster, jump higher, throw farther and fight harder than they have ever done for their Fatherland.
Beyond that, I shall feed my journalistic impulses, and share personal experiences with audiences on my different platforms (print, radio, and social media) with unique sights and sounds of Paris
Once again, I have arrived in London. I love the City. It is, in my humble opinion, one of the best destinations for social and cultural interaction in the world, a melting pot of everything. The city accommodates a little bit of every community on earth.
Interestingly, I have not visited London in almost 5 years, not since the Covid 19 pandemic struck and disturbed the equilibrium of the world. I became one of its victims. I not only contracted it mildly but also lost my UK residential status when I chose to hibernate in the ‘safe’ environment of the secluded hills of Wasimi, rather than be involved in the long, uncertain, expensive and complicated protocols that traveling to the UK during that period required.
It has been a nightmare since the end of ‘Covid’ trying to get any kind of respite to re-enter the UK. Even the present visit is possible only by the intervention of the top echelon of the British High Commission.
So, I am here now, at the banks of River Thames, working out the logistics of entering Paris at this time. The city is filled to the brim with visitors – the almost 20,000-strong army of athletes, technical officials, and the media. Plus, of course, the millions of summer-time tourists and sports fans that are descending right now on the city.
By the next time you are reading or hearing from me, I would have crossed the English Channel in a ‘bullet train’, the Eurostar, that travels at speeds of over 300 km/h deep through the famous underwater tunnels of the Channel.
I cannot wait to catch up with Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume, Odunayo Adekuoroye, Aruna Quadri, Esther Onyema, Funke Oshinaike, Opeyori Anuoluwapo, and so on, to share ‘communion’ of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Mikel Obi, former Super Eagles captain, says foreign-born players of Nigerian descent must stop treating the national team as a “second option”.
Mikel spoke in a recent episode of the Obi One podcast.
The former Chelsea midfielder said foreign-born Nigerian footballers “wait” for call-ups from their countries of birth, then switch to Nigeria when they are “29 or 30 and past your best”.
He added that the players must decide to play for the Eagles early in their careers to communicate a passion for their roots.
“I have talked about players not representing their African roots. We have had meetings with these kids and their parents. ‘Look, you are from Nigeria. Your dad and mom are from Nigeria. Why don’t you play for the fatherland.’ They say they want to play for England or France or whatever it is, and then they wait. They keep waiting and keep waiting,” Mikel said
“When they get to 25 or 26, and they don’t get a call up from England, then they call Nigeria. We shouldn’t be treated like second options. We are not second options.
“If you decide you want to play for England, stick to it. Sit and wait. If you don’t get a call-up, you don’t get a call-up. But don’t wait until you’re 29 or 30 and past your best; then, you call the Nigerian FA to tell them you’re ready to play for them.”
The Eagles have a significant number of foreign-born players. Over eight members of the Eagles squad that finished second at the last African Cup of Nations (AFCON) were born in foreign countries to Nigerian parents.
However, many others are eligible to represent either the Eagles or their various countries of birth and are reluctant to commit to Nigeria.
Former Nigeria international, Victor Ikpeba has heaped plaudits on the Super Falcons despite the team’s defeat to Brazil.
Gabi Nunez’s first half goal separated both teams on the night.
The Super Falcons put up a spirited display and were denied by Brazil goalkeeper Lorena thrice in the opening 25 minutes.
Ikpeba commended the players for giving everything against the Brazilians.
“You just must commend the girls, they gave everything, they played with their heart, with determination, with passion,” saluted 1997 African Footballer of the Year Ikpeba.
“They had their moments in the first half, but unfortunately they didn’t make the most of them.
They probably lacked the quality in attack, but they have everything to be proud of.
“The Super Eagles must learn from how they fight for each other.”
Randy Waldrum’s side will take on Spain in their second Group C game in Nantes on Sunday
[DailyPost]
The lineup for the highly anticipated match between Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Brazil has been announced.
The Super Falcons will face Brazil in their first Women’s Olympic Football Tournament game at 6 pm Nigerian time at the Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France.
Rasheedat Ajibade is leading the team as captain while Asisat Oshoala is on the bench.
Here is the official lineup:
NIGERIA: Goalkeeper
16.Chiamaka NNADOZIE (GK)
Defender
2.Michelle ALOZIE
3.Osinachi OHALE
5.Chidinma OKEKE
14.Blessing DEMEHIN
Midfield
7.Toni PAYNE
11.Jennifer ECHEGINI
15.Rasheedat AJIBADE (C)
10.Christy UCHEIBE
13.Deborah ABIODUN
Forward
17.Chinwendu IHEZUO
Substitutions
1.Tochukwu OLUEHI
4.Nicole PAYNE
6.Esther OKORONKWO
8.Asisat OSHOALA
9.Chinonyerem MACLEANS
12.Uchenna KANU
18.Ifeoma ONUMONU
Manager
Randy WALDRUM (M)
BRAZIL: Goalkeeper
1. Lorena (GK)
Defender
2.ANTONIA
3.TARCIANE
4.RAFAELLE
6.TAMIRES
Midfield
5.DUDA SAMPAIO
8.VITORIA YAYA
10. MARTA (C)
14. LUDMILA
Forward
16. GABI NUNES
18. GABRIELLE
Substitutions
12. TAINA
13. YASMIM
15. THAIS
17. ANA VITORIA
7. KEROLIN
9. ADRIANA
11. JHENIFFER
Manager
ARTHUR ELIAS (M)
[Punch]
Andy Murray withdrew from the tennis singles at the Paris Olympics on Thursday but the two-time gold medallist will play doubles in what will be the final event of his glittering career.
The British former world number one, who will retire at the end of his fifth Games, has still not fully recovered from back surgery last month.
He believes the men’s doubles, where he is playing with Dan Evans, offers his best chance of another medal.
“I’ve taken the decision to withdraw from the singles to concentrate on the doubles with Dan,” said the 37-year-old.
“Our practice has been great and we’re playing well together. Really looking forward to getting started and representing GB one more time.”
Murray won gold in singles at London 2012 and in Rio four years later, as well as silver in mixed doubles with Laura Robson in 2012.
His withdrawal means his final singles match was his brief second-round appearance at Queen’s Club against Jordan Thompson last month before he was forced to pull out because of a spinal cyst.
The Scot confirmed on Tuesday that he would retire after the Paris Olympics.
“Competing for Great Britain has been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I’m extremely proud to get to do it one final time,” the three-time Grand Slam champion posted on social media.
Murray has been ravaged by injuries in recent years, slumping to 121st in the world.
He has played with a metal hip since 2019 and suffered ankle damage earlier this year.
Murray was not fit enough to play singles at Wimbledon this month due to his back surgery but played doubles with brother Jamie and was defeated in the first round before an emotional tribute arranged by tournament chiefs.
“It’s hard because I would love to keep playing, but I can’t,” admitted Murray at the All England Club.
“Physically it is too tough now, all of the injuries, they have added up and they haven’t been insignificant.”
Murray ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon when he triumphed in 2013, defeating rival Novak Djokovic in the final.
He added a second title in 2016, taking his career majors total to three after breaking his duck at the 2012 US Open.
Murray won gold at the 2012 Olympics on an emotional day at the All England Club when he defeated Roger Federer just weeks after he had lost the Wimbledon final to the Swiss on the same Centre Court.
Four years later, he defeated Juan Martin del Potro to become the first tennis player, male or female, to win two Olympic singles golds.
Murray also led Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015, the country’s first in 79 years.
He has won 46 titles in all and banked around $65 million in prize money.
[Vanguard]
The Super Falcons of Nigeria will begin their quest for a podium finish at the 2024 Olympic Games when they confront Brazil in their opening Group C fixture on Thursday (today).
The encounter is slated for the Matmut Atlantique Stadium, Bordeaux. It will kick-off at 6pm.
The Super Falcons are back to the Olympics after a 16-year absence.
Tonight’s encounter will be the third meeting between Nigeria and Brazil.
Brazil won their first meeting 4-3 at the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The South Americans also claimed a 3-1 victory the last time both countries met at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Brazil will be led by the legendary Marta, who has scored 118 goals in 183 appearances for the Samba Girls.
The Super Falcons will also face current world champions Spain and former world champions Japan in the same group.
Randy Waldrum’s side lost 1-0 to Canada in their only friendly before the Olympics.
Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has reacted on social media in a shell-shocked manner after his country suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat against Morocco in their 2024 Paris Olympic opening clash yesterday.
Argentina were down 2-1 when a massive 15-minute injury time was added at the end of 90 minutes.
Cristian Medina looked to have scored a late equalizer to secure a 2-2 draw for La Albiceleste.
However, the game was interrupted as angry Moroccan fans entered the stadium.
The match was temporarily suspended and after almost two hours, a VAR check confirmed that the goal was ruled out because of offside.
The remaining three-plus minutes were played as players re-emerged in an empty stadium.
The match ended 2-1 win in favour of Morocco, sparking a reaction from Messi on social media.
The Inter Miami captain wrote on his Instagram story:
“Insolito (Spanish).” “Unbelievable (English).”
Messi is currently recovering from an ankle injury he sustained during Argentina’s Copa America triumph over Colombia.
The former Barcelona captain is not part of Argentina’s squad at Olympics.
More...
Cristiano Ronaldo could join Lionel Messi in the Major League Soccer, MLS, if Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony follows through with his plans to buy an American team.
Ronaldo’s current contract at Al-Nassr runs out in the summer of 2025.
And there are speculations over whether the 39-year-old plans to retire or if there is another move left for him.
MacAnthony has now revealed his plans to buy a side in the the United Soccer League, which is below the MLS, with players like Inter Miami’s Messi making the sport in North America more attractive to investors.
“I believe valuations are taking off in the next ten years with the Apple deal with the Messi effect and Cristiano Ronaldo will probably go out there when he’s finished in Saudi Arabia,” MacAnthony told talkSPORT.
“Football will be on the map in America in a big way and I believe if I get a USL club right now for £8-10million, even though it’s not in MLS, that could be worth double or triple in the next five years.”
European Champions Real Madrid have emerged the first football club in history to surpass €1billion ($1.085bn) in revenue a season, according to the club’s annual account for the 2023-24 season.
The club’s revenue, excluding player transfers, reached €1.073bn ($1.16bn), representing a 27 per cent increase from the previous year despite ongoing stadium renovations.
Madrid also reported a profit of €16million ($17.3m) for the fiscal year, with a net worth of €574m ($623m) and net debt of just €8m ($8.6m) as of June 30, 2024.
The team claimed to be the first football club to exceed €1bn in revenue.
In the previous campaign, Madrid enjoyed substantial success on the field, securing the Champions League title, their sixth in a decade, along with La Liga and the Super Cup.
The basketball team also excelled, capturing the Spanish league title, King’s Cup, and Spanish Super Cup while also reaching the Euro-league finals.
Nytimes com reports that the club’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) surged to €144m ($156m), marking a 71 per cent increase from the previous year.
This represents 13 per cent of total revenues, up from 10 per cent previously. When including player disposals, the EBITDA for the 2023-24 year is €156m ($169m), comparable to the €158m ($171m) reported for the 2022-23 financial year.
The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium renovation continues to advance, with a total investment of €1.163bn ($1.262bn) to date as the final phase of the project, including the completion of the VIP area, events spaces, and other commercial ventures, is anticipated to be completed in the 2024-25 financial year and this is expected to drive further revenue growth.
Madrid say they are planning to build on their commercial success.
The upcoming season will see the introduction of Kylian Mbappe to the squad, who joined on a free transfer after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expired earlier this year.
[Leadership]
Paris Olympics supremo Tony Estanguet said Sunday that the city was “ready” for the Games as he played down complaints from some residents and businesses about the impact of the event.
“We are ready as we head into the final phase,” Estanguet told a press conference in Paris, five days from the opening ceremony next Friday.
He added: “For as long as the closing ceremony hasn’t finished, we need to remain vigilant. But today we are exactly where we would have dreamed of being a few years ago.”
Finishing touches are being applied to the venues across the City of Light and thousands of athletes and officials are pouring in, while the weather has brightened up after months of rain.
In a further boost for organisers, the water quality of the river Seine — which is set to be used for outdoor Olympics swimming events — has also improved dramatically since the start of July.
“All the indicators for the Seine are positive at this stage,” Estanguet added.
The river is set to host the opening ceremony which will see 6,000-7,000 athletes sail down it on 85 barges and boats.
It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium, with up to 300,000 ticketed spectators set to watch from stands and on the river banks and another 200,000 expected to watch from the overlooking apartments.
Around 4,000 tickets are still available for the ceremony, Estanguet said.
“We’ve always tried to maintain as high a level of ambition as possible so that these Games make France shine,” Estanguet added.
‘Disruption’
The vast security operation for the opening ceremony is causing some friction, however, with large parts of central Paris along the banks of the river and around Olympic venues off-limits for most people.
Trade groups representing Paris shops, restaurants, bars and clubs complained on Friday that they were facing an “unprecedented slump in business and footfall”, blaming in part the “heavy security measures”.
“It was always a choice made in full conscience that the success of Paris 2024 would mean having the Games in the city,” Estanguet explained. “That was the completely unprecedented concept for Paris 2024.”
As well as the opening ceremony in the heart of the city, much of the sport is set to take place at temporary venues around Paris, with beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, archery at the Invalides and skateboarding at the Place de la Concorde.
“We can’t do it without some disruption. We can’t do it without some restrictions,” Estanguet said.
He thanked “those who have understood this because it’s really to honour our country in the most beautiful way.”
Around 45,000 members of the French security forces are set to be on duty on Friday when the Olympics kick off at 7:30pm (1730 GMT).
“Security was the number one priority for Paris 2024,” Estanguet said.
Cybersecurity is also a major concern, with a global IT outage last Friday caused by an update to CrowdStrike software leading to temporary disruption to accreditation system for the Games.
The International Olympic Committee has said it is bracing for disinformation attacks targeting the Paris Games following recent incidents blamed on Russia, in response to a near-ban on Russian athletes because of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In another development, a major French Jewish group on Sunday slammed a hard-left MP for saying Israeli athletes were not welcome in Paris because of the war in Gaza.
Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif), said on X that France Unbowed (LFI) lawmaker Thomas Portes was “putting a target on the backs of Israeli athletes”.
Portes had said at a rally in support of Palestinians that “Israeli sportspeople are not welcome at the Paris Olympic Games”.
Opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza featured heavily in his party’s campaign for European elections last month.
Arfi said Israeli athletes were “already the most in danger at the Olympic Games”, recalling the 11 “murdered by Palestinian terrorists” at the 1972 Munich Games.
The territory’s Hamas-run health ministry said Sunday that almost 39,000 people had been killed in the fighting, which was sparked by the bloody October 7 attacks by Hamas.
Arike Ogunbowale, the American basketball player of Nigerian descent, was voted the most valuable player (MVP) of the 2024 WNBA all-star game following her team WNBA 117 – 109 victory over Team USA at Footprint Center, Phoenix, in the early hours of Sunday.
Ogunbowale had zero points in the first half before posting a record 34 points in the second half of the keenly contested encounter against the Olympics-bound Team USA.
The Dallas Wings sharpshooter converted eight of 13 three-pointers en route to the MVP award; the second after claiming her first honour in 2021.
Her latest MVP award sees her join the trio of Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore, and Swin Cash as the only players with multiple MVPs in the all-star games.
Ogunbowale scored 21 points in the third quarter — which is the most points in a single quarter in WNBA all-star game history.
She also added five assists in a blistering second-half performance.
Speaking after the match, Ogunbowale said an inspiring half-time team talk by coach Cheryl Miller was the catalyst for her record-breaking performance.
“I wasn’t expecting her [coach Miller] to say my name. She just told me to take a deep breath and play my game,” she said.
“I guess you guys saw what happened.”
Ogunbowale has always finished as a top-five shooter in the WNBA since her draft pick to the Dallas Wings in 2019. She has featured in over 180 games in her five-year WNBA history.
WHO IS ARIKE OGUNBOWALE?
Arike was born to Nigerian parents Yolanda and Gregory Ogunbowale on March 2, 1997, in Milwaukee, the United States. The 27-year-old is the youngest of three children.
The basketball star is of Yoruba descent and her name means “a child you treasure, cherish, pamper, and love” in the Yoruba language. Her father served in the Nigerian military.
[TheCable]