Super Falcons, a delegation from Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, on Wednesday night, arrived in Casablanca, Morocco’s economic capital, for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
22 players and team officials make up the delegation. Both Asisat Oshoala and Folashade Ijamilusi, both from China, are already located in Morocco’s economic hub.
In a friendly at Lisbon’s Estádio José Gomes on Monday evening, the nine-time African champions held their Portuguese opponents to a scoreless draw. A memorable game was played by goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defensive end Shukurat Oladipo, and veteran forward Francisca Ordega.
Read more about Kenya’s Kipyegon’s historic four-minute mile evasion here.
On Sunday, July 6th, Nigeria will play Tunisia’s senior women’s national team at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, followed by other group games against Botswana and Algeria in the group stage.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed an investigation had been opened, and Kylian Mbappe has accused his former club Paris Saint-Germain of moral harassment in a legal filing, according to a report released on Thursday from the prosecutor’s office.
Mbappe, the country’s captain, is also fighting with PSG to recoup the 55 million euros ($64.45 million) in unpaid wages and bonuses he claims the club owes him.
Mbappe’s most recent grievance stems from how PSG handled him at the start of the 2023-2014 season, when he was forced to train alongside players the club was attempting to offload.
He claims the club halted his efforts to agree a new contract, which has had an impact on other footballers and led to a complaint from the French players’ union last year.
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract extension with Al Nassr
Mbappe was not invited to a pre-season trip to Asia in 2023, and he missed the team’s opening game that year. He was later called back after discussions with the club.
After seven seasons with PSG, the 26-year-old made his summer debut with Real Madrid.
In 308 games for the French club, who won the Champions League for the first time last month after the striker left, he scored 256 goals.
Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya will attempt to make history by becoming the first woman to run a sub-four minute mile on Thursday, but to do so she must shave nearly eight seconds off her world record.
Already the world record holder in this non-Olympic distance equivalent to 1.6km, Kipyegon will nevertheless have to smash her own benchmark of 4min 07.64sec by gaining almost two seconds per 400m.
No woman has ever attempted the feat, which was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister — in 3min 59.4sec — in what has gone down as one of track running’s most momentous achievements.
(FILES) British athlete Roger Bannister (Oxford) wins the one mile event on July 14, 1951 at the White City Stadium in London. (Photo by AFP)
In the unofficial race in Paris organised by Nike, 31-year-old Kipyegon will benefit from the wealth of her sponsor’s technological support.
The “Breaking 4” project follows on six years after Eliud Kipchoge’s “Breaking 2” — when the Kenyan became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours.
For the attempt, Kipyegon will sport a custom-made suit as well as new Victory Elite FK shoes. She will also reportedly be accompanied by a team of male pacemakers around the Stade Charlety track.
Despite all this, some believe that the task of trimming nearly eight seconds off her world record time will be beyond the three-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist.
“Spoiler alert. She’s not going to break 4:00. And it’s not going to be particularly close,” said Robert Johnson, co-founder of the specialist site LetsRun.com.
(FILES) Gold medallist Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon reacts as she crosses the finish line in the women’s 1500m final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 10, 2024. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)
“She was fantastic… To nearly break a world record in your season opener is amazing and shows you why Kipyegon is one of track & field’s all-time greats,” said Johnson.
“If you run 2:29.21 1000m pace for 1609 meters -— otherwise known as a mile — You get 4:00.08.. To break 4:00, Kipyegon would have to run an extra 609 meters faster than what she ran (that) day.”
Kipyegon, nonetheless, has the backing of certain fellow long-distance Olympians, with Norway’s double champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen telling AFP: “I’m really intrigued to see if it’s possible.
Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya will attempt to make history by becoming the first woman to run a sub-four minute mile on Thursday, but to do so she must shave nearly eight seconds off her world record.
Already the world record holder in this non-Olympic distance equivalent to 1. 6km, Kipyegon will nevertheless have to smash her own benchmark of 4min 07. 64sec by gaining almost two seconds per 400m.
No woman has ever attempted the feat, which was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister — in 3min 59. 4sec — in what has gone down as one of track running’s most momentous achievements.
(FILES) British athlete Roger Bannister (Oxford) wins the one mile event on July 14, 1951 at the White City Stadium in London. (Photo by AFP)
In the unofficial race in Paris organised by Nike, 31-year-old Kipyegon will benefit from the wealth of her sponsor’s technological support.
The “Breaking 4” project follows on six years after Eliud Kipchoge’s “Breaking 2” — when the Kenyan became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours.
For the attempt, Kipyegon will sport a custom-made suit as well as new Victory Elite FK shoes. She will also reportedly be accompanied by a team of male pacemakers around the Stade Charlety track.
Despite all this, some believe that the task of trimming nearly eight seconds off her world record time will be beyond the three-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist.
“Spoiler alert. She’s not going to break 4:00. And it’s not going to be particularly close,” said Robert Johnson, co-founder of the specialist site LetsRun. com.
Faith Kipyegon, a gold medalist from Kenya, reacts as she crosses the finish line on August 10, 2024 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, at the women’s 1500-meter final of the athletics competition. (Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP)
She did a fantastic job, showing why Kipyegon is one of the best in track andamp;;, and nearly breaking a world record in your season opener. Field’s greatest of all time, Johnson said.
“If you run 2:29. 21 1000m pace for 1609 meters -— otherwise known as a mile — You get 4:00. 08. . Kipyegon would need to run an additional 609 meters faster to break 4:00. than what she accomplished that day. ”
However, Kipyegon has the support of some other long-distance Olympians, according to Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who stated to AFP: “I’m really interested to see if it’s possible.
Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, the club announced Thursday, following months of speculation over which team he would sign for next season.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027”, , the club wrote in a post on X.
Minutes before the official confirmation, the team posted a teaser video, with the 40-year-old Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and saying:  , “Al Nassr forever”.
READ ALSO:  , Dortmund Advance To Club World Cup Last 16, Fluminense Deny Sundowns
Photo: X @AlNassrFC on x
The Portuguese superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the oil-rich country.
Last month, Ronaldo posted “This chapter is over” hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again.
“Ronaldo’s presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half. He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia”, a source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi football, told AFP last month.
The oil-funded PIF, the sovereign wealth fund behind a number of big-ticket Saudi investments, controls a group of Pro League clubs including Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ahli.
Nassr’s Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo shoots the ball during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Fateh at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on January 26, 2025. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)
Ronaldo’s announcement in May came just months after Brazilian star Neymar ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in January, after playing just seven times for Al Hilal — on a reported salary of around $104 million a year.
Although Ronaldo was the Pro League’s top scorer with 25 goals, he has been unable to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al Nassr, who lost in the Asian Champions League semi-finals last month.
Last year, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said he could end his career with Al Nassr, the Riyadh team favoured by a number of Saudi royals.
Borussia Dortmund defeated Ulsan HD 1-0 on Wednesday in the first half of the Club World Cup thanks to a single goal from Daniel Svensson.
Just under 8, 000 people in Cincinnati, including US Vice President JD Vance and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, were present for Dortmund’s second straight victory by a one-goal margin following their 4-3 defeat of Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.
After overcoming Sundowns in a goalless stalemate played at the same time in Miami, it means that Dortmund will advance to the last 16 as Group F champions, while Fluminense will finish in second.
“We can be satisfied,” he says. Coach Niko Kovac, who also plays for Dortmund, said, “I think our performance was better than our first two games.”
This game was played in sweltering mid-afternoon conditions, and he has frequently addressed the tournament about the challenges presented by the searing June heat in the United States.
“We keep saying the same thing,” he said. The boys’ work is incredible. In the stadium, it is 37 degrees Celsius (96.8% Fahrenheit). Kovac called it “unbelievable.”
“I think they are doing a great job, even if you just stand around,” he said. I’ve got a day off now, and I’m hoping the players can get ready for the following game.
With the addition of Karim Adeyemi and Julian Ryerson, Kovac only made two changes to the starting lineup, while Jobe Bellingham kept his place.
On another hot day in Cincinnati, the Bundesliga giants should have won, but Serhou Guirassy was denied by a solid Jo Hyeon-woo save in the 27th minute.
The crucial goal was then scored just after 36 minutes when Bellingham fizzed a volley just over from an Adeyemi cross. The Koreans lost possession of the penalty spot on the edge of their own box before Bellingham beat up Svensson and fired in low on his left foot.
Guirassy, who has a prolific season, should have headed home with a header that went straight at the goalkeeper in stoppage time.
Read more about Moses Simon joining Paris FC from Super Eagles.
On June 25, 2025, Borussia Dortmund’s Swedish defender #24 Daniel Svensson celebrates scoring his team’s first goal in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group F game between Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and South Korea’s Ulsan HD at the TQL stadium in Cincinnati. (Photo by Paul ELLIS/AFP)
On the hour mark, Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel was immediately activated to stop Lee Jin-hyun, and Yan Couto did just that, scoring a late winner.
When Group E is over, Kovac’s team will now play their final-16 game against Atlanta on Tuesday. They will learn who their opponents are later on Wednesday.
“We must now leave everything on the pitch.” The stakes are significant. Prestige and money are at stake. I anticipate a rise in quality,” Kovac said.
Fluminense are through, indicating that all four Brazilian teams have advanced past the knockout stage, while Ulsan have three losses from three games.
In Miami, a captain’s cross went wide and across the face of goal late in the first half, and the game was also difficult.
After the break, the Rio de Janeiro side came within striking distance, while Sundowns enjoyed more possession throughout the 90 minutes but were unable to advance in front of a crowd of 14 (312).
The tournament’s four African clubs will not play in the last 16, but Sundowns’ performances give them the confidence they need to go home with their heads high.
“We’re not content,” he declared. Although the players had a clear goal in this match, Miguel Cardoso, the coach of the South African champions, said, “I am very proud of the level they played at.”
We leave and return home with our heads raised because we are much more powerful than we were when we arrived.
