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The major leagues in Europe and around the world may have ended, but the actions behind the pitch are intensifying. Teams are sacking coaches, signing players, and making moves to bolster their chances ahead of the campaign.  

At the Roland Garros, the French Open is reaching its climax after days of action-packed games, just as the race for the 2026 World Cup heats up in Asia.

Relive these and more on First 11 — the recap of major sports stories during the week.

Spurs Dismiss Postecoglou Despite Europa League Win

It’s the season of firing at Tottenham! Despite helping to break the club’s 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League, Ange Postecoglou was shown the exit door on Friday, becoming the latest casualty in the Premier League sack race. 

The North London club finished 17th in the league, one of their worst outings in decades. Even though the team qualified for the Champions League by winning Europe’s second-tier club competition, Spurs said it was time for the Australian gaffer to go. 

“Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties,” a statement on Tottenham’s official X account said.

Super Eagles Held By Russia

FT in Moscow. Good show by the Eagles at the Luzhniki stadium against the host #soarsupereagles pic.twitter.com/xIH3BATdjm

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles have continued their preparations for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, drawing European side Russia in a friendly game in Moscow.  

An own-goal by Semi Ajayi, who deflected a low cross past goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, gave Russia a 27th-minute lead. However, Genk striker Tolu Arokodare came off the bench in the second half to score his first goal for Nigeria. The match ended 1-1! Friday’s game came off the back of the Super Eagles winning the Unity Cup —an invitational tournament in England. 

Nigeria are at risk of missing out on the World Cup after an abysmal start to the qualification campaign. The Super Eagles and South Africa, who will clash in a key World Cup qualifier during September, finished second and third in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. 

Super Falcons Humble Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses

The morning after a job well done !

Still buzzing from last night’s win over Cameroon in Abeokuta.#CMRNGA #MissionX #SoarSuperFalcons pic.twitter.com/nbn94jeOA0

Before the Super Eagles took to the field, the country’s female senior national team was also in action at home. They faced neighbours Cameroon in a friendly match, part of their preparations for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), and emerged victorious – 2-0 winners courtesy of Rasheedat Ajibade’s brace. 

Nigeria, nine-time winners, will aim to make it 10 when the WAFCON begins in July in the Maghreb nation of Morocco. 

U-17 World Cup: Flamingoes Get Dream, Dangerous Group

The groups are set for the #U17WWC 2025!

Who will be crowned Champions?

In the meantime, the Flamingoes were drawn into Group D of the U-17 Women’s World Cup, billed for later in the year. The Nigerians got Canada, France, and Samoa to battle in the group stage of the competition scheduled for Morocco. 

Nigeria will be taking part in the tournament for the eighth time. However, this edition will feature 24 sides – the first time that is happening. Morocco will be the first African country to host the age-grade showpiece, which runs from October 17 to November 8, 2025. 

Sabalenka, Gauff Set for Roland Garros Showdown

In tennis, world number one Aryna Sabalenka will be aiming for a French Open title against second-ranked Coco Gauff at Roland Garros on Saturday. It will be the first time the world’s top two players have met in a women’s Grand Slam final since Caroline Wozniacki defeated Simona Halep to win the 2018 Australian Open.

Sabalenka and Gauff faced off in the 2023 US Open final when the Belarusian led by a set before imploding as the then-teenager Gauff claimed her maiden major title.

Gauff is targeting to become only the third player to win two women’s Grand Slam titles before 22 since Maria Sharapova added the 2006 US Open to her famous 2004 Wimbledon win. The others are Swiatek and former world number one Naomi Osaka.

French Open: Sinner Sets Up Clash With Alcaraz

While Gauff and Sabalenka square off in the women’s singles final, Jannik Sinner will be meeting with reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s version at Roland Garros. 

Sinner battled past Novak Djokovic to book a date in the final against Alcaraz, who stormed past Lorenzo Musetti. The 38-year-old Sinner will next attempt to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon next month. Neither Sinner nor Alcaraz has ever lost a major final, but Sunday will change the trajectory. 

Raphinha Crowned La Liga’s Best

Raphinha named La Liga Player of the Season! pic.twitter.com/oNiWF8bMYD

Back to football! Brazil winger Raphinha’s outstanding season has gotten him the Player of the Year prize in Spain’s La Liga. The forward helped Barcelona win the domestic double, notching 18 goals and nine assists. The hard-working right-sided winger is a skilled dribbler and assiduous back-tracker. His teammate and teenage striker Lamine Yamal won the under-23 award.

EPL Confirms Fixtures Release Date For 2025/26 Campaign

Ahead of the next campaign, the Premier League has confirmed the release date for the 2025/26 fixtures. According to a statement released earlier in the week, the fixtures will be out on June 18, 2025.

The opening matchday will start on August 18, 2025!

Chelsea Seal Delap Deal

Already, Chelsea are getting their act in place for next season with the signing of English striker Liam Delap. The Premier League giants beat off competition from Premier League rivals to land Delap from Ipswich for a reported fee of £30 million ($41 million). 

Delap, 22, scored 12 Premier League goals during his sole season at Portman Road but could not prevent Ipswich making an immediate return to the Championship. 

He was one of the few success stories for the Tractor Boys during a difficult season as they were relegated back to the Championship with just 22 points.

Uzbekistan, Jordan Reach World Cup For First Time

In international games,  Uzbekistan and Jordan made history by qualifying for their first World Cup. The pair will be joined in next year’s tournament by perennial participants South Korea. Uzbekistan, one of the fastest-rising national teams in Asia, drew 0-0 with the UAE in Abu Dhabi to take the second automatic spot in Group A. South Korea confirmed their place in an 11th straight World Cup by defeating Iraq 2-0 in Basra.

Kano Mourns 22 Athletes 

On the home front, Kano State on Monday observed a public holiday to mourn 22 athletes killed in a road accident while returning from the National Sports Festival, which was held in Ogun State. 

The athletes died last Saturday in a road crash while returning from the games. A delegation from Ogun State also paid a condolence visit to the Kano State Government. 

Their deaths have continued to raise concerns over the welfare of athletes in the country, but government authorities have promised to do better. 

May their souls rest in peace! 

Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, stated on Saturday that a player who won the Champions League should receive the individual honor.

The veteran veteran said “trophies” should determine who wins the Ballon d’Or, as he stated ahead of Sunday’s Nations League final between Portugal and Spain in Munich.

Whoever wins it should, in my opinion, belong to a team that has won awards. The 40-year-old forward told reporters that the Ballon d’Or winner should play for a team that has won the Champions League.

The Ballon d’Or is presented to the player who is regarded as the best player from the previous season after being first presented by French magazine France Football in 1956.

The Champions League final victory over Inter Milan by Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday night, which ended in Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 win, sparked growing interest in Ousmane Dembele’s chances of winning the title this season.

READ MORE: The Ballon d’Or Ceremony Is Set For September 22 In Paris, READ ALSO:

Lamine Yamal, a star of Spain, made headlines with her superb performance in Thursday’s 5-4 Nations League semi-final win over France, who some thought should have won the award. This would make the 17-year-old the youngest winner in its history.

Dembele’s coach, Didier Deschamps, praised him for the award, saying, “Considering the season Ousmane is having, he deserves it, and that’s all I wish for him.”

France’s captain Kylian Mbappe stated to reporters that he backed Dembele at a press conference on Saturday in Stuttgart.

Does anyone really require an explanation from me? I’m voting for Dembele even though we’re currently discussing Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele.

Ronaldo claimed this season that he “cannot tell you who deserves it.”

Only Lionel Messi, an Argentinian, has won the award eight times, while Ronaldo’s five victories are better.

From Ronaldo’s first victory in 2008 to his most recent victory in 2017, the duo had a monopoly on the award for ten years.

Spain’s and Manchester City’s Rodri are currently the holders.

Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s number one, will face Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros final on Saturday, and she wants to win the French Open title that would “mean the world.”

The 2018 Australian Open semifinalist Caroline Wozniacki defeated Simona Halep to win the first women’s Grand Slam final between the world’s top two players.

In the 2023 US Open final, Sabalenka and Gauff squared off before falling apart as Gauff, a young woman, won her first major title.

READ MORE: Sinner Ends Djokovic’s record bid to face Alcaraz in the French Open Final.

Although Sabalenka won their previous meeting last month in the Madrid Open final, their head-to-head record is tied at 5-5.

The top seed will compete in her first Slam final off-grid.

After completing Iga Swiatek’s bid for a fourth successive Roland Garros triumph in the semi-finals, she said, “I don’t know how many years, we’ve been able to develop my game so much, so I feel really comfortable on this surface and actually enjoy playing on clay.”

It will mean the world to us if I can get this trophy, they say.

“I’m prepared to fight until the end, fight until the end, and give everything I can to win.”

With a devastating deciding set that she took 6-0 in just 22 minutes, Sabalenka ended Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak at the French Open.

The 27-year-old is aware that facing Gauff, who has always been comfortable on clay and has reached at least the quarter-finals in five of his career matches, will be difficult.

It was a big match (against Swiatek), and it sounded like a final, but “I know the job is not done yet,” added three-time major champion Sabalenka, who added that she needed to play my best tennis and that she had to go to the match on Saturday.

If that title is going to be Coco, I have to work for it.

Gauff hoping to remain “quiet.”

Gauff hopes to become the third woman to win two Grand Slam titles before turning 22 since Maria Sharapova, who won the famous 2004 Wimbledon title in 2006.

Swiatek and Naomi Osaka, both of whom were former world champions, are the other two.

Following a heartbreaking defeat by Swiatek in 2022, the 21-year-old was left in tears in her second Roland Garros final.

“Obviously, this is where I have a lot more confidence, derived from my previous Grand Slam success,” Gauff said.

I’ll give it my best shot and try to be as calm and composed as possible before Saturday.

Sabalenka will compete in her seventh WTA final of the year, which is the most by any player this season since Serena Williams, who defeated Sharapova to claim the title in Paris in 2013).

Gauff claims that Sabalenka’s influence has allowed her to take the lead in the world rankings.

“I think obviously her ball striking, she can come up with some big shots and big winners pretty much anywhere on the court, and she’s going to stay in the match regardless of the scoreline,” she said.

Gauff has lost two semi-final matches in her first Slam final since beating Sabalenka in New York two years ago, including Swiatek at Roland Garros a year ago.

To be honest, it feels a little slow. She said that the US Open hasn’t happened in a while.

“I think the previous experience I’ve had is that we had some up-and-down matches, and we had ones that I won straight sets and her vice versa…

After losing to Lorenzo Musetti, Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in a thrilling French Open semi-final on Friday, edging him into his first Grand Slam final.

In his first Roland Garros final, world number one Sinner defeated record-holder Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) to defeat Frenchman.

The 23-year-old Sinner praised him as the best player in the history of our sport, saying, “It’s amazing to play against him here.”

“Of course, I try not to think about this, but you can feel the tension before entering the court.”

In a dramatic fight that lasted three hours and 16 minutes, Djokovic showed his signature fighting prowess, but his hopes of a comeback were ultimately undermined by three set points that were missed late in the third set.

Also read: Sabalenka Downs Swiatek As Gauff Ends Boisson’s French Open Run

Next month, the 38-year-old will make an attempt to claim a 25th Grand Slam championship at Wimbledon, breaking the previous record.

Alcaraz earlier made up his mind for Sunday’s final when Musetti’s fourth set, which included a leg injury, was interrupted by Musetti.

Sinner, who hasn’t lost a set in the tournament yet, will be hoping to retaliate against Alcaraz after falling to the Spaniard in five sets in the semi-finals last year.

Alcaraz has won four of his matches against Sinner, winning the Italian Open final in May after Sinner resumed his three-month doping ban.

Let’s see what I can do, Sinner said, “Sunday will be very difficult because I know my head-to-head lately doesn’t look good against Carlos.”

In what appears to be a permanent changing of the guard, Djokovic’s exit ensures that Sinner or world number two Alcaraz will win a sixth successive major title.

The first Grand Slam final between two 2000-born men will be played.

Sinner and Alcaraz have never lost a major final.

The top two seeds will square off for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen on Saturday in the first Grand Slam competition since the 2013 US Open, with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff facing off in the final.

Djokovic had opportunities, but Sinner consistently came out strong in the crucial moments, including when he broke right away after failing to serve the second set.

In the final 10th game of the third, the Italian fought off three set points in total, hitting 44 winners overall.

Musetti retires with injuries

When Italian Musetti called it quits due to a thigh injury, world number two Alcaraz was already leading 4-6, 7-6 (7 / 3, 6-0, 2-0).

The 22-year-old said, “It’s never great to go through or win a match when it’s this.”

He has had a fantastic clay season. I wish him the best of luck, a quick recovery, and a quick recovery.

In two days, Alcaraz will aim to claim his fifth Grand Slam.

He said, “It’s been three very difficult weeks, and I only have one step left.” I’ve been playing great tennis this tournament, and I’ll give it all on Sunday.

Before taking a one-set lead with a break in the tenth game, Musetti saved break points in the first and seventh games.

However, Musetti’s attempted passing shot into the net gave the Spaniard the lead into the second-set breaker, giving him the advantage to reach the third set point.

Musetti briefly received treatment on his left thigh after being unable to handle the force coming from the other side of the net in the third set.

Alcaraz continued to dominate the set, where Musetti, the eighth seed, only managed five points in 22 minutes.

Alcaraz thumped a forehand into the corner to give Musetti another break, and the 23-year-old immediately swung to the net to shake his opponent’s hand.

Just 16 days after the Australian club won the Europa League to end its 17-year trophy drought, Ange Postecoglou was fired as manager of Tottenham.

Tottenham won the first European trophy in 41 years to advance to the Champions League next season with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao.

Tottenham’s worst domestic campaign since 1976-1977 was condemned by the Australian for paying the price.

Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties, according to a statement posted on Tottenham’s official X account. “The Club can announce this after a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club.”

Postecoglou’s successful tenure at Celtic came to an abrupt end, according to chairman Daniel Levy exactly two years after his arrival.

Tottenham finished 17th in the table after losing 22 of their 38 Premier League games, trailing only relegated trio Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton.

The board has determined, “Unanimously, that a change should be made in the best interests of the club,” according to the statement.

“While winning the Europa League this year is considered one of the club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions that align with this success.

It is crucial for us to be able to compete on a number of fronts, and a change of strategy will give us the best chance for the upcoming season and beyond.

“This is one of the toughest decisions we have ever had to make, and it is neither a rush-or-daily decision.”

We made the wise choice, in our opinion, to give us the best chance of succeeding in the long run, not the quick choice.

Postecoglou had vigorously defended his track record throughout the season and was bewildered by the uncertainty surrounding his eventual resumption following the success of the trophy.

Spurs and “Forever connected,” &nbsp

When he cupped his ear to Chelsea in a defiant gesture following a goal that was eventually rejected, he had a verbal altercation with Tottenham fans during the game.

The 59-year-old bowed out gracefully in response to his turbulent time in north London.

“I feel pride,” is my dominant emotion. He said in a statement released shortly after his sacking that the chance to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and restore the glory it deserves will live with him forever.

That night in Bilbao marked the culmination of two years of dedication, unwavering faith, and hard work.

I’ll never forget having that conversation with those who genuinely love this club and seeing how much they benefited. We will always be connected.

After suffering from injuries, Postecoglou concentrated on keeping his key players hydrated and ready for the Europa League in the later stages of the campaign.

Even winning Tottenham’s first trophy since the 2008 League Cup wasn’t enough to save him, despite the gamble having paid off.

In the past six years, Levy has fired him as the fifth manager.

The two most popular candidates for Postecoglou’s replacement are reportedly Marco Silva and Thomas Frank, Brentford manager.

Before taking over as manager of Australia and winning the 2015 Asian Cup, the Australian enjoyed success at the inaugural meetings of Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory.

Postecoglou and the Yokohama F-Marinos relocated to Japan and won the J League in his second season in 2019.

In just two seasons at Celtic, he won five awards, including two Scottish titles, and made his international football breakthrough.

Postecoglou’s Tottenham career started off so well, winning rave reviews for his aggressive play in the “Angeball” style.

However, a colossal chance to earn a place in the Champions League was ruined by a string of season-ending defeats.

Postecoglou boldly declared that he “always wins things” in his second year in September 2024.

Even the euphoria from the Europa League victory couldn’t save him from the axe, but he made it.