Sports
Italy’s 2006 World Cup Triumph Toughest—Research
By Adedapo Adesanya
Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to hold in Qatar next month, new research has revealed that Italy’s 2006 World Cup win in Germany was the toughest out of the past six tournaments.
The study by the tips and predictions site, Nostrabet, analysed each World Cup since FIFA expanded the tournament to 32 teams for the 1998 edition to discover which teams had the hardest path to success based on their official FIFA ranking points opponents.
It found that Italy’s 2006 win was achieved against teams with the highest combined ranking points – the Azzuri were grouped with Ghana, the USA, and the Czech Republic, ranked second in the world going into the tournament. Italy then knocked out Australia, Ukraine, and Germany, before facing France in the final, where they would win on penalties.
The approach used FIFA’s ranking points – world number one Brazil currently has 1,841.3 – to create indexes based on each team’s points totals when the tournaments began. The number one team scored a maximum of 100 points, and all other nations’ points totals were converted to scores out of 100 relative to that.
The combined ranking points of Italy’s opponents came to 608 – the highest amount of the six champions between 1998 and 2018.
France’s triumph on home soil in 1998 came in second – the Aimé Jacquet-led side won all three group games against Denmark, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia, then beat Paraguay, Italy, and Croatia, before comprehensively dismissing Brazil 3-0 in the final. Their opponents’ ranking scores added up to 599.
Brazil’s win in South Korea and Japan was the third most difficult. They breezed through their group against Turkey, China, and Costa Rica, then defeated Belgium, England, and Turkey to reach the final against Germany and win thanks to two goals from Ronaldo. Their opposition points total came to 570.
At the other end of the scale, out of the six World Cups measured, Spain’s win in South Africa in 2010 saw them face teams with the lowest combined ranking points of 539. France’s 2018 triumph placed fifth out of six in terms of difficulty (551), and Germany’s 2014 win in Brazil was fourth (555).
The research found that at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, England’s five opponents had the second-highest combined points out of the four semi-finalists. The countries England played had a combined score of 357, behind France’s 379 but ahead of the 331 Croatia faced and the 329 for Belgium.
Overall the combined points of England’s opponents at the tournament ranked 17th out of 24 teams that have reached the semi-finals since 1998. The most difficult semi-final run was Portugal’s in Germany 2006 (445), the second most challenging was Croatia’s in 1998 (444), and Germany’s fixtures in 2006 came third (441).
Commenting on the study, Nostrabet said: “The World Cup is now only a month away, and as we approach it, fans will also be getting nostalgic about previous tournaments. This analysis provides a fascinating insight into the challenge that each team faced to lift the Jules Rimet trophy, with the data indicating that some teams had a slightly easier run than others.”
The study also applied the analysis to the famed “Group of Death” to discover which group has officially been the most deadly since 1998. It found that Group E in 2006 featured teams with the highest combined ranking points (347), comprising Italy and Ghana, who both qualified for the last 16, plus the Czech Republic and the USA.
The second most difficult group since 1998 was Group F in 2002 (344), which was topped by Sweden, followed by England in second, leaving Argentina and Nigeria to go home.
The study was conducted by Nostrabet, a betting community site with sports experts at its core. Its team is comprised professionals experienced in online sports betting acting as a trusted guide for the world of online bookmakers, odds, and bonuses.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The deal between Arsenal Football Club and Emirates has been renewed, making it one of the longest-running and most recognisable partnerships in world sport.
Both parties first came together as partners in 2006 and have since built one of football’s defining partnerships. Spanning the entire Emirates Stadium era, the relationship has evolved alongside the club – supporting Arsenal’s ambitions, strengthening both organisations’ global reach and creating new ways for supporters around the world to connect with Arsenal.
The latest deal will see Emirates continue as the Champions’ front-of-shirt, training kit and stadium naming rights partner through to 2033.
The renewal comes at a pivotal moment in the club’s history following its recent Premier League title. The new agreement will build on many of the flagship initiatives that have defined the partnership, including the Emirates Cup, which brings world-class football to Emirates Stadium each summer, and Global Gooners, which gives supporters from around the world the opportunity to experience Arsenal in North London for the first time.
The next chapter of the partnership will begin this weekend as Arsenal welcome Borussia Dortmund to North London for the Emirates Cup, with a programme of anniversary activity celebrating more than two decades of shared history while looking ahead to the next chapter still to be written. Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, will attend alongside Arsenal senior leadership as part of the celebrations.
Launching alongside the partnership renewal is a new cinematic film featuring Arsenal legend Per Mertesacker. Set inside an antique shop filled with objects from across the Emirates era, the film celebrates two decades of shared memories between Arsenal, Emirates and our supporters, reflecting on the history we’ve made together and the moments still to come.
“Winning the Premier League is an incredibly proud moment in our club’s history and one that belongs to everyone connected with Arsenal. Emirates has been an integral part of this success – standing alongside us throughout this journey and sharing in the defining moments, challenges and successes that have shaped our club over the past two decades,” the chief executive of Arsenal, Mr Richard Garlick, stated.
On his part, the President of Emirates Airline, Sir Tim Clark, said, “Over the last two decades, Emirates and Arsenal have built something that goes far beyond a traditional partnership, and one we are immensely proud of. We have grown alongside the club through changes of era and ambition, united by a shared goal of bringing people closer to what they love.
“In practice, that has meant reaching the millions who follow Arsenal across the Emirates network and beyond and creating experiences for them that neither of us could have done alone.”
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will look to secure their place in the quarter-finals when they face Egypt in their final Group C match on Wednesday at 9:00 pm at the ongoing WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.
The defending champions bounced back from their disappointing 3-2 defeat to Malawi with a crucial 1-0 victory over Zambia and will now be aiming to finish the group stage strongly. All the matches of the tournament air live on SuperSport via DStv and GOtv.
The final matchday of Group A saw hosts Morocco play out a goalless draw with Senegal, a result that was enough to send Morocco through to the quarter-finals in first position in their group. Algeria also secured their place in the knockout stages after a 2-0 victory over Kenya, bringing their group-stage campaign to a strong close.
Tuesday, Group B will conclude with Burkina Faso facing South Africa before Tanzania takes on Ivory Coast. South Africa and Ivory Coast played out a 2-2 draw in their previous match, while Burkina Faso bounced back from their opening defeat with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania. With the group still to be decided, the final results will determine which teams join the quarter-final line-up.
All eyes will then turn to Group C on Wednesday, where Egypt will face Nigeria, and Malawi will take on Zambia, with both matches kicking off at 9:00 pm. The Super Falcons will be hoping to build on their victory over Zambia and secure the result they need to advance to the knockout stages, while Egypt will be looking to end their campaign on a positive note after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Malawi in their previous game.
Nigeria’s final group match comes after a difficult start to their title defence. The Super Falcons were stunned 3-2 by Malawi in their opening game but responded with a 1-0 victory over Zambia to revive their campaign. The ten-time champions will now need to complete the job against Egypt as they look to keep their hopes of retaining the continental crown alive.
The final group-stage fixtures on Thursday will see Ghana take on Mali, and Cape Verde face Cameroon on Thursday, with both matches also scheduled for 9:00 pm. Ghana suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their previous outing, while Mali secured a 3-2 victory over Cape Verde. The final results will determine which teams progress to the knockout stages from Group D.
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Tuesday, August 4
Burkina Faso vs South Africa – 9:00 pm
Tanzania vs Ivory Coast – 9:00 pm
Wednesday, August 5
Egypt vs Nigeria – 9:00 pm
Malawi vs Zambia – 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 6
Cape Verde vs Cameroon – 9:00 pm
Mali vs Ghana – 9:00 pm
SuperSport Brings All the Live Action
Catch every match of WAFCON Morocco 2026 live on SS Football (Ch. 202, GOtv Ch. 61) and SS Football Plus (DStv Ch. 202) on DStv and GOtv. Fans can also stream every match live on DStv Stream from ₦6,000, with no decoder or dish required.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
At least for the next four seasons, DStv and GOtv subscribers are guaranteed access to all UEFA men’s club matches on SuperSport.
This is because CANAL+, the parent company of MultiChoice, which owns DStv and GOtv, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions across Sub-Saharan Africa through 2031, ensuring SuperSport will continue to broadcast the UEFA Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues live to DStv and GOtv subscribers.
The four-season agreement, which begins with the 2027/28 campaign, covers more than 40 countries across the region and includes exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, SuperSport will continue as the exclusive broadcaster of UEFA club competitions, bringing the continent’s biggest European club matches to DStv and GOtv subscribers. The agreement also restores full UEFA Champions League coverage on CANAL+ Sport channels in French-speaking Africa, alongside the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
The rights deal further strengthens CANAL+’s sports portfolio, which already includes major football competitions such as the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Ligue 1, the Betway Premiership and the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The agreement ensures football fans across Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to enjoy live coverage of Europe’s premier club competitions on SuperSport when the new rights cycle begins in 2027.
“We are very proud of this new partnership, which gives us exclusive rights to all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For four seasons, until 2031, our subscribers will enjoy the thrill of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League’s biggest matches. Today, CANAL+ offers the most attractive sports line-up across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the acquisition of these rights is a perfect illustration of that.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to UC3 and to the teams at Relevent for once again placing their trust in CANAL+, following our recent agreements in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Austria,” the chief executive of CANAL+, Mr Maxime Saada, stated.
