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FIFA Women’s World Cup: England Send Nigeria Home

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england beat Nigeria lauren james red card

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Super Falcons of Nigeria crashed out of the FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia-New Zealand in the second round after losing to reigning European champions, England, in a penalty shootout.

Nigeria was the better side in over 120 minutes of play, hitting the bar twice through Ashleigh Plumptre and Uchenna Kanu, while Rachel Daly missed England’s best opportunity, her close-range header drawing a fine save from Chiamaka Nnadozie.

Nigeria continued to pressure but could not capitalise on the chances even after England lost a player when Chelsea’s Lauren James received a red card in normal time for stepping on Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie.

Though the referee, Melissa Borjas of Honduras, originally issued a yellow card, she later changed the colour to red after consulting with VAR officials.

Earlier in the game, England had a penalty when Rachel Daly fell following a challenge from Rasheedat Ajibade, but after reviewing footage, the Honduran referee upturned her earlier decision.

Nigeria saw many chances of attack wasted, with no one to connect to the opportunities created after holding the English side off in defence.

During penalties, Nigeria had chances to go ahead after Georgia Stanway missed her first kick, but Desire Oparanozie missed it. The country would miss the next one from Michelle Alozie.

Although Rasheedat Ajibade and Christy Uchiebe scored theirs, it was not enough as Chloe Kelly scored the winning penalty for England, who will face one of Colombia or Jamaica in the last eight.

Line ups

England

1 Mary Earps

5 Alex Greenwood

6 Millie Bright

16 Jessica Carter

2 Lucy Bronze

4 Keira Walsh

7 Lauren James (Red card 87′)

8 Georgia Stanway

9 Rachel Daly

11 Lauren Hemp

23 Alessia Russo

Substitutes

13 Hannah Hampton

21 Ellie Roebuck

3 Niamh Charles

10 Ella Toone

12 Jordan Nobbs

14 Lotte Wubben-Moy

15 Esme Morgan

17 Laura Coombs

18 Chloe Kelly (s 88′)

19 Bethany England (s 106′)

20 Katie Zelem (s 120′)

22 Katie Robinson

Nigeria

16 Chiamaka Nnadozie

2 Ashleigh Plumptre

3 Osinachi Ohale

14 Oluwatosin Demehin

22 Michelle Alozie

6 Ifeoma Onumonu

7 Toni Payne

10 Christy Ucheibe

15 Rasheedat Ajibade

18 Halimatu Ayinde

12 Uchenna Kanu

Substitutes

1 Tochukwu Oluehi

23 Zainab Balogun

4 Glory Ogbonna

5 Onome Ebi

8 Asisat Oshoala (s 58′)

9 Desire Oparanozie (s 114′)

11 Gift Monday

17 Francisca Ordega (s 83′)

19 Jennifer Echegini (s 91′)

20 Rofiat Imuran

21 Esther Okoronkwo.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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WAFCON 2026: Falcons Target Quarter-Final Spot in Final Group Match

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WAFCON 2026 final group matches

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.

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CANAL+ Secures 4-Season Exclusive Rights for UEFA Club Matches on SuperSport

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UEFA men's club competitions

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.

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Betting On The New Football Season Before It Settles

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new football season

The start of a football season always tricks people a little. Everything looks fresh. New shirts, new signings, clean tables, confident managers, fans talking themselves into hope again. Then the first few matches arrive, and half the predictions start wobbling. That is what makes early-season betting interesting. It is not tidy yet. Manchester City may still be Manchester City, but that does not mean they are sharp from the first whistle. Arsenal might look strong on paper and still need time to settle. Chelsea can have another summer full of noise and still leave bettors guessing. Real Madrid might have the stars, but even stars need minutes together. The first weeks are not about certainty. They are about spotting who is ready before the market fully catches up.

New Signings Need Time

Transfer excitement can make people rush. A new striker arrives at Arsenal and suddenly every goals market feels tempting. Manchester United sign a defender and people start talking about clean sheets. Chelsea add another expensive player and the same old question comes back: does this actually fix the team, or just add another name? Sometimes a signing changes everything quickly. More often, there is an awkward stage first. A forward needs to learn where the passes come from. A midfielder needs to understand the press. A centre-back needs to build trust with the goalkeeper and full-backs. That is why early-season betting after the Betway app download should not treat a new signing like a finished answer. The name matters, but the fit matters more.

World Cup Legs Will Matter

This season also carries the weight of the World Cup. Some players will come back flying. Some will come back flat. Some may start the season with managed minutes because their clubs cannot afford to burn them out early. That can change player markets fast. A bettor looking through the betway app before a weekend card should not only check the famous names in the lineup. Look at who played deep into the World Cup, who missed pre-season, who came back late, and who is being protected by the manager. A star on the pitch is not always a star at full speed.

Early Tables Can Lie

The first league table always looks more dramatic than it is. One big club drops points, and everyone starts asking if there is a crisis. One promoted side wins at home, and suddenly people talk about momentum. A striker scores twice, and the golden boot conversations begin before anyone has really learned anything. That noise can be useful, but only if bettors do not get swallowed by it. Early results need context. Did the team actually play well, or just finish two chances? Did they control the game, or survive pressure? Was the opponent missing key players? Did the manager rotate because of fitness?

Patience Beats The Big Prediction

The new season will settle. The strong teams will usually rise, the weaker squads will get exposed, and the table will start to make more sense. But the opening weeks are different. They are full of strange fitness levels, overhyped signings, tired stars and teams that are still trying to remember what they are meant to be. That is why betting on the upcoming season should start slowly. Do not fall in love with last season’s form. Do not trust every transfer story. Do not assume every World Cup star is ready to carry club football straight away. The value is often hiding in the messy part, before everyone else agrees what the season really looks like.

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