A blitz of brightly coloured billboards of the biggest Pre-season Championship in Africa, the Flying Officers Cup has perked-up the city of Abuja ahead of the Kick-Off of the Women’s Football Championship.
As the tournament draws closer, the Organisers are gearing up their preparations for the football fiesta. Abuja, the host city have been spruced up for the tournament as about six (6) billboards mounted at strategic locations across the city have spurred up excitement amongst football lovers.
Some of the locations includes Jabi, by Grand Cubana Hotel Junction, Gwarinpa by Chambian Plaza, IBB Way, Maitama, opposite El-amin international School, Garki, Area 11, by Automated Car-wash, Utako Market by Arab junction and Defense Headquarters Junction.
Ratels Sports Development Foundation President, Barrister Paul Edeh said the billboards were mounted at strategic positions in Abuja to make the people catch up with the fun and excitement that has to do with the competition.
The competition billed to Kick-Off on Sunday, the 10th of October will see 16 teams including a team from Ghana and Benin Republic battle for honours at the Area 10 Sports Complex, Abuja and Edeh noted that the reactions from the Abuja Football Lovers on the competition has been overwhelming.
“We have worked so hard over the last few weeks to get this done almost perfectly, the Area 10 Sports Complex is under renovation and it’s almost 100% done.
“Most particularly, am glad we have been able to get positive reactions from football lovers across the city on the billboards placed in various strategic locations in Abuja. The Flying Officers Cup is not just a competition, it is more like a Football fiesta.
“Teams that are coming for the Championship are guaranteed a very hospitable reception and would have a very conducive environment to thrive and develop as a team before the start of the new season.
“We are ready for the tournament and waiting for the team’s arrival.” He concluded.
Flying Officers Cup 2021 is the third edition of the women football Pre-season Championship in honour of the late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile. Edo Queens and Bayelsa Queens are the past winners of the tournament.
We are among the favorites to win this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League – Alexia Putellas.
Barça started the UWCL 2021/22 season with authority 4-1 win over Arsenal in the first leg of the group phase and thus initiate the best way to defend the title.
With 39 goals scored and two goals conceded in all competitions this season, Alexia believes Barcelona are among the favourites to win the tournament.
“Obviously we are among the favorites in this competition, but there are five or six very good teams, who also have excellent players. There is a long way to go, but we want to go as far as possible.
“Our idea is to always play well, generate several chances and not allow the opponent to do so. We succeeded today.
“We have to work to start with a victory like this. We were owed to an Arsenal team, one of the favorites in the competition and they are playing in a very competitive Championship.”
Alexia failed to convert from the spot, after she was brought down by Arsenal’s midfielder Jordan Nobbs in the last minute of the game. Reacting to the penalty miss, she said; “We talked (with the staff) about the penalty. I shot it badly, but it happens sometimes and I hope every time it happens it will be in a 4-1.”
UWCL: Christy Ucheibe’s Benfica hold Bayern Munich to a stalemate draw.
The first Portuguese side ever to make the last 16 of this competition in any format, Benfica gave a resolute defensive display to hold last season’s semi-finalists.
Bayern had 15 attempts at goal but Benfica keeper Letícia proved unbeatable, thwarting Lea Schüller on several occasions while Bayern’s leading scorer thundered an acrobatic volley into the bar in the closing stages.
Two low drives from Cloé Lacasse were as close as Benfica came to a shock win.
Nigerian International, Christy Ucheibe started on the bench for Benfica and finally find herself needed in the 84th minute as she replaces Andreia Faria.
UWCL: Lyon and Hoffenheim secure convincing wins to begin the group stage.
In the opening games of the 2021/2022 UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage, Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) and Hoffenheim defeated Häcken and Køge respectively to kick off their campaign on an impressive note.
The French D1 Arkema side, Lyon outclassed the Swedish Damallsvenskan side, Häcken with a 0-3 scoreline at the Bravida Arena, Gothenburg.
Melvine Malard scored the opener for Lyon 10 minutes into the game. The team celebrated by dedicating the goal to the injured midfielder, Amel Majri.
Catarina Cascarino doubled Lyon’s lead in the 48th minute. The Swedish champions’ misery was compounded when Stine Larsen headed a Selma Bacha corner into her own net.
It’s good to see all-time competition top scorer Ada Hegerberg introduced from the bench for the first time since suffering serious injury in January 2020.
The seven-time winners saw its five-year reign as champions ended last season.
At the other end in the meeting of two teams in their debut European campaigns, Hoffenheim delivered a stylish display against the Danish champions. The German side proved a big mouthful for HB Køge as they put five goals past the Danish side in its opening Group C game at the Dietmar-Hopp Stadion, Sinsheim.
Katharina Naschenwang, Nicole Billa, Luana Buhler, and Tinne De Caigny (brace) scored for Hoffenheim.
Despite the defeat, team captain Kelly Fitzgerald hopes that she and her teammates can learn from the match, and take positives with them to the next matches in the tournament.
“Hopefully we get used more and more to the pace of every match we play. The first match was perhaps a bit of a surprise against a team playing at such a high pace. We can learn from it, and continue to control what we can control, and work hard towards the next match ”.
Nigerian-Danish youngster, Isabella Bryld Obaze played all minutes in her side’s defeat. The 18-year old saw yellow card in the 54th minute but was impressive enough to see the game till the end.
HB Køge will play away against FC Thy-Thisted Q this weekend, and next week it will be the UWCL showdown against FC Barcelona at home at Capelli Sport Stadion.
#UWCL: Impressive Oshoala with goal and assist as Barcelona school Arsenal.
Arsenal lost for the first time since February as Barcelona’s Asisat Oshoala haunted her old club in their Women’s Champions League Group C opener.
Despite bossing Arsenal in the opening half, Barcelona didn’t score until shortly after the half-hour (31mins), when Mariona Caldentey fired home on the follow-up after a shot from Asisat Oshoala was saved by Manuela Zinsberger.
Eleven minutes after, the four-time African Player of the year ran down the right wing and squared it for Alexia Putellas to slot home moments before the break.
The 26-year old Nigerian international got her name on the scoresheet early in the second half, getting in behind the Arsenal defence and left one-on-one with Zinsberger who has been more than impressive for the night, as she slot home Barcelona’s third, before making way in the 70th minute for Lieke Martens.
Oshoala played for Arsenal from March 2016 to February 2017, helping them to win the FA Cup, and did not celebrate her goal at the Johan Cruyff Stadium.
It took Arsenal 55 minutes to have a shot, with Vivianne Miedema’s weak effort rolling straight to goalkeeper Sandra Panos.
Frida Maanum, who bundled home a consolation from Tobin Heath’s free-kick from the right before Lieke Martens chipped in Barca’s fourth.
Four minutes into the added time, Jordan Nobbs lunges in to try to win the ball from Alexia and referee Jana Adamkova blows her whistle and points to the spot.
Alexia Putellas stepped forward hoping to convert Barcelona’s fifth for the night but fired her effort down the centre, as the Arsenal goalkeeper was on her way left but not so quickly that she wasn’t able to save comfortably.
Les Fauves arrive Nigeria as 22 Eagles train ahead of World Cup Qualifier.
According to a press release by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Communications Department on Tuesday, only Netherlands –based goalkeeper Maduka Okoye is expected in the Super Eagles’ Eko Hotels & Suites abode as at the early hours of Tuesday evening – 48 hours before the FIFA World Cup African qualifying Day 3 encounter against.
The 22-man eagles in camp had their first training today ahead of Thursday’s clash against Les Fauvesof Central African Republic.
35-man contingent of the Les Fauves flew into Lagos on Tuesday evening as bottom of Group C with only one point and one goal as against two goals against.
The Thursday’s encounter at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere will kick off at 5pm with the return encounter against the Les Fauves already billed for the Stade Japoma de Douala on Sunday afternoon, Gernot Rohr and wards countenance a possible six points that will make them unassailable in Group C, ahead of the last two games away to Liberia and home to Cape Verde in November.
CAF has appointed Mauritanian official Abdel Aziz Bouh as referee for Thursday’s encounter, in which he will be assisted by compatriots Hamedine Diba (assistant referee 1), Abderrahmane War (assistant referee 2), and Moussa Diou (fourth official).
Jerome Efong Nzolo from Gabon is the referee assessor, the match commissioner is Marcelin Gaha Djiadeu from Cameroon, and Nigerian Dr. Ozi Salami Abdulrahim will be the medical officer.
Fikayo Tomori roars with Three Lions again.
A.C. Milan star and former Chelsea central defender Fikayo Tomori who earned his first and only England cap back in 2019 as a substitute against Kosovo has been rewarded for his fine form at club level with an England call-up.
‘Fikayo [Tomori], we have been monitoring very closely throughout his time at Milan,” Gareth Southgate said earlier this month.
With Harry Maguire ruled out until next month with a calf issue, the looming international break presents Tomori with the perfect opportunity to stake a claim in the England setup in the long-term.
“I have been very impressed. I thought he finished last season well. We were tracking him well last season and he is playing well this season. He is at a club that’s expected to win every week, I thought he did well vs Liverpool and Juventus,” Southgate on what inspires him to call Tomori.
The centre-back departed Chelsea for AC Milan on loan at the turn of the year with the option to make the move permanent. In June, the Serie A side exercised that option for £25m.
“Milan have been delighted with him and ended up buying him. It has been a great experience for him.” – Southgate concluded.
The 23-year-old has established himself as a regular under Stefano Pioli and a consistent performer at the heart of the Rossoneri defence following his January arrival and clearly his solid showings haven’t gone unnoticed by Southgate.
The England squad will meet up at St George’s Park today to prepare for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers. They travel to Andorra on Saturday, October 9 with kick-off at 7.45pm, before returning to Wembley to host Hungary on Tuesday, October 12 with the same kick-off time.
Rejuvenated Tammy Abraham back with the Three Lions.
Roma striker, Tammy Oghenetega Abraham has been called up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary.
This is Abraham’s first call up since he was last selected by Southgate in November 2020, while he has six international caps and one goal to his name since making his senior debut in 2017.
“It’s early stages for Tammy at Roma and the league is a different sort of challenge having watched a fair bit in the last couple of years. But good for him, he needs to be playing,” Southgate said of Abraham earlier this month
He made his first competitive appearance under Southgate back in October 2019. However, a lack of game time under Thomas Tuchel following his January appointment all but spelt the end of Abraham’s time at Stamford Bridge and his selections for the Three Lions became sparse.
The 24-year-old has made 10 appearances since his transfer to the Italian capital, scored four goals and contributed two assists for the Serie A club, who have made him central to their plans under manager Jose Mourinho.
Two weeks ago, Jose Mourinho said Tammy Abraham should switch countries if he wasn’t called up to the England squad.
“I am trying to create a monster of a forward for Gareth Southgate. Unless he doesn’t have proper eyes and still not call him up with the England national team, then I would suggest for Tammy to switch countries. He deserves more caps under his name,” he told media.
He will join up with Southgate and the rest of the team at St. George’s Park on Tuesday.
Claudio Ranieri is back in the Premier League as the new Watford manager.
Watford FC has confirmed the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as the club’s new Head Coach, days after parting ways with Xisco Munoz.
The club made this announcement in an official statement released on Monday via its Twitter platform.
The Italian arrives at Vicarage Road and penned a two-year contract with the Hornets.
He has coached in five different countries, winning promotions, domestic cups and, perhaps most notably, a top-flight league title.
His managerial highlights boost of his wealth of experience in charge of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, where he has won the Premier League, Coppa Italia and Copa del Rey titles. He has also won some individual awards which include the 2016 FIFA Best Men’s Coach award, the 2015/16 Premier League Manager of the Season award and the 2016 LMA Manager of the Year award.
Ranieri will be joined at Watford by Assistant Coaches Paolo Benetti and Carlo Cornacchia, as well as Fitness Coach Carlo Spignoli.
His first match in charge of the Hornets will be at home to Liverpool on Saturday October 16.
Emmanuel Dennis Wins Watford Goal Of The Month Award.
Nigeria forward, Emmanuel Dennis strike against Norwich which earned the Hornets their first away win of the campaign has been named Watford’s goal of the month of September.
It was a pin-point cross from Kiko Femenía that found the elusive Nigerian, who produced a powerful header that left Tim Krul glued to the ground for the opener.
The striker won Goal of the Month with 37 per cent of the vote ahead of Sarr, Anne Meiwald, Helen Ward, Adekite Fatuga-Dada and Ashley Fletcher.
MOLATsportgist 