WHALEXTRA

Nigeria’s   men’s and women’s national cricket teams have retained their spots in the latest annual rankings released by the International Cricket Council on Tuesday, having met the required number of matches during the period under review,   PUNCH Sports Extra   reports. The annual update, which gives 100 per cent weighting to matches played since May 2025 and 50 per cent to those from the previous two years, saw India’s lead over England trimmed from 14 to 13 points in the men’s table, while Australia’s advantage over England in the women’s rankings reduced from 18 to 12 points. For Nigeria, the men’s team dropped two places from 36th to 38th, while the women’s team retained 26th position globally. After competing in the sub-regional and regional T20 World Cup qualifiers, the West Africa Trophy and a seven-match bilateral series against Kenya, the men’s team—known as the Yellow Greens—accumulated 78 rating points, just one below their previous total of 79. The women’s ...

  Borussia Dortmund defender  Niklas Süle  has confirmed he will retire from professional football at the end of the season, bringing his career to a close at the age of 30. The Germany national football team international decided following a knee injury suffered in last month’s Bundesliga match against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Süle initially feared he had suffered a third anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, an injury that has already disrupted his career in the past. Although medical tests later confirmed he had avoided an ACL tear, the defender said the scare changed his outlook on continuing in the sport. Speaking on the Spielmacher podcast on Wednesday, Süle revealed he was overcome with emotion after the initial diagnosis, saying he “went into the shower and cried for 10 minutes” as he believed the worst had happened. Even after receiving the more positive MRI results, Süle said he had already decided to retire, explaining that he could not face the possibility of ...

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who had declared himself “beyond frustrated” after qualifying for the ⁠Japanese Grand Prix, said he was considering his future in the sport after finishing eighth in Sunday's race at Suzuka. Speaking to  BBC ‌Radio 5 Live , the Red Bull driver said his lack of enjoyment at driving the ‌new generation of cars was making him question whether racing in ‌the sport was still worth it. "I'm thinking about everything inside this paddock,"  he ‌said in the interview. "You also wait for 24 ‌races. This time it's 22. But normally 24. And then you just think about, is it worth it?" Verstappen  has been an outspoken critic of Formula 1's new ‌regulations and engine era.

  Spain released Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi from their squad on Sunday because of knee discomfort. "To avoid any risk whatsoever and safeguard the player's health, he has been released from the squad," said the EURO 2024 winners in a statement. " Arsenal 's medical staff have been fully informed of the entire process." Zubimendi  came on as a substitute in  Spain 's 3-0 win over Serbia on Friday. The 27-year-old will miss Tuesday's friendly  against Egypt in Barcelona . Zubimendi has been a key part of Premier League leaders Arsenal's midfield this season, playing 44 times across all competitions.

Luke Littler claimed his first nightly win of the 2026 Premier League Darts season with a 6-4 victory over Jonny Clayton in the final in Cardiff on Thursday night. The world number one produced his strongest night of the league phase so far, recovering from an uneven quarter-final to deliver high-quality displays in the semi-final and final. The final itself  against  Clayton  quickly developed into the match of the night, with both players sustaining a relentless scoring pace and trading legs throughout. The standard peaked in a remarkable mid-match passage in which both players threatened nine-dart finishes in the same leg, before  Littler  came closest, landing eight perfect darts and missing double 15 for a nine-darter. The leg ultimately went with the throw, keeping the contest on a knife-edge.

  The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the postponement of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026 to July-August, ending weeks of speculation as to whether it would go ahead as scheduled this month. The tournament serves as a preliminary for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, where four African sides will gain automatic qualification, and two more go into the inter-continental qualifiers. The WAFCON was originally scheduled to be played from March 17-April 3, but hosts Morocco pushed for a change in dates due to what CAF describes as "unforeseen circumstances". "After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026, to 25 July – 16 August 2026 to ensure the success of this important women’s competition, in the light of certain unforeseen circumstances,"  CAF said in a statement on Thursday. "Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON...

  Al-Nassr captain,  Cristiano Ronaldo  has declared that he belongs to Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo stated this while insisting that he wants to continue playing in the Saudi Pro League amid reports linking him with a move away from Al-Nassr at the end of the season. Recall that Ronaldo was recently linked with a move away from Al-Nassr after he went on strike to protest against the club’s supposed lack of transfer ambition. This is coming after the Portugal forward led Al-Nassr to beat Al-Hazem 4-0 in the Saudi league encounter played on Saturday. Two goals from Ronaldo and a goal each from Kingsley Coman and Ângelo Gabriel gave the hosts the win against Al-Hazem.

The NBA is forging ahead with plans for a European league and expects initial responses from potential investors by the end of March, the league's deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said Thursday. " We've told the potential investors we need to know their level of interest by the end of March ," Tatum told a group of journalists in Los Angeles ahead of the NBA's All-Star weekend. " That's the timeline where we're expecting these dozens of investors to come back and say, 'Yes, we're interested in this market, at this price,' " Tatum added. The league aims to finalize the project by autumn 2027, Tatum said. The proposed competition would feature 12 permanent franchises and four qualifying teams, created in partnership with FIBA, basketball's global governing body.

  Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey has been formally charged with two additional counts of rape by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal saga surrounding the Ghana international. The new charges stem from an earlier complaint to police alleging offences dating back to 2020, before those previously reported, and involve an additional woman.  The Metropolitan Police said the latest accusations are being treated as “non-recent offences” following a fresh investigation.  Partey  is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 13th, 2026, in relation to these new counts. The 32-year-old, who now plays in Spain’s LaLiga with  Villarreal , had already been facing a separate set of serious charges. 

  Nigeria were drawn with Egypt, Zambia and newcomers Malawi for the defence of their ​Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in March when the draw ‌was conducted in Rabat on Thursday. The ‌2026 finals will be played in  Morocco  from March 17th to April 3rd, eight months after the ⁠last tournament, which was also hosted in ‌Morocco, where  Nigeria  beat the hosts ​in the final. WAFON Group Draw Group A (Rabat Moulay Hassan ⁠Stadium): Morocco,  Algeria ,  Senegal ,  Kenya , Group ‌B (Rabat Al Madina Stadium): South Africa,  Ivory Coast ,  Burkina Faso ,  Tanzania Group C (Casablanca): Nigeria,  Zambia ,  Egypt ,  Malawi Group D (Fes):  Ghana ,  Cameroon ,  Mali ,  ⁠Cape Verde

Manager Thomas Frank is confident he is the right man to take Tottenham Hotspur forward, saying his history of turning around slow starts proves ​he can help lift the Premier League club out of their current malaise. Tottenham  are 14th in the ‌table, with one win in their last eight ‌league matches  ahead of Sunday's visit  to ninth-placed  Crystal Palace . " At  Brondby , I didn't win the first eight games and then we were unbeaten in nine. ⁠At  Brentford , we lost eight out of 10 games ‌and then we were unbeaten in 10, "  Frank , who joined  ​Spurs  in June, told reporters, referring to his two previous clubs. So I am ‍convinced we will see a similar pattern here. I'm not in doubt of that, because I ‍know how ‌to make a competitive team. We will make a very competitive team here, as well. "

  Bafana Bafana go into Monday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group B clash against Zimbabwe with the edge in the head-to-head record with their old foes, having claimed nine wins to six with three draws in 18 past meetings. South Africa ’s neighbours to the north were the first team they played in a competitive fixture after readmission to international football, when they received a rude awakening in Harare with a 4-1 loss in 1992. Here is a rundown of every clash between the two sides over the past 33 years. 1994 African Nations Cup Qualifier Zimbabwe  (2) 4  (Takawira 8’, Gumbo 19’, P. Ndlovu 49’ pen, 58’)  South Africa (1) 1  (Kambule 21’)

Nigeria   began their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over a resilient Tanzania side, as Ademola Lookman’s superb second-half strike proved decisive in Morocco,   PUNCH Sports Extra   reports. The win extended the Super Eagles’ dominance in the fixture to nine matches unbeaten against the Taifa Stars and offered a timely response after last month’s failure to qualify for a second successive fifa world cup finals. Éric Chelle’s side started with clear intent and almost took the lead inside the opening minutes when Akor Adams forced Tanzania goalkeeper Zuberi Foba into a sharp save from a tight angle. Moments later, the Sevilla forward came even closer, powering a header against the crossbar from close range following sustained pressure. Tanzania briefly threatened to disrupt Nigeria’s rhythm when Simon Msuva produced an acrobatic effort that was comfortably gathered by Stanley Nwabali, but the Super Eagles continued to assert themselves. ...

Premier League sides are preparing for their most intense spell of the season over the festive period, but many squads will be depleted by the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The tournament, hosted by Morocco, runs from December 21 until January 18 meaning clubs could be missing their African stars for six league matches plus the FA Cup third round. However, the disruption for some could provide an opportunity for others with leaders Arsenal among six clubs without any players departing. Mohamed Salah is the marquee Premier League name headed for Morocco, but his absence may not hurt Liverpool quite as much as previous versions of the AFCON. Ads by  The Egyptian hinted that last weekend’s victory over Brighton could have been his last game for the Reds after an explosive outburst targeting manager Arne Slot.

  Ten players are now in the  Super Eagles camp in Cairo  following the arrival of Semi Ajayi, Ademola Lookman, and Bright Osayi-Samuel. The latest arrivals also include Igho Ogbu, Amas Obasogie, and Tochukwu Nnadi. They joined the quartet joined of Francis Uzoho, Stanley Nwabali, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, who are the early arrivals in camp. Eighteen players are still being expected in camp. The Super Eagles are expected to hold their first official training session tonight.

OGC Nice   players T erem Moffi and Jeremie Boga are seeking a move away from the club following a troubling fan ambush at the team’s training ground, with several Ligue 1 clubs reportedly showing interest, particularly in the Nigerian forward. Moffi and Ivory Coast midfielder Boga were physically assaulted and spat on by around 400 fans who confronted players and officials at Nice’s training facility following their 3-1 defeat to Lorient in late November. The 26-year-old striker has been on sick leave since the incident and missed Thursday’s UEFA Europa League clash against Sporting Braga as his absence was extended due to physical and psychological consequences. Boga is also seeking an exit, with his agents reportedly making contact with Serie A clubs AS Roma, Fiorentina and Napoli ahead of the January transfer window. Nice issued a statement condemning the fans’ actions “in the strongest terms” and expressing full support for the affected players.

Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, has admitted next week’s Premier League game against Brighton, could be his last for the club. Salah revealed this in an explosive interview with ViaPlay Football, following their 3-3 draw at Leeds United. The Egyptian was left on the bench for the entire duration of the game. It is the third successive match that manager Arne Slot has left him out of his starting XI. Salah, who is set to travel for the Africa Cup of Nations next week, could leave Anfield in the January transfer window.

In the night's only other game,   Stephen Curry   scored 42 points to lead host   Golden State   over   Denver   137-131 in overtime   as the Warriors also started 2-0. "Just trying to be decisive, to get to my spots,"  Curry said.  "We were as disciplined as you can imagine. Great win for us. Sense of urgency to get off to a good start." Denver's  Aaron Gordon  scored a career-high 50 points, going 10-of-11 from three-point range, and three-time NBA MVP  Nikola Jokic  added 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nuggets. The Thunder visited Indianapolis to face a Pacers squad far different than the one they played for the crown last June. Indiana were without star guard  Tyrese Haliburton , who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in game seven of last season's finals and is out for the season, and center  Myles Turner , who departed for  Milwaukee .

Barcelona forward Marcus Rashford said he hopes to remain at the Spanish club beyond his loan spell from Manchester United, describing the move as the change he needed after spending his entire career in England. Barcelona  are covering  Rashford 's wages during this season-long loan after the Manchester-born player accepted a pay cut, with an option to buy set at around 30 million euros ($35 million). Rashford's  United  contract runs through 2028, but his future at Old Trafford appears bleak after falling out with manager Ruben Amorim last year. The 27-year-old has since rediscovered his form under Barcelona coach Hansi Flick. "For sure,"  Rashford told ESPN when asked if he wanted to remain in Barcelona.  "I'm enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it is an honour."

Naomi Osaka pulled out of the Japan Open ahead of her quarter-final on Friday after the four-time Grand Slam champion failed to recover from a leg injury. The former world number one was tearful after struggling through her last-16 match against defending champion Suzan Lamens in Osaka on Wednesday. Top seed  Osaka , who turned 28 this week, was supposed to face Romania's  Jaqueline Cristian  in the  last eight . "We regret to announce that Naomi Osaka has not recovered from a left leg injury sustained during the second round of this tournament and has withdrawn from the quarter-finals scheduled for today,"  the tournament said on X. Osaka finished her three-set defeat of Lamens with heavy strapping on her left thigh and said afterward that only painkillers had helped her get through the match.