WHALEXTRA

  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.

The Chicago Cubs have forced a Game 5 after shutting out the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night! Both  Chicago  and Detroit forced Game 5s in their respective series. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies as both teams await to see who they will be facing come next round! Cubs  6-0  Brewers Chicago quieted the Brewers' bats on Thursday night by holding them to just three hits. They went for a combined 3-for-28 despite putting up 19 runs in the past three games. Things got underway for the Cubs in the bottom of the first inning when  Ian Happ  took  Freddy Peralta  deep for a three-run home run. 

Casemiro will don the captain's armband for the 17th time in Brazil's friendly against South Korea on Friday, with the experienced midfielder embracing his leadership role both on and off the pitch under manager Carlo Ancelotti. Back in the squad since the Italian's arrival after a long period away,  Casemiro  has been a key figure for  Brazil  since his international debut in 2011 and will resume his captaincy after a two-year hiatus. His last outing as skipper came in October 2023 against  Uruguay , but Ancelotti, who was his coach for several years at  Real Madrid , has decided to reinstate him as the leader of Brazil's young squad preparing for the 2026 World Cup. " I am one of those players who thinks that there are several leaders, several ways of leading. Each one leads in their own way. I like to give more examples of how to do things - how to arrive, how to be, where to be, how to work ," Casemiro told a press conference on Thursday.

Former Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel has given reasons why his old club can’t win the English Premier League or the UEFA Champions League this season. The Nigerian spoke ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash with Benfica on Tuesday night. According to Obi Mikel, Enzo Maresca’s men can’t win any of the major trophies because they are way too exposed. Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, the former Super Eagles captain said: “We can’t win the Premier League or Champions League; we are way too exposed. “You can’t play with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Dembélé – they would crush us.” Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer after beating Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Neymar will miss Brazil's final two World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia next week, extending his absence from international duty to nearly two years. Coach Carlo Ancelotti left the  Santos  star out of his 23-man squad announced on Monday, citing a minor leg muscle injury sustained last week as the reason for his latest omission.  Brazil  have already secured their place at the 2026 World Cup. The former Barcelona and Paris St Germain striker has not donned the famous yellow jersey since October 2023, when he suffered serious knee ligament injuries that have plagued his comeback attempts. " Neymar  sustained a minor injury last week. This will be the final two matches of the qualifiers and it will be very demanding, so we need players in their prime conditions so we can perform at the highest level,"  Ancelotti told a press conference on Monday. The Italian coach, who has previously expressed his commitment to getting Neymar match-ready for the 2...

Cristian Chivu got off to the perfect start in his first Serie A match as Inter Milan boss, with the Nerazzurri beating Torino 5-0 to secure their biggest-ever victory over them since the 1958/59 season.  After narrowly missing out on back-to-back Scudettos last season,  Inter ’s 2025/26 campaign got off to the best possible start when they took the lead via  Alessandro Bastoni  18 minutes in. A whipped corner from  Nicolo Barella  found the head of the defender, whose near-post glance floated over the head of goalkeeper  Franco Israel  and into the far-right corner. And things got even better for the home side later in the first half, when  Marcus Thuram  capitalised on some lax  Torino  defending, before sliding a tidy finish into Israel’s side netting.  Now fully in the swing of things, the Champions League runners-up added a third just after the restart, with skipper  Lautaro Martinez  doing his bit to end al...

Carlos Alcaraz won the ATP Cincinnati Open title on Monday after defending champion Jannik Sinner retired due to illness during the first set. Ailing world number one  Sinner  threw in the towel after  Alcaraz  roared into  a 5-0 first set lead . Italian ace Sinner said in an on-court interview afterwards he had started feeling ill on Sunday and his condition worsened overnight. " I'm super super sorry to disappoint you ," Sinner told fans. " From yesterday I didn't feel great. I thought that I would improve during the night but it got worse . " I tried to make it at least a small match but I couldn't handle any more... so I'm very sorry to for all of you ." Alcaraz, meanwhile, expressed sympathy with Sinner, who gave no indication of the exact nature of his illness. " I'm pretty sure that from these situations you're going to come back better, even stronger than you always do -- that's what true champions do ," Alcaraz sai...

Leeds United made a winning return to the Premier League (PL) as Lukas Nmecha’s 84th-minute penalty secured a 1-0 victory over Everton, who have now lost their opening game in four successive seasons. Backed by their vociferous home support, Leeds came flying out of the blocks early on, with  Joël Piroe  seeing a close-range effort thwarted by  Jordan Pickford  and  Ao Tanaka  opting to head the ball across the six-yard box rather than go for goal in a promising position. The hosts’ high-octane pressing continued to pose plenty of problems for  Everton , but despite their dominance, clear-cut openings came at a premium as the Toffees’ rearguard held firm. Having scored 95 goals en route to the Championship title last season, Daniel Farke’s men looked to up the ante before HT, with  Daniel James  and  Wilfried Gnonto  a constant threat on the wings. However, a distinct lack of cutting edge in the final third continued to prove proble...

Nigeria’s D’Tigress won a fifth consecutive Women’s AfroBasket title following a 78-64 victory over Mali. It was the seventh time Nigeria would lift the trophy. Rena Wakama’s side extended their unbeaten streak at the Women’s AfroBasket tournament to 29 games. The West Africans have also qualified for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted by Germany. Three countries – Mali, South Africa and Senegal – will compete in the playoffs in March 2024 to fight for a place at the World Cup. D’Tigress dominated the first quarter, edging out the Malians 26-21. Both teams fought hard in the second quarter, which ended 41-41. D’Tigress, however, showed their supremacy in the third quarter, prevailing 61-56. In the end, Nigeria claimed the title with a 78-64 victory.

Eredivisie side PSV have reportedly been offered Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson in a surprising transfer saga. The 20-year-old Irishman spent the last six months on loan at  West Ham , but only managed to play 151 minutes and grab one start for the Hammers. According to  Football Insider ,  Brighton  have now offered the former Manchester United target to Eredivisie champions PSV in an attempt to revamp the young striker's career. Brighton are open to a temporary and permanent moves for Ferguson, but would prefer a season-long loan. PSV could be about to lose American ace Ricardo Pepi, with Fulham, Juventus, and Real Betis reportedly all chasing the €30 million-rated striker. Captain Luuk de Jong, now 34 years old, hasn't extended his expiring contract at PSV yet either. The 20-time Republic of Ireland international is under contract until 2029 at Brighton & Hove Albion.