Al-Nassr forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, has jokingly stated that he still has 10 years of football left to play before retirement.

Ronaldo, who turns 39 next month, is currently playing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

During a press interaction at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, when asked about his retirement plans, Ronaldo initially claimed he would retire “soon” but then humorously suggested that he could remain active in the game of football for another 10 years.

“The moment I finish, I don’t know to be honest… Of course, it will be soon, soon I mean 10 years more. No, I am joking, I don’t know, let’s see,” Ronaldo said.

The Portuguese star has been in impressive form in the Saudi Pro League, currently leading the league’s top scorers with 20 goals this season.

Ronaldo also shared his thoughts about the FIFA Best awards and Ballon d’or awards, saying both have lost credibilty as numbers no longer count in the emergence of the winner.

World number one Novak Djokovic continued his impressive run in the 2024 Australian Open by claiming a straight sets win over Adrian Mannarino in their fourth round clash. The Serb won the match 6-0 6-0 6-3 to progress to the last eight.

Italian star Jannik Sinner continued his amazing run that has seen him drop zero sets at the Australian Open this year. The fourth seed defeated 15th seed Karen Khachanov in straight sets 6-4 7-5 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.

Taylor Fritz sent seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas out of the 2024 Australian Open with a win in four sets. The American 12th seed won the match 7-6 5-7 6-3 6-3 to qualify for the last eight.

Fifth seed Andrey Rublev played out a classic with Alex de Minaur to reach the quarterfinals at the Rod Laver Arena. The Russian star won the five set thriller 6-4 6-7 6-7 6-3 6-0 to progress past the Round of 16 stage.

In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff continued to impress with a straight sets win over Magdalena Frech. The fourth seed claimed a 6-1 6-2 win over her Polish opponent to reach the last eight.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka stopped Amanda Anisimova in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open. She won the match 6-3 6-2 to secure her place in the last eight.

Ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova was on hand to defeat 16-year-old phenom Mirra Andreeva, ending her tournament at the Round of 16 stage. Krejcikova came from a set down to win 4-6 6-3 6-2 and progress to the quarterfinals.

Unseeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk booked her place in the quarterfinals in Melbourne after a straight sets win over Maria Timofeeva. Kostyuk claimed a 6-2 6-1 win over her oponent to win the match.

Since beating Senegal in Cairo in the 2019 final match, Algeria are yet to win a match at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The no-win streak stretches to five on Saturday after escaping from defeat and drew 2-2 with Burkina Faso.

Algeria netted a stoppage-time equaliser to escape defeat at the Africa Cup of Nations finals on Saturday in a 2-2 draw with Burkina Faso in Group D in Bouake that spared the 2019 champions a major setback at the tournament.

Baghdad Bounedjah netted from a corner five minutes into stoppage time at the end to ensure his side a share of the spoils and deny Burkina Faso early progress to the next stage.

Bounedjah scored both Algeria’s goals while Mohamed Konate and Bertrand Traore netted for the Burkinabe, who remain top of the group on four points compared with two for Algeria.

Burkina Faso came desperately close to a smash-and-grab victory that would have seen them through to the last-16 with a guaranteed top two finish. They were under pressure for much of the match but had two VAR decisions go in their favour.

Algeria failed to take their first-half opportunities, with Youcef Belaili wasteful as Burkinabe goalkeeper Herve Koffi looked nervous and twice cleared balls straight to the Algerians and was fortunate they did could not finish.

Almost inevitably, Burkina scored with a rare attack in stoppage time at the end of the first half as a long ball from Abdoul Fessal Tapsoba went over the Algerian defence and was headed homed by a leaping Konate. The whistle was immediately blown for offside, but a VAR check went in Konate’s favour.

Algeria equalised in the 51st minute when a free kick was partially blocked and fell for Nabil Bentaleb, whose shot was parried by the goalkeeper down to the feet of Bounedjah, who recovered quickly to sweep the ball in from close range.

Burkina Faso’s lead was restored from the penalty spot in 71st minute by substitute Traore, who had also netted a stoppage time penalty for a 1-0 win over Mauritania in their first Group D game.

It was another VAR check that went Burkina’s way, revealing a wild tackle by Rayan Ait Nouri on Issa Kabore. The referee had not given the kick but replays showed Ait Nouri had missed the ball as he attempted to clear and caught Kabore on the shin.

A corner late in the game delivered relief for Algeria as Bounedjah leaped up to head home from the set piece.

“I have confidence in my players, they came back with the same determination, what we are missing is being more killer (instinct),” said Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi afterwards.

Algeria were Cup of Nations winners in 2019 but made a horror defence of their title in Cameroon two years ago, where they went home with a single point and in last place in their group and faced a similar scenario again after drawing their opening game in the Ivory Coast against Angola.

Cheerleader of the Nigerian football teams, Dr. Raufu Ladipo has predicted the Super Eagles’ win against Guinea Bissau on Monday. Speaking on phone, he said he is certain of Nigeria’s possible win.

“I had predicted before in 2013 even when most people did not reckon with the Super Eagles. They eventually won.

“I am making the same prediction. The Super Eagles will pleasantly surprise many people”, remarked Ladipo who will be heading to Abidjan on Monday to catch up with the Group A last matches.

According to him, thousands of the members of the supporters’ club travelled by road but are not finding survival easy owing to paucity of fund for sustenance.

He remarked that the only source of support they have is from the Nigerian Breweries whose products are official drinks of the Super Eagles.

He revealed that members of his group numbering over 2,000 travelled by road and are sacrificing a lot to support Nigeria.

He called for government support for the Nigerians who travelled to Cote d’Ivoire to support the Super Eagles.

There are about four groups of supporters in Nigeria as the original body formed in 1955 by Hattie Allen, the wife of the then Secretary of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has broken into smaller groups.

Ladipo revealed that there is great cooperation among the supporters’ groups as they vowed to work in unison to ensure Nigeria’s success.

Apart from the travelling supporters, Ladipo said that the formation of international chapters which began in Abidjan in 1992 has started yielding dividends as the Nigerian supporters were even louder than the Ivorians in last Thursday’s match.

Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets, have earned a place at this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals after a goal by Opeyemi Ajakaye eventually brought down hard-fighting Burundi in a final round, second leg encounter at the MKO Abiola National Stadium on Saturday evening. This tallied to a 2-0 aggregate victory for Nigeria in the final round of the qualifying race in Africa.

The Falconets had won the first leg 1-0 in Dar es Salaam six days ago.

As was the case in the first leg in Dar es Salaam, the Nigerian girls created opportunity after opportunity, but failed to put them away to make their vast superiority count. As early as the 2^nd minute, Opeyemi Ajakaye, who was top scorer for the FIFA U17 World Cup bronze-winning Flamingos two years ago, volleyed wide when it appeared easier to score.

In the quarter-hour, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu swung the ball into the visitors’ box from the wing, but the team’s leading scorer Janet Akekoromowei failed to convert the opportunity. It was Okwuchukwu’s turn to miss in the 34^th minute, when she could not convert a pull-out by Ajakaye.

Eight minutes after the restart, Ajakaye went on a solo run into the visitors’ eighteen-yard box, only to end with a weak shot that was easily collected by goalkeeper Amissa Inarukundo.

The deadlock was broken in the 78^th minute by Ajakaye, who made hay with an assist by Akekoromowei. Ajakaye scored again in the 90^th minute but the goal did not stand. The result put the Falconets through to the final tournament in Colombia later this year.

Nigeria has been an ever-present at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, since it was launched as an U19 tournament in Canada 22 years ago, finishing as runners-up in 2010 and 2014, and reaching the semi-finals in Japan in 2012.

Mali and Tunisia played out a compelling 1-1 draw in Saturday’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Group E clash between the top two sides. in Korhogo.

The Eagles of Mali struck first when Lassine Sinayoko drilled home a 10th-minute opener after Tunisia failed to clear.

But the tenacious Carthage Eagles responded quickly as Hamza Rafia equalised just nine minutes later following Ali Elabdi’s surging run.

A captivating first half saw both teams threaten again before a tactical second period lacked further goals.

Mali remain Group E leaders on four points but other results mean qualification is still up for grabs going into the final round.

“It was a very tight game between two strong teams,” said Mali coach Eric Sekou Chelle.

Meanwhile, Tunisia boss Jalel Kadri rued missed chances but remains hopeful of progressing.

“We deserved more but could not find the winning goal,” Kadri told reporters. “It’s still open and our fate remains in our hands.”

Namibia’s shock win over Tunisia coupled with South Africa’s draw with Guinea means the group remains extremely tight.

Mali require just a point against Gambia on Thursday to advance but Tunisia must now beat South Africa to stand a chance of joining them.

After an intense battler between the top two, the race for knock-out qualification in Group E will go down to the wire.Mali and Tunisia played out a compelling 1-1 draw in Saturday’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Group E clash between the top two sides. in Korhogo.

Three matches were played in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Friday, January 20, 2024, here is a summery of all three games.

Cape Verde Secures Last-16 Spot with Convincing Win Over Mozambique

Cape Verde emerged victorious with a resounding 3-0 win against Mozambique in the Africa Cup of Nations, securing their place in the last 16 of the tournament. The match took place in Group B.

Cape Verde’s winger, Bebe, who gained recognition for his surprise transfer to Manchester United in 2010, played a crucial role in the victory. The 33-year-old scored from a set piece on the 32nd minute, exploiting a defensive error by Mozambique’s goalkeeper, Ernan Siluane, who conceded from a long-range effort.

Cape Verde’s captain, Ryan Mendes, extended the lead on the 51st minute after Edmilson Dove’s defensive error led to lost possession on the edge of the box. Kevin Pina sealed the victory with a brilliant third goal, striking a fierce shot into the top corner from outside the area.

The match in Abidjan was largely one-sided, with Geny Catamo posing the most significant threats for Mozambique. Catamo earned a penalty in the first half, which was overturned by a video review, and he also struck the woodwork with a free-kick.

Cape Verde’s victory leaves them atop Group B with six points after two matches, becoming the first team to qualify for the knockout round. Egypt sits in second place with four points, while both Mozambique and Ghana have a single point each.

Senegal Secures Round of 16 Spot with Victory Over Cameroon

Senegal has secured its place in the Round of 16 of the 2023 AFCON with a commanding 3-1 win over Cameroon in Yamoussoukro.

The defending champions continued their impressive campaign following an opening victory over Gambia.

The Senegalese team displayed their prowess with goals on either side of the break. Ismaïla Sarr and Habib Diallo found the back of the net, setting Senegal on a decisive course for the knockout stages.

Despite a late surge from Cameroon, with Jean-Charles Castelletto scoring a header to apply pressure in the final minutes, Senegal’s star player Sadio Mane secured the victory with a goal in added time. Mane’s goal marked his 40th international goal, emphasizing his significance to the Senegalese team.

Guinea Edges The Gambia 1-0 in AFCON 2023

Guinea secured a crucial 1-0 victory against The Gambia in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, moving closer to a spot in the Round of 16. The decisive goal came in the second half when Aguibou Camara capitalized on Morgan Guilavogui’s pass.

The win lifts Guinea to second place in Group C with four points, positioning them well for advancement in the tournament. Mohamed Bayo came close to doubling the lead but struck the crossbar with a shot from Guilavogui’s delivery.

Despite The Gambia’s efforts, including a disallowed goal from Yankuba Minteh due to an offside decision, they were unable to find the finishing touch. Guinea’s goalkeeper, Baboucarr Gaye, played a crucial role in denying scoring opportunities for The Gambia.

The victory sets up a crucial clash between Guinea and Cameroon in their final group-stage match, where Guinea aims to secure a top-two spot and advance to the knockout stage. The outcome of this match will significantly impact the teams’ progression in the AFCON 2023.

Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, has disclosed the strategy behind Nigeria’s 1-0 victory against Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Peseiro’s men secured an impressive win against the hosts, and the Portuguese coach explained that he devised the game plan during the team’s training tour in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Peseiro emphasized the need to close down space, defend well, and work hard to restrict the strong Ivorien team which had talented players. The players executed the plan effectively on the field on Thursday, January 18, 2024, denying the opposition opportunity to play their preferred style of football.

Peseiro said ” I started thinking about how to approach this game when we were in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

“Cote d’Ivoire is a strong team with good players, so we need to close down the space and defend very well.

“We know we have to work hard and not allow them play their football. The players did well to stick to our plan in the game.”

With the victory, Nigeria positioned themselves well in group A, ahead of the final group game against Guinea-Bissau at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, next week Monday.

A point vs Guinea Bissau will guarantee the Super Eagles a spot in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations knockout round.

World number two Carlos Alcaraz needed four sets to defeat Lorenzo Sonego and reach the third round of the 2024 Australian Open. The Spaniard claimed a 6-4 6-7 6-3 7-6 win over his Italian opponent in their clash.

World number three Daniil Medvedev showed great fighting spirit to come back from two sets down and win against Emil Ruusuvuori in their second round meeting. The Russian won the match 3-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-0 to book his third round qualification.

Eighth seed Holger Rune was stunned by unseeded Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in four sets as he crashed out of the tournament. Cazaux won their meeting 7-6 6-4 4-6 6-3 to reach the third round in Melbourne.

Sixth seed Alexander Zverev needed five sets to overcome unseeded Lukas Klein in their 2024 Australian Open meeting. The German star won the encounter 7-5 3-6 4-6 7-6 7-6 to book his passage into the third round.

Casper Ruud needed five sets to defeat Max Purcell in their second round meeting. The Norwegian 11th seed won the match 6-3 6-7 6-3 3-6 7-6 to reach the third round.

In the women’s draw, world number one Iga Swiatek eased her way into the third round with a win over Danielle Collins in three sets. The Polish star claimed a 6-4 3-6 6-4 win over her opponent to reach the next round.

Fifth seed Jessica Pegula was stunned by Clara Burel, who defeated her in straight sets to qualify for the third round of the 2024 Australian Open. The unseeded Frenchwoman won the match 6-4 6-2 to progress.

One-time US Open champion Emma Raducanu has crashed out of the 2024 Australian Open at the hands of Wang Yafan. The Chinese star needed three sets to dispatch of Raducanu 6-4 4-6 6-4 and reach the third round.

Third seed Elena Rybakina lost to Anna Blinkova in one of the most dramatic matches in female tennis ever. Blinkova needed three sets to defeat her opponent, doing so with a 6-4 4-6 7-6 scoreline to qualify for the third round.

Elina Svitolina defeated Viktoriya Tomova in straight sets 6-1 6-3 to reach the third round of the 2024 Australian Open.