South Sudan who recently qualified for the Olympic Games were ranked number one in Africa and 31st in the world ahead of D’Tigers who are now fifth in Africa and 37th in the world

The Nigeria men’s basketball team, D’Tigers have dropped drastically in the latest FIBA  Rankings following a string of poor performances in their failed quests for tickets to the World Cup and Olympic Games.

Despite playing on home soil in Lagos, the Nigerian side a few weeks ago failed woefully in Paris 2024 Olympic Games pre-qualifiers.

In the latest rankings released by FIBA, Nigeria’s D’Tigers dropped 18 spots to be placed 37th in the World.

According to FIBA, the D’Tigers racked up 334.9 points to stay 37th in the world and 5th in Africa.

South Sudan who recently qualified for the Olympic Games were ranked number one in Africa and 31st in the world.

European power house Spain dropped to second in the world with the USA taking top spot back with 786.6 points.

Germany, Australia and Serbia in that order completes the roster of the world top five teams.

African Top 10

1. South Sudan
   2. Ivory Coast
   3. Angola
   4. Tunisia
   5. Nigeria

6. Egypt

7. Cape Verde

8. Senegal

9. Cameroon

It was United’s first time losing three games in their opening five matches of the season.

Manchester United endured a humiliating 3-1 defeat at their Old Trafford home ground on Saturday, as Brighton and Hove Albion handed them their third loss in five matches of the season.

This marks the first time in their history that Manchester Utd has experienced such a shaky start to a Premier League campaign.

Erik Ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, made three changes from their previous squad that fell to Arsenal before the international break.

One notable alteration was the inclusion of new signing Rasmus Hojlund in the starting lineup.

However, the tactical shift failed to yield positive results as the Robert De Zebri-led Brighton side, with six new faces compared to their last matchday win against Newcastle, outplayed and outclassed the Red Devils.

The Game

The match kicked off with Manchester United dominating Brighton, applying relentless pressure on their visitors.

In the third minute, they earned their first corner following a clearance by Sergio Reguilon.

Marcus Rashford forced Brighton’s goalkeeper, Jason Steele, into his first save three minutes later, showing early signs of United’s attacking intent.

Despite United’s early dominance, it was their former player, Danny Welbeck, who broke the deadlock in the 20th minute.

Welbeck latched on to a low cross from Simon Adingra and slotted the ball home from 10 yards, beating United’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana.

This goal marked Welbeck’s fourth against Manchester United in 12 appearances, showcasing his knack for tormenting his former club.

Welbeck came close to doubling the lead 12 minutes later, but his effort from an Adam Lallana pass sailed just above the crossbar.

In the 33rd minute, Rashford’s goal-bound shot was cleared off the line by Brighton’s Dan Van Hecke.

United appeared to have pulled one back in the 40th minute when Rasmus Hojlund tapped in Rashford’s cross, but VAR ruled it out for Rashford’s offside position.

Brighton extended their lead early in the second half, with Pascal Gross converting a penalty in the 53rd minute after a swift interchange between Karou Mitoma and Tariq Lamptey.

Substitute Joao Pedro put the game beyond reach with a sublime finish to Lamptey’s pass in the 71st minute.

Hannibal Mejbri did manage to pull one back for United in the 73rd minute, but it proved too little, too late.

Despite late efforts from both teams, including Andre Onana’s crucial saves and Mejbri’s impact, the match concluded with a 3-1 victory for Brighton and Hove Albion, leaving Manchester United and their manager, Erik Ten Hag, with much to ponder as they strive to bounce back from this disappointing start to their season.

Comeback wins for Liverpool, Man City and Liverpool

In a remarkable show of tenacity and grit, Liverpool,Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur all secured thrilling comebacks wins in their respective Premier League games on Sunday.

At the Molineux Stadium, Liverpool’s Egyptian magician, Mohamed Salah, took centre stage as the Reds clawed back from a goal down to triumph 3-1 against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Salah was nothing short of sensational, notching his 200th goal contribution for Liverpool in style.

Hee-Chang Hwang’s early strike gave Wolves the lead in the seventh minute, igniting hopes of an upset.

However, Salah had other plans. The Egyptian maestro orchestrated Liverpool’s resurgence with two assists, demonstrating his exceptional playmaking abilities.

His performance also saw him join an exclusive club, becoming only the fourth player to assist a goal in five consecutive Premier League away games, a feat previously achieved by Cesc Fabregas, Muzzy Izzet, and Gerard Deulofeu.

Cody Gakpo’s strike in the 55th minute kickstarted Liverpool’s comeback, leveling the score.

The Reds then surged ahead in the 85th minute when Andrew Robertson found the net.

To seal the victory in emphatic fashion, a Hugo Bueno own goal in the 91st minute added the final gloss to a remarkable turnaround.

Elsewhere, Manchester City continued their pursuit of the Premier League title with a dominant 3-1 victory over West Ham United, handing the Hammers their first defeat of the season.

In North London, Tottenham Hotspur also came from behind to beat Sheffield United 2-1.

Gustavo Hamer’s opener in the 73rd minute appeared to have sealed Spurs’ fate, however, super-sub Richarlison turned the table for the hosts.

The Brazilian forward’s towering header from Ivan Perisic’s corner kick in the 98th minute equalised the score, sending the home crowd into delirium.

But he wasn’t done yet. Just two minutes later, Richarlison turned provider, setting up Dejan Kulusevski to rifle home a screamer and complete the remarkable turnaround for Tottenham.

The three tickets up for grabs in Tunisia were all won by the Egyptian players at the expense of their Nigerian rivals

Nigeria has been beaten to all the available tickets to the Olympic Games Table Tennis team events at the African Championship taking place in Tunisia

In the battle for the Mixed Doubles Olympics ticket to Paris 2024, Egypt’s duo of Omar Assar and Dina Meshref defeated Olajide Omotayo and Funke Oshonaike 3-1 (11-8, 6-11, 11-1, 12-10) in the final in Tunisia.

In what is not just a final, but a qualification ticket for a mixed doubles Olympics qualification to Paris 2024, Team Egypt took the first set in a mouth-watering close-opening tie 11-8.

Olajide Omotayo and Funke Oshonaike representing team Nigeria recovered from dropping the first set to claim the second 11-6, stunningly.

The 3rd set went by like a rocket as Team Nigeria was out of rhythm for most of the set, a couple of errors and immobility were their major undoing in an 11-1 annihilation, as Team Egypt led 2-1 after three sets.

Despite the best efforts of the duo representing team Nigeria in the final set, there was no coming back in the 4th set.

The firepower of the Egyptians was just too much as the Nigerians succumbed to a 12-10 loss in the final set.

The 3-1 loss meant Team Nigeria would not be participating in the Table Tennis Mixed Doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics next year.

Egypt also swept up the other tickets at stake for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after beating Nigeria in the final of the men and women’s team events at the 2023 ITTF African Championships taking place in Tunis, Tunisia.

The Egyptian ladies were the first to pick their ticket as they handed out a 3-0 mauling defeat to Nigeria in the final.

he tournament saw Nigeria and Egypt on an unbeaten run as they maintained a 100 per cent record without dropping any set till the finals.

But it was the Egyptians who dominated in the finals with Dina Meshref, Hana Goda, and Marwa Alhodaby beating the trio of Fatimo Bello, Offiong Edem, and veteran Olufunke Oshonaike.

The heavily one-sided encounter once again witnessed the dominance of Egypt in the continent as it saw the North Africans qualify for their third consecutive Olympic Games at the expense of Nigeria.

An elated Goda said she was happy that they claimed the sole ticket while hoping that the Egyptian team would claim more medals at the continental showpiece.

The men’s final was well contested by Egypt and Nigeria but the Egyptians came out victorious with a 3-1 win.

Assar Omar was in fine form for the North Africans, alongside his compatriots El-Beiali Mohamed, and Abdel-Aziz Youssef triumphing against the West African trio led by Aruna Quadri, who wasn’t at his usual best, alongside Omotayo Olajide, and Mati Taiwo.

A heavy downpour that lasted for most of the second half of the game affected the movement of the two teams as the field was waterlogged

Bendel Insurance FC of Benin on Saturday drew 2-2 with visiting RS Berkane of Morocco in the second preliminary stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.

Insurance hosted the Moroccan side for the first leg of the preliminary encounter ahead of the return leg in Berkane, later in the month.

The continental match kicked off at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, with a minute silence observed in honour of the victims of the recent earthquakes in Morocco.

Imade Osarenkhoe’s effort to open the scoreline for Insurance in the first minute was obstructed, while his call for a penalty was ignored by the centre referee.

Adhil Tahif came close to a goal for the visitors after five minutes, but the hosts were quick to clear the ball

RS Berkane went on to dominate the larger part of the first half before Osarenkhoe scored in the 27th minute to give the hosts a lead.

RS Berkane’s goalkeeper, Amine El Quaad, had parried Tamianu Benjamin’s shot from outside the 18-yard box, but the rebound by Osarenkhoe earned the Benin side 1-0.

The joy did not, however, last long as Youssef Zghoudi equalised for the visitors ten minutes later to go into the halftime tied.

Second half

The Nigerian side came into the second stanza more impressive and their efforts paid off in the 61st minute through Vincent Augustus, who extended the tally to 2-1 in favour of the home side.

Bendel Insurance were, however, punished for coming all out to pursue more goals with a counter-attack that earned RS Berkane another equaliser in the 78th minute through Mohammed El Morabit to end the match in a stalemate.

Heavy downpour that lasted for most of the second half of the game obviously affected the movement of the two teams as the field was waterlogged.

To qualify for the group stage, Insurance need a win in Morocco or a better result if they are to settle for another draw.

The contingent of six wrestlers, two coaches, one medical personnel, and two officials arrived Sunday morning in Serbia.

The president of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) on Sunday said the country’s team would target multiple podium finishes at the World Wrestling Championship in Serbia.

Igali said this while welcoming the 11-man contingent in Serbia, according to a statement by the Media Assistant to NWF, Promise Okotoko, in Lagos.

The 11-man contingent departed Abuja on Saturday and landed in Serbia on Sunday morning.

According to Okotoko: “An 11-man Nigerian contingent to the World Wrestling Championships has landed in Belgrade, Serbia, to participate in the first Olympic qualifier.

“The contingent of six wrestlers, two coaches, one medical personnel, and two officials departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Saturday night aboard a Turkish Airline flight and arrived in Serbia on Sunday morning.

“The tournament will run from Sept. 16 to 22.

“President of NWF, Igali, who had left the country a day earlier noted that the Nigerian contingent was expected to quickly find their rhythm and settle in, ready to take on the challenges that lay ahead.

“Igali says that with the exceptional talent and unwavering determination of the wrestlers, he hopes they would be able to secure multiple podium finishes.”

Okotoko added: “The NWF president believes the team would overcome the physical challenges and jet lag to prove their determination.

“The world champion expressed his appreciation to the Nigeria Olympic Committee, the Federal Ministry of Sports, and the Bayelsa State government for playing various roles to ensure the participation of Team Nigeria in the first Olympic qualifier.

“Igali also appreciated Nigeria Customs Service Comptroller General, Adewale Adeniyi, a board member of the Federation for his generous send-forth of the contingent, which added as extra motivation for the athletes to excel in Belgrade.”

Expressing confidence ahead of their matches, the captain of Team Nigeria, Blessing Oborududu, outlined the team’s ambition to excel in multiple categories, including reaching finals and vying for medals.

The Olympic silver medallist expressed optimism about the team’s performance, noting that their focus extended beyond wrestling as it encompassed a broad range of disciplines.

A first-time participant, Hannah Reuben, expressed her excitement to make her debut in the prestigious global competition, adding that she was in Belgrade to make Nigerians proud.

Meanwhile, Mercy Genesis will compete in 50kg; Odunayo Adekuoroye, 57kg, and Hannah Reuben, 76kg categories on the 19th and 20th.

Blessing Oborududu will compete in 68kg; Esther Kolawale, 62kg, and Ogunsanya Christiana Tolulope, 53kg categories on the 20th and 21st.

The last time Arsenal defeated Everton at Goodison Park was in 2017 in a seven-goal thriller.

Arsenal finally ended their three-game losing streak at Goodison Park on Sunday with a hard-fought lone-goal victory against Everton.

Leoandro Trossard emerged as the hero for the Gunners, securing the winner in the 69th minute, assisted by the brilliant Bukayo Saka.

This victory marked Arsenal’s first triumph at Goodison Park since 2017 and their second consecutive win of the season.

The game

The match kicked off with early chances for both sides.

Martin Odegaard’s pinpoint pass created an opportunity for Eddie Nketiah within five minutes, but Jordan Pickford’s quick reflexes denied the Gunners an early lead.

Fabio Viera then failed to capitalise on a 10th-minute chance, sending Oleksandr Zinchenko’s pass off target.

Arsenal’s persistence appeared to have paid off in the 19th minute when Viera’s through ball found Gabriel Martinelli, who calmly slotted the ball past Pickford.

However, VAR intervened, disallowing the goal due to an offside position by Nketiah during the build-up, causing frustration for the Gunners.

The woes continued for Arsenal as Leandro Trossard had to be hurriedly brought in the 24th minute due to an injury cupped by Gabriel Martinelli

Despite this setback, the Gunners continued to dominate possession, and William Saliba made a crucial defensive intervention in the 30th minute to thwart Everton’s attack.

In the 31st minute, Abdoulaye Decoure’s promising run into Arsenal’s box was halted by the young French defender Saliba, who made a timely challenge.

Shortly after, David Raya, making his debut for Arsenal, made a decent effort to save Idrissa Gueye’s long-distance shot in the 32nd minute.

As the first half progressed, Arsenal remained in control, with Ben White testing Pickford’s skills with a shot from the edge of the box.

Despite their dominance, the Gunners were unable to break the deadlock before halftime and things were still not looking good for the Londoners when they returned for the second 45 minutes.

After a couple of missed chances, first-half substitute Trossard provided Arsenal the breakthrough they badly coveted with a crucial goal in the 69th minute.

The ball was worked between Zinchenko and Odegaard to Bukayo Saka whose cutback was cleverly steered in left-footed via the far post by the Belgian for his first goal since February.

Hard as Everton tried to get at least a share of the spoils, they were denied by the Gunners who held on for a famous win that sees them stay in the fourth spot on the log with 13 points from five games.

As for the Toffees, they are languishing in the 18th position having secured just one point from their first five games of the season.

Elsewhere, at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth and Chelsea played out a goalless draw, with neither side able to break the deadlock in a pulsating encounter.

The eastern grandstand of Sydney’s Olympic stadium will be named after Cathy Freeman in tribute to the Indigenous runner who won the 400m gold medal at the venue during the 2000 Games.

Freeman, who also lit the Olympic cauldron at the start of the Games, said she was honoured by the decision announced by the New South Wales state government on Friday.

“This stadium and Sydney Olympic Park hold a truly special place in my heart and that will never change,” the 50-year-old said.

“I hope that my story continues to inspire generations of girls and boys to chase their own dreams in sport and life.

The grandstand will be named ‘Cathy Freeman Stand’.

Watched by a record TV audience in Australia, Freeman’s 400m triumph made her the first Aboriginal Australian to claim an Olympic gold in track and field, and the second to win any Olympic title following Nova Peris’s field hockey gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Freeman also took the 400m silver at Atlanta and won back-to-back world titles in the distance.

“For the past two Summer Olympic Games, Australia’s Olympic team has comprised more women than men, all of whom have an inspirational story,” Australian Olympic Committee President Ian Chesterman said in a statement.

“But it’s Cathy Freeman’s achievement that continues to shine a light on what young women can achieve if they have a dream and they pursue it. We owe her a great debt.”

Amusan with a time of 12.33s emerged the winner of the fiercely contested 100m hurdles event to shut her critics after a disappointing outing in Budapest.

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has emerged as the winner of the Diamond League trophy for an astonishing third consecutive time.

On Sunday night in Oregon, Amusan with a time of 12.33s emerged the winner of the fiercely contested 100m hurdles event to shut her critics after a disappointing outing in Budapest.

Amusan with Sunday’s remarkable performance made history as the second woman in Diamond League history after Dawn Nelson-Harper to win a hat-trick of 100m hurdles titles.

Interestingly, it was in Oregon where Amusan won the world title last year and also set a world record in the process.

For Sunday’s race, the hard-charging Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico finished second in 12.38 while American Keni Harrison was third in 12.44.

Danielle Williams of Jamaica who dethroned Amusan in Budapest finished fourth in 12.47

The athletic season has been a torrid one for Amusan but she emphatically proved on Sunday she is arguably the best sprint hurdler in the world.

The sweet victory in Oregon brings a triumphant close to what has been a difficult summer for Amusan.

Many recall how Amusan was left shattered in the build-up to the World Championships in Budapest after she was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for whereabouts failures.

The 26-year-old was cleared by a disciplinary tribunal on the eve of the meet’s kickoff and it wasn’t surprising when Amusan uncharacteristic finished sixth in the 100m hurdle final in Budapest.

With many not initially sure whether the AIU will file an appeal against Amusan at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, the focus was already shifted to next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

However, with a better frame of mind to prepare, Amusan came out smoking to win her third Diamond League trophy on Sunday.

The world record holder first made history in 2021 when she ran a 12.42 African record to become the first Nigerian to win a Diamond League title.

For those who said it was a fluke, Amusan went on to successfully defend her title the following year, running a new 12.29 Weltklasse meeting record in Zurich, Switzerland.

And on Sunday Amusan made it a hat trick of wins with a season-best time of 12.33s in Eugene Oregon.

Liverpool have moved to the top of the Premier League table after coming from behind to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 at Molineux.

Wolves dominated for large periods during the first half and took an early lead thanks to Hee-chan Hwang’s goal.

The hosts squandered more than one good opportunity though and Liverpool punished them as they came back into the contest in the second half.

Cody Gakpo’s equaliser brought Jurgen Klopp’s men back into the game, before Andy Robertson popped up with a crucial goal five minutes from time.

Hugo Bueno’s own goal in injury time sealed the three points for Liverpool as Klopp’s men move above Manchester City to the Premier League summit for the first time in 16 months.

Wolves remain down in 15th after a fourth loss from five games, and they could slip further before the end of the weekend.

Gary O’Neil handed a Wolves debut to deadline day signing Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and he instantly looked lively, driving at the heart of the Liverpool defence in the opening minute.

That would be a precursor to how much of the first 45 minutes went, as Liverpool struggled to get to grips with Wolves’ direct attacking play

It was all Wolves in the opening exchanges, and the hosts took advantage by going ahead inside seven minutes thanks to Hwang’s acute-angle finish.

Excellent play down the left-wing by Pedro Neto saw him breeze past Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Dominik Szoboszlai before his square ball found an unmarked Hwang, whose effort crept through the legs of Alisson in the Liverpool goal.

Liverpool, squandered an excellent chance from a corner, taking his eye off the ball and mistiming his header after finding space in the box.

Then with 10 minutes remaining of the first half, Wolves wasted arguably their best chance of the game, when more Neto magic up against Gomez saw him beat the stand-in right-back with ease before providing a brilliant cross for Matheus Cunha, who tried a header but saw the ball awkwardly bounce off his thigh as the chance got away.

Wolves travel to newly-promoted Luton Town next weekend, while Liverpool have a trip to Linz first before returning to league action, facing LASK in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Reds will then face fellow Europa League contestants West Ham United at Anfield in the league next Sunday.

Portugal international and Al Nassr ace Cristiano Ronaldo has dragged Italian Seria A side Juventus to court over his unpaid entitlements.

Italian publication, La Gazzetta dello Sport, reported that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had to take Juventus to court over unpaid entitlements.

Recall Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus on July 10, 2018, for a transfer fee worth €117 million. He left the club and returned to Manchester United for a transfer fee worth €17 million on August 31, 2021. He is now playing for the Saudi Pro League club, Al Nassr.

Before he left Juventus, Ronaldo scored 101 goals and provided 22 assists in 134 games in all competitions. He helped the Italian team to win two Serie A titles, one Italian Cup, and two Italian Super Cups before he exited the club.

While the COVID pandemic was in its early phases between 2019 and early 2020, Juventus allegedly agreed to pay Ronaldo about €19.9 million net for agreeing to forgo part of his wages.

Reports claimed that even though Ronaldo agreed to forgo part of his wages, the Italian Serie A giants failed to keep their side of the bargain which the 38-year-old Portuguese icon is trying to push for through a legal suit.

These delayed wages are part of the now-famous “salary maneuvers” by Juventus that are the focus of the ongoing Prisma legal case.

After requesting the necessary documentation from the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Turin, Ronaldo decided to sue Juventus, causing much more damage to the club’s already threatened reputation.

Recall that Leonardo Bonucci has also sued the club, claiming damages after being unexpectedly fired from Massimiliano Allegri’s squad.

Paulo Dybala and Juventus, on the other hand, have reached an agreement regarding the nearly €3 million he was owed. After their original verbal agreement, he filed a lawsuit claiming damages for the failure to renew his contract, which he has now dropped.