The Flying Eagles will begin their U-20 World Cup campaign with a tricky Group D opening fixture against the Dominican Republic.

The highly anticipated fixture is billed for the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, Argentina on Sunday (today) and it is the first encounter between both countries at any competitive level.

Nigeria, seven time African champions and a two-time finalist at the U-20 World Cup, qualified for the tourney after easing to a 4-0 victory over Tunisia in the third place match at the 17th Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in March.

Dominican Republic on their part, made history qualifying for their first ever FIFA World Cup at any level after they reached the semi-final of the Concacaf U-20 Championship following a 1-0 win over Jamaica in the quarter-finals.

While Nigeria will be desperate to build on their impressive pre-tournament form, the Quisqueyano will be eager to prove their mettle and potentially cause an upset in their debut appearance at the tournament.

Dominican Republic have lost their last five games – against Ecuador (3-0), Argentina (0-4), Uzbekistan (0-3), Iraq (3-2) and Brazil (1-0).

But despite their winless run, the Flying Eagles coach, Ladan Bosso, has vowed that his side won’t underrate the debutants but will go with full confidence into picking all three points when it takes on Sunday evening.

“As I stated earlier, we are happy with the results from the two friendly matches we played in Buenos Aires,” Bosso said.

“We won one against an Argentina club and then drew with the Colombia U-20 team that’s also taking part in this tournament. Those are not bad results.

“More than anything else, what the results have done is to give us confidence that we can get the job done. Victory over Dominican Republic on Sunday (today) will stabilise our winning mentality. It is a factor that matters in championships and that is why we are determined to win on Sunday.”

Bosso will most likely opt for the squad that started the friendly against Colombia in Buenos Aires last Tuesday, with Chijioke Aniagbosos in goal, Daniel Bameyi, Solomon Agbalaka, Abel Ogwuche and Benjamin Frederick in defence, with Ibrahim Muhammad, Samson Lawal and Jude Sunday upfront. However, Emmanuel Umeh, who was among the scorers in both friendlies, could start against the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, AC Milan U-19 star, Victor Eletu, may sit out Sunday encounter after he only joined up with the Flying Eagles squad late.

It was learnt that midfielder Eletu was only released by Milan after he played an U-19 game Wednesday before he headed out to South America.

The Flying Eagles will take on Italy in a second group game on Wednesday.

KRC Gent forward Gift Orban has named Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool as the three Premier League clubs he would consider joining in the summer, but ruled out a move to Arsenal.

The 20-year-old Gent forward has scored 19 times in 19 games so far this season in all competitions, despite having only move to Belgian football in January.

A host of Europe’s leading clubs have been linked with the former Stabaek striker but would, according to the Evening Standard, only leave if Gent receive a sizeable fee.

Orban is said to be happy to continue his development at Gent but in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws (via Sport Witness) he indicated his desire to test himself in the Premier League.

“Playing in a big league,” he said when asked what his ‘craziest football dream’ is.

“At a club where I feel comfortable and where I play. The Premier League is my ultimate dream. Manchester United, Liverpool or Manchester City.”

A move to Arsenal, however, holds little attraction, however, with another trophyless season highlighting their inability to compete with their rivals both at home and abroad, according to Orban.

He added, “I don’t really like Arsenal that much – it’s like they don’t want to win titles. They play and sell players – that’s it.

“I want to go somewhere where they win prizes. At Real Madrid they don’t have time for tiki-taka, there they just grab titles.”

Despite their end of season collapse, which has gifted the title to City, Arteta is insistent that progress has been made at Arsenal and that his young side will return stronger next season.

“We can look at the picture with a really narrow and thin vision, or we can have perspective of where we were, where we are today and what we’ve done.

“We cannot lose sight of what’s happened in certain moments where we weren’t at our best or at the level required to be the champions or be in the position we are in today. We have to acknowledge that as well.

“What we have ahead of us next summer is extremely important and we have to absolutely nail it.”

Côte d’Ivoire will host the third edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League, the Executive Committee has announced. The prestigious inter-club competition for women was first hosted by Egypt in 2021 with Morocco hosting last year’s edition.

The dates for the tournament will be announced soon, but the eight-team tournament will help the Ivorians test their systems ahead of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which kicks off in January 2023.

The format will remain unchanged with the eight teams drawn into two groups. The top two in each will progress to the semi-finals.

The champion of the host country will be joined by seven other teams from the zonal qualifiers which will be held in due course as well.

Morocco’s AS Far are the defending champions, having clinched the crown on home soil, beating holders Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies.

Awards

2021: Mamelodi Sundowns (AFS) 2-0 Hasaacas Ladies FC (GHA)

2022: AS Far (MAR) 4-0 Mamelodi Sundowns (SA)

Best player

2021: Evelyn Badu (GHA)

2022: Fatima Tagnaout (MAR)

Best goalkeeper

2021: Andile Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns)

2022: Khadija Er-Rmichi (AS Far)

Top scorer

2021: Evelyn Badu 5 goals (GHA)

2022: Ibtissam Jraidi 6 goals (MAR)

Burkina Faso ended their sojourn at the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with a place on the podium after edging out Mali 2-1 in the playoff in Annaba on Thursday night to finish third.

The Burkinabe enjoyed sweet revenge against the Malians having lost by a solitary goal when they met in the group stages.

Ousmane Camara’s first-half penalty and Appolinaire Bougma’s strike after the break ensured Burkina Faso return home with a medal around their necks.

Mamadou Doumbia scored Mali’s consolation in the second half, his fourth of the tournament, but it did little to spur a possible comeback.

While Burkina Faso went in with their full strength squad, Mali fielded a hugely changed team as coach Soumaila Coulibaly sought to give all players an opportunity to have a taste of continental football.

Burkina Faso had the first chance at goal with Camara having a curling effort fly inches wide in the 11th minute. In the 19th minute, Mali came close but defender Nouhoun Bamba made a goalline clearance to deny Salif Noah Leintu’s effort.

After a balanced start, it was Burkina Faso who would break the deadlock with Camara slotting a 25th minute penalty after Bougma was appended in the area. This was the first time that the Malians were conceding at the tournament.

They tried to level terms before the break with Doumbia having two chances, first a shot from distance that dragged just wide while two minutes to the break, he had a header pushed against the crossbar by the keeper.

Burkina Faso needed just two minutes after the break to double their tally, Bougma finishing off a cross from the right by Camara.

Stunned and with a two-goal deficit, Mali made changes with Angel Tia and Mahamoud Barry who had been rested coming on. They halved the deficit in the 58th minute, thanks to some improved attack, with Doumbia netting his fourth of the tournament.

The goal pumped in some belief in the Malian side, but despite their efforts, Burkina Faso held on for the win and a precious bronze medal to wipe their tears after failing to make the final.

Nigeria’s Taiwo Awoniyi has shattered Arsenal’s hopes of winning the English Premier League after his 19^th minute goal against Arsenal confirmed Manchester City as Premier League champions for the fifth time in six seasons on Saturday.

What an irony! Manchester City did not even have to kick a ball to win the title as the second-placed Arsenal’s challenge ended in defeat away at Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal, who enjoyed an eighth-point lead over City as recently as mid-March, needed at least a point to stay mathematically in the hunt, but went down 1-0. 

Their initial 248 days atop of the league table has now ended in disappointment.

City, who host Chelsea on Sunday, have 85 points with three games to play, while Arsenal are on 81 with one game left.

It is City’s seventh Premier League title since they were bought by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2008 and they are now just two wins away from completing a treble only previously achieve by Manchester United in 1999.

City face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on June 3 and a week later take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final — starting big favourites in both games.

While Arsenal have threatened to knock City off their perch this season, it all proved an illusion in the end as Pep Guardiola’s side again proved relentless in the run-in.

Since losing to Tottenham Hotspur on Feb. 5 they have taken 40 points from the next 42 on offer and have won their last 11 matches. They have also comprehensively beaten Arsenal home and away

* Africa Cup of Nations 2021 – won on 6 February 2022 in Cameroon

*African Beach Soccer 2022 – won in Mozambique on 21 October 2022

*African Nations Championship – won in Algeria on 4 February 2023 in Algeria 

*African U-20  Cup Nations – won in Egypt on 11 March 2023

*African U-17  Cup of Nations – won in Algeria on 19 May 2023

All the five national teams’ football titles have been won by Senegal. Apart from the Beach Soccer titles which have always been won by Senegal, their victories in the other four competitions were the first. 

 This is unprecedented in the continent. The fifth title, was attained Friday night when Mamadou Sawane headed home the winning goal seven minutes from time as Senegal scored twice in four minutes to come from a goal down and beat Morocco 2-1 to clinch their first ever  U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in a dramatic finale at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers.

Skipper Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal had given Morocco a 14th minute lead, one they kept until the 79th minute when Serigne Falou Diouf scored a VAR awarded penalty.

Sawane towered the entire defense to head home four minutes later, completing the hard-earned turnaround for the Teranga Cubs.

Senegal has now won a third consecutive continental title within four months, their team of local based players having won the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) title in February at the same venue of their conquest on Friday, while they also won the U20 AFCON title in Egypt in March.

Their senior national team began the continental dominance last February when they clinched the AFCON 2021 crown then continuing with an AFCON Beach Soccer title later in the year.

Heading into the Friday night’s duel, both teams were in unfamiliar territory, playing their first ever final, but it was Morocco who would go ahead first.

A confident Nigerian team says it will not under-rate the opposition but will go with full confidence into picking all three points when it takes on Dominican Republic at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza on Sunday evening.

Head Coach Ladan Bosso, his assistants and the players were at the match venue on Friday evening for a familiarization visit ahead of Sunday’s encounter, which is their first in a pool that also includes Italy and Brazil.

“As I stated earlier, we are happy with the results from the two friendly matches we played in Buenos Aires. We won one against an Argentina club and then drew with the Colombia U20 team that’s also taking part in this tournament. Those are not bad results.

“More than anything else, what the results have done is to give us confidence that we can get the job done. Victory over Dominican Republic on Sunday will stabilise our winning mentality. It is a factor that matters in championships and that is why we are determined to win on Sunday.”

On Thursday, the seven-time African champions held their first training session in Mendoza, with Coach Bosso supervising a programme that lasted two hours. There was another session on Friday.

Italy-based youngster Victor Eletu eventually joined the squad a couple of days ago, and will strengthen the team’s engine room from where the forwards will expect the supplies to down the opposition.

Bosso will most likely opt for the squad that started the friendly against Colombia in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, with Chijioke Aniagbosos in goal, Daniel Bameyi, Solomon Agbalaka, Abel Ogwuche and Benjamin Frederick in defence, with Ibrahim Muhammad, Samson Lawal and Jude Sunday upfront. However, Emmanuel Umeh, who was among the scorers in both friendlies, could start against the Dominican Republic.