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Egypt, Morocco, others await Olympics draw Wednesday

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The anticipation is palpable as three African nations – Egypt, Mali, and Morocco – gear up for the highly awaited draw of the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament, set to hold in Saint-Denis, Paris on Wednesday.

Following their stellar performances in last year’s U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, these nations have emerged as formidable contenders, CAF Online reveals on its website on Monday.

With eyes fixed on the French capital, the trio hopes to secure advantageous groupings or brace for potentially defining challenges.

As the football world awaits with bated breath, Wednesday’s draw promises to unveil the thrilling prospects that lie ahead for these African powerhouses on the Olympic stage.

The statement read, “African interest will centre on Egypt, Mali and Morocco after their impressive qualifying campaigns at last year’s U23 Africa Cup of Nations.

“The trio will be keeping a close eye on Wednesday’s draw in the French capital, where they could potentially land dream groups or tournament-defining challenges.

“But one more African nation could yet make the draw, with Guinea facing a playoff against one of the fourth-placed Asian teams for the final spot.

“This means Africa will have four representatives at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris if Guinea wins the intercontinental playoff scheduled to be held in May.”

Africa’s representatives
Egypt, quarter-finalists in 1928 and 1964, have reached a record 12 Olympic tournaments and will hope to improve on that best-ever finish in Paris.

Morocco are no stranger to the big stage either, with this being their eighth Olympic odyssey.

The Atlas Lions were surprise winners of last year’s U23 Africa Cup of Nations to seal qualification and will believe they can go further than their previous best of the second round in 1972.

Mali completed Africa’s trio in Paris after grabbing the last automatic qualification spot via a third-place finish in the continental U23 championship.

Qualifiers for the tourney in the Asian continent are still ongoing and won’t affect the Wednesday draw.

“The full line-up of participants won’t be confirmed until early May when Asian qualifying concludes.

“France, as hosts, are already guaranteed a place in the 16-team event which kicks off proceedings at their home Olympics on July 24 – two days before the opening ceremony.

“They will be joined by a star-studded cast from around the globe, including three former Olympic champions in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico,” it further read.

Olympics draw breakdown
PUNCH Online reports from a piece of information on the Olympics website that a total of 12 women’s and 16 men’s teams will compete in the Olympic football tournaments in Paris in 2024.

The 12 women’s teams will be split into three groups of four, with the 16 men’s teams split into four groups of four. The match schedules for both tournaments will be made available following the draw.

It read, “In the women’s tournament, the top two from each group and the best two third-placed teams will advance to the knockout phase.

“In the men’s competition, the top two from each group will reach the knockout phase. From there onwards, the competition follows a classic knockout format until the finals decide the Olympic champions.”

The Paris 2024 Olympics are set to be one of the most anticipated sporting events globally.

The Olympic Games is a major international multi-sport event, where thousands of athletes from around the world compete in a variety of sports.

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Super Eagles Midfielder Ndidi Pays Courtesy Visit To Sports Minister

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Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi paid a courtesy visit to the office of the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator

Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi paid a courtesy visit to the office of the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, on Wednesday, May 14, 2024.

Accompanied by his manager, Yahaya Atom, and Mr. Yemi Idowu, Ndidi engaged in discussions with the Sports Minister on various matters pertaining to Nigerian football.

During the visit, Senator Enoh extended his congratulations to Ndidi on Leicester City’s promotion to the English Premier League, acknowledging the midfielder’s contributions to the team’s success. He also took the opportunity to discuss the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches, scheduled to commence early next month.

The minister emphasized the importance of preparation and urged Ndidi to play a pivotal role in the Super Eagles’ quest to secure their place in the World Cup. He encouraged Ndidi to continue to exhibit the same level of dedication and skill that has made him a valuable asset to both club and country.

Also, Ndidi conveyed his appreciation to Senator Enoh, expressing gratitude for the minister’s undiluted support and commitment to the well-being of the Super Eagles team, particularly during the recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament. He commended Senator Enoh for the excellent care and assistance provided to the team throughout their campaign.

The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both Ndidi and Senator Enoh expressing optimism for the future of Nigerian football and pledging their continued support to the advancement of the sport in the country.

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Morgan slams ‘disgraceful’ Tottenham ‘idiots’ after Arsenal blow

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Television broadcaster and Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan has branded any Tottenham fan celebrating their 2-0 loss to Manchester City last

Television broadcaster and Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan has branded any Tottenham fan celebrating their 2-0 loss to Manchester City last night as ‘disgraceful idiots’ in a fierce rant.

In what was such a pivotal game for the title race, Spurs dealt their bitter rivals Arsenal a brutal blow as they handed Man City the top spot in the league table thanks to Erling Haaland’s second-half brace alongside Heung-min Son’s late missed chance that could’ve levelled the scoreline with just five minutes left.

Ange Postecoglou’s side could’ve still mathematically finished in the top four before last night’s clash, with them needing to overturn a five-point deficit to Aston Villa, but the result meant that Spurs were left in a position where they can now finish outside the top five on the final day of the season.

Even after the full-time whistle, supporters noticed a playful conversation between Pep Guardiola and Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero, with the Man City boss finishing it off by playfully punching the Argentinian in the chest with a smile – a stark contrast to the post-match press conference of Postecoglou who appeared incensed on the touchline at a fan celebrating his side’s loss.

With emotions running high for all three teams, it was Morgan who summarised what many Arsenal fans have been claiming in the days leading up to the match, which saw Tottenham fans asking the club on social media to lose in order to derail Mikel Arteta’s side’s attempt at lifting their first Premier League trophy in over 20 years.

One of those fans was former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who took to watching the match in a Manchester City shirt during a live watch along on talkSPORT, in which he was also seen doing the poznan and singing Blue Moon.

Speaking to Ally McCoist and Alan Brazil on TalkSPORT’s Breakfast show the following morning, Morgan fumed: “Morning chaps. I’ll tell you what I can say [about the match], Jamie O’Hara and all the other little Spurs fans who were actually celebrating their team losing are possibly the most disgraceful bunch of tiny-club-mentality idiots I think world football has ever seen!

“I mean honestly, they were dancing around in celebration as Man City scored against them. O’Hara is wearing a City shirt and jumping around because it’s the closest thing they’ll ever get to winning anything in their tiny, godforsaken lives.

“It’s got to be the most embarrassing, humiliating, self-harming act of treachery I’ve ever seen and I really feel sorry [for them], because I’ve woken up this morning knowing how it feels to be a Spurs fan for a night and it’s horrible. I’ve woken up with a massive headache, I got hardly any sleep, I drank too much and I felt a sense of self-loathing which only disappeared when I remembered I was an Arsenal fan.

“Just to remind everyone, O’Hara was in the Arsenal academy before we got rid of him and sent him to Tottenham, that just shows his mentality. I do feel sorry for Ange Postecoglou because he’s an Australian, he doesn’t understand what it means to want to lose something in sport because losing is alien to them. Postecoglou has literally had to turn around in a massive game for them which could’ve helped them to qualify for the Champions League but no, there was a Tottenham fan behind him chanting throughout the game for him to throw the match.

“Postecoglou, because he’s a winner, turned around and had a go at him. What a moment for Tottenham fans, I mean, how can any of them live with themselves after watching that scene go down last night? They had a chance to try and make top four, they were the better team for 70 percent of that match against City but Son missed an absolute sitter and Arsenal aren’t heading for the Premier League on Sunday. I’m annoyed, I’m annoyed but I’m also ashamed, even more so than usual, of Spurs fans.”

 

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First Women’s Club World Cup to take place in 2026

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The inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will take place in January and February 2026, Fifa has confirmed. The 16-team tournament will be held

The inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will take place in January and February 2026, Fifa has confirmed.

The 16-team tournament will be held every four years and fall during the domestic season for European leagues, between the Women’s Champions League group stages and the knockout rounds.

The USA’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season usually begins in March.

Fifa announced its intention to create a global women’s club competition in December 2022 and a Fifa congress confirmed the plans on Wednesday in Bangkok.

Barcelona are the current European champions, NY Gotham FC the reigning NWSL champions and Brazilian side Corinthians are the holders of the Copa Libertadores Femenina.

The Fifa congress also approved a new international match calendar from 2026-29 with the aim of providing players with more opportunities for rest and recovery by reducing the number of international breaks from six to five.

“The women’s international match calendar and the subsequent amendments to our regulations represent an important milestone in our pledge to take the women’s game to the next level by enhancing competitiveness across the world,” said Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

The first edition of the expanded men’s Club World Cup tournament – which will also be staged every four years – is scheduled for next summer.

The Fifa congress is also set to vote for the host of the 2027 Women’s World Cup with Brazil up against a joint bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

 

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