Sports
Rivers Angels Lose To Bayelsa Queens In Friendly
Nigerian Women and Cup holders, Rivers Angels, FC of Port Harcourt were beaten 2-1 by Bayelsa Queens in a friendly game at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt last week.
The game was used as test for both dies who were drawn in separate groups of the upcoming Nigeria Women league season which kicks off tomorrow in an abridged format.
Fringe stars such as Mabel Effiom, Peace Obioma, Uju Joseph, Emenike Ijeoma, Obi Ijeoma and NWPL topscorer last season Amarachi Orjinma were given the nod to show their worth in the absence of 10 key players who are on national duty with the Super Falcons.
In the 7th minute, former Pelican forward, Orjinma fired her team’s first real attempt over the bar.
River Angels however went behind soon after as they conceded a free kick in the 21st minute when new recruit, Effiom brought down Uzoamaka Igwe on the edge of the 18 yard box.
Igwe dusted herself up and converted the kick from an acute angle directly into the net, leaving goalkeeper Charity John with no chance.
Three minutes later, Effiom put the host, level after being awarded a free kick few meters from the 18 yard box.
The remaining part of the first half ended with not many clear cut chances created.
The second half started with the visitors acting like a house on fire with most of the action played in Rivers Angels half.
Bayelsa Queens enjoyed the larger part of the possession, dominating play, and having the highest completed passes in the game.
Charity John who was in goal for Rivers Angels, had her hands full making three saves from Edeji Chidinma, Esther Udegbe and Rafiat Sule who all combined well on different occasions to terrorise a porous Rivers Angels defense.
Orjinma yet again found her shot roll over the bar in 63rd minute but Flamingoes star Cynthia Aku made better use of her chance but was saved by Favour Nwaaha in goal for Bayelsa Queens.
In the 71st minute, another Flamingoes star, Joy Bokiri linked up well with Rafiat Sule, who slotted home the winner for Bayelsa Queens.
Two minutes later, Mabel Effiom almost got the equaliser for the League champions but was stopped by Favour Nwaaha.
With eight minutes to regulation time, the visitors still proved unstoppable creating chances and winning a free kick which was taken by Lucky Odiri but Charity John was alert to avoid another goal into the back of her net.
Despite the win against Rivers Angels, Bayelsa Queens coach, Rolandson Odeh said he still has a lot of work to do before the league kicks off on Saturday.
“It has been able to expose a lot of lapses and i was thinking i was ready for the league but based on what have seen today i have less than 24 hours to correct the mistakes i have seen here so to me it is still work in progress, said Odeh.”
Odeh added, it’s a friendly game not all teams would have come with their talented players and coupled with the fact that Rivers Angels are the household name of women football in Nigeria but it was a good game.
On his part, assistant coach of Rivers Angels, Whyte Ogbonda attributed the loss to the absence of his key players who are on national duty with the Super Falcons.
“Despite losing to Bayelsa Queens in this match we all know it is a friendly match but it is preparatory match to our league match which kicks off this weekend. Most of our players are not available to us at the moment. We just managed to use what we have to execute this match but all the same we think the players at home will be able to execute the league match pending when the rest of the team will return to Port Harcourt, Ogbonda explained.”
Sporting have not received an offer for striker Viktor Gyokeres and there is no gentleman’s agreement for him to leave for £59million, says club president Frederico Varandas.
Sweden international Gyokeres, 27, has been heavily linked with Manchester United and Arsenal after scoring 97 goals in 102 matches during two seasons in Portugal.
He has a 100m euro (£85m) release clause in his contract.
It has been widely reported that, after staying at Sporting last summer, Gyokeres and Sporting agreed he could leave for 70m euros (£59m) this summer.
However, Varandas said the club’s only promise to Gyokeres was that they would not demand his full release clause.
“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.
“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres, neither today nor last season.”
Gyokeres spent three seasons with Coventry City in the Championship before joining Sporting under Ruben Amorim.
Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana was sporting director at Sporting last summer, when Gyokeres’ agent sought assurances about his leaving if a suitable offer arrived.
“One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,” said Varandas.
“He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now.
“For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m eurors or 90m euros.
“In that same meeting the agent wanted to anchor the exit to a value. I said this sentence: ‘It’s not worth us setting a value because I don’t know what will happen in a year’s time. I don’t know if it will be 40m euros, 60m euros or 80m euros. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand 100 million euros.’”
Concacaf President Victor Montagliani has criticised a proposal to expand the 2030 men’s World Cup to 64 teams.
The plans, put forward by South American governing body Conmebol, have also drawn opposition from Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The tournament will be hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, after the opening matches are held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The 2026 World Cup, which will take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, has already been expanded from 32 to 48 teams.
But Conmebol said it wanted to add more participants to mark the competition’s 100-year anniversary.
“I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players,” Montagliani told Tidesports source
“We haven’t even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so personally, I don’t think that expanding to 64 teams should even be on the table.”
Concacaf is the governing body of football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The decision to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams was taken in 2017 following a unanimous vote at a Fifa congress.
Fifa’s 75th congress will be held in Paraguay on 15 May, when Conmebol’s proposal could be discussed.
If the proposal is accepted, the 2030 edition would consist of 128 matches, double the number played under the 64-game format used from 1998 and 2022.
In March, Ceferin described the proposal as a “bad idea” while AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa said it would cause “chaos”.
“If the issue remains open to change, then the door will not only be open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams,” said Salman.
“But someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams. Where would we end up then? It would become chaos.”
Brazil qualified for the 2026 World Cup this week with a 1-0 win against Paraguay in South American qualifying to give Carlo Ancelotti his first win as manager.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jnr scored from close range in the second half, finishing after fine work from Manchester United-bound playmaker Matheus Cunha.
The victory, Ancelotti’s first after a 0-0 draw against Ecuador on his debut last week, means Brazil has now qualified for every edition of the World Cup.
“We needed to win and qualify for the World Cup,” said Vinicius Jr.
“Now the coach will have more time to work. Of course today wasn’t one of our best performances, but the important thing is always to win.
“Now it’s time to celebrate qualifying.”
Elsewhere, World Cup holders Argentina played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires.
Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring with a fine individual goal, dancing through three defenders before finishing past Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Argentina was reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes remaining when Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a high-boot challenge on Colombia’s Kevin Castano.
But Lionel Messi’s side found an equaliser nine minutes from the end through Lyon’s Thiago Almada, leaving Colombia four points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela.
Ecuador, Argentina’s nearest challengers, booked their spot at next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States after a 0-0 draw away at Peru.