Sports
PSG Plots To Hijack Madrid’s Move For Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain has remained in contact with Monaco forward and Real Madrid target Kylian Mbappe throughout their record-breaking pursuit of Neymar.
Despite spending €222 million on a new forward, with Barcelona reluctantly talked into parting with a prized asset, PSG remains active in the summer transfer market.
It could be that they go big once again, with one of the most sought-after teenage talents in world football the next player in their sights.
Mbappe has registered on the Parc des Princes transfer radar for some time, with Tidesports source revealing in June that a €135m bid had been tabled.
No deal was done then, as attention turned to Neymar, but PSG has continued to remain in contact with Monaco’s striking sensation.
In fact, it is understood that president Nasser Al-Khelaifi put a personal call to Mbappe during the Neymar negotiations to assure the youngster that he remained in the club’s plans.
PSG has also been in touch with the people around Mbappe, in particular his father Wilfried.
Initial suspicions regarding the motives of the capital club have started to ease, with the project on offer in Paris becoming ever more appealing.
That has forced Monaco into a corner, with discussions regarding a planned contract extension having to be shelved due to the demands being made.
Mbappe has left contractual matters in the hands of his representatives and family, amid talk of interest from PSG, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
To him, of greater concern is the sporting aspect of any deal, as he seeks guarantees that he will get regular minutes in a World Cup year and a Champions League stage on which to perform.
Real Madrid and PSG are considered to be the sides best equipped to offer him the game time that he craves, but Monaco have him tied to a contract which means that they do not have to sell.
The reigning champions are also reluctant to do business with a direct domestic rival, with vice-president Vadim Vasilyev eager to avoid negotiations with PSG at any cost.
That puts Real Madrid in pole position to get a deal done, but Al-Khelaifi is unlikely to throw in the towel having made a considerable effort up until this point to keep Mbappe in the loop and to have made him aware of what could happen were his future to lie in Paris.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.
-
News14 hours agoNigeria Won’t Surrender Any Territory To Criminals -Tinubu
-
News14 hours agoFG Begins Trial Of Over 600 Terrorism Suspects
-
Niger Delta11 hours agoWarri Airport Manager Disputes Air Peace Bird Strike Claim
-
Rivers11 hours ago79th IAUE Inaugural Lecture: Prof Anero Advoctes Tuition-Free Education For Children
-
Politics11 hours agoParties’ Deregistration: How Justice Lifu Overruled Appeal Court Justices
-
News14 hours agoRivers Judges Commence Annual Vacation, July 20
-
Politics12 hours ago
2027: Rivers PFN To Mobilise 600,000 Votes
-
News14 hours agoRSG Reaffirms Commitment To Women’s Empowerment