Sports
Nkwocha Aims To End National Career On High
Four-time African
Footballer of the year Perpetua Nkwocha hopes to bow out on a high after confirming that the Women’s World Cup in Canada will be her last.
The 39-year-old will play in her fourth tournament after being named in the Super Falcons 23-woman squad for the tournament that begins on 6 June.
The first BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala is also included.
“This will definitely be my last world cup appearance and I want to make it count,” Nkwocha told Tidesports source.
“Our success at the last African women championship shows that we’ve got a very competitive Super Falcons side.
“I am surrounded by a some experienced players and talented young ones, I believe we’ll give it our all in Canada.”
Nkwocha, who is based in Sweden, also played for the Super Falcons at the 2003, 2007 and 2011 tournaments.
Evelyn Nwabuoku will captain the side, while striker Courtney Dike, who plays for Oklahoma State University in the USA, also makes the final squad.
Coach Edwin Okon will be looking to Desire Oparanozie, who plays in France for En Avant Guingamp of France and was top scorer at the AWC in Namibia, as his main goal scorer.
Nigeria play their opening game in Canada – against Sweden – on 8 June, two days after the tournament starts.
Veteran goalkeeper Precious Dede, 35, makes the travelling party which also faces tricky group games against Australia and USA.
Seven-time African champions Nigeria is the only African team to have played in all Fifa Women’s World Cup tournaments since 1991.
But they have failed to translate their continental dominance on the world stage, as their best performance came in the USA in 1999 when they reached the quarter-finals.
The Super Falcons were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Brazil after finishing second in their group.
Nigeria World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Precious Dede (Ibom Queens); Christy Ohiaeriaku (Rivers Angels); Ibubeleye Whyte (Rivers Angels)
Defenders: Blessing Edoho (Pelican Stars); Osinachi Ohale (Rivers Angels); Onome Ebi (FC Minsk, Belarus); Josephine Chukwunonye (Rivers Angels); Ugo Njoku (Rivers Angels); Ngozi Ebere (Rivers Angels); Sarah Nnodim (Nasarawa Amazons)
Midfielders: Evelyn Nwabuoku (BIIK Kazygurt, Kazakhstan); Halimatu Ayinde (Delta Queens); Martina Ohadugha (Rivers Angels); Cecilia Nku (Rivers Angels)
Forwards: Perpetua Nkwocha (Clemensnas IF, Sweden); Esther Sunday (FC Minsk, Belarus); Asisat Oshoala (Liverpool Ladies, England); Desire Oparanozie (En Avant Guingamp, France); Ngozi Okobi (Delta Queens); Francisca Ordega (Washington Spirit, USA); Loveth Ayila (Rivers Angels); Courtney Dike (Oklahoma State University, USA); Ini-Abasi Umotong (Portsmouth Ladies, England) .
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.