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Super Eagles set for Gabon clash in World Cup play-offs

The mini-tournament will be held in Morocco from November 13 to 16, featuring Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, and DR Congo.

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Nigeria’s Super Eagles will square off against Gabon in the semi-finals of the African zone play-offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the conclusion of the group stage on Tuesday.

In football, “play-off” refers to either an extra game played to break a tie at the end of a match or a series of games played after the regular season to determine a champion. These are high-stakes games to decide a winner when teams have the same score, or they are played between the leading teams to determine the ultimate champion.

The mini-tournament will be held in Morocco from November 13 to 16, featuring Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, and DR Congo.

The three-time African champions stormed into the play-offs with an emphatic 4–0 thrashing of the Benin Republic, sealing second place in their qualifying group.

Gabon also booked their spot after a 2–0 win over Burundi, aided by the Ivory Coast’s victory against Kenya, which left the Panthers in second place in Group F.

Elsewhere, DR Congo edged Sudan 1–0 to finish runners-up to Senegal in Group B, while Cameroon clinched second place in Group D behind Cape Verde, rounding out the four best runners-up heading to the play-offs.

The format will see the two semi-final winners face off in a single-leg final for a ticket to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026, where one African team will have a final shot at qualifying for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

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Manchester City lose ground in EPL title race

Defeat is Manchester City’s third consecutive since their seven-match winning run ended at Aston Villa.

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Manchester City suffered a shock 3-1 defeat at Nottinghaam Forest in the English Premier League on Saturday night.

Liam Delap’s brace and Jair Cunha’s opener ensured Forest claimed maximum points against the fumbling former EPL champions riddled with defensive lapses.

Forest took the lead on eight minutes through defender Cunha who dispossessed Josko Gvardiol close to the penalty area, before slotting a low shot beyond the goalkeeper from just inside the box.

Delap doubled the lead with a rasping drive on 18 minutes after he stole the ball from City’s hesitant players.

The visitors reduced the deficit on 52 minutes from Ryan Cherki’s half-voley that nestled into the top of the net, but a defiant Forest regained the two-goal lead on 72 minutes through Delap.

The former Chelsea striker completed his brace with a piledriver into the top corner from Morgan Gibbs-White’s pass off a counter attack.

Defeat is Manchester City’s third consecutive since their seven-match winning run ended at Aston Villa.

City also lose three on the bounce for the first time since 2024, and are six points off the pace behind EPL leaders Arsenal.Nottingham Forest however climb out of the relegation waters with a first win in six matches.

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Nigeria Wins First U-17 Women’s World Cup By 2:1 Against Japan

The Japanese side pushed for an equaliser, but Nigeria held on to secure the 2-1 victory.

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Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have defeated Japan 2-1 to win the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Flamingos secured the historic victory on Saturday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, Pitch 3, in Rabat, to claim their first title in the competition.

Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 39th minute with a long-range effort that slipped through the hands of the Japanese goalkeeper.

Nigeria doubled their advantage shortly after the restart, with Oluebube Umejiaku finding the net in the 47th minute to put the Flamingos in control.

Japan fought back and reduced the deficit through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute.

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The Japanese side pushed for an equaliser, but Nigeria held on to secure the 2-1 victory. The Flamingos also came close to extending their lead late in the game, striking the crossbar from a corner kick.

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JUST IN: Ronaldo Ends 23-year Portugal Career, Hangs National Team Boots

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Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 41, bringing an end to a record-breaking 23-year career with Portugal.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner confirmed the decision in an emotional Instagram video on Thursday, saying he was ready to “hand back the number seven shirt” of the national team.

Ronaldo leaves the stage as the all-time leading scorer and most-capped player in men’s international football, with 146 goals in 234 appearances. He captained Portugal to their first major trophy at Euro 2016 and later helped the side win the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.

His final appearance for the Seleção came on 24 September 2026 in a 1-0 Nations League victory over Wales. The announcement follows a public falling-out with head coach Jorge Jesus during the September international break, after which Ronaldo left the team camp and received a 30-day suspension and fine.

In his farewell message, Ronaldo said: “To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it… Today the time has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the mind alone — they are also made with the heart.”

Ronaldo will continue playing at club level with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

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