Sports
U-20 AFCON: South Africa defeat Flying Eagles 1-0 to reach final
The second half brought a major setback for Nigeria when 15-year-old goalkeeper Ebenezer Ifeanyi-Harcourt was forced off due to injury.

Nigeria’s hopes of winning the 2025 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations have come to an end following a narrow 1-0 defeat to South Africa’s Amajita in Thursday’s semifinal clash, held on May 15, 2025.
Led by coach Aliyu Zubairu, the Flying Eagles entered the contest on the back of a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Senegal in the quarterfinals—a win that also secured their qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. However, their AFCON journey fell short of the final hurdle.
The semifinal was a tense, tactical encounter, with both sides relying heavily on counter-attacking football. Despite dominating possession, the Flying Eagles struggled to convert their control into clear-cut chances, and the first half ended goalless.
The second half brought a major setback for Nigeria when 15-year-old goalkeeper Ebenezer Ifeanyi-Harcourt was forced off due to injury.
He was replaced in the 51st minute by Ajia Soliu Yakub.Yakub, however, was unable to prevent South Africa from breaking the deadlock.
In the 66th minute, Tylon Christopher Smith rose to meet a cross and headed home what would prove to be the match-winner.
The Nation
Sports
Super Eagles vs Rwandan FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Saturday
Saturday’s showdown at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium comes five months and two weeks after the Super Eagles defeated the Amavubi 2-0 in the latter’s home ground in Kigali in a Matchday 5 encounter.

• Super Eagles coach, Stanley Nwabali
Rwanda’s delegation to Saturday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Nigeria will arrive in Lagos on Tuesday afternoon.
This is even as injured Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has assured top officials of both the NFF and the National Sports Commission (NSC) that he will be fully fit for Saturday’s 2026 World Cup showdown against Rwanda in Uyo.
Saturday’s showdown at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium comes five months and two weeks after the Super Eagles defeated the Amavubi 2-0 in the latter’s home ground in Kigali in a Matchday 5 encounter.
Nigeria Football Federation’s Director of Communication, Dr Ademola Olajire, disclosed that a one-man Rwanda advance party will be in Lagos today but the full delegation will make landfall in the commercial capital on Tuesday aboard a Rwandair Airline flight at 1.15pm, and will proceed to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State by 4pm of the same day.
Last week, Super Eagles No 1 goalkeeper Nwabali was stretchered off after he was injured while playing for his South African club Chippa United.
“He (Nwabali) has assured us he will be fit for the World Cup qualifiers against both Rwanda and South Africa,” a source told SCORENigeria.
“He spoke to NFF President (Ibrahim Gusau) and some other top officials in this regard,” the top football source said yesterday
Sports
Fenerbahce sacks head coach Mourinho
We have parted ways with Jose Mourinho, who served as head coach of our professional A team since the 2024-2025 season.

•Jose Mourinho
Fenerbahce on Friday sacked Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, two days after elimination from the Champions League playoffs by Benfica, the Turkish club said in a statement.
“We have parted ways with Jose Mourinho, who served as head coach of our professional A team since the 2024-2025 season.
We thank him for his efforts for our team and wish him success in his future career,” it said.
The former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Roma coach who arrived at the Istanbul club in June 2024, led Istanbul’s Yellow Canaries to second place in the league last season behind Galatasaray, failing to end their title drought.
Sports
BREAKING: Champions League draw for 2025/2026 season confirmed [Full fixtures]

The draw for the league phase for the 2025/2026 Champions League have been conducted on Thursday.
This year, the competition will continue to use the ‘Swiss-style’ league phase rather than the group stage to which fans had become accustomed.
That means that 36 teams will again take part in the competition.
Then the top eight sides will then qualify automatically for the knockout stages, while the teams that finish in ninth to 24th place will be drawn in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16 of the competition.
Teams ranked 25-36 are eliminated from all competitions.Here are some of the fixtures:
Bayern Munich will face Chelsea (H), PSG (A), Club Brugge (H), Arsenal (A), Sporting CP (H), PSV (A), Union SG (H), Pafos (A)Chelsea will play Barcelona (H), Bayern Munich (A), Benfica (H), Atalanta (A), Ajax (H), Napoli (A), Pafos (H), Qarabag (A)Real Madrid take on Manchester City (H), Liverpool (A), Juventus (H), Benfica (A), Marseille (H), Olympiacos (A), Monaco (H), Kairat Almaty (A).
Inter Milan have been drawn against Liverpool (H), Dortmund (A), Arsenal (H), Atletico Madrid (A), Salavia Praha (H), Ajax (A), Kairat Almaty, Union SGBorussia Dortmund will face Inter Milan (H), Manchester City, Villarreal, Juventus, Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham, Athletic Club, Copenhagen (A)Liverpool play Real Madrid (H), Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Frankfurt, PSV, Marseille, Qarabag, Galatasaray (A)
Barcelona take on PSG (H), Chelsea, Frankfurt, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Slavia Praha, Copenhage, Newcastle (A).
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