Sports
Barca Avenge Lyon Defeats To Win Third Women’s Champions League
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Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas struck to earn Barcelona their third women’s Champions League trophy, securing a 2-0 triumph over record eight-time winners Lyon on Saturday.
The defending champions had never beaten the French giants, losing in the 2019 and 2022 finals against them, but finally succeeded in Bilbao to compete a spectacular quadruple this season in coach Jonatan Giraldez’s last match in charge.
Bonmati pounced after 63 minutes and substitute Putellas finished the job in stoppage time to avenge Barcelona’s prior defeats by Sonia Bompastor’s side.
Securing their third Champions League trophy from five final appearances across the last six seasons, Barcelona demonstrated that they are the new powerhouse of the women’s game.
“(It’s) a dream day, it is difficult to explain with words the feeling I have now. It is a special moment,” said Giraldez.
“It is one of happiest days of my life.”
Barca’s stars had insisted that this time they were capable of beating Lyon, adding experience and mental strength to their undoubted talent, and so it proved at a packed San Mames.
Backed by the vast majority of a 51,000 record crowd at a women’s Champions League final, Bonmati and her side completed one of the few challenges remaining to them.
“It’s the first time we’ve beaten Lyon. I’m proud of the team, and we know that with these fans we have, we can’t fail,” Bonmati told DAZN.
“It’s incredible what we’re living through as a team, I’m so lucky… to see we’re creating that for so many people, the historic amount of fans we’ve brought, it’s the proudest I’ve felt, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Giraldez started Mariona Caldentey in attack and moved Fridolina Rolfo to left-back, dropping Ona Batlle to the bench alongside two-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas.
Lyon left Ada Hegerberg started on the bench too, with the all-time top scorer in the competition’s history struggling for form after injury.
Lucy Bronze deflected a ball onto her own crossbar and Lyon’s towering captain Wendie Renard hit the outside of the post as Barcelona suffered a couple of early jitters.
After going four goals down by half-time in the 2019 final and three down in 2022, this time the Catalans dug deep to hold it together at the back.
– Breakthrough –
Barca threatened increasingly at the other end. Patri Guijarro, who scored twice in last year’s final against Wolfsburg, broke in for their first big chance after half an hour.
Christiane Endler saved and Selma Bacha cleared the ball off the line after it rebounded back towards goal.
Barca’s Caroline Graham Hansen, in sparkling form this season, gave left-back Bacha a torrid time and had 11-time finalist Renard backpedalling fearfully near the end of the first half, but dragged her shot wide.
Barcelona made their quality count after the hour mark when Bonmati sent them ahead.
The Ballon d’Or winner had been quiet but arrived to collect Caldentey’s clever pass and burst into the area.
Bonmati’s low shot deflected off Vanessa Gilles and flew over the helpless Endler, for her sixth goal of the tournament.
Champions League top goalscorer Kadidiatou Diani curled agonisingly over for Lyon as Bompastor’s side tried to fight back. Hegerberg headed off target as Lyon’s chances ebbed away.
“We have to recognise Barcelona had a great match and deserved to win even though it’s hard to accept it,” said Bompastor, tipped to join Chelsea next season, although she stayed tight-lipped on her future.
“We lacked attacking efficiency, we should have scored a goal.”
Eventually Putellas, on as a late substitute, put on the captain’s armband and settled the game by rifling into the top corner to get Barcelona’s celebrations started early.
“Obviously it’s a dream come true, what we have achieved,” said Putellas after her goal locked in Barcelona’s quadruple.
Bronze who won the competition for the fifth time — including three times with Lyon — praised Putellas.
“She’s the captain of the team, she’s the ‘queen’ of Barcelona for a reason,” said Bronze.
“She’s got the quality to do that in the last minute of the Champions League final when we were up against it at the end and just sealed the win for us.”
Katsina State was thrown into mourning on Tuesday after the tragic death of Katsina United Football Club player, Chinedu Ozor, who collapsed during a pre-season friendly match against Niger Tornadoes FC at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium.
The promising footballer, who recently joined Katsina United from Kano Pillars FC, reportedly suffered a medical emergency during the encounter and was rushed to K-Dara Specialist Hospital, Katsina, where he was confirmed dead in the early hours of Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
Reacting to the heartbreaking incident, Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, expressed profound shock and sadness over the untimely passing of the young player, describing the loss as a devastating blow to the football community and the state.
In a statement issued on Tuesday night by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Mohammed, Governor Radda said the tragedy was especially painful as Ozor had been preparing to begin a new chapter of his career with Katsina United.
“The sudden death of Ozoh Chinedu is deeply shocking and heartbreaking. It is particularly painful that a young footballer with a promising career has lost his life at such a time,” the Governor said.
Governor Radda extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, Katsina United Football Club, the player’s teammates, coaches, management, supporters, his former club Kano Pillars FC, and the wider Nigerian football community.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Katsina State, I extend our condolences to the family of Ozoh Chinedu, Katsina United FC, his teammates, coaches, management, supporters, Kano Pillars FC and the entire football community,” he added.
The tragic incident has sent shockwaves across the country’s football fraternity, with tributes expected to pour in for the late midfielder, whose career was widely regarded as one of great promise.
Ozoh’s sudden passing has once again highlighted concerns over player health and emergency medical preparedness in competitive football, as the football community mourns the loss of a talented athlete whose life and career were cut short.
Sports
Countries That Qualified For 2027 Women’s World Cup As Cameroon Beat Nigeria In Quarter- Final
Cameroon on Sunday secured their place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after edging Nigeria’s Super Falcons 1-0 in their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final encounter.
The victory also sent the Indomitable Lionesses into the WAFCON semi-finals, securing their qualification for next year’s global tournament in Brazil.
The 2026 WAFCON doubles as Africa’s qualifying competition for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the four semi-finalists earning the continent’s automatic tickets to the tournament.
Cameroon join Algeria and Morocco, who had already sealed their places after reaching the semi-finals on Saturday.
Brazil will host the 2027 tournament, while the remaining qualifying places are being determined through continental competitions across the various confederations.
See full list of countries that qualified:
Host:
Brazil
AFC:
Australia
China PR
Japan
Korea DPR
Korea Republic
Philippines
CAF:
Algeria
Cameroon
Morocco
Concacaf:
None yet
CONMEBOL:
Argentina
Colombia
OFC:
New Zealand
UEFA:
Denmark
France
Germany
Spain
More teams are expected to secure qualification as the various continental qualification campaigns conclude.
The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will feature 32 teams.
Sports
Just in: Unlucky Sunday for Nigeria as Super Falcons, Flying Eagles crumble, World Cup hopes dimmed
It is an unlucky Sunday for two National teams of Nigeria, the Super Falcons fell to Cameroon just as Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been knocked out of the race for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup after suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to Burkina Faso in the final of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship.
The defeat at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, also ended Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The WAFU Zone B final carried added importance, as the winner was guaranteed a place at the 2027 U-20 AFCON, which will serve as the qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
With Burkina Faso emerging victorious, the Young Stallions secured the region’s ticket, while Nigeria’s hopes of returning to the global youth tournament came to an end.
Burkina Faso took control of the final from the opening whistle, scoring three goals within the first 15 minutes and leaving the Flying Eagles with a huge deficit.
Nigeria struggled to contain the Young Stallings’ attacking pressure and could not recover from the early setback before the break.
Coach Abdu Maikaba’s side attempted to fight back after the interval but failed to produce the response required to turn the game around.
Burkina Faso eventually added another goal to complete a convincing 4-1 victory, while Nigeria’s consolation effort was not enough to change the outcome.
The result was particularly painful for the Flying Eagles after Burkina Faso had already defeated them 2-0 during the group stage.
Nigeria had hoped to avenge that earlier loss in the final but instead suffered another defeat to the Young Stallions when the stakes were highest.
The Flying Eagles had reached the final after overcoming Côte d’Ivoire in a dramatic semi-final.
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