Sports
WAFCON: Super Falcons still wallowing in glory as MTN shower players with N150m cash gifts
Nigeria’s senior women’s national football team, the Super Falcons, were honoured in Lagos on Thursday by telecommunications giant MTN Nigeria, following their victorious campaign at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, where they clinched a dramatic 3–2 comeback victory over hosts Morocco on Saturday, July 26, at the Stade Olympique in Rabat, Morocco.
The celebratory breakfast, hosted at Eko Hotels & Suites, was filled with emotion, gratitude, and national pride, as MTN presented the team with a N150 million cash reward in recognition of their historic 10th continental title.
The occasion was graced by dignitaries from the federal government, President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, Secretary General of the NFF, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, MTN executives, and enthusiastic supporters.
Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, hailed the Super Falcons as national icons and role models.
He said, “You are more than athletes, you are inspirations,” he said.
“You are proof that when Nigerian women rise, the world takes notice. At MTN, we believe in the power of connection, not just through technology, but through the soul and spirit of the people. Today, we are connected with pride and joy through the unbreakable spirit of the Super Falcons.”
Team captain Rasheedat Ajibade, speaking on behalf of the squad, expressed deep gratitude to MTN and the wider community for their support before, during, and after the tournament.
“Thank you so much, everyone, for coming out today to celebrate with us. We appreciate the board of MTN, the CEOs, and everyone who came out to cheer us last evening when we arrived at your office. Thank you for this special host; we feel valued, we feel honoured, and we feel respected. This inspires us to be more, to do better, and to keep inspiring the next generation.” She said.
Ajibade further acknowledged the support from the presidency and the federal government.
“We want to thank the President of Nigeria, GCFR, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and our First Lady for the huge gifts and honours. It’s a life-changing experience for us. It inspires us to keep representing and flying the flag high at the global level.”
“We’re grateful for winning this 10th title, but we’re not content; we want to be global contenders. We understand the assignment. We know the huge responsibility on our shoulders. And we hope the Federation, the federal government, and private bodies will continue to invest in us so we can take Nigerian women’s football to the next level,” she said.
Head coach Justin Madugu, who guided the team to the historic title, spoke about the importance of planning and the difficulties in accessing players for preparation.
“It’s all about good preparation. The unfortunate thing is that you can’t always have the players when you want them. They’re professionals, playing in clubs all over the world. Sometimes, you only have them for four or five days, which isn’t enough to prepare a team of this magnitude. Still, we’ll do everything possible within the limited time to get the team ready.”
Madugu also addressed the pressure and public scrutiny, saying, “When we were given this assignment, we knew the implications. We stayed focused, believing in what we were doing, and as for the criticism, people are entitled to their opinions. It’s not possible to please 200 million Nigerians, but I know these girls. I live with them every day, I know what they can do, I know their weaknesses and their strengths, and how to get the best out of them. Constructive criticism is fine, but we can’t let distractions derail our mission.”
Board member and non-executive director at MTN Nigeria, Ifueko M. Omoigui Okauru, praised the team’s resilience and used the moment to share a broader message of hope for Nigerians.
She said, “To every Nigerian watching the Super Falcons, let their story be a reminder, never give up, despite the challenges in the country, economic hardship, discouragement, setbacks, never give up on pulling yourself together, never give up on your dreams, and never give up on the power of rising again, these girls have shown us what perseverance looks like, they’ve given us a reason to believe.”
Manchester City have become the last team to qualify for the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.
This follows their 5-0 thrashing of Norwich on Thursday evening.
Enzo Maresca’s men went two goals up in the first half, thanks to strikes from Floyd Samba and Rayan Cherki.
Allan, Samba and Ryan McAidoo completed the rout after the break.
City will now face Brighton who eliminated Manchester United.
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Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly will leave his role after agreeing to sell his stake in the Premier League football club to co-owners Clearlake Capital.
The announcement came early on Thursday morning, with the US equity firm acquiring “full control of the club”.
Boehly bought a stake in the London club in 2022 and said it had been an “honour” to serve as chairman.
He gave his thanks to “the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans”.
His statement continued: “I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club.
“I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”
Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, co-founders of Clearlake Capital, said: “Todd has been an important partner throughout our ownership of Chelsea, and we thank him for his time and contribution as Chairman.
“He will always be a part of the Chelsea story and family. Clearlake has served as Chelsea’s majority owner since 2022, and as we move to full control our focus is to continue investing in the Club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the Club’s supporters.”
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Todd Boehly bought the stake in 2022 (Image: Getty)
Chelsea said that Hansjörg Wyss “will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group” after Mark Walter, another of the club’s co-owners, also sold his stake to Clearlake.
Mr Boehly, Mr Walter and Hansjörg Wyss each had a 12.8% stake following their joint takeover of Chelsea four years ago.
The new change will not change day-to-day operations or strategy at the club.
Lionel Messi is set to make his final appearance for Argentina after being named in the squad for an international friendly against Benin on October 6.
The 39-year-old forward, who announced his retirement from international football in August, will return to the national team for what is expected to be an emotional farewell before Argentine supporters at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) plans to honour its captain during the fixture, with AFA president Claudio Tapia confirming that Messi was invited to receive the send-off the federation believes he deserves.
“We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6 here in Argentina,” Tapia said.
Members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad have also been invited to attend the ceremony.
Messi is expected to win his 208th and final international cap against Benin. He remains Argentina’s record appearance holder and all-time leading scorer, with 125 goals for the national team.
His two-decade international career has been decorated with major honours, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
Before the farewell fixture, Argentina will face Bolivia in Cordoba on September 30 and Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3.
The Bolivia clash will be Argentina’s first match since their defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
The fixtures will also take place against the backdrop of FIFA disciplinary sanctions imposed on Argentina following incidents involving members of the team.
Argentina have been ordered to play their next home match at 50 per cent stadium capacity after breaching FIFA disciplinary regulations relating to demonstrations considered non-sporting at a sporting event.
The punishment followed Argentina’s 2-1 semi-final victory over England in July, when several players displayed a banner bearing the words: “The Falklands are Argentine.”
The upcoming friendlies are also expected to count towards suspensions handed down following incidents after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes has been suspended for 10 matches, while defender Nahuel Molina was handed a seven-game ban.
Despite the disciplinary backdrop, the October 6 fixture is expected to centre on Messi as Argentina prepares to bid farewell to the captain who led the country to its long-awaited World Cup triumph.
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