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Morocco 2025: Ekong, Lookman, Simon, 19 others train in Abidjan

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Super Eagles’ Captain William Ekong, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon and 19 other players on Tuesday participated in the team’s first training session in Abidjan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that only Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar was being expected.

The team were in high spirits ahead of a potentially-explosive Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against neighbours Benin Republic on Thursday.

Coach Augustine Eguavoen told newsmen on Tuesday that the atmosphere in the Eagles’ camp was great, adding that the players and coaching crew were upbeat and positive ahead of the match.

“We have 22 players, with only one person to join the team in the early hours of Wednesday.

“It has been a particularly great atmosphere here in Abidjan, and we are all very positive going into the first training session ahead of the match,” he said.

NAN also reports that 11 players, including Captain and AFCON Man of the Competition, Ekong, reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen and his likely successor Ademola Lookman, all arrived at once on Tuesday morning.

Others are, defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel, Olaoluwa Aina, Victor Collins and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and Germany-based forward Victor Boniface.

They were  joined later by South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.

Earlier, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forward Kelechi Iheanacho had arrived, to join the eight early birds that were in camp on Monday.

The early birds were; goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, defenders Gabriel Osho and Bruno Onyemaechi, midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika, and forwards Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze.

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With 10 points from four matches, seven goals for and none against, and top of their Group D, the Eagles will walk with an extra bounce into the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny

It was the stadium where they upended the aspirations of Guinea Bissau, Cameroon and Angola at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire earlier in the year.

It was also the venue where in the summer, they were defeated 2-1 by the Cheetahs (who have been forced by lack of a CAF-approved facility in their country to adopt Abidjan as home) in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying game in which they scored first.

Ekong told newsmen on Tuesday that the game wouldn’t be an easy one, adding however that the team’s objective was to go all out for the win.

“The stadium is a familiar one for us and we have good memories from the AFCON.

“We will rather focus on the positive results we have taken away from here and work hard for another good day in the office on Thursday.

“It is not going to be easy because the Beninoise are also chasing a ticket to the final tournament. However, our objective is clear: three points on the night,” he said.

Senegalese official Issa Sy, who was in charge when the Super Eagles pipped Angola 1-0 at the same venue, in a quarter-final match of the AFCON finals, has been selected by CAF as referee for Thursday’s encounter.

He will be supported by compatriots Djibril Camara (assistant 1), Nouha Bangoura (assistant 2) and El Hadji Amadou Sy (fourth official). Ivorian Rene Williams Sere will be the commissioner.

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While Angolan Inacio Manuel Candido will be the referee assessor.

The Super Eagles need only one point from Thursday’s clash to be sure of a ticket to the 35th AFCON, scheduled for Morocco 21st December 2025 – 18th January 2026.

NAN reports that Thursday’s encounter between the Super Eagles and the Cheetahs of Benin Republic will commence at 7 p.m. CIV time (8 p.m. Nigeria time).(NAN)

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It’s PSG, Inter Milan Final as Arsenal Suffer Another Paris Heartbreak

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Arsenal’s bid to win the Champions League for the first time is over after they suffered a 2-1 second-leg defeat to Paris St Germain at the Parc des Princes.

Mikel Arteta’s players were already one goal down in the semi-final first leg, and, despite a strong start, they were two behind in the tie when Fabian Ruiz struck for PSG after 27 minutes.

Vitinha missed a penalty – after Myles Lewis-Skelly was adjudged to have handled the ball following a contentious VAR review – before Achraf Hakimi put the match out of sight in the 72nd minute.

But it is PSG, who have now beaten three Premier League sides in a row, with Arsenal following Liverpool and Aston Villa in succumbing to the French champions, that will play Inter Milan in the final on May 31 after a 3-1 aggregate success.

Arsenal’s sole appearance in a Champions League final came here in Paris in 2006 where they suffered a late defeat to Barcelona, and the French capital was the scene of yet more heartbreak for the north Londoners.

RESULTS

UCL

PSG 2-1 Arsenal

(PSG 3-1 agg.)

U20 AFCON

Nigeria 2-2 Kenya

(F’Eagles for Q’finals)

Tunisia 1-3 Morocco

(Morocco for Q’finals)

Europa League

Man Utd v Bilbao

Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham

Europa Conference

Chelsea v Djurgarden

Fiorentina v Betis

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Nothing can stop us from getting into Champions League final – Arsenal

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Arsenal’s Declan Rice insisted Tuesday the Gunners are confident they can “deliver something special” by overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit when they face Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital in the return match of their Champions League semi-final tie.

“We’re here to win the game. We’re here to make a statement. We want to get to the final. So we need to be ready to go and do that,” Rice told reporters at the Parc des Princes on the eve of Wednesday’s showdown.

“We need to have big balls and we need to go out there on the biggest stage and show that we’re ready to play at this level.

“It’s going to be the biggest night in this club’s history if we can get to the final. So we’re fully ready to go.”

PSG hold the advantage coming into Wednesday’s match after Ousmane Dembele’s early goal gave them a narrow victory at the Emirates Stadium a week ago.

However, both Rice and Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said they believed they could get the better of a side who have eliminated Premier League opposition in each of the last two rounds, knocking out Liverpool in the last 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-finals.

“I think you need to have full belief,” Rice said.

“We certainly have that as a group. I think if we are the best versions of ourselves tomorrow night -– and we know we can be that –- there is no stopping us getting into that final.”

The England star said Arsenal could lean on the experience of facing reigning European champions Real Madrid in Spain in the last round, when Arteta’s team won 2-1 to progress 5-1 on aggregate.

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“When we went to the Bernabeu the other week there were a lot of questions about whether we could rise to that occasion,” said Rice, who scored two wonderful free-kicks in the first leg of that tie.

“We obviously had a 3-0 lead but there was still so much talk about them coming back and playing at the Bernabeu and we had not experienced that before.

“But I think as a group we handled that amazingly well. We have proved that we can handle big situations and tomorrow night is another massive step for this team.”

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U-20 AFCON: Nigeria battle Morocco to goalless draw

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The Flying Eagles of Nigeria were held to a goalless draw by Morocco in their second Group B match in the ongoing U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tightly contested clash took place on Sunday at the June 30 Air Defence Stadium in Cairo.

Clear-cut chances were few in the cagey affair.

The Flying Eagles controlled proceedings in the first half but managed only one shot on target.

Morocco dominated possession in the second half but failed to pose any serious threat to Nigeria’s goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt.

With the result, Morocco remain at the top of the group on goal difference, having accrued the same number of points as Nigeria (four).

Tunisia, who earlier defeated Kenya 3-1 in the group’s other fixture, are in third place with three points.

The Flying Eagles will face Kenya in their final Group B match on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

NAN reports that the top four teams from the tournament will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled to take place from Sept. 27 to Oct. 19. (NAN)

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