Live Score
Brazil 5-1 Tunisia FT
Morocco 0-0 Paraguay FT
Algeria 2-1 Nigeria FT
South Korea 1-0 Cameroon FT
Equatoria Guinea 2-2 Togo FT
Senegal 1-1 Iran FT
DR Congo 3-0 Sierra Leone FT
Madagascar 3-1 Benin FT
South Africa 1-0 Botswana FT
Libya 2-1 Tanzania FT
Egypt 3-0 Liberia FT
Nicaragua 0-1 Ghana FT
Ivory Coast 3-1 Guinea FT
Saudi Arabia 0-0 USA
Mikel John Obi bids farewell to football Getty Images
Mikel John Obi announced his retirement from football aged 35 years; Edwin Emeanua reports for Sports Joust.
The Former Chelsea midfielder moved from Norwegian side Lyn FK to Chelsea in 2006 following a protracted legal tussle that forced Chelsea to pay the penalty to Manchester United, who Obi had initially agreed to sign with before allegedly reneging to do so.
Obi spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge, making 372 appearances for Chelsea and lifting two Premier Leagues cups, three FA Cups, the 2011/12 Champions League, and the 2012/13 Europa League.
Obi joined Chinese club side Tianjin in 2017 before moving on to greener pastures with Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, Stoke City, and Kuwait, SC. Obi left Kuwait, SC, in November 2021.
Obi stated on his Instagram account: “There is a saying that all good things must come to an end, and for my professional football career, that day is today.
“I look back at the past 20 years of my career, and I must say that I am very satisfied with all that I was able to achieve and, more importantly, the human it has helped shape.
‘This (achievement) would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, managers, clubs, coaches, teammates, and, most importantly, my ever-loyal fans.
“You (Fans) supported me through my highs and lows, even on days when I did not live up to your expectations. I say a big thank you.
“I will also like to encourage everyone I may have inspired one way or the other in my career to never give up on their dreams, for every time you think about quitting, remind yourself why you started.
“This is not goodbye; it’s the start of another journey, another chapter of my life. I look forward to the future and hope you will walk with me. Thank you.”
AEW’s Saraya, formerly Paige in WWE, unveiled another stunning outfit on social media. Pic credit: FOX
Following her recent All Elite Wrestling debut, professional wrestler Saraya continues to make statements with her array of gorgeous attire, .
Formerly known as Paige within World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), she’s now aligned herself with the company’s biggest rival, AEW.
She took to her official Instagram on Sunday to show off a unique outfit consisting of a skimpy top with a butterfly design and a thigh-skimming skirt. The items feature shades of blue and purple in a shattered mirror or glass pattern, providing a stunning look for the 30-year-old wrestling star.
Saraya also wore a pair of knee-high black boots, bold red lipstick, and darker eye shadow. Her photo shoot features purple curtains for the background, almost hinting at the colors she once wore as Paige in WWE.
In the first of two pics in her post, Saraya poses crouching while resting a hand on her hip and an elbow on one knee. She touches her chin with a few colorful fingernails as her dark hair flows down her back.
A second image has her striking a fun pose as she stands with a knee up, tilting her head to one side with one arm raised straight in the air and the other extended to the side.
Over 6.1 million followers on her Instagram, Saraya grabs attention with her various posts. The former WWE star removed many of her posts several weeks ago, ahead of changing her IG name from @realpaigewwe to @saraya for AEW.
Since her reintroduction, she’s now shared six posts, including a video of her arrival to AEW and Sunday’s stunning outfit pics. The latest post racked up over 142,000 Likes and 1,100-plus comments.
“Love these colors on you,” wrote Saraya’s former colleague at WWE, Kayla Braxton.
Pic credit: @saraya/Instagram
“Obsessed with the fit,” an admirer wrote on Saraya’s Instagram post to show their approval of the look.
Pic credit: @saraya/Instagram
Another commenter indicated that Saraya looked “stunning as always,” also mentioning it was great to see her back in the spotlight for professional wrestling.
Pic credit: @saraya/Instagram
AEW’s Saraya
Last week featured Saraya’s surprising arrival at AEW’s Dynamite: Grand Slam show at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City, creating a headline-making moment.
The wrestling star officially exited WWE this past July, leaving many fans wondering what was next. However, that’s been cleared up somewhat with her joining AEW.
During her surprise appearance at Dynamite, she didn’t make any in-ring speeches about what she was doing there, though. However, she let several competitors from the interim AEW Women’s World Championship match know that this is “her house” now.
Among those competitors were AEW stars Dr. Britt Baker DMD, Jamie Hayter, and Serena Deeb, who fled from the ring upon Saraya’s arrival as they’d been trying to attack the champion Toni Storm and Athena.
According to an Instagram post from AEW, Saraya will appear on the Dynamite episode on Wednesday, September 27, and this time will have something to say.
Fans will be curious about her role upon returning to the pro wrestling world with WWE’s rival, AEW. In particular, many will be interested to see if she’s become cleared to return to in-ring action. She retired from that aspect of her career in 2018 due to an injury suffered in a WWE match.
AEW Dynamite airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on TBS. AEW Rampage airs Fridays at 10/9c on TNT.
Head coach Djamel Belmadi assures of lining up a much stronger Algeria team against the Super Eagles than the side that eked out a narrow 1-0 win against Guinea on Friday.
“I will play with players who are used to playing with each other,” Belmadi says ahead of Tuesday’s encounter at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium, Oran.
The Desert Warriors of Algeria will host the Nigerian football side in Oran tomorrow, in their last of a two-header international friendly confrontation.
Islam Slimani scored the 80th-minute solitary goal that secured Algeria’s win over Guinea from a Riyad Mahrez assist.
But Belmadi insists that his lineup against Guinea included fringe players like Zegha, Delort, Touai, and Bentaleb, who are still struggling to find their feet in the Desert Warriors.
“We took a lot of positives from the Guinea game, but Nigeria is a different game,” Belmadi adds.
He promises to play a more settled Algerian side against the Super Eagles that managed a disappointing 2-2 draw against Algeria’s CHAN team last Friday.
The kick-off time for the game in Oran, Algeria, is 8 pm on Tuesday
William Troost Ekong now out with an injury
William Troost-Ekong is the latest casualty in the Super Eagles of Nigeria’s list of injured players as the spike of injuries in the Nigerian national camp escalates, Edwin Emeanua reports for Sports Joust.
Nigeria takes on the Desert Foxes of Algeria in an international football friendly in less than 40 hours.
Still, officials of the Nigerian side disclosed the stand-in captain of the side is now back in England for additional tests.
“William Troost-Ekong has left the camp due to an injury cropped during the test game yesterday (Friday). He is back to base for further checks. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Ekong
,” a tweet on the Super Eagles Twitter account stated.
Ekong led the Super Eagles on Friday to a 2-2 draw with an Algeria ‘B’ team getting ready for the African Nations Championships (CHAN).
Initially, Friday’s game was between the home-based teams of Algeria and Nigeria. However, archrival Ghana knocked Nigeria’s CHAN Eagles from the CHAN tournament.
Alex Iwobi and Cyriel Dessers scored for Nigeria, whereas Algeria’s goals were from a mistake by goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and a second-half converted penalty kick.
Earlier, injuries led to several withdrawals from the Algeria friendly. Still, Ekong and Wilfred Ndidi left the Super Eagles camp in Algeria due to injury following reporting for duty against Algeria.
Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Sadiq Umar, Henry Onyekuru, and Samuel Chukwueze are some Super Eagles players who withdrew from the contest due to injuries.
The Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro must consider other options in the central defense for Ekong, who will no longer be available for Tuesday’s event billed for the Miloud Hadefi Stadium, Oran.
Tuesday’s clash, and the second-ever friendly encounter involving Algeria and Nigeria, will kick off at 8 p.m. Nigerian time.
Nia Long is speaking out amid reports that her fiancé, Ime Udoka, had an alleged affair with a Boston Celtics female staff member, The Grio reports.
On Thursday, Udoka, 45, was suspended as head coach of the team for “violations of team policies.” In a statement to People, Long, 51, thanked family, friends, and fans for their support and noted that she prioritized her children during this difficult time.
“The outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the community during this difficult time means so much to me,” Long said. “I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children.”
Long and Udoka got engaged in 2015, and they have a 10-year-old son named Kez Sunday Udoka. The veteran actress shares her 21-year-old son Massai Dorsey II with actor Massai Dorsey.
“The Boston Celtics announced today that the team has suspended Head Coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season for violations of team policies. The Celtics will decide his future with the team beyond this season will be made at a later date. The suspension takes effect immediately,” the team said in a statement posted to its Twitter account.
In a statement to ESPN, Udoka expressed his apologies while accepting the team’s decision. “I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down,” he said. “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision. I will have no further comment out of respect for everyone involved.”
Udoka was a professional basketball player for 12 years before he retired in 2012. He spent seven years as an assistant coach to Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs, then went to the Philadelphia 76ers for a season before landing with the Brooklyn Nets in 2020. He joined the Celtics last summer.
Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. returned to the ring to stop mixed martial artist Mikuru Asakura in the second round of what scheduled three-round exhibition at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Saturday night (Sunday in Japan), Anson Wright reports for The Ring.
Mayweather, now 45, was competing for the second time this year, having met Don Moore in Abu Dhabi in May.
Ahead of the contest, retired superstar Manny Pacquiao entered the arena to “The Eye of the Tiger” and received a warm reception from the audience. He began by welcoming everyone and thanking the promoter for being invited. He said, “[Asakura] came to the Philippines and asked for my advice on technique; I shared it with him. He can punch and box. I’m excited to watch him tonight. I’m Asian; I support Asians. That’s why I’m here to support this exhibition match.”
In the formal introductions, during the traditional passing of flowers to Mayweather, the person doing so dropped them at Mayweather’s feet instead.
Mayweather kept things at arm’s length in the opening round, using his jab to keep the distance, though he did have to take a stinging body shot from Asakura in the opening minute. Every time the popular Asakura threw or landed punches, his effort got loud cheers from his compatriots in attendance. Mayweather also had success with the body on two occasions.
A more aggressive Mayweather landed a nice right hand that Asakura took well early in Round 2. Asakura landed a right hand that snapped Mayweather’s head back. The American smiled and continued moving backward, picking his moments. Late in the round, Mayweather connected with a hard right hand that stiffened the Japanese fighter’s legs. Mayweather landed a big overhand right that dropped Asakura heavily at the bell. Asakura tried to get to his feet, but referee Kenny Bayless wisely called a halt to proceedings.
Mayweather spoke to the crowd afterward and thanked everyone who came and eight-division world champion Pacquiao.
“I’m happy we were able to give the fans excitement,” said Mayweather. “Thanks for having me. I’ll be back.”
Mayweather will return to the exhibition circle against Deji Olatunji, in Dubai, on November 13. However, with Mayweather and Pacquiao in attendance, you have to wonder if they will resume hostilities for an exhibition in the near future.
Super Rizin undercard results:
Experienced Kombat Sports star Kouzi Tanaka made Floyd Mayweather’s bodyguard Ray Vinci Sadeghi (also known as Jizzy Mack) pay for what he felt was disrespect in the build-up. Tanaka staggered and then dropped the tired Sadeghi with a left hand in the opening seconds of the third round of their exhibition.
The end came soon after when Tanaka jumped on Sadeghi and hammered him with shots before ending matters by sending Sadeghi sprawling downward from a left hook. The referee immediately stopped the fight.
Tanaka later asked for a fight with Mayweather in his next bout.
Nadaka Yoshinari stopped Bandasak So Trakunpet in the opening round of their kickboxing contest. The 21-year-old Japanese fighter dropped Trakunpet with just under a minute left in the first round, and although the aged Thai warrior made it back up, he was stopped moments later on his feet. Yoshinari improved to (41-5-1, with 27 knockouts), and Trakunpet, who had over a hundred Muay Thai tests, was making his kickboxing debut.
Kota Miura, the son of Japanese soccer legend Kazuyoshi “King Kazu” Miura, forced Bunchuay Pongsungnoen to tap out with an arm bar submission at 1:07 of the first round of their MMA contest. Miura moved to (2-0, 0 KOs), while Thailand’s Pongsungnoen dropped to (0-1).
As Super Eagles were struggling to a 2-2 draw with Algeria Team B side
Striker Islam Slimani’s 80th-minute guinea was deserving for the Desert Warriors to defeat Guinea national side, 1-0, at the Oran Olympic Stadium in Oran, Algeria on Friday, Edwin Emeanua reports for Sports Joust.
While the Algerian senior national side was busy beating Guinea’s Syli Nationals, Nigeria’s Super Eagles struggled to a 2-2 draw with Algeria’s Team B national side somewhere in Oran.
Everton attacker Alexander Iwobi and Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers scored a goal apiece in Nigeria’s lackluster draw against Algeria’s makeshift senior national side on Friday.
The inaugural match at the venue took place on June 17, 2021, when the Algerian National Team walloped Liberia 5-1 in a friendly game, making this automatically one of the most luxurious Stadiums in Algeria and on the African continent.
Algeria failed to qualify for the World Cup to be hosted by Qatar later this year after losing in the African qualifiers against Cameroon in a great round-robin duel that ended 2-2 on aggregate but favored Cameroon due to the away goals factor.
Nigeria also missed qualification for the Qatar 2022 world cup following a 1-1 aggregate tie after a doubleheader against Ghana Black Stars
“A decision about his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date,” the Celtics said in a statement. “The suspension takes effect immediately.”
Udoka had a consensual relationship with a female Celtics staffer, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the sensitive nature of the topic.
Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will serve as interim coach, according to ESPN.
But getting back to the Finals with an interim coach amid this scandal in a deeper Eastern Conference just became more difficult for the Celtics.