Sports

Who Wins 2018 FIFA World Cup: France or Croatia?

Published

7 years ago

July 14, 2018

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The stage is set for the grand finale of the FIFA 2018 World Cup taking place in Russia.

After an excruciating 30 days action, two teams have proved that they are the best among the lot.

With the likes of Germany, Brazil, Spain, Argentina and other football super powers falling along the way, France and new comers, Croatia, are set to slug it out for the coveted trophy.

While Croatia is hitting the finals of the FIFA World Cup for the very first time, France won it once when they hosted in 1998, and lost to Italy in the finals of the 2006 edition hosted by Germany.

Sunday’s game will be won on stamina and precision, recalling that both teams are yet to lose a game in all their attempts in the tournament. France have won all their games within 90 minutes while Croatia has been drawn into extra time in their knock out stage games including coming from behind to beat England 2 – 1 late in the extra time of their semi-final clash.

France, though surprised by the physical fortitude of Croatia, are not expecting a tired opponent in Sunday’s World Cup final.

Croatia have been forced into extra time in each of their three knockout matches, edging Denmark and hosts Russia on post-match penalties.

They also scored late in added play to come from behind and beat England in Wednesday’s semi-final in Moscow.

France by contrast have won all of their matches since the round of 16 inside 90 minutes, effectively playing a full match less than Croatia at the tournament in Russia.

But Matuidi said he did not think the Croats would be fatigued by their added time on the pitch over the last week.

“I don’t think it’s a factor,” he said at news conference at the French training base on the outskirts of Moscow.

“We saw in the last game that they finished the stronger of the two teams.

“They did not look like a side who were playing extra time for a third time in a row. Surprisingly, they looked like they were playing their first game.

“They are a team playing in the World Cup final, a team with players who have a lot of experience.

“It will be a match they will be ready for and I don’t think extra time or penalties has been or will be a handicap for them,” said Matuidi.

The 31-year-old, who said it would be his last World Cup, predicted an exciting final with a high level of expertise.

“They are a team who defend well and attack well after recovering the ball. We are up against players of a high quality and with lots of experience.

“It is going to be important to concentrate hard because they have tremendous qualities,” he said.

But it was much the same with the French team too, he added.

“It’s the game of our lives to play in a World Cup final, a dream I’ve had since I was a kid.

“The cup feels so close we can almost touch it but there is still a lot to do to get there.

“We’ve prepared everything to win the game even if its extra time or penalties. It’s the winning that counts,” he said.

On Saturday however, England will square Belgium for the third place game.

Sports

Anthony Joshua Defeats Jake Paul in Sixth-round Knockout

Published

19 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Eric

Former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, delivered a dominant performance on Saturday morning, stopping YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a sixth-round knockout in their heavyweight bout in Miami.

Although Paul exceeded expectations by lasting beyond the early rounds, Joshua’s superior power and experience proved decisive, according to The Athletic.

The British boxer dropped Paul twice during a chaotic fifth round, setting the stage for the finish.

Joshua sealed the victory in the sixth round, unleashing a sustained combination of heavy punches that left Paul unable to continue, prompting the referee to halt the contest.

Speaking after the fight, Joshua turned his attention to longtime rival Tyson Fury, challenging him to step into the ring.

“Put down (your) Twitter fingers and put on some gloves and come and fight me,” he said.

Paul, who later revealed he suffered a broken jaw in the bout, declined to name a future opponent.

Instead, the boxer said he would take a break from boxing following the loss, which marked the second defeat of his professional career.

Paul, who is ranked as the No. 14 cruiserweight with the WBA, has defeated back-to-back former boxing world champions.

He comfortably beat a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in November 2024 on Netflix’s boxing debut and most recently outpointed a 39-year-old Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. this past June.

Sports

FirstBank Elephant Girls Win in Zone 3, Qualify for WBLA Final Round

Published

2 weeks ago

December 8, 2025

Eric

FirstBank Basketball Club of Nigeria, popularly known as the “Elephant Girls”, have secured their spot in the final round of the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA), scheduled to hold in Cairo, Egypt from 5-14 December 2025.

The Elephant Girls put up a commanding performance at the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, winning all three games. Representing Nigeria as the country’s sole team in the tournament, they overcame fierce competition from Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Benin Republic, Ghana, and Togo in the Zone. Their undefeated run included a 66–55 upset against home favourites CSA of Côte d’Ivoire and a thrilling 63–59 comeback win against FBA of Côte d’Ivoire, after trailing by 20 points in the second quarter.

The remarkable performance, marked by resilience, discipline skill, and mental strength, earned the team a triumphant return to continental basketball after a six-year absence. Emerging as champions of Zone 3 and the only English-speaking team to advance, the Elephant Girls have reaffirmed FirstBank’s long-standing commitment to promoting women’s sports in Nigeria and across Africa.

Speaking on the qualification, FirstBank’s Group Head, Human Capital Management and Development and Chairman of the Sports Council, Olumuyiwa Olulaja, said: “We are incredibly proud of the Elephant Girls for their outstanding performance. They have once again shown the world the strength, resilience, and excellence that define FirstBank.

“At FirstBank, we are committed to continuing our support for sports in Nigeria and Africa, and this victory is a significant step forward in our mission to promote excellence in sports on the continental and global stage,” he added.

The Elephant Girls had advanced to represent Nigeria at the WBLA Qualifiers for FIBA Africa Zone 3, following an impressive Silver Medal finish at the Zenith Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Women’s Premier League.

With their place secured in Cairo, the Elephant Girls are poised to showcase their talent on the continental stage once again, carrying the pride of Nigeria and the FirstBank brand as they aim to make history in the Final Round of the Women’s Basketball League Africa.

Sports

Morocco’s Hakimi Wins Africa Football Player of the Year Award

Published

1 month ago

November 20, 2025

Eric

Morocco and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi has been crowned the Confederation of African Football Men’s Player of the Year Award for 2025, edging out finalists Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool) and Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray).

The announcement came on Wednesday during the glittering CAF Awards ceremony in Rabat, Morocco, where Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain right-back, was the only finalist in attendance, adding to the electric atmosphere.

This marks a historic breakthrough for Hakimi, after finishing as runner-up in both 2023 and 2024 (behind Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, respectively), the 27-year-old has finally claimed Africa’s top individual football honour.

It’s also the first win for a Moroccan since Mustapha Hadji in 1998, and only the fourth for a defender in the award’s modern history.