Sports

Andy Murray Crashes Out of Australia Open as Federer, Nadal Move On

Published

7 years ago

January 15, 2019

Eric

A battling Andy Murray bowed out of the Australian Open at the first hurdle Monday, but it was business as usual for ruthless Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who joined Caroline Wozniacki in round two.

The Scottish five-time Melbourne Park finalist gave it everything he had and showed glimpses of the form that won him three Grand Slams, but his ailing body let him down during a gutsy 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (4/7) defeat to 22nd seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

Murray tearfully revealed before the tournament that he was in constant agony from a hip injury and planned to retire this year.

The 31-year-old hopes to end his career at Wimbledon, but has admitted the Australian Open could be his last event unless he has a late change of heart.

“Amazing. That was incredible, thank you so, so much to everyone that came out tonight,” he said after being given a rapturous send-off.

While his tournament ended in despair, Swiss master Federer, six years older than Murray, continued his march towards a record seventh Australian Open title.

He swept past Uzbek Denis Istomin 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 said he was in “disbelief” that he was the double defending champion at his age and vowed to give his all to make it three in a row.

“I’m going to try everything possible (to win again) and leave it all on the court,” said the world number three.

His long-time rival Nadal, who cut short his 2018 season to have surgery on a foot injury, showed no mercy to Australian wildcard James Duckworth in his opening round clash.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner cruised through 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 and said it was an important victory.

“Not easy to come back after a lot of months, especially against a player playing super aggressive on every point,” said the 2009 Australian champion, who showed no sign of any injury worries. “The energy I feel in this place is fantastic.”

The second seed is bidding to become the first man in the Open era, and only the third in history along with Roy Emerson and Rod Laver, to win each Grand Slam on two or more occasions.

Fifth seed Kevin Anderson progressed, as did NextGen Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. But ninth seed John Isner became the first top seed to crash out.

World number three Wozniacki, who made her Grand Slam breakthrough in Melbourne last year, opened her defence with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Alison van Uytvanck.

It was an emotional win for the Dane who is struggling with rheumatoid arthritis and she was in tears afterwards.

“Last year I had some special memories and just to be able to be back out here on Rod Laver Arena is something extremely special and emotional,” she said.

– Good test –
Second seed and 2016 champion Angelique Kerber was also impressive, breezing past Slovenia’s Polona Hercog 6-2, 6-2.

Maria Sharapova, a winner at Melbourne in 2008, signalled her intent with a rare 6-0, 6-0 double bagel demolition of Britain’s Harriet Dart.

Playing in her 15th Australian Open, the three-time finalist said she was pleased to go through so easily as she battles back from injuries.

“I’m still working through some painful days. But, you know, I felt like I did all the right things today in order to get through that match,” said the Russian.

Fifth-seeded Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion who struggled in her warm-up tournaments in Brisbane and Sydney, got back to business with an easy two-set win against fellow American Taylor Townsend.

Eleventh seed Aryna Sabalenka, widely tipped as a potential future champion, also safely negotiated round one on a hot day. But Germany’s 14th seed Julia Goerges was knocked out, as was former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

Britain’s Katie Boulter, meanwhile, created a slice of history by becoming the first woman to win in a third set tiebreak -– a new rule introduced to the Open this year, beating Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (10/6).

Sports

FIFA Strikes Out Nigeria’s Petition, Okays DR Congo for 2026 World Cup Play-Off

Published

12 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s hopes of securing a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have effectively ended after FIFA confirmed the Democratic Republic of the Congo as Africa’s representative in the upcoming inter-confederation play-off tournament.

In an official accreditation notice circulated to media covering the event, FIFA outlined the competition format and confirmed the six nations set to compete for the final two spots at the expanded global tournament.

The announcement excludes Nigeria, whose football authorities had lodged a formal protest following their defeat by DR Congo in the CAF play-offs in November 2025.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) challenged the result, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the decisive tie, which ended 1-1 before the Leopards prevailed on penalties.

The NFF sought to overturn the outcome and secure reinstatement into the inter-confederation play-offs.

However, FIFA’s latest communication makes no reference to any amendment to the qualified teams, strongly indicating that the original result stands.

In its statement, FIFA said: “The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Play-Off Tournament will see six teams fight it out for the final two places at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, to be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 host cities.”

The governing body confirmed the participating nations as Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia, and Suriname.

Tournament format and fixtures

The play-off tournament will take place from March 26 to March 31, 2026, in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico.

According to FIFA, the four lowest-ranked teams in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking — Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname — will contest bracket semi-finals.

The two highest-ranked sides — DR Congo and Iraq — will advance directly to the final stage.

This format places DR Congo one match away from qualification, with the African side set to face the winner of Jamaica versus New Caledonia for a place at the 2026 finals.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first edition expanded to 48 teams.

For Nigeria, FIFA’s confirmation brings months of uncertainty to a close. Although no separate public ruling was issued specifically addressing the NFF’s petition, the unchanged list of qualified teams suggests the appeal was unsuccessful.

Sports

Barcelona Moves: Galatasaray Place €80m Price Tag on Osimhen

Published

3 weeks ago

February 12, 2026

Eric

Turkish Super Lig club, Galatasaray, have slapped an €80 million release clause on Victor Osimhen amid interest from Spanish giants Barcelona, Soccernet.ng reports.

Osimhen has been one of the most prolific strikers in the world over the last four years. In fact, he only recently scored his 200th career goal.

Since his permanent move to Galatasaray, he has been the club’s poster boy due to his impressive performances. This season, he has contributed 15 goals and one assist in 21 appearances across all competitions for the Cimbom.

The Nigerian international has been particularly vital in the UEFA Champions League, where he has already netted six goals.

His performances have not gone unnoticed, however, as several top clubs continue to keep tabs on him.

The 27-year-old only joined Galatasaray last summer for a Turkish transfer record fee of €75 million, but many clubs in Europe’s top five leagues would fancy having him as their leading man.

Now, according to a report by Turkish outlet Haberlisin, Spanish giants Barcelona are plotting a move for Osimhen.

Why Barcelona want Osimhen

Barcelona’s current top striker is Robert Lewandowski, and the club is looking to move on from the veteran, who will turn 38 in August.

With second-choice striker Ferran Torres not considered a reliable long-term option, the Catalans are searching for a proper talisman to lead their line.

According to Haberlisin, Barcelona have made Osimhen a major target and are willing to go all out for him in the summer.

However, Galatasaray won’t let him leave for cheap. Having paid €75 million for his services just seven months ago, they will want to maximize their return on the transfer. Consequently, they have slapped a hefty €80 million price tag on the Super Eagles star.

Although they are one of the biggest clubs in the world, Barcelona might struggle to meet this valuation due to their ongoing financial troubles. However, over the last three years, they have managed to pull off several big-money deals.

For Osimhen, even though he loves life at Galatasaray and earns a Turkish-record salary, he likely still has eyes on playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

It remains to be seen how hard the Spanish giants will push to get this transfer over the line and whether Osimhen will be willing to go.