Connect with us

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Ahead of Women’s World Cup, 6-metre tall Alex Morgan statue unveiled in US

blank

Published

on

A statue of United States soccer player Alex Morgan is seen at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, U.S. June 27, 2023. REUTERS/Amy Tennery/File Photo

Fans wishing to snap a picture with U.S. forward Alex Morgan will have a chance at the next best thing as a six-metre, 825-pound (375kg) statue of the soccer star hits the road ahead of the Women’s World Cup.

World Cup broadcaster Fox Sports conceived of the statue to promote its programming for the tournament, which kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.

Known as ‘Liberty Alex’, the work is crafted from hard-coated and reinforced foam with a 3-D printed resin head and trophy, and features Morgan draped in an American flag, posing like the iconic Statue of Liberty.

Fox Sports will oversee the statue’s nationwide tour that includes stops at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Seattle and New York City.

Robert Gottlieb, president, marketing, Fox Sports, told Reuters his team began planning the project months ago.

Advertisement

“It got bigger with each iteration,” said Gottlieb.

“Originally it was like, ‘Oh we’ll make it 10-foot’ and then it’s like, ‘You know, maybe it should be 15.” And then you kind of see 15 and, you know, let’s make it 20. And of course the cost goes up with each iteration.”

Morgan, who will appear in her fourth World Cup, modeled the flag in an April photoshoot. A team of 3-D artists, sculptors, painters and visual effects makeup artists completed the work in roughly a month.

“Every time we made it bigger, the weight increased, the materials, the amount of workmen and also the shipping,” said Gottlieb.

“So we have to truck this all over the country now, so we had to make custom containers that fit this exact shape.”

Advertisement

-Reuters

 

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Morocco 2025: Nigeria qualify for FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup

blank

Published

on

blank

Despite wintry conditions in Blida, on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, Algiers, Nigeria’s U17 girls dug their feet into the ground on Friday night.

They achieved a scoreless draw that qualified them for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals.

Holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage, the 2002 bronze medallists adopted a calm and collected pattern that easily soaked up the expected pressure from the hosts and then relied on fast breaks to try and pull the trigger on their opponents.

Although they created better chances on the night, the Flamingos failed to make dominance in possession pay, but swiftly collected the ticket to Morocco on a 4-0 aggregate win.

The difference over two legs of the final round was a remarkable display in the opening leg by the Flamingos, during which a brace by Queen Joseph and one each by Zainab Raji and substitute Aisha Animashaun ensured a 4-0 win.

Advertisement

The Flamingos will now be one of Africa’s five representatives (including hosts Morocco) at this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals taking place from 17th October – 5th November. The final competition will entertain 24 teams for the very first time.

Since the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup competition was launched in New Zealand in 2008, Nigeria have failed to make the finals only once – the 2018 tournament hosted by Uruguay.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Despite heavy first leg loss, Algeria hopeful of a turnaround in Nigeria’s Flamingos clash

blank

Published

on

blank

The Algeria U17 women’s national team still hope for a possible turnaround in this Friday night clash with Nigeria’s Flamingos.

Algeria lost 4-0 in the first leg match in Ikenne last Saturday.

The Algerians completed their preparations on Thursday at the Sidi Moussa National Technical Centre, the eve of the return match against Nigeria.

The return match is scheduled for this Friday at 8 p.m. at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida. Aggregate winners will pick a ticket to the FIFA U-17 Women’s 2025 World Cup.

According to sources in Algeria, all the players took part in the final session, during which coach Abdenour Mira finalised the tactical details for the make or mar encounter.

Advertisement

Despite the heavy defeat conceded in the first leg (4-0), the young Algerians approach this match with the desire to finish well and deliver an honourable performance against a formidable Nigerian team.

During the technical meeting held early in the afternoon at the FAF headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the two teams and the organisers, it was decided that Algeria will play in green, while Nigeria will wear white.

The match will be officiated by Cameroonian Aline Marie Noelle Guimbang, assisted by her compatriot Laurie Marcelle Tsafack Teikeu and Chadian Victorine Ngarassoum.

The fourth official will also be Cameroonian, Innoncentia Njang Ntangti.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Advertisement
Continue Reading

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Under possible cold weather in Blida, Nigeria’s Flamingos set to grab World Cup ticket

blank

Published

on

blank

The weather is most likely to be cold, but Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, are set to continue a tradition of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which has had eight editions, out of which the Flamingos featured in seven.

Only Japan, with 100 per cent attendance, has featured in more competitions than Nigeria’s Flamingos.

They look poised to feature again after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria in the first leg of the final qualifying series.

Apart from their opponents, Algeria, they have the expected cold weather to battle with at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida (outside Algiers), on Friday night.

Friday’s encounter against their Algerian counterparts is the final leg of a final qualifying round fixture, with the Flamingos, bronze-medallists from the 2022 finals in India and quarterfinalists from the last edition in the Dominican Republic, holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage.  

Advertisement

The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has scheduled the match to kick off at 8 pm, at a time when the winds will begin to blow in stronger from the Mediterranean Sea.

 Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

Most Viewed