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TITANIC CLASH AS RIVERS UNITED AND KANO PILLARS CLASH
BY SAMMY WEJINYA.
Two of the grand football institutions in Nigerian football, Rivers United and Kano Pillars go toe to toe in a special place in a matter of days as the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) enters match day 21.
The timing could have been better for one of the two sides whose indifferent form hardly lends this credence to their case as regards collecting a creditable result at an extremely difficult place.
However, the permanent class of these two sides lends this fixture substance.
Panache and style, the grandeur of the stage and a sense of occasion which could potentially be near intoxicating on Sunday, February 23, 2020 as the Pride of Rivers go toe to toe against Sai Masu Gida in one of the stand out fixtures of Match Day 21 of this weekend’s NPFL offering.
The size of the task is massive for Sai Masu Gida – no club has managed to defeat Rivers United FC at their own stately patch, the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt, this season but Pillars’ head coach, Ibrahim Musa is confident his charges can force down the bitter pill of defeat down the throat of their ultra-consistent hosts.
“We are well-prepared. We arrive in Port Harcourt with confidence and I am sure we will amass the three maximum points at stake,” Musa told the official Rivers United FC website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
If Kano Pillars are to succeed and pull off a result which no side has managed to do so far this term (defeat Rivers United in Port Harcourt), one man – club captain, Rabiu Ali – will have to shine like a million stars and play his best game of the season as United are notoriously shrewd, defensively, especially when they play in front of their own supporters.
Ali is not the only man who can hurt the Port Harcourt darlings though.
Joshua Enaholo, on his day, is one of the finest shot stoppers in the division and has the talent to keep the marauding hosts at bay.
Victor Dennis, Nasiru Sani, Ike Chinedu, Emmanuel Anyanwu, Abdullahi Musa, Auwalu Ali, David Ebuka, home boy, Nwagua Nyima and Dosso Saib whose exquisitely-taken free-kick in the colours of Niger Tornadoes famously knocked Rivers United out of the 2019 AITEO Cup, are also important talent capable of holding sway at any venue.
Pillars are extremely strong on the road. They have lost just three times in ten away fixtures and have the fifth best away record in the division next season.
Sai Masu Gida have scored in seven of their ten away fixtures this term and have conceded an average of not more than one goal a game, at most, in their away games.
Rivers United however appear to be in fine fettle.
The Port Harcourt club is still riding the crest of a wave following their gutsy 1-1 draw in Ilorin against the Kwara United club match day 20.
Technical manager, Stanley Eguma knows Pillars will represent sturdy opposition but as always, the experienced trainer is looking to paying attention to the minutest of details as he looks to deliver a positive result for the high-flying hosts.
“It is a big game, any time, any day. We are not going to underrate Kano Pillars because of their position in the log (Pillars are currently in ninth place while Rivers United sit in third).
“We know that they are a big club in Nigeria so we are going to prepare very well, work on our lapses and pick up the three points which will be very important for us,” he said.
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Morocco Handed Boost as Brazil Lose Only Specialist Right Back Ahead of World Cup Clash
Morocco have received an early boost ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C opener against Brazil after the South Americans lost their only specialist right back, Wesley, to injury.
The AS Roma defender was ruled out of the tournament after suffering a left thigh muscle injury during Brazil’s 2-1 international friendly victory over Egypt in Cleveland on Saturday.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed on Sunday that medical examinations revealed damage to the adductor muscle in Wesley’s left thigh, forcing him to withdraw from Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man World Cup squad.
His absence leaves Brazil with a significant selection headache ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Morocco. Wesley was the only natural right back in the squad, meaning Ancelotti may now have to rely on makeshift options such as versatile defenders Danilo and Ibanez to fill the position.
“The MRI scan revealed a muscle injury to the adductor muscle in his left thigh,” the CBF said in a statement.
“The CBF regrets the injury. Wesley is a player much loved by the squad and will always be considered part of this team as it seeks to win its sixth World Cup title.”
Brazil have moved quickly to replace the injured defender, calling up Atalanta midfielder Ederson, who is expected to join the squad in the United States on Monday.
For Morocco, the development could offer a tactical advantage as the Atlas Lions prepare to face the five-time world champions in what is expected to be one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the group stage.
The North Africans, who reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and continue to be regarded as one of the strongest teams outside Europe and South America, will be looking to exploit any defensive uncertainty on Brazil’s right flank.
Brazil, chasing a record-extending sixth World Cup title, are grouped alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in Group C. The opening encounter between Morocco and Brazil is expected to play a key role in determining the eventual group winner.
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Algeria have extended the contract of national team coach Vladimir Petkovic and his technical staff until 2028, the country’s football federation said on Sunday, days before the World Cup in North America, with his previous deal due to expire immediately after the tournament.
Petkovic, who took charge in February 2024, has overseen a strong turnaround, leading Algeria to 21 wins, four draws and three defeats in 28 matches and guiding the team to qualification for the 2026 World Cup, after their absence from the 2018 and 2022 editions.
Algeria also reached the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after consecutive group-stage exits in 2021 and 2023, while climbing from 43rd to 28th in the FIFA world rankings and from seventh to fourth in Africa during the Bosnian’s tenure.
The federation said the extension reflected “stability and confidence in the work accomplished”, with Algeria set to open their World Cup Group J campaign against Argentina on June 17 before facing Jordan and Austria.
-Reuters
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Multi-champions Brazil, Argentina and Germany all won their preparatory games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, although by small margins, with former champion England and hopeful Portugal also securing victories.
The busy day of friendlies saw some of the biggest stars on display, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Vini Jr and Mohamed Salah playing, but three-time champion Argentina opted to rest Lionel Messi against Honduras in Texas in a game where forward Lautaro Martinez shone with a goal and one assist for a 2-0 win. Simeone scored the second for Argentina.
Five-time champion Brazil beat Egypt 2-1 in Cleveland with Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes scoring early from inside the box and Lyon forward Endrick adding in the second half after an assist from Barcelona’s Raphinha. Zico scored for Egypt, while Salah played the first half and seemed to be in good form.
There was some drama with Brazil and AS Roma right back Wesley leaving the field in tears after what appeared to be a serious muscle injury in the left leg, which might take him out of the World Cup. Teams can change players up to one day before their first games.
Harry Kane’s first-half header earned England a 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa, while there were also victories for Scotland and Belgium as teams fine-tune ahead of the tournament’s kickoff next week.
With England manager Thomas Tuchel rotating his entire team at halftime and handing minutes to 22 players in the scorching 32-degree Celsius (90-degree Fahrenheit) heat, the result was secondary to the process.
But Kane’s clinical finish with a glancing header into the bottom corner from Djed Spence’s cross offered a timely reminder of the skipper’s importance to their hopes of winning a second Cup.
Four-time world champions Germany secured a ninth win in a row with a 2-1 victory over World Cup co-hosts the United States in Chicago.
Germany’s Kai Havertz (left) challenges United States captain Tyler Adams during the international friendly match between the USA and Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, on June 6, 2026. Photo: Talia Sprague/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters.
Kai Havertz headed in Joshua Kimmich’s free kick to give them a second-minute lead, but the Americans snatched a stunning equaliser when Antonee Robinson thundered in a volley after defender Jonathan Tah had headed away a corner.
But Leroy Sane rifled in from 12 metres to restore Germany’s lead in the 57th minute.
Portugal defeated Chile 2-1 in an ill-tempered clash in Oeiras, where both teams finished with 10 men as Rafael Leao and Ivan Roman received their marching orders.
Goncalo Guedes gave the home side the lead before Bruno Fernandes added a second from outside the box. Lucas Cepeda scored a late consolation for Chile.
“We were superior in the 90 minutes, we managed to control the game very well, especially having a lot of the ball in the last third,” Fernandes told RTP.
Striker Romelu Lukaku continued his comeback from injury for Belgium with 25 minutes off the bench as they enjoyed a 5-0 victory over 10-man Tunisia in Brussels.
Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin scored the goals as Lukaku grabbed an assist.
“We wanted a good performance in front of our fans,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said. “It is a good preparation for the World Cup, we know this team can do great things.”
A much-changed Scotland scored all their goals in the first half as they romped to a 4-0 success over Bolivia in New Jersey.
Che Adams bagged two to go with strikes from Lawrence Shankland and Scott McTominay in an impressive performance.
Switzerland and Australia drew 1-1, while Bosnia and Herzegovina were held to the same scoreline by Panama.
-Reuters
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