SPORTS
Mbappe Fit for all Madrid Matches before World Cup
France striker Kylian Mbappe says he has fully recovered from a knee injury and wants to play all of Real Madrid’s remaining matches in the season run-in as he builds towards the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The 27-year-old missed four league games this year due to a lingering knee issue from last season, but featured off the bench in the 64th minute of Madrid’s 3-2 win over Atletico on Sunday.
Mbappe has been named in the national squad for friendlies against Brazil on March 26 and Colombia three days later in the United States, which is co-hosting the June 11-July 19 World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
“I have made a 100 percent recovery,” Mbappe said.
“I prepared for the last two World Cups in the best way possible, which is to play, score goals, win titles, and fight until the last minute for my club, and this year I am going to do the same to arive in top form.”
The forward scored a hat-trick in France’s World Cup 2022 final loss to Argentina in Qatar and won the tournament’s golden boot award with eight goals.
He said reports about his recovery have been speculative and “some false things have been said” about his return for the 1998 and 2018 world champions.
“It’s the life of a top athlete, and we’re used to people saying things without verifying them or having any basis in fact,” he said.
France will play in Group I at the World Cup with Norway, Senegal and the winner of an intercontinental playoff.
Guinea will face Nigeria’s Flamingos in the final qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The Guineans defeated Niger Republic 3-0 in the second leg of their qualifying fixture in Conakry on Saturday.
They won the contest 8-2 on aggregate, following their 5-2 triumph in the first leg last week.
The winner of the Flamingos versus Guinea clash will qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The Flamingos set up camp in Abuja for the clash with their fellow West Africans last week.
Newly appointed head coach, Akeem Busari invited 36 players to camp for the team’s preparation.
The Nigerian National League (NNL) side, Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi, has trimmed its squad and retained a few quality players to push for promotion to the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).
Lobi Stars Chairman Simon Ikya made the disclosure in a statement signed by Austin Tyowua, Principal Media Officer to the club, and made it available to newsmen on Thursday in Makurdi.
Ikya said that the club took the decision after a meeting with all the players and technical staff at McCarthy Stadium, Makurdi.
The chairman explained that the decision was rooted in duty rather than dislike.
He stated that the players on the exit list would be granted clearance at the end of April once their entitlements were settled.
Ikya added that for those retained, there would be no room for laxity.
The chairman urged them to tighten their belts, keep the focus, and drive the Federation Cup campaign all the way to its final stop.
Meanwhile, the list of retained players was read out by the head coach, John Onuh.
The Kogi State Government has pledged to prioritise the development of basketball in the state to boost the sport’s profile and promote youth engagement.
The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Monday Anyebe, made the pledge at the inauguration of the Kogi State Basketball Association on Tuesday in Lokoja.
Anyebe assured stakeholders of the government’s commitment to the development of basketball under the administration of Gov.
Ahmed Ododo.Represented by the Director of Sports in the state, James Igah, the commissioner said the administration would focus on nurturing basketball, particularly in rural areas, to enhance youth development.
He added that the government would collaborate with the association to promote sports development across the state.
Anyebe urged the newly inaugurated executives of the association to come up with innovative ideas to advance the sport.
Responding, the Chairman of the Kogi State Basketball Association, Mustapha Abdullahi, reaffirmed his commitment to the growth of basketball in the state.
Abdullahi, who is also the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, commended the state government for its efforts in promoting sports development.
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