Sports

World Cup third place clash: Morocco on a date history

Published

3 years ago

December 17, 2022

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Whatever happens today in the third place clash with Croatia, Morocco has already etched its name in the sands of history. For the Atlas Lions, Qatar 2022 World Cup is a script that has played out beyond their wildest imaginations.

A country that only progressed beyond the group stages of the Mundial just once — 36 years ago — became the first African nation to book a semi-final place. A team with just two wins in its previous 16 World Cup games soared to the pinnacle of global football, defeating European powerhouses — Belgium, Spain and Portugal — in tow.

But their inspiring run halted after a 2-0 defeat to France on Wednesday, setting up a third-place encounter with the Croatians, who were defeated by Argentina in the second semi-final game.

The Moroccans are looking to earn Africa’s first-ever podium finish, but a technically astute Luka Modric-inspired Croatia stands in their way.

When the two teams met in their first game in Group F a few weeks ago. The match was a cagey affair with chances limited to wayward off-target shots. They both winded up topping the group ahead of Belgium.

Walid Regragui has been extensively praised for the transformative job he has done with the Lions since he took over from Vahid Halilhodzic barely three months ago.

His effort to recall Hakim Ziyech from forced international retirement and harmonised the team has been the major turning point for Morocco. Ziyech has been a solid performer in Qatar. He cuts another figure from his horrendous form at Chelsea FC, adding technicality and hunger to the team’s midfield.

Azzedine Ounahi has been the World Cup revelation with his slalom runs and darting passes alongside the power of Sufyan Amrabat in the middle of the park.

Morroco’s strength lies in its well-organised defence which failed to concede a goal from an opposition player en route to the semi-final.

However, injuries have rocked the department gravely with the experience of Romain Saiss, Neyf Aguerd and Noussair Mazraoui doubtful for the game.

Croatia will be lurking to capitalise on their absence with the firepower of Andrej Kramaric, Ivan Perisic and Mario Pasalic, backed by the superior midfield triumvirate of Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic.

The trio has been phenomenal through the tournament, trampling every other team in that part of the pitch — even in their 3-0 loss to Argentina.

Will Morocco cap off their historic World Cup run with a bronze finish — or Croatia’s golden generation would cement its legacy with a third place to compliment the silver of Russia 2018?

Pertinent questions that only time can answer.

Related Topics:CROATIA MOROCCO Qatar 2022

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WrestleMania 42: Nigerian wrestler Oba Femi beats 10-time WWE Champion Brock Lesnar

Published

5 days ago

April 20, 2026

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Nigerian professional wrestler, Isaac Odugbesan, popularly known as Oba Femi, defeated 10-time WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar, on his WrestleMania debut on Sunday.

The clash, one of the headline matches at WrestleMania 42, ended on a dramatic note as the 27-year-old Nigerian overpowered the veteran.

Lesnar left his wrestling gear in the ring after the match — a gesture widely regarded in professional wrestling as a sign of retirement.

Oba Femi, also known as “The Ruler,” is a former NXT champion and has spent just three months on WWE’s main roster.

The contest began with both wrestlers testing each other’s strength before Lesnar briefly seized control with a series of offensive moves.

However, Femi absorbed the pressure and responded with a dominant display, shifting momentum in his favour.

Lesnar delivered an F5, but Femi quickly recovered, hitting a chokeslam before finishing the contest with his “Fall From Grace” sit-out powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

The bout quickly became a major talking point on social media, with fans reacting to the upset win.

Femi, a former shot put athlete, is a two-time NXT Champion and a one-time NXT North American Champion.

Born in Lagos, Odugbesan competed in track and field during his school years before signing with WWE in 2021 through its NIL programme.

He went on to win the 2023 NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament and the 2024 Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge.

During the WrestleMania Sunday post-show, Femi sent a message to Roman Reigns, popularly known as the “Original Tribal Chief,” drawing a loud reaction from fans as he hinted at a possible title challenge before the end of the year.

Sports

BREAKING: CAF overturns Afcon final result, declares Morocco winner

Published

1 month ago

March 17, 2026

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The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals and declare MOROCCO the winner of the title.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January in a match which was overshadowed when the Senegalese players refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.

Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return and Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.

However, that result has now been overturned by CAF.

A statement by the African Football’s Governing Body said that Senegal are “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.

Sports

FG fulfils promises as D’Tigress receive national honours, house documents

Published

1 month ago

March 17, 2026

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The Federal Government has fulfilled its outstanding promises to the senior women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, delivering National Honour certificates and title documents for houses in Abuja.

The presentation took place in Lyon, where the African Champions are currently participating at the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament.

The move follows a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at clearing a backlog of promises made to the team following their 2023 Afrobasket victory in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, led the delegation alongside the Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade. Speaking during the handover, Dikko characterized the prompt delivery as a “clear departure” from previous administrations, where state-promised rewards often faced multi-year delays.

“This is a prompt fulfilment of promises made by a President who leads with action,” Dikko stated. “Mr. President is giving every Nigerian athlete a renewed confidence that sports is a serious business capable of changing lives.”

While the physical assets (housing and honours) have been delivered, the NSC Chairman confirmed that the cash rewards promised to the squad are currently in the final stages of administrative processing. He assured the players that disbursement into their respective bank accounts is imminent.

The Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, noted that the current administration of President Tinubu is institutionalizing a “reward system” modelled after developed sporting nations to ensure high-performance outcomes.

President of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engr. Musa Kida, credited the Presidency for prioritizing athlete welfare, citing it as a “legacy of a lifetime” for the sports sector.

Head Coach Rena Wakama and Captain Amy Okonkwo formally accepted the documents, affirming that the timely delivery of these incentives would serve as a catalyst for the team’s upcoming international qualifiers.