Sports
New Zealand Women in the Woods for Soccer Glory against Norway in Opening Match.

Co-hosts, New Zealand is searching for her fist win at any women world cup final in five appearances as the team has never won a game or gone beyond group stage yet has her first match against former Champions Norway in the opening match of the tournament on Thursday 20th July at the Eden Park Stadium, Auckland.
New Zealand was there in 1991; 2007; 2011; 2015 and the last tournament in 2019 but made zero impact.
Six times New Zealand met Norway but had only a win on 9th April 2019 at 1-0. She lost thrice; 27th November 2014 0-2; 10th March 2020 1-2; and 25th June 2022 0-2. She earned two draws against Norway on 5th April 2019 1-1; and another 1-1 on 25th November 2014. All matches were international friendly matches.
Norway has a better record in 8th appearances of 1991; 1995; 1999; 2003; 2007; 2011; 2015 and 2019 meaning the Norwegians appeared in every competition from 1991.
Norway was runners-up in 1991 when she beat Sweden 4-1 in the Semifinal and lost to USA 1-2 in the final. Norway won at Sweden 95 after pummeling Nigeria’s Super Falcon 8-0 in the group B games winning all matches to top the group where England was 2nd, Canada 3rd and Nigeria 4th. Norway piped USA 1-0 in the semifinal and lashed Germany 2-0 in the finals before a crowd of 17,158 fans in the match handled by Ref Ingrid Jonsson of Sweden.
In 1999, Norway lost to China 0-5 in the semifinal but lost the Bronze Medal to Brazil via penalty shootout after a goalless match 4-5. In 2007, in China, Norway lost to Germany 0-3 in the semifinal and again lost the Bronze medal 1-4 to USA.
It will be a Herculean task for the Coach Jitka Klimkova Australian girls to beat Norway in the early morning match of Nigerian time. It will be like a Cyclist having to climb his bicycle up Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Ogun State of Nigeria.
By Eniola Olatunji
Sports
Iraola: My Fight With Isak Has Never Been About Goals
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola says Alexander Isak is a “massive” player for him – but adds he “fights” with the player about needing to do more for the “collective”.
Isak scored twice in the opening nine minutes in the 2-0 win over Ipswich to take his tally to three for the season – but Iraola hinted the player needs to do more off the ball for the team.
“He’s a massive player for us,” he told Sky Sports. “My demands will not be about the goals: he’s fit, in a good shape and he will produce the numbers.
“But my fights with him are more about other stuff, how to help the team in other situations. But it’s good he has played two full games and today a good amount of minutes, scoring the goals.”
Iraola did not reveal which specific areas Isak needs to improve, but it could be interpreted that Iraola wants his striker to do more in the pressing.
“I will demand other things so we can play well,” he said in his post-match press conference about those demands to Isak. “And if we play well, we are in good positions, the goals will come.
“He has to contribute to the collective and when everyone helps, after the goals and results will come.”
Iraola also said to Sky: “Today we were much, much better in our press. We were recovering very high and then we can contact him in good positions.
“If we recover the ball lower, it will be more difficult to find him to have less spaces. So we need more quality effort to put our No 9 in situations like he had today.”
Sports
‘It’s So Strong’ – Sabalenka Halts Play Over Cannabis Smell
Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova because of a strong smell of cannabis before cruising into the fourth round in New York.
Top seed Sabalenka raised the issue after going 3-0 up in the first set against Uzbekistan’s Rakhimova, telling umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore that “someone is smoking weed”.
The Belarusian asked the umpire to intervene “because it’s so strong”.
Asderaki-Moore spoke to an official on her radio and made a smoking gesture to someone behind her, before play continued.
Two-time defending champion Sabalenka went on to secure a confident 6-3 6-4 victory on Louis Armstrong Stadium as she chases a fifth Grand Slam singles title.
Sabalenka said afterwards she was not sure where the smell of cannabis was coming from but asked fans to be more mindful.
Smoking is not permitted on site at Flushing Meadows but the smell of cannabis sometimes wafts on to court from the nearby Corona Park.
It is legal to smoke it in New York for adults aged 21 and over.
“It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best,” Sabalenka said.
“I don’t know if it was coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium.
“I just hope they’re going to be a bit more aware of that stuff.”
Sabalenka is not the first player at this year’s US Open to complain about the smell of cannabis at Flushing Meadows.
Britain’s Katie Boulter previously said it was distracting, while Harriet Dart and Francesca Jones also noticed the smell.
In past years players including Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have also complained.
Sports
Onana Gets Twins As Salah Welcomes First Son Weeks After Joining Turkish Team
Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah has welcomed his third child and first son, named Lail, Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan said after the Turkish club’s third-round league match against Amedspor.
Doğan said Salah and his Cameroonian teammate André Onana travelled outside Turkey following the match as their wives were due to give birth.
“After the Amed match, we travelled abroad with Onana and Salah. Onana welcomed twins, while Salah welcomed a baby boy. I congratulate their families and wives,” Doğan was quoted as telling Turkish media.
Salah’s sister, Rabab Salah, later revealed the baby’s name on Instagram, posting a photograph of a baby hat and congratulating her brother on the birth of Lail.
The child is Salah’s first son. The Egyptian star and his wife, Magi, already have two daughters, Makka and Kayan.
Doğan’s comments came after a photograph of Salah and Onana aboard a private jet circulated online, prompting questions among Trabzonspor supporters and local media about the reason for their trip.
The club president said both players had travelled for family reasons following the match.
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