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Iran’s sports minister says his country can’t take part in World Cup because of US attacks

Iran’s sports and youth minister said it’s “not possible” for the country to take part in the World Cup after the United States killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in its ongoing war.

Iran was expected to take part in the World Cup that will be held across North America in June, but Iranian Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Donyamali told state television that his country’s soccer team players are not safe in the U.S., according to a video of the interview posted Tuesday.

“Due to the wicked acts they have done against Iran — they have imposed two wars on us over just eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people — definitely it’s not possible for us to take part in the World Cup,” he said.

Iran is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before finishing group play against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The U.S. is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

FIFA said Tuesday night that it anticipates that Iran’s national team will be allowed to come to the United States.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said “I really don’t care” if Iran takes part in the 48-nation tournament.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he met with Trump on Tuesday night “to discuss the status of preparations” for the tournament. During the meeting, Trump “reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote in an Instagram post.

A White House official, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, confirmed Trump’s message to Infantino about Iran’s participation.

Since June, Iran has been subject to a travel ban into the U.S. as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. But athletes and coaches from the target nations are exempt, which means the Iranian team would be allowed to enter. (JapanToday)

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Real Madrid batters Man City as PSG sinks Chelsea in Champions League

Federico Valverde scored an unlikely hat-trick as Real Madrid trounced Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie Wednesday, while holders Paris Saint-Germain beat Chelsea 5-2.

Premier League leaders Arsenal snatched a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen to preserve their unbeaten record in Europe this season, while Bodo/Glimt continued their fairytale run with a 3-0 win over Sporting.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s record 15-time European champions avenged their loss to City in the league phase as Valverde struck three times in the first half to hand Madrid full control of the tie despite the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappe.

Valverde ran onto a long kick from Thibaut Courtois and dribbled past Gianluigi Donnarumma to slot home and give Madrid the lead at the Santiago Bernabeu against City as the teams met in a knockout tie for the fifth season running.

The Uruguayan midfielder arrowed a low drive into the far corner to double Madrid’s advantage and then completed his hat-trick with a sublime touch and finish after linking up with Brahim Diaz.

City could have suffered an ever heavier defeat but Donnarumma saved a second-half penalty from Vinicius Junior after the City goalkeeper brought down the Brazilian.

PSG have one foot in the quarter-finals after two late goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the Parc des Princes.

Bradley Barcola fired PSG in front but Malo Gusto’s scruffy effort skipped past Matfei Safonov to bring Chelsea level.

Ousmane Dembele finished off a clinical counter to restore the lead for the hosts before half-time, only for Enzo Fernandez to reply once more for Chelsea after excellent work from Pedro Neto.

A mistake from Filip Jorgensen saw Vitinha lob the Chelsea goalkeeper to put PSG on top for the third time, with Kvaratskhelia hammering in a superb fourth and then potentially applying the fatal blow for Luis Enrique’s side in stoppage time.

Despite an unprecedented six English teams featuring in the last 16, not a single one won and only two avoided defeat in Europe this week.

Arsenal needed an 89th-minute penalty from Kai Havertz against his former club to snatch a draw away to Bayer Leverkusen.

Robert Andrich headed in a corner for Leverkusen moments into the second half to leave Arsenal, who won all eight of their league phase matches, staring at defeat in Germany.

But Havertz came off the bench and converted from the spot after a foul on Noni Madueke to ensure Arsenal remain favourites to reach the quarter-finals.

“I know how hard it is to come here… and we knew what to expect,” said Havertz.

“We didn’t play our best today. But we’re going home with a good result. We need to step on the gas next week.”

Bodo/Glimt enjoyed another remarkable Champions League night as they swept Portugal’s Sporting aside 3-0 to register their fifth win in a row in the competition.

Sondre Brunstad Fet put Bodo ahead from the penalty spot just after the half-hour mark and Ole Didrik Blomberg made it two in first-half injury time.

Kasper Hogh scored his fifth goal in as many European games with 19 minutes remaining to spark wild celebrations for the Norwegian underdogs. (JapanToday)

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Nigeria sports community mourns Onigbinde

Tributes are still pouring in for the late Super Eagles coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, who passed away on Monday.

Led by the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation, Onigbinde’s passing has been described as “the exit of a great man who served Nigerian football wholeheartedly and was diligent and devoted to the development of the game.”

“His legacies as a former national team coach and former CAF and FIFA technical instructor will continue to shape the sport for decades to come. A true legend has gone home. Rest on, High Chief,” the Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, wrote.

Similarly, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports, Philip Shaibu, said, “Coach Onigbinde represents an era of discipline, courage and football intelligence. At the National Institute for Sports, we believe our legends must be celebrated, respected and preserved as national treasures while we also tap into their experience and wisdom in navigating our core mandate. Unfortunately, as part of the natural course of life, he is no longer with us.”

NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi said the Modakeke high chief was “an extraordinary achiever who impacted positively not only on Nigerian football but on the African and global game at large.”

“Indeed, a big tree has fallen. Chief Onigbinde ate, drank, breathed, slept and lived football development. We will miss him greatly, as he was never tired of offering advice on the game’s development even at his ripe old age. We pray that God will grant him eternal rest and also grant his family, relations, friends and the Nigerian football fraternity the fortitude to bear the loss.”

The Nigeria Football Coaches Association also paid tribute to the man widely regarded as a trailblazer of coaching education in the country.

“Beyond his technical contributions on the pitch, he was a respected leader, mentor and elder statesman whose influence extended through generations of coaches, players and football administrators across Nigeria and Africa,” the association said in a statement.

Respected globally for his deep knowledge of the game’s tactics and techniques, Onigbinde served as Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation and also as Technical Adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, where he worked with the country’s youth teams. He was for many years a technical adviser to the Confederation of African Football and also served on several Technical Study Groups of FIFA and CAF at major championships.

He began his coaching career in the 1960s and rose to national prominence in 1977, when he led Water Corporation FC of Ibadan to the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Champions Clubs. Seven years later, he guided Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan to the final of the same competition.

A quintessential teacher, educator and instructor, Onigbinde was the first indigenous coach to lead Nigeria’s senior men’s national team to an Africa Cup of Nations silver medal, achieving the feat with a largely youthful squad at the 1984 tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.

The cerebral tactician later guided the Super Eagles to the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan, where a blend of emerging talents and experienced players narrowly lost to Argentina and Sweden and drew with England. He became the first Nigerian coach to manage the Super Eagles at the FIFA World Cup, following foreign managers Clemens Westerhof (1994) and Bora Milutinović (1998).

Afterwards, he served as an instructor and educator for the NFF, CAF and FIFA, dedicating his time to training coaches and football administrators, a contribution that earned him recognition and accolades across the football world. (Punch)

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Basketball: D’Tigress crush Colombia 70–37 in World Cup qualifier

Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, opened their campaign at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament with a commanding 33-point victory over Colombia.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that D’Tigress defeated Colombia 70–37 on Wednesday to secure their first win of the tournament, currently taking place in France.

Nigeria led 18–12 in the opening quarter with impressive displays, but Colombia responded strongly to edge the second quarter 17–16.

D’Tigress dominated the second half, outscoring Colombia 19–5 in the third quarter and 17–3 in the fourth to seal an emphatic victory.

The win marked Head Coach Rena Wakama’s 14th victory since her appointment in 2023.

Since taking charge, Wakama has overseen 18 competitive matches, winning 14 and losing four.

Her achievements include guiding Nigeria to the 2023 and 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket championship titles.

D’Tigress currently rank eighth in the FIBA world rankings, reflecting consistent progress and strong performances in recent international competitions.

One of their most notable achievements remains reaching the quarter-finals of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

Technically, the result again highlighted the growing gap between Nigeria and several emerging basketball nations.

Nigeria controlled the tempo, defended aggressively and converted transition opportunities efficiently throughout the game.

Victoria Macaulay led the scoring with 13 points, delivering the performance in 14 minutes and 20 seconds on the court.

Ifunaya Okoro also finished in double figures, contributing 10 points after playing 28 minutes and one second.

Nigeria will face South Korea in their next group match scheduled for Thursday. (Punch)

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Tinubu nominates ex-SEC DG Yuguda as CBN deputy governor

President Bola Tinubu has nominated a former Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Lamido Yuguda, as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The nomination, which is subject to confirmation by the Senate, was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, the appointment was made in line with Section 8(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.

Onanuga said Yuguda’s nomination follows the recent appointment of the former CBN Deputy Governor, Bala Bello, as Special Adviser to the President on Political Economy.

“The President charges them to discharge their responsibilities with renewed dedication, professionalism, and commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and growth, in their respective roles,” the statement read.

“The President charges them to discharge their responsibilities with renewed dedication, professionalism, and commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and growth, in their respective roles,” the statement read.

The President urged the nominee to discharge his duties with professionalism and commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and growth.

Yuguda served as Director-General of the SEC from 2020 to 2024. (Punch)

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Australia grants asylum to 5 members of Iranian women’s soccer team, official says

Australia has granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who were visiting the country for a tournament, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Tuesday.

The women were transported from their hotel in Gold Coast, Australia “to a safe location” by Australian federal police officers in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time. There, they met with Burke and the processing of their humanitarian visas finalized, the minister told reporters in Brisbane hours later.

“I say to the other members of the team the same opportunity is there,” Burke said. “Australia has taken the Iranian women’s soccer team into our hearts.”

Burke’s announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday called on Australia to grant asylum to any team member who wanted it.

The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup last month, before the Iran war began. The team was knocked out of the tournament over the weekend and was facing the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment. Iran’s head coach Marziyeh Jafari on Sunday said the players “want to come back to Iran as soon as we can,” according to Australia’s national news agency, AAP.

Earlier Monday, Trump had blasted Australia on social media, saying Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the … team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.” Trump called on Australia to grant the team asylum, adding: “The U.S. will take them if you won’t.” Less than two hours later, in another social media post, Trump praised Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, saying, “He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.”

Trump also said that some players “feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return.”

Trump’s offer of asylum represented something of a change for the president, whose administration has sought to limit the number of immigrants who can receive asylum for political purposes.

During the tournament, the players have mostly declined to comment on the situation at home, although Iran forward Sara Didar choked back tears in a news conference on Wednesday as she shared their concerns for their families, friends and all Iranians during the conflict.

The team’s silence during the anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last week was viewed by some as an act of resistance and others as a show of mourning. The team hasn’t clarified. They later sang and saluted during the anthem before their remaining two matches. (JapanToday)

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Disney’s ‘Robin Hood’ live-action remake not moving forward, says Director

Fans of Disney‘s 1970s animated feature Robin Hood aren’t likely to be feeling particularly merry after the latest update about a potential live-action remake.

During a recent Reddit AMA, filmmaker Carlos López Estrada said that the studio was not moving forward with his planned photorealistic musical. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported in April 2020 that Estrada was in early development on the movie for streaming service Disney+ after deals were finalized prior to the industry shutting down amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s dead, sadly,” Estrada wrote in response to a question about the project’s status. “I say ‘sadly’ because I actually thought there was something really special (and original!) there. Some truly extraordinary music we had figured out for it.”

The Blindspotting director added, “I keep daydreaming about doing it independently with different characters.”

THR previously reported that Kari Granlund was writing the script for a feature remake that would be a hybrid of live action and CG. Granlund worked on the screenplay for Disney’s 2019 version of Lady and the Tramp, which became the studio’s first remake to debut on a streaming platform.

Disney has continued to prioritize its theatrical remakes of classic animated properties. This includes a live-action take on Tangled, which is back in active development after THR reported last year that the film’s progress had been paused in light of Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot’s live-action Snow White underperforming at the box office. Since then, Disney has had a massive hit with the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, while Barry Jenkins’ prequel Mufasa: The Lion King also had a strong showing.

Director Thomas Kail’s live-action remake of Moana hits theaters this summer. Additionally, the studio has been developing a live-action spinoff of Beauty and the Beast villain Gaston and a remake of Hercules from filmmaker Guy Ritchie.

Robin Hood hit theaters in 1973 and used animated anthropomorphic animals to tell the classic story of the heroic outlaw. Robin Hood and Maid Marian were depicted as red foxes, while Little John was a brown bear, and Prince John was a lion. The film surpassed $32 million at the domestic box office ($234 million today) and earned an Oscar nomination for the song “Love.”

Bob Iger, who is soon ending his run as Disney CEO, said during a conference call last year that the studio has focused its efforts on theatrical releases after having previously attempted to ramp up its Disney+ roster.

“We all know that, in our zeal to flood our streaming platform with more content, that we turned to all of our creative engines, including Marvel, and had them produce a lot more,” Iger said. “We’ve also learned over time that quantity does not necessarily beget quality.”

During his Reddit conversation, Estrada also responded to a question about his experience co-directing Disney’s 2021 animated feature Raya and the Last Dragon.

“Disney was so special and so hard,” Estrada said. Noting that he was Disney Animation‘s first director of color, he continued, “Needless to say, I lasted only a few years there. But they were really great years. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. But I do have some proper crazy Disney stories that I should share someday.” (THR)

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Three killed, six injured in multiple crash on Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway

Three persons have died in a multiple-vehicle crash at the Toll Gate area of the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway in Ogun State.

Six others sustained injuries in the accident involving a white Howo Sino truck with registration number T4995LA; a yellow commercial bus marked SMK 199YK; another yellow commercial bus with registration number AGL 394YA; an LT commercial bus with registration number FKJ 360YH; a yellow Suzuki bus marked AKD 98YL; and another yellow Suzuki bus with registration number KSF 23YA.

Following the crash, the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) warned traders against displaying their wares on walkways and roadsides to prevent avoidable accidents.

TRACE spokesperson Babatunde Akinbiyi said 15 persons were involved in the crash. Six victims — three males and three females — sustained injuries, while three others, a female toddler, an adult female and an adult male, died.

He attributed the crash to brake failure involving the Howo truck, whose driver reportedly lost control and rammed into other vehicles, crushing commuters who were attempting to board a bus.

Akinbiyi said TRACE officials, police officers and operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were deployed to the scene for rescue operations.

According to him, the injured victims were taken to General Hospital, Ota, while the bodies of the deceased were moved to the Ifo morgue.

He also warned articulated vehicle drivers to ensure proper maintenance of their vehicles to prevent similar incidents.

Akinbiyi urged traders displaying goods on walkways and roadsides to remove them to avoid being exposed to danger.

“Traders who display their wares on walkways and roadsides are advised to remove them in view of the risks involved,” he added.

He said the accident vehicles had been towed to the Papa Oscar yard for further investigation, while traffic on the road had been restored. (Guardian)

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Southampton shocks Fulham to reach FA Cup quarterfinals

Championship side Southampton reached the FA Cup quarterfinals with a shock 1-0 win against Fulham on Sunday.

Ross Stewart’s ice-cool penalty in stoppage-time at Craven Cottage sealed Southampton’s fifth-round upset.

It was an embarrassing loss for Fulham manager Marco Silva, who paid the price for a selection gamble that backfired.

Silva made nine changes to following a disappointing 1-0 defeat against West Ham in the Premier League earlier this week, but his switches failed to produce the desired result.

Southampton won it in the first minute of stoppage-time when Finn Azaz was fouled by Fulham defender Joachim Andersen and Stewart drilled his spot-kick past Benjamin Lecomte.

Relegated from the Premier League last season, they are through to the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2022.

Southampton’s success served as a fitting tribute to the greatest day in the club’s history.

Their players wore a yellow commemorative kit to mark 50 years since they wore the same shirts when Bobby Stokes’ sealed then second-tier Southampton’s shock 1976 FA Cup final win against Manchester United at Wembley.

Southampton’s current crop still have a way to go to emulate the achievement of Lawrie McMenemy’s men.

But Tonda Eckert’s side are unbeaten in 10 games in all competitions as they chase FA Cup glory and a place in the Championship play-offs.

Later on Sunday, Sunderland travel to Port Vale, who sit bottom of League One, and Leeds host second-tier Norwich, while West Ham meet Brentford on Monday.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool have already booked their places in the quarterfinals. (JapanToday)

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Iran names Khamenei’s hardline son Mojtaba as new supreme leader

Iran on Monday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader, signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge in Tehran a ‌week into its conflict with the United States and Israel.

Mojtaba, a mid-ranking cleric with influence inside Iran’s security forces and vast business networks under his father, had been seen as a frontrunner in the lead up to the vote by the assembly, a ‌body of 88 clerics charged with choosing the new leader after Ali Khamenei.

“By ⁠a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts, appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as ⁠the third Leader of ⁠the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the assembly said in a statement issued just ‌after midnight Tehran time.

The position gives Mojtaba the final say in all matters of state in the Islamic Republic.

Mojtaba’s ⁠appointment will likely draw the ire of U.S. President ⁠Donald Trump, who said on Sunday that Washington should have a say in the selection. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” he told ABC News. Israel, ahead of the announcement, threatened to target whoever was chosen.

Mojtaba’s father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was killed in ⁠one of the first strikes launched against Iran more than a week ago.

The U.S. military on Sunday ⁠reported a seventh American has died from wounds ‌sustained during Iran’s initial counter-attack a week ago, a day after Trump presided over the return to the United States of the remains of the six others who died.

The U.S.-Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and wounded thousands, according to Iran’s U.N. ambassador.

As Trump pressed for an “unconditional surrender,” Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s ‌parliament speaker, said Tehran was not seeking a ceasefire to the war and would punish aggressors.

Israel continued to target senior Iranian figures, including Abolqasem Babaian, the recently appointed head of the military office of the supreme leader, saying he was killed in a Saturday strike. (JapanToday)