Tag: Ivory Coast

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Norway beats Ivory Coast 2-1 to set up last-16 Brazil clash

Erling Haaland scored a late winner as Norway set up a last-16 showdown with Brazil at the World Cup after taming the Ivory Coast 2-1 in Texas on Tuesday.

The Manchester City striker prodded in from close range, the ball dribbling in on 86 minutes for his fifth goal of the tournament.

It was the first time that Norway had won a knockout game in the history of the competition and Haaland looked emotional afterwards.

After an even first half that was slow to get going, Antonio Nusa fired Norway into the lead six minutes before the break with one of the goals of the tournament.

Manchester United’s Amad Diallo was sent on for the Ivory Coast and was immediately in the thick of it, stopping a certain second Norway goal and then grabbing a terrific equaliser on 74 minutes.

With extra time looming, predator supreme Haaland got on the end of a cross by Patrick Berg to make some Norwegian history.

They face five-time champions Brazil on Sunday in New Jersey with the quarter-finals at stake.

Norway captain Martin Odegaard said that with Haaland they always had a chance.

“Meeting Brazil in the World Cup is as big as it can be,” said the midfielder, who will face Arsenal teammates Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli. “It’s amazing to have him (Haaland) in the team, we’re lucky to have him and it’s just about giving him as many opportunities as possible.”

Diallo said they gifted Norway the winner by failing to pick up Haaland in the box.

The center forward has scored in each of his last 13 competitive internationals, hitting 25 goals along the way.

“When you leave Erling Haaland alone in a match, you pay the price,” said Diallo. “We’re a little disappointed because we thought we could go further in this competition.

“But we’re also proud of ourselves because we’ve accomplished something that previous generations perhaps hadn’t managed.”

A match between two physical teams was tepid to begin with at the impressive air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Ivory Coast players and fans were irate just before the drinks break when the livewire Yan Diomande was brought down on the break just inside his own half.

Referee Jesus Valenzuela surprisingly did not even book defender David Moller Wolfe.

The 19-year-old winger Diomande, who appears set to join European champions Paris Saint-Germain from RB Leipzig, was growing into the game.

The African side, one of the youngest at the tournament, were on top and particularly threatening down Diomande’s left-hand side of the pitch. (JapanToday)

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Martinelli scores late as Brazil beat Japan 2-1, into World Cup last 16

Gabriel Martinelli scored the winner late in injury time to give five-time champions Brazil a 2-1 win over Japan in the World Cup round of 32 in Houston.

Martinelli, who had come on as a second-half substitute, scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as the match on Monday appeared to be heading to extra time.

Brazil will next face either the Ivory Coast or Norway on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the round of 16.

Casemiro had earlier equalised with a header in the 56th minute off an assist from Gabriel Magalhaes after just missing another chance two minutes earlier. The shot sailed just out of reach of the outstretched hand of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and into the net.

Kaishu Sano stole a misplaced pass in midfield before his right-footed shot from above the half-circle put Japan ahead after 29 minutes.

Vinicius Junior, who has scored four goals so far in the tournament, had a chance to put Brazil on top in the 58th minute, but his shot from the left was deflected by goalkeeper Suzuki and went past the far post.

Brazil had two chances to even the score early in the second half before breaking through late on. First, Suzuki blocked a header from Bruno Guimaraes in the 52nd minute. Soon after, Casemiro’s header bounced off a defender’s head and Suzuki’s face.

Japan have never won a World Cup knockout match.The win was Brazil’s 12th in 15 games against Japan.

The teams have also played to two draws, while Japan got their first win in the series in a friendly in Tokyo in October.

This was a match-up between two countries with deep ties, Brazil being home to about 2.7 million Japanese descendants, which is the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.

Those ties extend to football, where Brazil superstar Zico moved to Japan in 1991 to play for Kashima Antlers and help build Japan’s professional football network.

He coached the Japan national team from 2002–06, leading the team to the World Cup in 2006.That team lost to Brazil 4-1 in the only previous meeting between the teams at the World Cup.

Brazil won Group C after a draw with Morocco and victories over Haiti and Scotland.

Monday’s victory came on the anniversary of their first World Cup championship in Sweden in 1958, when a 17-year-old Pele scored two goals in the final against the host country.

Japan reached the round of 32 as runner-up in Group F after draws with the Netherlands and Sweden and a win over Tunisia. The loss snaps a 10-game unbeaten streak dating back to a 2-0 defeat to the United States in September. (AlJazeera)

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Undav scores twice, saves Germany with 2-1 win over Ivory Coast

Deniz Undav scored twice after being subbed on in the second half as Germany defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday and clinched a spot in the knockout phase at the World Cup.

Four minutes into stoppage time, Undav received a pass from Felix Nmecha in front of the net and rifled it past Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana to give the Germans a comeback win.

Undav’s first goal of the match came after Nadiem Amiri sent in a long ball – that striker Kai Havertz let pass him by – onto the boot of Undav, who slammed it into the back of the net at the 68th minute. Both Amiri and Undav had subbed on eight minutes earlier.

Four-time champion Germany has come back from disappointing group stage exits in 2018 and 2022, while Ivory Coast is still searching for its first knockout stage appearance and could still qualify. The last time Germany got past the group stage it won the tournament in 2014. (JapanToday)

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D’Tigers finish fifth as Angola wins record 12th AfroBasket title

Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, finished in fifth place at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket tournament, held in Angola from August 12 to 24.

Host nation Angola emerged champions after a commanding 70–43 victory over Mali in the final, securing their 12th AfroBasket title.

The win cements Angola’s status as the tournament’s most successful team, going unbeaten in all six games. It also marks their first continental triumph since 2013 in the Ivory Coast.

D’Tigers were knocked out in the quarter-finals after losing 91–75 to Senegal, who later won the bronze medal. Despite this, Nigeria secured fifth place overall after winning three games and losing only one.

Nigeria had earlier topped Group B by beating Madagascar, Tunisia, and Cameroon.

The final standings placed Angola first, Mali second, Senegal third, Cameroon fourth, Nigeria fifth, Egypt sixth, while the Ivory Coast and Cape Verde completed the top eight.

The Nigerian team will return in November for the FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifiers as they aim to book a spot at the 2027 tournament in Qatar. They missed out on the last edition in 2023. (Punch)

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D’Tigress outclass Mali 78-64 to extend AfroBasket reign

Nigeria extended their dominance in African women’s basketball on Sunday, defeating Mali 78-64 in Ivory Coast to win a record fifth consecutive FIBA AfroBasket Women’s title, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The triumph not only cemented their dominance over the continent but also broke Senegal’s four-in-a-row streak from 1974 to 1981, establishing Nigeria as the first side in history to win the championship five times consecutively.

Nigeria, who have now won seven African titles, wasted no time asserting themselves. D’Tigress surged to a 12-0 scoring run early in the game, establishing a rhythm that Mali struggled to disrupt.

However, it was the Malians who claimed the first quarter 26-21.

Coach Rena Wakama’s side recovered from the five-point deficit to clinch the second quarter 20-15, as both teams went into the half-time interval level at 41-41 apiece.

The third quarter also went the way of D’Tigress, who clinched it by another 20-15 scoreline.

In the fourth quarter, Nigeria began to run down the clock as they tried to cling to their advantage. The last 10 minutes of the quarter finished in favour of D’Tigress 17-8 as Nigeria powered to yet another continental title.

The win saw Nigeria extend their unbeaten streak at the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket tournament to 29 games, stretching back the last 10 years.

Also, they have secured an automatic spot at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria’s Amy Okonkwo was named the Most Valuable Player, winning the award for a second consecutive tournament.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu congratulated the D’Tigress for the feat, hailing their performance as a source of national pride.

“You did it, girls! D’Tigress Superb performance to become 5x consecutive Champions of Africa and seventh overall. Well done, Coach Rena and the team. You have made Nigeria proud. I am expecting you all, along with the trophy,” the president wrote in a post on X.

Key to Nigeria’s success was a balanced offensive performance and clinical execution. They shot 49.18 per cent from the field, outclassing Mali’s 37 per cent. The inside game was particularly telling, with Nigeria converting 59.46 per cent of their two-point attempts compared to Mali’s 44.12 per cent.

In contrast, both teams were less efficient from long range, with Nigeria making 8 of 24 from beyond the arc, while Mali hit just 7 of 26.

Leading the scoring for Nigeria was guard Ezinne Kalu, who poured in 20 points on 53.85 per cent shooting, also registering five assists, four rebounds and a perfect 4/4 from the free throw line.

Amy Okonkwo, who played the full 40 minutes, contributed a crucial double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds, shooting a superb 63.64 per cent from the field and registering an efficiency rating of 26.

Murjanatu Musa dominated the paint, grabbing 12 rebounds alongside nine points and three steals. Veteran point guard Promise Amukamara was the engine of Nigeria’s fluid offence, dishing out a game-high 11 assists and finishing with a +16 plus-minus despite scoring just eight points.

Victoria Macaulay added 10 points off the bench, offering Nigeria much-needed depth. In contrast, Nigeria’s bench contributed 22 points overall, slightly outscored by Mali’s 26, but it was Nigeria’s starting five that made the difference.

Collectively, Nigeria totalled 24 assists and committed 14 turnovers, a figure Mali could not exploit fully despite Nigeria’s occasional lapses.

Defensively, Nigeria were disciplined. They managed eight steals and conceded only 13 personal fouls, keeping Mali’s offensive threats at bay. The rebounding battle was narrowly lost, with Mali edging it 37 to 36, but Nigeria’s 27 defensive rebounds were vital in limiting second-chance points.

Despite grabbing fewer offensive rebounds (nine to Mali’s 13), Nigeria still outscored their opponents in the paint with 40 points to Mali’s 26.

Perhaps the most telling statistic was points off turnovers. Nigeria converted 17 Mali turnovers into 17 points, compared to Mali’s 14 points off Nigeria’s 14 turnovers.

Fast-break points also tilted in Nigeria’s favour, 10 to 5, as did second-chance points, 8 to 5. These margins, although modest, collectively illustrated Nigeria’s efficiency and composure in key moments.

With this victory, Nigeria’s unbeaten streak in the competition now stands at an extraordinary 29 games, dating back to 2015. (Punch)