Super Falcons winger, Francisca Ordega was on the scoresheet, while Ashleigh Plumptre captained, as Al-Ittihad Ladies secured a place in the Saudi Women’s Premier Challenge Cup semi-finals with a 6–1 win over NEOM on Sunday.

The victory displayed Al-Ittihad’s superiority in Group B, sealing qualification with maximum points and setting up a high-profile semi-final showdown.

Ordega Strikes Again Against Familiar Opponents

Al-Ittihad was in control of the game from the kickoff, with Leticia Nunes opening the scoring to give her side an early advantage.

The lead was doubled in the 30th minute when Francisca Ordega finished clinically to make it 2–0.

The goal continued Ordega’s fine record against NEOM, having also found the net against them in their previous league meeting.

Her strike ensured Al-Ittihad went into the break firmly in command, carrying a two-goal cushion into half-time.

Plumptre Marshals the Defence with Authority

At the heart of Al-Ittihad’s control was Ashleigh Plumptre, who captained the side from the first whistle.

Wearing the armband, the Nigerian international led by organising the back line, communicating effectively, and ensuring defensive discipline throughout the contest.

Plumptre’s leadership was instrumental in keeping NEOM at bay, limiting their attacking opportunities and maintaining Al-Ittihad’s dominance across both halves.

Second-Half Rout Seals Qualification

Any hopes of a NEOM comeback were extinguished early in the second half, when an own goal shortly after the restart extended Al-Ittihad’s lead and shifted the contest decisively in their favour.

From that point on, Lina Boussaha took centre stage and Al-Ittihad turned their dominance into a rout.

The attacking midfielder produced a devastating display, scoring a hat-trick. NEOM were only able to muster a late consolation goal, offering little resistance as the gulf in quality became evident.

Read more: “I Feel Safer in Saudi Arabia” – Ashleigh Plumptre Opens Up on Life at Al-Ittihad

Read more: Francisca Ordega Joins Saudi Arabian Giants Al-Ittihad As a Free Agent

Read more: Asisat Oshoala Sinks Plumptre’s Al Ittihad in Saudi League Clash

Semi-Final Clash Set in Riyadh

The result confirmed Al-Ittihad’s second-place finish in Group B, with maximum points from two matches, and booked their place in the semi-finals.

They will now face Al Nassr, scheduled for Wednesday, 17 December 2025, at the Inaya Medical Colleges Stadium in Riyadh.

In the other semi-final, Nigerian star power and six-time African Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala lined up for Al Hilal against Al Ahli, scoring an hatrick to seal a 5-0 win, securing the team’s spot in the semi finals.

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For supporters of clubs that have only a fleeting relationship with success, the rare glory years tend to be seared in the memory in the same way that others can instantly recite their lottery numbers.

There were only ever four dates to remember in St Mirren’s case, a relatively scant return for almost 150 years of history. Now there is a fifth entry to stand alongside 1926, 1959, 1987 and 2013 as the years when the Paisley club somehow defied the odds and lifted a major trophy.

To be at Hampden on Sunday among their 14,000-strong support was to witness the latest exercise of hope over experience. Optimism was perhaps heightened by Celtic’s recent malaise but not to the point of creating expectation.

When the stadium clock ticked into the six minutes of added time with Stephen Robinson’s side presiding over a deserved two-goal advantage, the thought crossed the mind that surely from this point they would at least hold out for extra-time.

They didn’t need any more than the 96 minutes played, of course, but when years of repeated disappointment have conditioned body, mind and soul to always expect the worst, a fatalistic streak becomes almost unavoidable.

The Celtic support might be immersed in disenchantment right now but there will always be next year. Another opportunity is always around the corner when you’re one of Scottish football’s twin behemoths.

St Mirren’s Jonah Ayunga makes it 2-1 against Celtic in the final at Hampden on Sunday

Stephen Robinson, the St Mirren manager, celebrates in front of the fans at Hampden

Alex Gogic, a key player during the final for Saints, lifts the League Cup after the victory

The same rule doesn’t apply to most other clubs. The tension that was written across the face of most St Mirren fans before kick-off wasn’t merely to do with anxiety about the match. It also represented a much deeper, almost existential, sense of nagging that wondered, if not this year, then when?

An eclectic throng of all ages and backgrounds filled the south and west stands, bedecked in black and white, elderly supporters fretting that this might be their final opportunity to witness one more episode of greatness, their grandchildren eagerly anticipating the high of watching their team achieve something significant for the first time in their young lives.

When hope evolved into anticipation and then, finally, expectation the longer a one-sided second half wore on, the scenes that greeted the full-time whistle were as much about relief as joy, with families and friends embracing, many with tears in their eyes.

It is not stretching things to suggest triumphs like this arrive once in a generation, although the gap in St Mirren’s case is at least shrinking each time. 

There was a 33-year wait between the first two Scottish Cup successes of 1926 – when Celtic were also the beaten finalists – and 1959 and then another 28 years without substantial silverware until that trophy was claimed again in 1987.

Twenty-six years later and there was a first League Cup to be cherished in 2013, and now this latest success, a mere 12 years on. Should that trend continue then perhaps sometime in the next decade another trophy will be winging its back to Paisley, not that any rational Saints supporter would ever be as bold to expect as much.

The St Mirren fans gathered at Paisley Town Hall on Sunday to celebrate their cup success

There is rarely any logic behind why an unfancied club suddenly makes it all the way to a national cup final, that eventuality usually as random as the afore-mentioned lottery draw.

Sunday, then, was a paean to perseverance. Most supporters of smaller clubs endure the drudgery of domestic toil year after year in the hope that maybe, at some unknown point in the future, that commitment will eventually be repaid with something tangible to break the otherwise relentless gloom. 

On a soggy, damp afternoon, this was the St Mirren supporters’ reward for that devotion.

As one friend wrote on our group chat filled over the last 24 hours with goal clips, celebrations and Hampden memes and memories, ‘what a day yesterday was and it was amazing to share it all with you. All the rubbish times are worth it for days like this’. Except he didn’t use the word rubbish.

There was almost a surreal element to it all. Had St Mirren just outplayed Celtic to win a national cup competition? It seemed hard to get your head around it. Little wonder supporters floated out of Hampden almost in a dream-like trance.

Sunday night plans were thrown together haphazardly once skipper for the day Marcus Fraser and club captain Mark O’Hara had lifted the trophy and the celebrations on and off the pitch had finally abated.

None of our group had even discussed what we might do should St Mirren win the cup. Firstly, for fear of jinxing it. And, secondly, because of that deep-rooted feeling that success tends to be the exclusive preserve of the larger clubs.

The St Mirren players celebrated on the balcony of Paisley Town Hall on Sunday night

The best parties, however, are the ones that happen spontaneously as thousands of fans, well-wishers and other hangers-on squeezed in front of the recently-refurbished Paisley Town Hall to watch the team parade the trophy from the balcony.

Escaping the rain into the nearby pubs, the celebrations continued long into the night, fans bumping into pals old and new and greeting each other like long-long relatives. 

One local hostelry decided to stick with their original Sunday night plans, creating a chaotic blend of jubilant football supporters squashed up next to a group of ladies enjoying a high tea of cakes and sandwiches for a 70th birthday party while a solo saxophonist played ‘Oh When the Saints’.

In another Paisley boozer, one of the heroes of the 2013 cup-winning team – Geordie goalscorer Conor Newton – posed for photos, a Saints scarf draped across his shoulders, happily gabbing away about the greatest moment of his career. 

Little wonder. For clubs like St Mirren, these days don’t come around too often. Best to make the most of them when they do.

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Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has launched a fierce defence of Mohamed Salah after Jamie Carragher criticised the Liverpool forward for speaking out over his lack of playing time this season.

Salah, who turned 33 earlier this year, enjoyed a remarkable campaign last term, scoring 34 goals and supplying 23 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions.

That form earned him a fourth-place finish in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings. This season, however, has been more turbulent, both on and off the pitch.

Despite Liverpool investing more than £446m in the summer on Jeremie Frimpong, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, results have been inconsistent.

Arne Slot’s decision to bench Salah for three consecutive matches, before leaving him out of the squad entirely for the Champions League clash against Inter Milan, raised eyebrows, even though the Reds won the game.

Salah later voiced his frustration to the media, suggesting he had been treated unfairly by the manager. That public stance did not sit well with Carragher, who accused the Egyptian of throwing the club under the bus during a heated debate on CBS Sports Golazo.

The former Liverpool defender also revisited Salah’s early struggles at Chelsea and pointed to his failure to win a major international trophy with Egypt.

When Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge reminded Carragher that the AFCON is a major tournament on par with the Euros and Copa America, he reportedly dismissed the argument, much to the annoyance of Mikel.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, Mikel Obi said: “To always, for some reason, criticise African football and African players. We’re talking about Liverpool here, about the Premier League, and you have somebody sit there in the studio criticising Mo Salah and saying he’s never won the African Cup of Nations, criticising him.

“He’s qualified for two World Cups but hasn’t won the African Cup of Nations. What has that got to do with the Premier League?

“What has that got to do with what we’re talking about? He thinks that African football or African players do not deserve to be at the highest stage of World football.

“Why does he talk about Mo Salah’s failure at Chelsea? People fail. It’s about how they get up. Look at what he’s done for Liverpool!

“You learn more from failure; you get better from failing. It’s how you get up, and Mo Salah got up, got stronger and became a better player.

“For somebody to criticise a young player and call that a failure, especially coming from someone who’s nowhere near what Salah has achieved.

“He [Carragher] did not win the Premier League, nor did he win anything with his national team. Abandoned his national team, honestly, because he wasn’t playing, and now he’s criticising someone for speaking out that he wants to play when he quit because he wasn’t playing.

“Mo Salah doesn’t want to quit when it’s tough. He wants to get the team out of the sticky patch. That’s who you call a true leader, a true champion.

“Do I condone what Salah did? Not all of it, but has he earned the right to say he wants to play? Yes.”

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The Super Eagles will play Egypt in a friendly match on Tuesday.

Both teams will use the game to prepare for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations which kick off this weekend.

Beyond that, it is also a clash between two of the favourites for the tournament.

Nigeria head coach, Eric Chelle, will use the game to try out his tactical plans ahead of the AFCON.

The match will be played at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.

Kick off is 7:00 pm West African Time.

Broadcast arrangements for international friendlies are often confirmed close to kick-off. Fans are advised to monitor official channels for updates.

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Former Nigerian international Mikel Obi has slammed Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher for his frequent attacks on Mohamed Salah.

Carragher was outspoken in his criticism of Salah following the Egyptian’s controversial comments in the Elland Road mixed zone at the start of the month.

He accused Salah of speaking out to “cause maximum damage” while also saying that Salah arrived at Liverpool “known as the man who failed at Chelsea.”

Reacting to the statement via his The Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea star blasted Carragher for disregarding the Egyptian international’s contributions to the success of the club, most especially showing disregard for African players and their tournament.

“We are talking about Liverpool here, we are talking about the Premier League, and you have somebody sat there in the studio, criticizing Mo Salah, and saying Mo Salah has never won the Africa Cup of Nations — that’s a failure, criticizing him.

Read Also:AFCON 2025: Super Eagles Arrive Morocco Thursday

“He’s qualified for two World Cups, but he hasn’t won the Africa Cup of Nations. What’s that got to do with the Premier League? What’s that got to do with what we’re talking about?

“For some reason, why do you talk about Mo Salah being a failure at Chelsea? People fail – it’s about how you get the f— up.

“Look what he’s done since he failed at Chelsea. You learn more from failure, you get better from failure.. It’s how you get up when you fall, when you’re down there, and Mo Salah did that after Chelsea. He got up, he became stronger and became a better player.

“For somebody to criticize a young player at his early stages, to call that a failure – and that’s just coming from somebody that never won anything near what Mo Salah won.

“[Carragher] did not win the Premier League, did not win anything with his national team – abandoned his national team, honestly, because he wasn’t playing, and yet you are the player that is criticizing somebody for speaking out that he wants to play, but you retired because you were not playing. You quit because you were not playing.

“Mo Salah does not want to quit when it’s tough, when it’s difficult, he wants to be there and get the team out of this sticky patch, help the team, get the team back to where it belongs. That’s what you call a true leader, a true champion. Do I condone what Salah did? Not all of it. But has he earned the right to say I want to play football? Yes.”

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Aussie star Jake Weatherald has lifted the lid on what Steve Smith’s mysterious hand signal to Jofra Archer meant after the pair clashed in a heated sledging match during England’s eight-wicket defeat at The Gabba.

With Australia closing in on victory late on Sunday evening, Smith returned to the crease alongside the Aussie opener and proceeded to take the game to England, hammering a 146km/h delivery from Archer for four.

He hit back again with another four, but things began to get frosty in the middle with Archer overheard on the stump mic telling Smith: ‘You only play those shots when there’s not much on the score, mate.’

Smith bit back, noting that Archer was bowling much faster than he did in Australia’s first innings, saying: ‘[You only] Bowl fast when there’s nothing going on, champion.’

On the next delivery, Archer threw down a 150.5km/h delivery, which Smith pulled over his left shoulder for six to leave Australia needing only 59 runs to win. Smith then turned to the England pace bowler who was standing in the middle of the wicket and raised his right hand, cupping his thumb and index fingers in a ‘U’ symbol.

Weatherald, who had also exchanged words with England skipper Ben Stokes at the non-strikers’ end, revealed that many South Australian cricketers are known to have used the symbol in the past, which supposedly means ‘have a rest’.

Aussie star Jake Weatherald has lifted the lid on what Steve Smith’s (pictured) mysterious hand signal to Jofra Archer meant after the pair clashed in a heated sledging match

Archer (left) and Smith (right) had told the Aussie skipper that ‘he only plays shots when there’s not much on the score’

‘I don’t necessarily know what it originated from,’ Weatherald told cricket.com.au.

‘I know a lot of the blokes from South Australia use it. I don’t know exactly what it is but a lot of the boys do it. I think it just means “rest”.

‘As in like “have a rest”, “have a spell” basically. I think that’s the gist of it. I know a lot of the SACA boys do it. Daniel Drew, who was 12th man [in Brisbane], he’s the guy who does it quite a lot. He couldn’t believe it happened. It was a pretty cool experience I think for Drewy.’

Weatherald believes that tempers rose after he delivered a barb to England that they had wasted a review in the seventh over. Archer struck him on the pad and an appeal went up. The umpire gave not out and England reviewed the decision but ultimately, the tourists lost a review, with the Aussie opener surviving.

‘They were talking about me kicking them off Jofra, which was probably fair enough,’ he told Cricket.com.au.

‘It just stemmed after the review, I made a comment after that saying: “waste of a review, that was always going down leg”.’

Weatherald was also embroiled in a few frosty words with England captain Ben Stokes, after he had turned to Archer to say: ‘Spit it out if you’re going to say something. Finally rocked up.’

Stokes interjected: ‘You got 70 and started chatting.’

Smith (left) bit back, noting that Archer was bowling much faster than he did in Australia’s first innings, saying: ‘[You only] Bowl fast when there’s nothing going on, champion’

‘I was only saying something because you were saying something now,’ the Aussie Test rookie replied.

But the England skipper said: ‘I say it with a smile on my face though, Jake.’

Weatherald reflected on the moment, telling Cricket.com.au he had seen Archer and Smith clashing and wanted to get involved.

‘I wanted to get amongst it. I couldn’t hear anything. I sort of went down there to try to listen,’ he said.

‘But it was pretty cool. You watch a guy like Jofra, who’s obviously had so much talked about how good he is – and he is very good – and then you get a guy like Steve Smith, who is the best player I’ve ever seen by a mile.

‘The way he went about it was just the opposite of how I’d think about cricket. As I probably showed, I was just trying to get behind it and keep the ball out, whereas he was thinking about: “How can I finish this game off?”

‘It was pretty impressive to see that against a guy that was so high-class.

‘The contest just showed how much it means to everyone. We probably hadn’t had that yet out in the middle. It’s been very much: “Just get the job done”.

Weatherald (pictured) revealed that the tensions on the pitch were sparked after he had survived a review after being struck on the pad by Jofra Archer

Weatherald (pictured) then stated that he had seen Archer and Smith clashing in the middle of the wicket and had wanted to get in on the action 

‘That was the first time I could actually hear something going on, and it was pretty cool to be a part of.’

Archer has now dismissed Weatherald for lbw in Australia’s first innings in Brisbane and again during their first innings in Perth.

Smith, meanwhile, has remained tight-lipped on his sledging match with Archer.

‘He [Archer] was just bowling good pace,’ Smith said. ‘Not really too sure what he said, not really sure what I said, and I’m not sure it’s any of your business either.’

Archer and Smith will come face-to-face on Wednesday at the Adelaide Oval, as England look to bounce back after going 2-0 down in the series.

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Super Eagles of Nigeria continued to build momentum towards the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday morning, heading to the Cairo International Stadium for their second training session with 24 players now in camp.

Defenders Salim Fago and Chidozie Awaziem are the latest arrivals, boosting head coach Eric Chelle’s options as preparations intensify ahead of the high-profile friendly against Egypt at 7 p.m. (Nigerian time) later tonight.

Goalkeepers Francis Uzoho, Stanley Nwabali and Amas Obasogie were all involved in the training this morning, alongside defenders Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Zaidu Sanusi and Igho Ogbu. Midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Raphael Onyedika, Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Akinsanmiro Ebenezer were also present, while attacking duties were led by Ademola Lookman, Paul Onuachu, Cyril Dessers, Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke.

The friendly, billed as a dress rehearsal for AFCON in Morocco, will, however, lack several of African football’s biggest stars. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, Manchester City attacker Omar Marmoush and Nigeria’s talismanic striker Victor Osimhen will all miss the encounter as both teams opt for caution over risk.

All three players were absent from their nations’ training sessions on Monday night and this morning, effectively ruling them out of the match at Cairo International Stadium.

Egyptian media reports say head coach Hossam Hassan has chosen to rest Salah and Marmoush following their delayed arrival in camp, while Osimhen is yet to report to Nigeria’s base in Cairo despite having departed Galatasaray in Turkey.

Hassan trained 26 players on Monday night, focusing on tactical fine-tuning ahead of Egypt’s tournament opener against Zimbabwe on December 22. Local reports, including FilGoal, noted that the move was pre-planned to allow the Premier League duo additional recovery time.

Egypt’s preparations have also been shaped by minor fitness issues. National team director Ibrahim Hassan confirmed that Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet was rested after undergoing a dental procedure, while midfielder Ibrahim Adel continues his recovery from an ankle injury picked up in the UAE Pro League. Both are expected to be fit for the opener.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Football Association confirmed that international referee Mahmoud Nagi will officiate the friendly match against the Super Eagles, assisted by Samir Gamal and Youssef El-Basaty, with VAR in operation. Egypt will travel to Morocco on Wednesday evening to complete their AFCON build-up.

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Chidozie Awaziem and Salim Fago Lawal have arrived at the Super Eagles camp in Cairo ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, DAILY POST reports.

Awaziem and Lawal stormed the team’s Renaissance Hotel base on Tuesday morning.

24 players are now at the disposal of head coach, Eric Chelle.

The Super Eagles had their first training session at the Cairo International Stadium on Monday night.

They had another session at the ground on Tuesday morning.

Nigeria will take on the Pharaohs of Egypt in a friendly later tonight.

Full List Of Players In Camp

Francis Uzoho
Stanley Nwabali
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
Akinsanmiro Ebenezer
Amas Obasogie
Semi Ajayi
Ademola Lookman
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Igho Ogbu
Tochukwu Nnadi
Zaidu Sanusi
Paul Onuachu
Frank Onyeka
Calvin Bassey
Alex Iwobi
Wilfred Ndidi
Bruno Onyemaechi
Cyril Dessers
Akor Adams
Chidera Ejuke
Raphael Onyedika
Ryan Alebiosu
Salim Fago
Chidozie Awaziem

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 The Super Eagles camp in Cairo has grown to 22 players with the arrival of Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu, ahead of Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) international friendly match against Egypt.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman and defenders Semi Ajayi and Bright Osayi-Samuel reported to camp earlier on Monday at the Renaissance Hotel, joining a steadily increasing squad.

Goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, defender Igoh Ogbu and midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi were also among the latest arrivals to bolster the team.

They linked up with early arrivals Francis Uzoho, Stanley Nwabali, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, who had checked in on Sunday.

Super Eagles Media Officer Promise Efoghe told NAN that 20 players participated in the team’s first training session held on Monday evening.

“Training went smoothly and the players showed good energy and commitment, which is encouraging at this stage of preparations,” Efoghe said.

Efoghe said that Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika and Alebiosu arrived shortly after training, raising the number of players in camp to 22, with six more expected.

He said as part of preparations, the Super Eagles would play a friendly against the Pharaohs of Egypt on Tuesday at the Cairo International Stadium.

“The friendly will help the technical crew assess team shape and readiness ahead of the AFCON challenge,” Efoghe said.

Nigeria, three-time champions, and seven-time winners Egypt will clash at 8 p.m. Egypt time (7 p.m. Nigeria time) in the build-up to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.

Efoghe confirmed that the team will depart Cairo for Féz on Thursday aboard a chartered flight to continue final preparations.

Nigeria’s quest for a fourth continental title, following victories in 1980, 1994 and 2013, begins on Dec. 23 against Tanzania, under the theme “NAIJA 4 THE WIN.”

The Eagles will also face Tunisia on Dec. 27 and Uganda on Dec. 30 in Group C, with all matches scheduled for the Complexe Sportif de Féz.

Egypt, the only nation to win AFCON three consecutive times, will battle South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe in Group B, with matches holding in Agadir.

(NAN)

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Chidozie Awaziem and Salim Fago Lawal arrived Cairo on Tuesday morning increasing the number of players in the Super Eagles camp to 24,reports Completesports.com.

The duo arrived camp in time for Tuesday morning’s training session.

The Super Eagles had their first training session at the Cairo International Stadium on Monday night.

Read Also:‘Very Much Delighted’ — Alebiosu Speaks On Maiden Super Eagles Invitation

Eric Chelle’s side will take on the Pharaohs of Egypt in a friendly at the ground later tonight.

The pre-2025 Africa Cup of Nations friendly will start 8pm local time (7pm in Nigeria).

Full List

Francis Uzoho
Stanley Nwabali
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
Akinsanmiro Ebenezer
Amas Obasogie
Semi Ajayi
Ademola Lookman
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Igho Ogbu
Tochukwu Nnadi
Zaidu Sanusi
Paul Onuachu
Frank Onyeka
Calvin Bassey
Alex Iwobi

Wilfred Ndidi
Bruno Onyemaechi
Cyril Dessers
Akor Adams
Chidera Ejuke
Raphael Onyedika
Ryan Alebiosu
Salim Fago
Chidozie Awaziem

By Adeboye Amosu

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