Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi has become Nigeria’s top record signing and costliest player following his dramatic £35m (€37.9m) shock transfer deadline day switch to Everton from Arsenal.

In a surprising move which only came to the fore during the week, Everton succeeded in prising away Iwobi from Arsenal with the deal formaly announced few hours after 7pm deadline yesterday for transfers in England.

The Nigeria international who recently featured in his debut Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt where he won the bronze medal with the Eagles has overtaken compatriot Kelechi Iheanacho who moved from Manchester City to Leicester City for €27.7 million.

The 23-year old who started his professional football career with Arsenal spent seven seasons at the Emirates before his switch to Everton.

Super Falcons captain Desire Oparanozie has demanded that Nigeria’s women’s team are paid the same as their male counterparts.

The Super Falcons are the continent’s most successful national side with nine titles and remain the only African team to have played at all eight Women’s World Cup finals.

Her side can expect US$3,000 for a win and $1,500 for a draw at major tournaments, while the men’s team receive $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.

“We are the most successful female team in Africa, yet we have the largest disparities between men’s and women’s pay,” Oparanozie said at the 2019 Ladies In Sports (LIS) Conference in Lagos.

“I think we deserve equal pay. This big gap tells a different story and a proper rethink of this mode of payment could also help the women’s game.”

Oparanozie, who plays professionally in France with En Avant Guingamp, believes the women’s team are on the right track in their quest for treatment that reflects their achievements and contributions to the sport.

“We have done the nation proud and I think the results over the years are there for all to see,” she added.

“With positive results and more success, I believe we will get there, it’s one step at a time.”

The team’s impressive run at the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup in France wasmarred by a sit-in protest at their hotel over unpaid bonuses and allowances following a last-16 defeat by Germany.

It was not the first time Nigeria have protested over unpaid bonuses – after winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2016, the squad staged a public demonstration in Abuja, while in 2004, they sat for three days in their hotel after winning the Africa title until allowances were paid.

Her demands reflect those of the USA women’s team who began legal action against the US Soccer Federation over equal pay in March, four months before retaining the World Cup.

Great Britain’s Adam Peaty has won the 100m breaststroke at the World Championships in South Korea – his third successive gold in the event.

The 24-year-old clocked 57.14 seconds to comfortably beat compatriot James Wilby, with China’s Yan Zibei in third.

Peaty is unbeaten in five years over the distance in major competitions, and will compete in the 50m on Tuesday.
The semi-final saw him break his own world record, becoming the first man to swim the event in under 57 seconds.
He aimed to beat Sunday’s record-breaking time, but said he was still “over the moon” with 57.14.

“I had to be a better version of myself. Unfortunately I made a tiny little mistake on that first length, trying to force the speed a bit too much,” he said.
“But the most important lesson is I’m still learning. It’s not like I’ve gone 56 and never have to learn again.
“I’m always learning, always trying to improve and that’s the most important thing we can have going into the Olympics next year.”

The Briton has set the 15 best times in the 100m breaststroke, and has become the first male swimmer to achieve a trio of world titles in the event.

Simona Halep won her first Wimbledon title and crushed Serena Williams’ latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with a devastating 56-minute display of athleticism.

The Romanian won 6-2 6-2 in front of an incredulous Centre Court, running after everything the American threw at her.

“It was my best match,” the 27-year-old said after her second Grand Slam title following her 2018 French Open success.

For 37-year-old Williams, it was a third major final defeat in 12 months.
“She played out of her mind, it was a little bit deer in the headlights for me,” Williams said.

Halep’s level never dropped in an almost perfect display where she made just three unforced errors to Williams’ 26.

Upon winning, Halep collapsed to her knees on Centre Court. This saw the 27-year-old take her second Grand Slam title, while Williams will remain on 23.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic defied a mid-match slump to reach the Wimbledon final with a four-set victory over Roberto Bautista Agut.

In an agitated display, the Serb beat Spain’s Bautista Agut 6-2 4-6 6-3 6-2 to reach his 25th Grand Slam final.

Djokovic, chasing his fifth Wimbledon title, will face Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal in the final on Sunday.

“This has been the dream tournament for me since I was a child,” said 32-year-old Djokovic.

“So to be in another final is a dream come true. Regardless of the history and many finals I’ve played, playing finals at Wimbledon is something different so I’ll definitely enjoy that experience.

“I had to dig deep. It’s the semi-finals and Roberto was playing his first Grand Slam semi-final. He was not overwhelmed.

“He played really well. He was managing his nerves in the first set but later on he established himself and started to play better.

“I got a bit tight. It was a close opening four or five games of the third set – that’s where the match could have gone a different way. I’m glad it went my way.”

Frank Lampard has been appointed the new Chelsea manager, completing an emotional return to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues legend has now put pen to paper on a three-year-deal to become Maurizio Sarri’s successor, ending the wait for one of the worst kept secrets in English football to be confirmed.

I am immensely proud to be returning to Chelsea as head coach,” said Lampard.
“Everyone knows my love for this club and the history we have shared. However, my sole focus is on the job in hand and preparing for the season ahead.
“I am here to work hard, bring further success to the club and I cannot wait to get started.”

The appointment comes nine days after Derby gave Lampard permission to talk to Chelsea and 18 days after Sarri left Stamford Bridge.
Lampard is the 10th full-time manager appointed by Roman Abramovich since he bought the club in 2003.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said Lampard’s Championship play-off final appearance with Derby demonstrated that he was “one of the most talented young coaches in the game”.
“It gives us great pleasure to welcome Frank back to Chelsea as head coach,” she said. “Frank possesses fantastic knowledge and understanding of the club.”

Derby assistant manager Jody Morris and first-team coach Chris Jones have also joined Lampard at Stamford Bridge, while former team-mate Petr Cech was appointed as technical advisor last month.

Fifteen-year-old American qualifier Cori Gauff caused a stunning upset by defeating five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the first round.

World number 313 Gauff beat Williams – 24 years her senior at 39 – 6-4 6-4.
Fellow American Williams had won four Grand Slam titles – including two at Wimbledon – before Gauff was born.

Speaking after her epic win Gauff said
“It’s the first time I have ever cried after winning a match,” who previously said Venus and sister Serena were her “idols”.
“I don’t know how to explain how I feel.
“I definitely had to tell myself to stay calm, I had to remind myself that the lines are the same lines, the courts are the same size and after every point I told myself ‘stay calm’.”

Gauff will play Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova – 15 years her senior – in the second round

Asked about Gauff’s future, Williams said: “I think the sky’s the limit, it really is.
“She did everything well today. She put the ball in the court, which was much better than I did. She served well, moved well. It was a great match for her.”

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen passed Charles Leclerc with two laps remaining to win a thrilling Austrian Grand Prix.

The win was only confirmed three hours after the race finished following an investigation into whether Verstappen unfairly ran Leclerc off the track.

Ferrari’s Leclerc seemed in control of the race after Verstappen made a bad start to drop from second to seventh.

It was a sensational drive from Verstappen, making superb use of fresher tyres than the cars in front of him, but the move with which he took the lead was controversial.

Leclerc had already fought off one pass by Verstappen on the previous lap, but on the next lap, with two to go, Verstappen dived up the inside, and this time he ran Leclerc off the road on the exit.

On the incident with Leclerc, he said: “It’s hard racing or we have to stay home. If those things are not allowed in racing then we have to stay home.”
Leclerc said: “The race was good. At the end I had a bit more [tyre] degradation than I thought so Max came back.
“On the incident, I will let the stewards decide. I was on the outside, like the lap before – which was perfectly fine, he left a car space – but he didn’t on that lap and he pushed me wide so I didn’t have the chance to fight back. It’s a shame.”

After both drivers were called before the stewards, the FIA, after lengthy deliberation, confirmed the result would stand.

It brings to an end Mercedes’ run of eight consecutive wins this season – a run that actually stretches back two races further, to last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

Serie A giants Milan have been excluded from the Europa League this coming season.

The club finished fifth in the Italian top flight last season, which qualified them to enter the competition at the group stages.
However, the club has taken on catastrophic losses over the past three seasons, before the arrival of new owners – Elliot Management – meaning they have fallen foul of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules.

Only this year, the club announced losses of £126million for the 2017-18 campaign.

A ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed the decision. In it, it said: ‘AC Milan is excluded from pariticipating in the UEFA Club Competitions of the sporting season 2019-20 as a consequence of the breach of FFP break-even obligations during the 2015-16, 2016-17 and the 2016-17, 20-17-18 monitoring periods.’

As a result, Roma will now enter the group stages. Torino will now enter the play-off rounds.

Cameroon players were left in tears of fury after a first-half goal was awarded to England during their last 16 World Cup clash with the use of VAR, with some accusing FIFA of racism as a result.

Ellen White put the ball into the back of the net on the cusp of half-time, only for the linesman to raise the flag for offside.
With the usage of VAR the referee was able to clearly see the England forward was onside during the moment the pass was played, and correctly reinstated the strike.

Cameroon players were immediately incensed and gathered around referee Qin Liang, gesticulating animatedly over the decision.
As the half-time whistle blew just moments later Cameroon remained on the pitch for a few moments, appearing to be considering walking off the field.

Making a bright start to the second half, Cameroon looked to have hit back a goal in response to make it 2-1, only for the officials to again intervene and flag offside.
Replays showed Ajara Nchout to be marginally offside, with the decision again outraging the Cameroon players and doing nothing to help sooth tempers.
Cameroon were yet again outraged, with players from both on field and the substitutes bench showing their frustration towards the referee.

Some players even pointed at the screen in the ground in frustration over the decision, with some protesting to the assistant referee as their coach had to calm them down.