Nigeria’s Super Falcons showed great resilience and defensive discipline to beat Zambia’s Copper Queens 1-0 in their WAFCON group-stage clash in Rabat on Saturday night.

Asisat Oshoala scored the only goal of the game in the eighth minute, calmly finishing inside the box after connecting with a fine pass to give the defending champions an early lead.

Nigeria were reduced to 10 players shortly before half-time when defender Tosin Demehin was sent off following a second challenge involving Zambia forward Barbra Banda.

Demehin had earlier received a yellow card for a challenge on Banda, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review found an offside in the build-up. However, another clash between the pair in the 40th minute saw the Nigerian defender shown a second yellow card and sent off.

Despite being a player down for more than half of the match, the Super Falcons defended resolutely and stayed organised.

Head coach Justin Madugu made a tactical change at the start of the second half, bringing on Shukurat Oladipo for debutant Rofiat Imuran.

Zambia pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Nigeria’s defence stood firm. Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie also made important saves to keep the Copper Queens at bay, while Uchenna Kanu and substitute Esther Okoronkwo offered an attacking threat on the counter.

The victory gives the Super Falcons back-to-back wins over Zambia in the competition and keeps their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.

Nigeria will play Egypt in their final group match on Wednesday, August 5. Egypt are still searching for their first points after losing their opening two games.

Getting Brian O’Neill under contract was good work. The $96 million commitment is an eye-popping number. That being said, there’s an escape hatch beyond the opening pair of seasons, so the Vikings proceeded in a wise manner.

More fascinating, perhaps, is who is next up among the Vikings extension candidates.

GM Nolan Teasley is going to get the final call on contracts. After all, that’s his job. The promise, though, is that he’ll seek input from respected leaders in the Twin Cities, particularly Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores. Presumably, none of these three would be upset about seeing Andrew Van Ginkel stick around. In fact, it would be surprising if the Vikings opt against extending the terrific pass rushing terror.

Andrew Van Ginkel as the Next Vikings Extension Candidate

The normal thing to do in Minnesota is to criticize Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The former GM made a pile of mistakes, so he is sometimes a punching bag for online criticism. An important truth: he made a pile of good decisions.

Among the best moves he made was to sign Van Ginkel. The veteran defender was coming off strong football as a Dolphin but hadn’t yet gotten to a point where he was recognized as being elite. Flores is widely credited for Minnesota being able to land the edge rusher, a perspective that’s probably true. In that assumption, don’t lose sight of the contract.

Prying Andrew Van Ginkel away from the Dolphins for a two-year deal sitting at $20 million is an instance of highway robbery. Even the extension that got added on — another year at $23 million — is an instance of the Vikings doing remarkably well.

Tip of the cap to Mr. Adofo-Mensah. Insane value for somebody who would become a second-team All Pro.

At present, the issue is that the leader of the pass rushing department is moving into the final year of his contract. He feels like he just arrived but he’s already going into his third season in Minnesota. He’ll do so with a cap charge sitting at $19,250,000.

If an extension gets sorted out, the Vikings can see $11,352,000 put back into the mix (OTC). Not too bad, right?

Pushing the savings to the max would further free the Vikings to attract new talent. Veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney has stood out for a long time as an attractive name but he’s not alone. So, too, could the Vikings opt to dabble in the trade market if a promising player becomes available.

And then the other benefit: keeping Andrew Van Ginkel employed. Sounds pretty obvious, but it’s a detail to highlight nevertheless. The Vikings would be wise to work toward Van Ginkel finishing his career in the Twin Cities.

In 2025, Van Ginkel missed some time due to injury. Flores asked him to drop back into coverage a lot, lessening his chances of making splash plays behind the line of scrimmage. He still found a way to pile up 7 sacks to stand alongside 13 quarterback hits and 11 tackles for loss.

Other Vikings extension candidates to watch are WR Jordan Addison, RB Jordan Mason, CB Isaiah Rodgers, LB Blake Cashman, and C Blake Brandel.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Determining the Vikings’ trade candidates isn’t an exact science. Think poetry instead of math.

Still, some guesses can be made.

A trade is an instance of needing two to tango. The Vikings could seek to trade the worst player on the 90-man roster but wouldn’t find any takers. On the other end of things is an unwillingness to trade the team’s best player: Justin Jefferson. The NFL would feature 31 teams willing to make an offer; the Vikings would decline them all short of something absurd.

Check out some options that appear more realistic. They’re listed in no particular order.

The Vikings’ Trade Candidates — A Top 5

1 — Ivan Pace Jr., Linebacler

Recent years have been disappointing for Mr. Pace. Still, he’s a 25-year-old linebacker who can make plays behind the line of scrimmage. Surely there’s a team out there that is fascinated by his potential.

— READ MORE: The Vikings’ Cap Space Comes into Fresh Focus —
— READ MORE: Hype Builds for Vikings Pass Catcher —

Minnesota appears happy to roll into 2026 with a deep linebacker spot. Doing so frees Eric Wilson and possibly Jake Golday to help at edge rusher. Pace is part of the mix as an off-ball linebacker who could free those more versatile players.

Determining that a different player could be the LB4 could mean recouping north of $3.5 million, per OTC.

2 — Theo Jackson, Safety

What happens if Harrison Smith returns?

Josh Metellus is assured of a starting spot. Jay Ward boasts upside as a long, explosive fourth-year player. Rookie newcomer Jakobe Thomas boasts a nice build and some on-field snarl. Trading Jackson wouldn’t result in anything more than a late-round pick, possibly being as modest of swapping a 7th for a 6th.

Moving him out would free $1.67 million.

3 — Tai Felton, Wide Receiver

Tai Felton is a depth receiver who boasts elite wheels. He has proven to be feisty on specials as a fantastic option out at gunner.

His issue is that he got drafted by the past front office. Some struggles in training camp could create problems since gunners generally aren’t super tough to find. He’s a sophomore who got chosen in the 3rd in 2025. There’s a team out there willing to send a 5th or 6th for him.

4 — T.J. Hockenson, Tight End

Consider an overly negative assessment of Hockenson’s game:

• He doesn’t score many touchdowns.
• His yards-per-catch average has been modest lately.
• He has never been known as a terrific blocker.

Already, Minnesota has lowered his compensation. Shrinking his cap charge came with the trade off of setting him free a year early so he can try to land another beefy deal next March. Does GM Teasley get ahead of the sticks by trading the TE? Minnesota would recoup $10.25 million.

5 — Walter Rouse, Offensive Tackle/Guard

Rouse is a hulking presence who looks large even when he stands beside other NFL linemen. Something to be said for that, folks. Better yet, he’s got some versatility; Minnesota has been experimenting with him inside.

— READ MORE: Brutal News for Jettisoned Vikings Pass Rusher —
— READ MORE: The Vikings Brought 9 Players to Town for a Workout —

The rationale here is that the Vikings could mirror that Vederian Lowe trade from a few years ago. Adofo-Mensah shipped out the Day 3 OT for a Day 3 pick since the team determined there wasn’t a future for Lowe in the Twin Cities. Something similar could occur, especially since there’s a logjam at OT.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Advertisement

There was a time not too long ago, folks, when Alexander Mattison was being leaned on to become Minnesota’s next RB1. The plan didn’t work out particularly well.

Currently a free agent, Mr. Mattison is trying to find employment soon. The departed Vikings skill guy could still get a nice merge lane — training camp — to prepare for a bounce back in 2026 if he puts pen to paper soon. Check out the update courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter: “Houston tried out veteran RBs Hassan Haskins and Alexander Mattison.”

Departed Vikings Runner Gets Chance in HOU

At minimum, DeMeco Ryans is a top-ten NFL coach. Quite possibly, Coach Ryans deserves to be included among the top five. Winning a Super Bowl would fully solidify his reputation as one of the foremost leaders in the NFL.

The skipper down in Houston has done terrific work. Most notably, there’s the gruesome twosome coming off the edge in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. The NFL doesn’t offer a deadlier duo than those guys. Hunter has aged beautifully and Anderson is only surpassed by Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons in ability. Anderson could prove that he’s as good, or better, than any edge rusher in the upcoming season.

Coach Ryans, a defensive tactician, will be leaning on a ferocious defense to lead the Texans. His ambition can get complemented by a robust ground attack.

Safe to say that Alexander Mattison has had a disappointing second half of his career.

Originally, Mattison arrived in the Twin Cities with some optimism as a 3rd-Round selection. He could function as a rock-solid RB2 behind the elegant, gliding Dalvin Cook. Mattison has never been a terrific athlete but he had good straight line speed and had better mitts than most realize.

— READ MORE: The Vikings’ Trade Candidates: The Top 5 Roster Options —
— READ MORE: Forgotten Vikings Young Fella Turning Some Heads at Camp —

— READ MORE: NFC North Head Coach Rankings for 2026 —
— READ MORE: Hype Builds for Vikings Pass Catcher Who has Been “Everywhere” —

Adding all of Mattison’s Vikings stats together involves seeing a runner who finished with 584 carries for 2,370 yards and 11 touchdowns. There were then 100 receptions for 718 yards and 6 scores. The 4.1 yards-per-carry average isn’t particularly inspiring. His normal season featured 132 carries going for 537 yards and 2 or 3 touchdowns. Essentially, a solid RB2, especially since his intangibles (compete, work ethic, etc.) were very high.

Recent seasons have seen him struggle with injury. Alexander Mattison played in fourteen games in Las Vegas in 2024. In 2025, Mattison worked as a Dolphin but didn’t play at all during the season. He’s very unlikely to get anything above the veteran minimum — think something a bit beyond $1 million — since he has produced modestly and is coming off injury.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, the Vikings are desperate for improvement in the ground game.

Veterans Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are competing to work as the RB1. Mr. Jones is a versatile, high-compete player who is respected for his leadership (he’s also just a charming, down-to-earth guy if you ever get the chance to chat, so it’s easy to see why he’s well-liked by essentially everyone). The former Packer has soft hands as a pass catcher and does well in pass pro. He has lost a step, though, as somebody who is on the wrong side of 30.

Mason is young (27) and a physical presence. While he doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his athleticism, Mason is mostly in town due to his hulking size. If you get to camp, take a moment to look at Mason and Jones side-by-side. There’s quite the difference. Plus, Mason is a hammer who treats defenders like nails. Minnesota needs more of that physicality.

Otherwise, the top names to know are Demond Claiborne and Max Bredeson. The rookies got chosen during the 2026 NFL Draft, meaning they’ll be employed by the Vikings for the upcoming season.

Alexander Mattison, 28, will look to secure work sooner rather than later as a strong RB3 who could be elevated to RB2 if health allows.

Advertisement

---

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

In a rather shocking twist at SummerSlam 2026, WWE legend Randy Orton made a massive return after months to cost his best friend in the co-main event of the night.

CM Punk is still the WWE Champion after the co-main event of SummerSlam. That’s right – Cody Rhodes vs CM Punk didn’t actually headline SummerSlam Night One. That honor went to Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar and their Hell in a Cell match. Many fans felt that the build-up to Cody vs Punk was underwhelming considering how big they are as superstars. Cody, Punk, and Roman Reigns are the undisputed three top stars of modern WWE. That’s why many thought that the WWE Championship would logically headline SummerSlam Saturday. However, that wasn’t actually the case.

Either way, the war ended in a bizarre way at SummerSlam. The Viper, Randy Orton, made a shocking return for the first time since WrestleMania 42 in April – three-and-a-half months ago. He hit the RKO on Cody Rhodes while the referee wasn’t looking and CM Punk was outuside the ring. Punk swooped in and hit the GTS, getting a slow three-count from Charles Robinson, but enough to retain his WWE Championship.

Orton was last seen over three months ago, when he lost in the main event of WrestleMania 42 Night One, and turned on Pat McAfee. The Orton-McAfee alliance is something that fans like to actively forget, and from the look of things, McAfee wasn’t feeling the response either, which is why he reportedly pulled out voluntarily, as did Jelly Roll.

Randy Orton ended the night by hitting a punt on Cody Rhodes and lifting the WWE Championship up in the air to signal that he was still in the rivalry, but he had vanished right after that, leaving everyone utterly confused about the storyline.