Cynosure Football Club has formally appealed to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) against a decision by the Ebonyi State Football Association Disciplinary Committee to ban the club and its chairman, Prince Chidiebere Nwaeze, from all football-related activities in the state for two years.

According to Sports Concave, the appeal, dated August 4, 2026, was addressed to the Chairman of the NFF Organising and Disciplinary Committee in Abuja and has been received by the office of the NFF General Secretary.

In the appeal, Nwaeze challenged the ruling issued by the Ebonyi State FA Disciplinary Committee on August 3, asking the NFF to review the sanctions.

The appeal also challenges the recommendation that the NFF should impose a nationwide ban on both Nwaeze and Cynosure FC.

Cynosure FC said the appeal was filed in line with the dispute resolution process provided under the NFF Statutes (March 2026) and the Nationwide League One (NLO) Rules and Regulations 2025.

The club said it is a duly registered NLO team and is scheduled to take part in the South-East Centre playoffs, which are due to begin on August 7, 2026, in Aba, Abia State.

Cynosure FC also pointed out that it had previously appealed an earlier sanction imposed by the NLO before the NFF Organising and Disciplinary Committee. The decision was later overturned and the ban lifted.

The club is now asking the NFF Organising and Disciplinary Committee to review the Ebonyi State FA decision and determine whether the sanctions are in line with the rules and regulations governing Nigerian football.

With the appeal pending, the decision could affect the NLO South-East Centre playoffs. Cynosure FC is therefore calling for the competition to be put on hold until the NFF reaches a decision on the matter.

The NFF is expected to consider the appeal and communicate its decision in line with its disciplinary and appeals procedures.

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are set to collide in November, but after their recent ‘tune-up fights’, former WBA featherweight champion Barry McGuigan has updated his prediction for the contest.

Fury and ‘AJ’ have been linked to one another for a number of years, but after consistent disappointment, fans finally look set to be treated to the long-awaited grudge match, albeit without a heavyweight world title on the line.

Instead, at the respective ages of 37 and 36 years old, Fury-Joshua could be a shared career finale rather than the career-defining moment that it had always been deemed as, but global fan interest remains, amid talk of a showdown in New York.

Discussing the fight a few weeks ago, McGuigan confidently predicted a win for the Londoner, believing that Joshua beats ‘The Gypsy King’ every day of the week.

“I think [Daniel] Dubois would knock out Anthony Joshua every single day of the week, but I think Joshua beats Tyson Fury every day of the week.

“He just has that style; he just has that technique. I think he’s too much for [Fury].”

However, after witnessing Fury’s below-par effort against Mariusz Wach and Joshua’s near-catastrophic shootout with Kristian Prenga, the 2005 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee has admitted that he now believes Fury to be the favourite.

“You’d have to make Tyson the favourite at this stage following Joshua’s increased vulnerability. BUT, at the risk of using to many cliches, “the last thing a fighter looses is his punch”. However, you need to be in the right position to land that punch.”

It is believed that Fury-Joshua could take place at Madison Square Garden in November, much to the disappointment of British fight fans, who had presumed the pair would go toe-to-toe at Wembley Stadium. 

Terence Crawford has been receiving plenty of plaudits since he hung up the gloves in December, but there is one reigning world champion who believes that ‘Bud’ is far from the ‘legend’ that he is being portrayed as.

Last year, Crawford beat Canelo Alvarez to claim the undisputed super-middleweight world title and, in doing so, became the first post-war three-division undisputed champion and just the second fighter in boxing history to achieve that feat – joining Henry Armstrong in an exclusive club.

Off the back of that win, ‘Bud’ made the decision to walk away from the sport at the age of 38 years old, refusing a lucrative offer for a rematch with the Mexican superstar.

One man seemingly wasn’t impressed with that decision, as speaking to FightHype, WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia explained why he believes Crawford damaged his legacy by retiring.

“I don’t f**k with him, at all, and I would love to fight him but he is already retired, see. He got out before the young and hungry fighters came through, he knew that the young lions were coming in. He owes me.

“Every great champion does it, you have got to fight one of those young, hungry motherf***ers. Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman when George Foreman was a young, hungry animal, that is what made him into a legend.

“Terence Crawford is not a legend yet, I don’t know why people are trying to talk about ‘he is a legend’. He is an all-time-great, he is a Hall-of-Famer, but a legend? Nah, not even close. There’s a lot of big moments that should have happened, I am here to become a legend. 

“He owes me a fight, he owes [Jaron] Ennis a fight, he owes Vergil Ortiz Jr. a fight, he should of ran it. He still had so much in the tank. They are trying to act like he was old and had injuries, bro didn’t have none of that s**t.”

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Garcia’s words are the latest in an ongoing back-and-forth between he and the Omaha switch-hitter, whom he believes he could tempt out of retirement if successful against Conor Benn on Saturday, September 12.

The new-look Pac-12 kicks off its inaugural season this fall with eight football members.

Five of them hail from the Mountain West, with Oregon State and Washington State the only legacy holdovers, and Texas State added from the Sun Belt.

Boise State was chosen as the unanimous favorite in a preseason media poll organized by the Denver Gazette, followed by San Diego State.

My predictions differ, with a surprise pick behind the Broncos.

Preseason guesses aside, the reborn league figures to generate plenty of excitement each week and is a favorite to produce a Playoff team from among the Group of Six conferences.

Here is my predicted order of finish and projected win-loss record for each school.

1. Boise State

Boise State is the best team entering the new conference. Not surprisingly, Athlon Sports selected 20 Broncos to its all-Pac-12 teams.

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One player the publication left off the First Team—returning quarterback Maddux Madsen—has a ton of experience as a signal-caller. His presence should prove vital this season after the Broncos lost most of their top receivers.

However, Boise State returns the two top backs in the conference in Sire Gaines and Dylan Riley.

The offensive line will likely be a plus as well; Roger Carreon is a first-teamer, and Jason Steele and Daylon Metoyer are stellar. If this group can find a solid left tackle, they should be able to outgun most units in the Pac-12.

This 2026 squad features a vicious defensive end combination led by Jayden Virgin-Morgan and Max Stege. This duo will likely be able to control the tempo of most of their matchups, except Oregon.

Everyone else should prove decent enough to replace what they lost, but they’ll need to find an answer at safety with Ty Benefield gone. The key for this unit is playing better against elite teams.

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If the Broncos rectify that, they could find themselves in the College Football Playoff.

Projected W-L Record: 10-2

2. Washington State

Washington State is a huge X-factor in the Pac-12 this year. The Cougars have the type of team that could finish second, but they could also find themselves near the bottom of the conference.

With new Head Coach Kirby Moore, the offense is expected to improve quickly. But this is all dependent on the play of quarterback Caden Pinnick, who was a proven stud at UC Davis, throwing for 3,206 yards, 32 touchdowns, and ten interceptions.

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Pinnick also added 437 yards on the ground. He’ll be complemented in the run game by the return of Kirby Vorhees and Leo Pulalasi in the backfield.

At receiver, Tony Freeman is a good playmaker, but the Cougars also have a couple of notable transfers in Darrius Clemons and Tank Hawkins.

The offensive line features Ashton Tripp, who will be protecting Pinnick’s blind side. And the group in its entirety has the potential to be one of the better units in the Pac-12.

Defensively, WSU is making ramen from scratch. The Cougs lost the majority of their defense to Iowa State with Jimmy Rogers. Some of the bigger losses are Isaac Terrell and Parker McKenna.

New Defensive Coordinator Trent Bray looks to retool a unit that proved sneaky good a year ago.

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Projected W-L Record: 8-4

3. San Diego State

San Diego State made no sense last season, but they were still sick. Sean Lewis’ Aztec FAST moniker proved to be the opposite of his team’s identity.

The offense struggled, ranking 78th in the nation in points scored per game, but this unit should take a huge step forward this year.

The Aztecs return Jayden Denegal at quarterback, Lucky Sutton at halfback, and they get a bunch of receivers back from injury.  They also return Jordan Napier at wide receiver.

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There are a lot of question marks on the offensive line, but this unit has enough talent to compensate if they underwhelm. The West Coast will get to see what a Lewis system looks like.

On defense, however, SDSU has to replace everyone except Dalesean Staley, who may just have to limit big plays this year, and he’s still a stud.

The Aztecs lost 12 out of their top 14 tacklers, a First-Round draft pick in corner Chris Johnson, and probably a future First-Rounder in defensive end Trey White.

While the defense proved phenomenal in 2025, it’s time for the offense to boss up. This team feels like it’s close to the top, but not quite there yet.

If the defense comes to play, they’ll find themselves in the Pac-12 Championship.

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Projected W-L Record: 7-5

4. Fresno State

Fresno State should be good, but they might lack the explosiveness needed to win the conference.

Matt Entz is a winner and knows exactly how he likes to build his roster. He won nine games his first season with the Bulldogs, and two National Titles at the FBS level.

Fresno State features arguably the best halfback duo in the Pac: Rayshon Luke and Bryson Donelson are deadly. But the rest of the offense needs to gel together quickly.

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Khristian Martin is new at quarterback, and he lacks proven receivers. The Bulldogs will also need to replace key parts of the offensive line. But even if the line just holds together, this unit should be in the top half of the conference.

Flipping the page, the defensive front seven will probably decimate most teams in the Pac-12. If defensive ends Micah Mosley or Maverick Noonan can make an impact, it will be sticky to run against them.

FS also needs to replace two corners, though they did get a solid safety in the portal in Simeon Harris. The unit ranked second in the nation a year ago, only allowing 153.8 yards per game. They will likely regress, but will still be decent.

If the Bulldogs add some flash alongside Luke, they might be in the upper echelon of this league.

Projected W-L Record: 7-5

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5. Texas State

Texas State is a team that belongs in this conference right now. Did the Bobcats play a weaker schedule in the Sun Belt? Yes, but so did a lot of the former Mountain West schools.

TXST might have a top-three offense in this conference. Brad Jackson is a legit dual-threat quarterback, and they feature two standout receivers in Beau Sparks and Chris Dawn Jr. They also added Davian Jackson, who brings speed to the group.

The Bobcats lost pretty much all of their running backs, including their RB coach. But Mike Leach doesn’t need to run. Texas State will need to rely heavily on its offensive line to throw the majority of the time. This unit is the key to their team.

Defensively, they’re likely to struggle after ranking 95th in the nation in points allowed per game in 2025. They do have a few playmakers, though—DonTerry Russell had 4.5 sacks a year ago, and Ryan Nolan should be able to clean up the big plays at safety.

The Bobcats are likely to fall off at defensive tackle, however, as they lost their top two tackles to Power Four schools.

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Regardless, this team will go as far as its offense takes them, and will need to win a few shootouts to make a bowl game.

Projected W-L Record: 5-7

6. Colorado State

Colorado State benefits from a light schedule to open their campaign. If the Rams were to jump out to a 3-1 start, Jim Mora could get them to a bowl in his first year.

The key for CSU is simple: Whoever plays signal-caller needs to perform well. Hauss Hejny is the more explosive player, but Mora may feel more comfortable with K’sann Farrar.

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This much certain: QB1 will have proven halfbacks in Mel Brown and Durell Robinson in his corner.

The Rams also landed UConn transfer Juice Vereen, who could be a standout at tight end. They will also field a talented receiving core with returner Tommy Maher and two transfers from Power Four schools.

If the offensive line holds together, this unit could surprise some teams.

Even though the Rams lost Owen Long to Arizona State, they may have enough collective talent to improve defensively.

Getting a consistent pass rush will be key, with CSU having enough pieces in the back seven to prove troublesome. Oumar Diomande is a solid transfer linebacker, and the secondary did a good job of re-tooling in the portal.

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Were the Rams to steal one or two games in the Pac-12, they could easily find themselves bowling.

Projected W-L Record: 5-7

7. Oregon State

JaMarcus Shephard could be in for a tough rebuild, but there’s a silver lining. As miserable as Oregon State’s record looked a year ago, flipping a few heartbreakers could have changed that.

The key to turning things around quickly will be improved play from Maalik Murphy. He struggled in 2025, but he’s still the player who led Duke to nine wins. Unfortunately, the Beavers lost basically everything around him.

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However, thanks to Shephard’s tutelage as a WR coach, OSU brought in a slew of receivers from the portal. It won’t matter much, though, if Murphy doesn’t shine. If he doesn’t bounce back, Braden Atkinson figures to get an opportunity.

Defensively, the Beavers need to find stability on the line. They lost two notable players in Thomas Collins and JoJo Johnson, but got a nice holdover at defensive tackle in Tevita Pome’e.

Aiden Sullivan, a nice returner at linebacker, finished with 72 tackles and three forced fumbles in 2025.  Mike MacIntyre is extremely experienced in the football world and has much to contribute as the Beavs’ new defensive coordinator.

The coaching staff is solid all around, and we aren’t likely to see as many mistakes in special teams and in late-game scenarios. But due to weaknesses on both sides of the line, the rebuild won’t be speedy.

Projected W-L Record: 5-7

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8. Utah State

Bronco Mendenhall will have to pull something off this year. Utah State lost quarterback Bryson Barnes, who did everything for the Aggies a season ago.

The hope is that McCae Hillstead can fill the void. He has some experience, but will it be enough? Hillstead will be asked to carry the offense immediately, and he’ll need to do just that.

Javen Jacobs, a great pass catcher out of the backfield who ran for 429 yards, caught for 379, and had eight combined touchdowns in 2025, will provide support.

The biggest concerns for USU are unproven wideouts and the tackle positions on the offensive line. The Aggies will need someone to complement Hillstead and Jacobs.

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Flipping the mountain, Utah State has returners on defense, but historically, Mendenhall’s squads have struggled on that end of the field.

Brevin Hamblin is a legit safety, and he’ll have two returning corners around him. Bronson Olevao Jr., a star in his own right at linebacker, can do a bit of everything. USU also returns two players on the defensive line in Carson Tujague and Tyree Morris.

The Aggies have enough returning production to be good on defense, but the on-field results remain to be seen.

The team is talented, but with a brutal schedule, things could get ugly.

Projected W-L Record: 4-8

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Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.

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Real Madrid appears to be one step closer to getting RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomandé. Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg had the story:

🚨⚪️ BREAKING | RB Leipzig and Real Madrid are now in the final stages of completing Yan Diomande’s transfer.

EXCL DET | The total package, including bonuses, is expected to be worth between €130m and €140m. The final structure is currently being discussed.

No final green light for medical yet.

@philipphinze24 @berger_pj

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Plettenberg also reported that the attacker reported to RB Leipzig camp today as well after dealing with an illness:

🚨⛰️ Yan Diomande has arrived at RB Leipzig’s training camp in Austria.

Diomande is fully fit again after recovering from his infection.

Negotiations with Real Madrid are not in danger. They remain advanced, with the total package expected to significantly exceed €120m.

Diomande has not yet been given the green light to undergo his medical with Real. Saga not over yet.

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@philipphinze24 | @SkySportDE

Plettenberg’sc olleague, Philipp Hinze also had details on the situation:

🔴 RB Leipzig and Real Madrid are currently finalizing the deal for Yan Diomande. The final transfer fee, including bonuses, is expected to be between €130m and €140m. The deal is close to being completed. The final structure is being discussed, after which it will become the biggest sale in RB Leipzig’s history. There is no final green light yet, but it’s very close.
@SkySportDE @Plettigoal

🔴 Yan Diomande is fit again and will continue fulfilling his duties with RB Leipzig until the deal with Real Madrid is finalized. As RB Leipzig announced, once Diomande has fully recovered, he will join the team at its training camp. He arrived in Austria this morning.
@SkySportDE

BFW Analysis

If the reporting is true, Diomandé is set to bring RB Leipzig a massive cash influx. While a sale of the youngster will hurt Die Roten Bullen right now, this is the cycle of the club — identify>acquire>develop>showcase>sell.

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While that philosophy can land financial windfalls like this, it has not helped RB Leipzig get closer to Bayern Munich in the league’s hierarchy.

For Real Madrid, this gives the new blood inthe attack. After realizing Bayern Munich was not going to sell Michael Olise, Real had to act quickly on its next target and ultimately landed on RB Leipzig’s talented 19-year-old, whose professional world is apparently about to undergo a massive change.

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Former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday to complete his move to Turkish club Trabzonspor after leaving the Premier League giants at the end of his contract. “Salah mode: ON,” Trabzonspor posted on social media alongside photos of the 34-year-old Egyptian aboard a private jet wearing the team’s blue and maroon home shirt. The club from Turkey’s northeast announced on Tuesday that they had begun “negotiations” with Salah, who left Liverpool after nine seasons and as many trophies with the Reds.

He landed at around 0900 GMT in Istanbul, where he was greeted by hundreds of ecstatic supporters, AFP journalists reported.

“I’m here straight after my night shift, and now for Mohamed Salah, I am ready to spend another sleepless night,” Trabzonspor supporter Abdul Kerim Yervan told AFP.

Salah is due to undergo a medical on Wednesday in Istanbul before flying to Trabzon later in the day.

The right winger, who is set to sign a two-season contract with an option for a third, will earn 17 million euros ($19.6 million) a year, according to several Turkish media outlets.

Salah netted 257 goals for Liverpool in 442 appearances in all competitions, making him the third top goalscorer in the club’s history.

He also scored 193 Premier League goals, 191 of them for the Reds, putting him fourth in the all-time list behind English trio Alan Shearer, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney.

Salah was far from his best in a struggling Liverpool team last term, scoring only seven times in the league.

He last played at the World Cup, helping Egypt reach the last 16 for the first time since 1934 before they blew a two-goal lead to suffer an agonising loss to eventual runners-up Argentina.

Salah had also been linked with Trabzonspor’s Super Lig rivals Besiktas.

Trabzonspor finished third in the Turkish top flight last season, nine points clear of Besiktas, to qualify for the Europa League play-off round.

Salah has scored 66 goals in 119 international appearances for Egypt and is one of the most successful African players in history.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has revealed that his side will not play any practice matches before the 2027 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, opting instead for an extended training camp tailored to Indian conditions.

The five-Test series, scheduled from January 21 to March 3, 2027, marks the first time the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India will be played over five matches after 57 years. The visitors have not won a Test series on Indian soil since the 2004-05 season.

No practice matches before India tour

Speaking to cricket.com.au about Australia’s preparations, McDonald said the team already has sufficient cricket before arriving in India, making traditional tour games unnecessary.

“We feel as though we’ve got enough time to immerse ourselves in those conditions. We won’t be taking on a practice game. It’ll just be more around the location. We’ve got a couple of options there. We have gone to the UAE previously and we have also gone into India last time into Bangalore, so we’re just working through what that would look like in terms of how we then manage the individuals, ” McDonald said.

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Preparations to begin after New Zealand series

Before travelling to India, Australia will play a four-Test home series against New Zealand. McDonald indicated that the squad for India may differ from the one that finishes that series, with selection likely to be based on the specific demands of Indian conditions.

“A lot of that would happen on the back of the four Tests against New Zealand, seeing where players are at. We’ll potentially have some different players with different skill sets that we believe can perform in India, so it won’t necessarily be the squad that finishes the Test series (against NZ that then heads to India). There’ll be some players that we need to put a little bit more prep into, and that’ll start in Australia also, balancing out Big Bash commitments and things like that, ” he added.

Focus on replicating Indian conditions

McDonald stressed that Australia’s priority is identifying a training base capable of replicating the pitches, weather and overall environment expected during the series opener.

“Ultimately, if you can have a dedicated venue that you’re able to use and replicate as close to the conditions that you believe you may get in the first Test match or throughout a Test series, that’s ideally what you want. You case those locations – you want a connection in terms of conditions and climate. We believe we’ll get that right in terms of where we go, it just hasn’t been confirmed yet, ” Head Coach said.

Australia have previously held pre-tour camps in the UAE and Bengaluru before touring India, and a similar strategy remains under consideration.

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Five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins in Nagpur