Katsina United have come under criticism for returning to action less than 72 hours after the tragic death of their player, Chinedu Ozor, during a pre-season match.

Ozor collapsed and died on Tuesday during Katsina United’s game against Niger Tornadoes in the Gusau/Ahlan Pre-Season Tournament.

Just 48 hours later, the club announced that it would play another match on Thursday against Cynosure U21. The game eventually ended in a 1-1 draw.

The decision to continue with the match has sparked criticism from football fans, with many questioning why the club and organisers could not allow the team a short break to mourn Ozor and recover from the shock of his death.

The Gusau/Ahlan Pre-Season Tournament is not a league competition where points and fixtures are at stake. Fans argue that the organisers could have postponed the match for a day or two to give the players time to grieve and regain their emotional strength.

For many supporters, the biggest concern is that some of Ozor’s teammates may still be struggling to come to terms with what happened.

It also meant that some of the players had to return to the same football environment where their teammate collapsed and died only two days earlier.

One fan wrote: “This is not a league match. Why the rush? Give the players time to mourn their teammate and recover from the shock.”

Another said: “Football should come second at a time like this. The organisers could easily have given Katsina United a few days off.”

A supporter questioned the decision to play so soon, saying: “Less than 72 hours after losing a teammate on the pitch, these players are expected to play again. This is unfair to them emotionally.”

Another fan wrote: “The Gusau/Ahlan tournament is only a pre-season competition. What would have been lost by postponing Katsina United’s match for two days?”

A different supporter added: “The club may have had reasons for accepting the fixture, but the organisers should have shown more compassion. These are human beings, not machines.”

Some fans also criticised the decision to return to the pitch at the same venue where Ozor’s tragic incident happened, saying the players should have been given more time away from football.

Katsina United, however, acknowledged the pain surrounding the team’s return and said before Thursday’s match that their thoughts remained with Ozor’s family, teammates and loved ones.

The club said it was mourning with the family and praying for strength and comfort during the difficult period.

The criticism comes as Katsina United continue to make arrangements to transport Ozor’s remains to his hometown for burial.

The tragic death has left the Nigerian football community in mourning, with many fans now calling for greater attention to the emotional wellbeing of players following traumatic incidents.

For the critics, the issue is not about stopping football altogether. Their argument is simple: this was only a pre-season tournament, and a short break to mourn a fallen teammate would not have hurt the competition.

Ireland’s Kate O’Connor sits in second place after two events of the women’s heptathlon at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The Newry-born 25-year-old claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games and made a good start to her bid for further success on Friday, one point off Poland’s Adrianna Sulek-Schubert who leads with way with 2135 after the morning session.

Germany’s Sophie Weissenberg sits in third on 2074, while Switzerland’s Annik Kalin is a further 20 points back.

O’Connor recorded a personal best in the 100m hurdles, finishing fourth in heat two with a time of 13:30 to come in 11th overall.

The race was won by Lithuania’s Beatrice Juskeviciute with a season best 13:09, ahead of Italy’s Sveva Gerevini and Weissenberg.

In the high jump, O’Connor again produced a personal best of 1.86m which was matched by Sulek-Schubert.

The heptathlon resumes on Friday evening with the shot put at 19:35 BST with the 200m to follow at 20:55.

Andrew Coscoran secured his place in the final of the men’s 1500m, finishing fourth in his heat with a time of 3:41.86, while a disappointed Cathal Doyle lodged an appeal after falling in his heat, yet finished the race.

Both Ireland’s men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams missed out on a place in their respective finals with the men just one second off the national record.

The World Test Championship is back, and India are on the road once again! They haven’t had to travel far, though, since Sri Lanka are the hosts of a two-Test series across Galle and Colombo. The first Test will start on Saturday, August 14 at the picturesque Galle International Stadium.

Both teams won’t be at full strength. The home side will be without star batters Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, while India will miss the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan. Nevertheless, an interesting series filled with talented names beckons.

Sri Lanka haven’t won a home Test against India in a while. In fact, it’s been quite a few years since the two-time World Test Championship finalists even toured the island nation. It’ll be interesting to see how the two teams fare.

India’s updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka: Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi.

Sri Lanka’s squad for the Test series against India: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

SL vs IND 2026: Conditions in Galle a relative unknown as India start favorites

The Galle International Stadium used to produce turners, but its nature has been unpredictable in recent times. It has become more batting-friendly in recent years, while a bit of rain is also on the forecast for the first Test.

Taking those factors out of the equation, it’s still easy to say that India are the favorites for this contest. The challenge posed by Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis is a notable one on a turner, but their numbers haven’t been particularly impressive on flatter surfaces. Moreover, the Sri Lankan pacers don’t have a great record in home conditions.

India’s batting unit has a few weaknesses, but their bowling makes up for it. The returning Ravindra Jadeja adds balance, while Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav are incredibly threatening bowlers. The pace attack has performed well, too.

Sri Lanka have had some plucky displays in the longest format in recent times, but India can be expected to come out on top in the opening game of the series.

Prediction: India to win the 1st Test vs Sri Lanka.