Timi’s Sports Diary #03
More Michaely Magic in Morocco…The Chawinga Sisters are a problem…Brian Madjo probably earned that start…NPFL X MBI…
More Michaely Magic in Morocco…
In a previous entry (#01), I briefly praised the brilliance of Michaely Bihina, even though she was breaking Nigerian hearts. I also remember calling it one of the best days of her career. Well, it’s safe to say the best days are really piling up; both this week and throughout the tournament as a well.
Four penalties saved: one to keep Cameroon alive towards the end of extra time and three in the penalty shootout to send her nation to the final of the 2026 Women’s AFCON. Surely, it goes without saying that she was the Woman of the Match again.
However this tournament ends, she’s already a Cameroonian and WAFCON icon for life. But on the back of the last two games? you’d be right to think there might just be one more magical night left for her in Morocco.
The Chawinga Sisters are a problem…
Watch Malawi’s Women’s National Team and there’s no way you’d miss the fact that not only do two sisters play for the team, but they’re also the protagonists of it.
Less than 20 minutes into their semi-final against Algeria, and the two were already cooking up trouble. They were so difficult to contain that Tabitha Chawinga even caused an Algerian defender to be sent off.
I had seen enough to take to X and post: “These Chawinga sisters are a problem.” Trust me, I wasn’t even overreacting, because they went on to validate that post by scoring all three of Malawi’s goals. Two for Tabitha and one for Temwa; bringing their tournament tallies to four and five respectively.
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With both storylines now colliding in the final, I know I’m definitely not the only one thinking about the Michaely v. Chawinga sisters matchup…
Brian Madjo probably earned that start…
While I might have been pretty accurate with my early observations on the Chawinga sisters against Algeria, my pre-match thoughts ahead of the UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa were rather off.
Looking at the starting lineups, I was seriously questioning the inclusion of two teenagers, one of whom was Brian Madjo, over a more experienced player like Tammy Abraham.
Turns out, the lack of experience wasn’t going to hinder this 17-year-old from making an impression on his competitive debut for the club. He kept the Parisian defenders very occupied for as long as he was on the pitch.
And I know people will talk about his missed chances, but I didn’t even expect him to be that involved in the first place. So, I’ll actually cut him some slack and focus on the positives, which also included that well-taken finish that was Villa’s only goal of the game.
NPFL X MBI…
A long-overdue but certainly welcome development has finally hit Nigerian football. The Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) has signed a YouTube livestreaming partnership with Murphy Ben International.
Now, here’s where I have an issue. The chairman said, “There will be no more excuses of ‘I didn’t see the match.’” Then, in the same breath, he goes on to say that fans will have access to “selected” games live, while others will come later as delayed broadcasts.
Surely, I’m not unreasonable to expect such an operation to kick off at 100%. But you can’t say there will be no more excuses when what you’re providing isn’t exactly eliminating every excuse.
Regardless of that statement, I’m actually excited to see how this develops because I really want the NPFL to grow and be taken more seriously.
