Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard will be sidelined for an extended period due to an ankle injury he sustained during international duty with Norway.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta announced this on Wednesday.

Ødegaard twisted his ankle in Norway’s Nations League match against Austria earlier this month.

The national team doctor initially estimated that Ødegaard would be out for at least three weeks.

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However, recent scans have revealed ligament damage, leading Arteta to acknowledge the injury’s seriousness.

Arteta said, “The scans showed some damage, especially to one of the ligaments in the ankle. While I can’t provide an exact timeframe, it is significant, and we’ll miss him for a while. We’re hopeful it won’t be for months, but we’ll see.”

Arsenal, who were Premier League runners-up last season, will face Manchester City, the reigning champions, on Sunday.

The Gunners are currently second in the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Tottenham, trailing City by two points.

Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress secured a thrilling 71-67 victory over Uganda on Friday, advancing to the final of the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket 2024.

The closely contested semifinal took place at Pretoria University in South Africa.

With this win, Nigeria also earned a spot in the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2025 in Czechia, alongside Mali, who dominated Cameroon with a 103-45 win in the other semifinal earlier that day.

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Despite Uganda defeating Nigeria in the Group Phase, the Nigerians turned the tables in this semifinal, claiming sweet revenge.

Nigeria, who last won silver in 2010, had only won one Group Phase game, a resounding 107-30 victory over Zimbabwe.

However, they managed to advance as one of the two best third-place finishers and made the most of their second chance.

In the quarterfinals, Nigeria faced Egypt, a team they lost to 72-60 in the group stage. However, the West Africans bounced back, defeating the Pharaohs 66-51 to secure their semifinal berth.

While Nigeria, led by coach Juliana Ojoshogu Negedu, fought hard to overcome Uganda, coach Omondi of Uganda was focused on earning a spot on the podium for the first time in the tournament’s history.

Nigeria entered the match with a statistical edge, thanks to standout offensive contributions from Idubamo Beggi and Abigail Isaac.

Uganda responded with notable performances from Resty Nanangwe, Modesta Anyango, and Mia Belinda.

In the final on Saturday (tomorrow), Nigeria will take on Mali, seeking to redeem their men’s team’s previous quarterfinal loss to the same West African rival.

Iconic Portuguese striker, Cristiano Ronaldo has hit a billion followers on his social media accounts.

He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Thursday night to make the revelation.

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He expressed gratitude to his followers and assured that “The best is yet to come”.

He also expressed optimism andhunger for more wins in his illustrious career.

Ronaldo wrote, “We’ve made history — 1 BILLION followers! This is more than just a number – it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond.

“From the streets of Madeira to the biggest stages in the world, I’ve always played for my family and for you, and now 1 billion of us stand together.

“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey, and together, we’ve shown that there are no limits to what we can achieve.

“Thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life. The best is yet to come, and we’ll keep pushing, winning, and making history together.”