Chelsea may be through to the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, but the boos that followed their surprise defeat by Legia Warsaw summed up the current mood of dissent at Stamford Bridge. A 2-1 loss in the home second leg to the Polish side made little difference to the tie's outcome as the Blues confirmed a last-four meeting with Djurgarden by way of a 4-2 aggregate success. But the manner in which they succumbed to defeat, despite a strong starting line-up, left anger among the faithful in the stands as the players failed to rise to manager Enzo Maresca's pre-match challenge to "engage" the fans. It also prompted captain Reece James to front up afterwards and admit it was a "poor performance", while appearing to question the preparation of his team for an encounter that was settled by Steve Kapuadi's 53rd-minute winner after Blues left-back Marc Cucurella had cancelled out a penalty opener from Tomas Pekhart. "We had a 3-0 lead, maybe that played a part in taking our foot off the gas," said James, 25. "We are making progress but that was not progress. If anything it was a step back. "Maybe we disrespected the competition. If you don't prepare right, you will pay. "It's going to affect the mindset. It's going to be in the back of people's heads. I understand the frustration. Fans come to see excitement, we were frustrating to watch." Boss Maresca felt Chelsea "probably" did not respect Legia enough rather than the competition, and the Stamford Bridge "environment was good" as his side try to deal with increased pressure in the climax to the season. "I didn't see any bad moments from the fans," added the Italian, whose side face a west London derby at Fulham on Sunday in their pursuit of a top-five Premier League place. "I already said after the last game we need to engage them, so it's what we have to do. "We are not happy with the defeat, probably after winning the first leg 3-0 we tried to manage things a little bit, tried to avoid injury, rotate players with an important game on Sunday." Chelsea are now worryingly without an away win in eight league games, dating back to a thrilling 4-3 success at Tottenham on 8 December. Although they were also unbeaten in eight matches at home in all competitions before the defeat by Legia, the performances have not been convincing enough to appease supporters who demand and expect better from their expensively-assembled squad and raft of internationals. Recent results, including a goalless draw at Brentford followed by a 2-2 home draw against relegation-threatened Ipswich, have also dropped them to sixth in the table, leaving them with a tough task of reaching the Champions League next season. Newcastle have moved up to third spot after a run of good form, while Manchester City are a point clear of Chelsea in fifth spot and Aston Villa in seventh, but level on 54 points with Maresca's men. With six games to go, no team can afford to slip up, but Maresca remained upbeat as he added: "We lost a game. The other clubs like Villa, Newcastle have more confidence around them but things in football can change quickly. Sunday, for us, is a final and can be a boost to reach our target." What is also providing concern for Chelsea is the various goal droughts happening simultaneously among the attacking players in all competitions: Cole Palmer is 15 games without a goal Nicolas Jackson is 12 games without a goal Christopher Nkunku is eight games without a goal. Jadon Sancho was also on a four-month, 21-game goal drought before scoring against Ipswich last Sunday. Maresca said he started Palmer and Jackson - who have both had spells out injured - against Legia to increase their physical condition, but hoped for a "boost" to their confidence if they could score. The fact that Spanish left-back Cucurella is Chelsea's top scorer with six goals since 15 December highlights their struggles up front. "We are missing very easy goals," admitted Maresca. "In the first five minute, we had two chances, but it can happen. Hopefully, very soon Nico and Cole can start to score goals because they are very important for us. "The one scoring at the moment is Cucurella. That is not a good thing because he is not the one to score the goals."

Head coach of Nigeria’s senior female cricket team, Leke Oyede, is working with two coaches from Zimbabwe ahead of the 2026 ICC Women’s World Cup Africa Qualifiers, which will take place in Namibia from August 28 to September 7, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Female Yellow Greens are intensifying their preparations at a closed camp in Lagos, where they are also expected to be joined by another South African coach before they depart for Namibia. The team began training last month in Benin City, Edo State, with 22 players before Oyede dropped four ahead of the final lap in Lagos. “We are with 18 players and the goal is to pick 15 players for the World Cup qualifiers,” Oyede told NCF media on Thursday. “We have been working so hard, and it has been quite intense with the support of two Zimbabwe coaches, and a South African coach will join in a few days. The whole idea is to make sure we uplift the girls’ skills, brush them up so they can perform at the top level. “We will have some test games, and these are to awaken their game awareness and keep them in that frame of readiness so we can make the global qualifiers. “There is a lot of positivity, and that’s a good sign for us as coaches.” Nigeria will battle Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone at the qualifiers. The top two teams from the Africa Qualifiers will advance to the global qualifiers, which will be played later in the year. The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup will be played in England.

The Ondo State Football Agency has begun the renovation of abandoned facilities at its football village in Akure, as Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has promised the return of Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens to the top tier of Nigerian football, The PUNCH reports. ODSFA has begun the re-grassing of the football pitch on the premises of the agency as well as the renovation of the hostel facilities ahead of the 2025/26 season. Sunshine Stars were relegated to the Nigeria National League last season, while the female team, a one-time Federation Cup winner, Sunshine Queens, will seek promotion to the Nigeria Women’s Football League through the Championship playoffs, after spending a season in the lower division. According to the agency, the new pitch will offer a more sustainable choice, support cooler playing temperatures and lower the risk of serious injuries. Similarly, the reconstruction and facelift of facilities is aimed at improving the living conditions of players, better nutrition and recovery and increased team bonding. Meanwhile, the renovation of the Ondo State Sports Complex, which forced Sunshine Stars to play their home matches in Ikenne and Ijebu Ode last season, has also reached an advanced stage. Governor Aiyedatiwa has pledged his administration’s full support to ensure Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens football clubs return to Nigeria’s elite football leagues in the shortest possible time. Aiyedatiwa described the recent relegation of both teams as a big lesson for their managements, emphasising the need to learn, relearn, and rebuild stronger and more competitive squads. He also reaffirmed his commitment to completing the renovation of the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure to meet modern standards, thereby boosting sports development across the state.

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Kano State have unanimously endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term. Similarly, they reaffirmed their loyalty to a former National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, endorsing him as the leader of the APC in Kano State. The endorsement was made during a stakeholders’ meeting held at Ganduje’s residence on Tuesday. Speaking during the meeting, the State APC Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, said the gathering was aimed at addressing internal party issues, promoting unity among members, and preparing the party to face the forthcoming general elections. “The high-level stakeholders meeting of the All Progressives Congress, Kano State Chapter, is convened to assess the current state of the party, review recent developments, and chart a cohesive path forward. “We are fully committed to the success of President Tinubu and our great party. This meeting is about consolidating our base, strengthening our unity, and positioning the APC to win convincingly in 2027,” he said. He expressed the readiness and willingness of the party to reconcile with all aggrieved members, stressing that the APC in Kano is open to reconciliation and expansion. He added that the party is ready to welcome members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement if they decide to join the APC. The meeting was attended by prominent party leaders, including Kabir Abubakar Bichi, Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation; APC’s 2023 gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Nasiru Gawuna; and Murtala Garo. Also in attendance were Senator Abdurrahman Sumaila, Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream); members of the National and State Assemblies; as well as two ministers from Kano—the Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Bunkure, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Ata.