2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 24 - Round of 32 - MATCH 86 - Argentina vs Cape Verde 3:2

Argentina beat Cape Verde 

3 Jul 2026
2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 23 - Round of 32 - MATCH 83 - Portugal vs Croatia 2:1

Portugal beat Croatia 

3 Jul 2026
2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 23 - Round of 32 - MATCH 85 - Switzerland vs Algeria 2:0

 Switzerland beat Algeria 

3 Jul 2026
2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 22 - Round of 32 - MATCH 81 - USA vs Bosnia Herzegovina 2:0

USA beat Bosnia Herzegovina 

2 Jul 2026
2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 22 - Round of 32 - MATCH 84 - Spain vs Austria 3:0

Spain beat Austria

2 Jul 2026
2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 21 - Round of 32 - MATCH 82 - Belgium vs Senegal 3:2

Belgium beat Senegal 

1 Jul 2026
2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 21 - Round of 32 - MATCH 80 - England vs Congo DR 2:1

England beat Congo DR

1 Jul 2026
2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 20 - Round of 32 - MATCH 77 - France vs Sweden 3:0

France beat Sweden 

30 Jun 2026
2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 20 - Round of 32 - MATCH 78 - Côte d'Ivoire vs Norway 1:2

 Norway beat Côte d'Ivoire

29 Jun 2026
2026 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - Round of 32 - MATCH 74 - Germany vs Paraguay 3:4

Paraguay beat Germany on penalties

29 Jun 2026

NATIONAL TEAM - Nigeria - Lukman Haruna hopeful over World Cup prospects

Overlooked by predecessor Samson Siasia and current manager Stephen Keshi, Haruna is confident he has done enough at club level to remain in the coach's World Cup thoughts.

"I understand my injury history had a role to play for a period of time but I'm in great shape right now," Haruna told BBC Sport.

"It's not an easy job for a coach to manage Nigeria with a lot of quality players in Europe, Asia and Africa.

"I just hope I've done enough at club level to be given a chance to fight for a place in the squad."

With the Ukrainian league season kicking off amid chaos in the country, Haruna has not given up hope of going to Brazil in the summer.

"When I played in South Africa I was very young and a little inexperienced," he said.

"Since then there have been highs and lows in my career but I'm more mature and hope to fulfil a dream by working extra hard to earn a recall.

"It's a massive two months for me to prove myself again because if it goes well then I'll have another chance."

The midfielder scored three goals in 15 league appearances for Dynamo Kiev last season and has a solitary goal in seven appearances for the African champions.

Haruna is one of only two players to have represented Nigeria at the Fifa under-17, U-20 and senior World Cups.

His European career began in France when he joined AS Monaco in 2007 shortly after he captained Nigeria to the Under-17 World Cup title in South Korea.

He signed for Ukraine's Dynamo Kiev in June 2011 after completing a US$2.8 million switch from Monaco.
 

16 Mar 2014
(BBC Sport, Lagos by Oluwashina Okeleji)

Related countries

Related articles