Sports
Enugu fans stunned over Super Falcons 2-1 loss to S/Africa
Some football fans in Enugu on Monday were shocked over the Super Falcons of Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to Banyana Banyana of South Africa at the ongoing African Women Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
Some of them who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the match said it was time to groom new and energetic players for the national team.
Okechukwu Nnamani said the players showed weakness in strength and needed to be replaced with vibrant and energetic players.
“It seems like age is catching up on the players and they failed to withstand the fire power of the South Africans.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Enugu Coal City Girls advised female football administrators in the country to look into the players welfare and growth of the nation’s female league.
“I know that we can do better than this with the home base players with well organised league.
“We have to come back home and fix a lot of things that have gone wrong.
“Before, we used to hammer teams 5-0 but these days, those teams are now thrashing us and this shows that we are going down in female football,” he said.
Ignatius Okpara, former secretary of the Sports Writer’s Association of Nigeria (SWAN), said the girls’ performance was nothing to talk about.
“We have players who can do better than this set of players in the league. I do not know why we so much depend on foreign players.
“The coach should have talked to the girls after the interval to remove anxiety in their approach to the game,” he noted.
Okpara advised the team handlers to go back to the drawing board and correct the lapses and ensured that the girls finished well at the championship.
The Enugu State Boxing coach, Blaise Ude, said the game had been played and that the team should redeem its image with the remaining matches of the group.
“There is no need to cry over spilled milk; so, the only solution is for the team to come up better in subsequent matches in the group.
“Thank God, it is the first match of the group stage and not a knockout stage. We still have room to achieve our target at the championship with determination.”
Coach Anistar Izuikem of Stars Plus FC of Ngwo expressed shock over the loss to South Africa.
Izuikem said, “These girls defeated us at the group stage in Ghana and at the Aisha Buhari Football Tournament but we taught it was a fluke.
“Now, we know they mean business and the technical crew should not sleep over it because it is going to cause the country a lot.
“This is the only game we have been dominating in Africa and now we are at the verge of relinquishing the superiority, something has to be done.”(NAN)
Sports
Ronaldo playing in Saudi league for money like me – Ighalo
Ronaldo playing in Saudi league for money like me – Ighalo
Ex-Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo has disclosed that the decision of Cristiano Ronaldo and other top footballers to ply their trade in Saudi Arabia was informed by pecuniary motives.
Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr last year in a stunning three-year deal that would see him earn €210.704 million in total.
Other top footballers, who have made names for themselves in Europe, have also moved to Saudi Arabia as the the oil-rich middle east nation injected massive cash into league in order to make it a football powerhouse.
Reacting to the move of Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia and the influx of big players to the Saudi league, Ighalo said the motivation behind these moves was money and not passion.
Ighalo made this known during an interview with sport journalist, Oma Akatugba.
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He said. “See people that are going to Saudi Arabia, big players. Is Ronaldo still playing for passion? He has made more than 100 times what I have in my life, but he still went to Saudi. You want to tell me that is passion? No, it’s for money.
“It’s only when we Africans say it they will say we like money. But these people don’t care, some of them want to be highest paid and all that,”
Ighalo left mainstream Europe for Chang Chung Yatai in 2017 after playing for Lyn, Udinese, Granada, Cesena, and Watford.
At Yatai, he earned a reported €200,000 weekly salary, before moving to Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua where he also commanded a similar wage.
Ighalo spent one year in Shanghai before moving to Manchester United on a six-month loan deal.
After that, the 34-year-old joined Al Shabbab, where he started earning €170,000.
Ronaldo playing in Saudi league for money like me – Ighalo
Sports
MLS: Messi’s double keeps Miami on top of the league table
MLS: Messi’s double keeps Miami on top of the league table
Lionel Messi showcased his brilliance with a double and an assist for Sergio Busquets as Inter Miami secured a 3-1 victory over Nashville on Saturday, keeping them at the summit of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.
Despite a shaky start that saw Franco Negri inadvertently deflect a corner into Miami’s net within two minutes, Messi swiftly equalized in the 11th minute after Luis Suarez redirected a rebounded shot from the Argentine.
Messi continued to menace Nashville’s defense, narrowly missing another goal before providing an exquisite cross for Diego Gomez, whose header was denied by Nashville keeper Elliot Panicco.
Miami capitalized on their momentum as Busquets, Messi’s former Barcelona teammate, nodded in a corner just before halftime, giving Miami a well-deserved lead.
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However, Miami suffered a setback as Gomez was stretchered off with an ankle injury, adding to their injury woes.
Although Nashville dominated possession in the second half, Miami remained resolute defensively. In the 81st minute, Messi sealed the win by converting a penalty after Leonardo Afonso was fouled in the box.
With this victory, Messi extended his impressive goal-scoring record to nine goals in as many games across all competitions for Miami.
Reflecting on Miami’s performance, manager Gerardo Martino praised his team’s resilience, particularly considering their depleted squad due to injuries.
Despite Miami’s success, Columbus Crew faced a tough battle, twice coming from behind to secure a 2-2 draw against Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati clinched a 2-1 win over Atlanta United, with Luciano Acosta playing a pivotal role in their comeback victory. This highlights an eventful day in Major League Soccer.
MLS: Messi’s double keeps Miami on top of the league table
Sports
Arsenal beat Wolves to return to top spot
Arsenal beat Wolves to return to top spot
Arsenal put their Champions League disappointment firmly in the past by beating Wolves at Molineux and moving back to the top of the Premier League.
Having blown their chance to leapfrog Pep Guardiola’s side six days ago by losing at home to Aston Villa and then being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich on Wednesday, it was a welcome triumph for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Leandro Trossard’s strike in the last minute of the opening period may not have been the most eye-catching of the Belgian’s career, but it was perfectly timed.
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It came at the end of a half where Arsenal seemed to have gotten stuck after a bright start and nearly fell behind to Gary O’Neil’s injury-ravaged side.
The visitors dominated the second half too, but were unable to carve out the clear chances that would have allowed them to take the game out of reach.
Captain Martin Odegaard added the second deep into stoppage time at the end of the game, turning in from a tight angle after his initial cross had been blocked.
The result means Arsenal are now a point clear of City, with a better goal difference but having played a game more.
They have the chance to apply some significant pressure to the defending champions when they entertain beaten FA Cup semi-finalists Chelsea on Tuesday.
Arsenal beat Wolves to return to top spot
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