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Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland

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Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland

LEICESTER City overcame a stubborn Sunderland side to move eight points clear at the top of the Championship table with their eighth consecutive league win.

James Justin leapt highest at the near post to meet a corner with a towering header to put the hosts ahead early on.

Twice goalkeeper Anthony Patterson pushed Leicester efforts on to the post as they searched for a second before half-time, first foiling Stephy Mavididi before getting a touch on a Kelechi Iheanacho shot.

Sunderland were then controversially denied a penalty kick just before the break, with Wout Faes appearing to bring down Daniel Neil with a sliding tackle.

Patterson continued to frustrate the hosts after the break, with crucial saves from Cesare Casadei, but the Black Cats failed to find an equaliser as they suffered a third consecutive defeat to drop to ninth in the table.

Leicester’s fourth successive home win without conceding a goal – the first time they have achieved the feat since 1973 – is enough to edge them further ahead of second-placed Ipswich Town, who travel to Bristol City on Wednesday.

Another night of celebrations for the Foxes started with a minute’s applause and moment of poignant reflection for the five people, including chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash outside the stadium five years ago.

Enzo Maresca’s table-topping Foxes are looking to replicate the first major success the club enjoyed under the stewardship of the late Thai businessman – and his son Aiyawatt, who remains in control of City – which was winning promotion back to the Premier League as Championship title winners in 2014.

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As the fastest side to amass 36 points since the second tier was rebranded as the Championship two decades ago, the Foxes are seven points better off after 13 games than that title-winning side were at the same stage.

Sunderland started strongly, playing with an intense press and daring attacking approach against a side that has quickly become accustomed to dominating possession on their return to the Championship.

Luke O’Nien teed Jack Clarke up for the game’s first chance after seven minutes, but goalkeeper Mads Hermansen did well to block the attempt at the back post.

A Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall corner kick soon after found one-time England international Justin unchallenged to thump his header past Patterson, who went on to deny the Foxes a second goal when he directed a low Mavididi shot on to the post with his foot.

Faes’ attempted block on a Clarke shot called Hermansen into action again at the other end, but it was a header from Jobe Bellingham from the resulting corner kick that should have had the visitors level.

The 18-year-old midfielder – and younger brother of England and Real Madrid star Jude, who is reportedly being scouted by the Spanish giants and his sibling’s former employer Borussia Dortmund – could only balloon his wayward header from six yards over the crossbar and on to the roof of the net.

A fingertip save from Patterson after Iheanacho attempted to angle a shot across the goalkeeper again proved crucial, with the effort coming off the post.

And while the woodwork twice saved the Foxes, the lack of action from referee Keith Stroud when Neil was bundled over spared the hosts from facing a penalty kick in the last minute of the first half.

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Patterson kept Casadei out twice in two minutes after the break to ensure the atmosphere remained tense at a packed King Power Stadium.

Iheanacho went on to curl another Foxes’ chance wastefully wide before he was replaced by former England striker Jamie Vardy.

Sunderland created a number of chances in an attempt to rescue a point, but substitute Abdoullah Ba’s wild effort over the crossbar when aiming at an unguarded net late on summed up their miserable night in front of goal.

“It was a very difficult game. It was the game we expected because we knew that they are a very aggressive team.

“In almost all of the games they have played, they have been man-to-man off the ball, and on the ball they have weapons like Bellingham, [Pierre] Ekwah, Clarke, [Patrick] Roberts on the other side and the goalkeeper is unbelievable.

“I’m very happy and it’s the game I’m most happy with in terms of the way we handled a different kind of game.”

“We believed that we could come here and win this game. Unfortunately, we missed some really good chances, as they did.

“Patterson made two good saves that hit the post, I get that. We are playing against top-quality players with probably a Premier League budget and we have a team that is really young.

“I asked them to go challenge themselves really, and if they want to play in the Premier League some day, to go and see how they got on against these lads – who a lot of them have got lots of Premier League appearances.

“And I thought we competed really well, but probably lacked the composure required at the top end of the pitch to give us maybe what we deserved in the game.”

Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland

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Boxing heavyweight champion, George Foreman, dies at 76

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1 day ago

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March 22, 2025

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George Foreman

Boxing heavyweight champion, George Foreman, dies at 76

Two-time world heavyweight boxing champion and successful entrepreneur George Foreman has passed away at the age of 76.

His family announced that he died peacefully on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones.

“With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr, who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones,” his family said in a statement posted on the boxer’s official Instagram page.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers and kindly ask for privacy as we honour the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.”

Born in 1949 in Houston, Texas, Foreman overcame a challenging upbringing, finding direction through the Job Corps programme, where he discovered boxing.

“At 13 years old, George was about 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and the terrorist in the neighbourhood,” his younger brother Roy told the BBC in 2024.

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“And when you’re bigger and stronger and think you’re better than everyone else, you take things.”
Foreman’s athletic ability was shown when he won a gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

At 19, he crushed his way to the super-heavyweight title, brandishing an American flag in the ring just days after Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ historic Black Power salute.

Standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and known as ‘Big George’, he was a formidable presence in the heavyweight division.

His destructive power and quickness propelled him fast up the professional ranks. In 1973, he won the heavyweight belt by destroying Joe Frazier in two rounds.

By October 1974, when Foreman defended his title against Muhammad Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), he had a perfect 40-0 record.

Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ tactic wore him down, and tired, Foreman gave up in the eighth round.

Foreman’s impact on boxing and beyond is permanent.

A two-time heavyweight champion, an Olympic gold medallist, a preacher, an entrepreneur, and a devoted family man, his life was one of success, atonement, and reinvention.

Boxing heavyweight champion, George Foreman, dies at 76

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Odegbami speaks on Osimhen breaking his 44-year goals record

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1 day ago

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March 22, 2025

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Former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami

Odegbami speaks on Osimhen breaking his 44-year goals record

Former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami has expressed delight after Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen surpassed his long-standing goal record for the national team.

Osimhen scored his 24th and 25th goals for Nigeria during Friday’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda in the 2026 World Cup qualifier in Kigali, moving him to second place on Nigeria’s all-time scorers list behind only the late Rashidi Yekini, who holds the record with 37 goals.

“Osimhen has finally overtaken me and I think that is good because the record has been hanging on for a very long time. I am very happy for him and I want to say good luck to him,” Odegbami said .

“He is still young and he has a long way to go.”

Odegbami, who retired from international football in 1981, had held the position of Nigeria’s second-highest goal scorer for 44 years before Osimhen’s breakthrough.

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The legendary winger, nicknamed ‘Mathematical’ for his precision crosses and intelligent play, scored 23 goals in 47 appearances for Nigeria between 1976 and 1981.

The Galatasaray striker, who is enjoying remarkable form this season with 20 goals and four assists in 20 Super Lig games, connected with Ademola Lookman’s free kick at the far post to score the opener against Rwanda on Friday.

Prior to this match, Osimhen had equalled Odegbami’s record last November during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Benin Republic in a 2025 AFCON qualifying game in Abidjan, heading home in the 81st minute for his 23rd goal in 38 appearances.

The 26-year-old forward now needs 12 more goals to equal Yekini’s record of 37 goals, which has stood since the striker’s last game for Nigeria in 1998.

Odegbami, who was a key member of Nigeria’s 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad, scoring in the final against Algeria, also praised the team’s overall performance against Rwanda.

“I am really impressed with the Eagles performance in Kigali and that is their most convincing win in 10 years,” he added.

Osimhen, who made his Super Eagles debut in June 2017 in a 2-0 defeat against South Africa, has become the team’s talisman, including notable performances in AFCON qualifiers where he scored two hat-tricks in 2023.

 

Odegbami speaks on Osimhen breaking his 44-year goals record

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Osimhen breaks Odegbami’s Eagles goal record

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2 days ago

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March 21, 2025

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Osimhen breaks Odegbami’s Eagles goal record

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has eclipsed legendary striker Segun Odegbami on the country’s all-time leading goal scorers list after scoring his 24th and 25th goals against Rwanda in Nigeria’s critical 2026 World Cup qualifying game on Friday.

Ademola Lookman’s soaring free kick found the Galatasaray striker, who turned the ball home with a superb touch at the far post to give Nigeria the lead in the game.

With the goal, Osimhen moved into second place on Nigeria’s goal-scoring table, trailing only the late Rashidi Yekini’s 37-goal total.

Osimhen, who is playing his debut game in the 2026 World Cup qualification series, scored his 25th goal in the 45th minute of regular time against Rwanda in his 39th appearance for Nigeria.

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He tied Odegbami’s record last November during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Benin Republic in a 2025 AFCON qualifying encounter.

This season, the 26-year-old has been in excellent form, scoring 20 goals and providing four assists in 20 Super Lig games for league leaders Galatasaray.

He has also scored 26 goals and provided five assists in 30 games across all competitions.

Osimhen breaks Odegbami’s Eagles goal record

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