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Squash Players Seek Overhaul Of Board

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Some squash fans yesterday called for a change in leadership of the Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF), alleging that the outgoing administration led by its President, Femi Ajagbe, performed poorly.

They spoke in Lagos against the backdrop of the National Sports Commission (NSC’s) directive that elections into the National Sports Federation would commence in April, with zonal elections.

A former national player, Friday Omeben, told Tidesports that the outgoing administration had not performed well.

“His tenure was not quite successful because he did not initiate any competition since those are part of the indices used in assessing performance.

“We need somebody who knows squash and has a passion for it; it’s only in this country that those who are not sportsmen take over the helms of affairs in sports associations.

“If you ask some aspirants for the office where squash was first played, they may not know that it was first played in England in 1967. It’s a shame,” Omeben said.

Tunji Agbeleye, the proprietor, Agbeleye Squash Academy, said the outgoing president lacked administrative skills which rendered his tenure ineffective.

“He failed to run the federation effectively, which translated into his inability to demonstrate good leadership.

“To be a federation’s president, one has to have the impetus. You have to know people and associate with them. Ajagbe didn’t know enough individuals and corporate organisations to support him,’’ he said.

The country’s number one female player, Longdie Dashback, told Tidesports that the fact that squash was not growing shows that the federation had derailed from its primary objective.

“The fact that squash is not growing shows that something is wrong. Take for instance in 2010, I went for the Africa Senior Championships in South Africa and was not given any recognition.

“Players are not encouraged and there are no competitions, only the Lagos State Government organises some annual tournaments.

“What has the federation done for the growth of the sport? Nothing! We just hope to get a leader that has the interest of the sport at heart,” Dashback said.

Sodiq Taiwo, another one-time ranked player, said that the outgoing president did not deserve a second chance because of his inability to secure sponsors.

“They are just there doing nothing, now it is the players that look for sponsors and organise tournaments which should not be in a sane federation.

“Even if they can’t organise tournaments for us, what about grassroots development programmes? We want fresh people with new ideas that can be beneficial to us,” Taiwo said.

President, Professional Squash Players of Nigeria Association (PSPNA), Seun Peters, said that irrespective of the result of the proposed elections, the association would be supported.

“We are going to work with anybody that becomes the president and his board,’’ he said.

When contacted, Ajagbe said that the allegations against him were unfounded as squash under him was one of the most vibrant federations.

He said that it was only natural for some individuals to rate other people’s performance poorly.

Ajagbe said that he became the Vice-President of Africa Squash Association based on his achievements as president of the federation and urged his critics to be objective.

“Our federation has taken part in international competitions for the past three years, a feat that most federations could not achieve.

“You can’t do it all, so, it is natural for people to complain. I am not perturbed, being the vice president in Africa shows that outsiders appreciate and recognise my efforts.

“I love criticism, it makes one better as long as it is constructive,” Ajagbe added.

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Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie  A Lead

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Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.

Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.

Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.

Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.

But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.

Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.

It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.

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Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool 

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A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.

Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.

“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.

For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.

Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.

His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.

Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.

Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.

The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.

After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.

“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”

Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.

The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.

“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”

He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.

“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”

 

Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.

The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).

Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.

Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.

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Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors

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Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.

Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.

Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.

Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.

Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.

The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.

 

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