Sports
UCL: Real, Dortmund In Semi-Final
It was late drama in Turkey and Germany as Spanish giants, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund made it to the semi final stage of this year’s UEFA Champions League.
After coming into the second leg of the Champions League quarter Final against Turkish champions, Galatasaray with a comfortable 3-0 first leg victory, Cristiano Ronaldo got Real off to a perfect start with seventh minute goal to all but kill the tie as a contest.
But a second half fight back by Galatasaray occasioned a frenetic finish to an otherwise comfortable night for Jose Mourinho and his men. Emmanuel Eboue kicks started the rennauisance when he scored in the 58th minute.
Former Mourinho wards, Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba put Galatasaray 3-1 up in the 70 and 72 minute and 3-4 on aggregate to put Real on the edge.
But Ronaldo struck again in their minute of added time to seal Real’s passage to the semi final with a 5-3 aggregate victory.
In Germany, it was another late dramatic finish as homers, Borussia Dortmund, starring defeat in the face at the end of regulation time scored twice withion stoppage time to break Malaga’s heart and send their fans to delirium.
The first leg had ended goalless in Spain last week, but when Malaga took the lead twice, first through Joaquin in the 23rd minute and Eliseu in the 82nd, Malaga looked home and dry with the semi final ticket.
However, Reus and Felipe Santana’s added time goals added to Lewandowski’s 40th minute effort to complete an unlikely turn-around for Dortmund to progress and promise likely all Spanish and German semi finals with Barcelona and Bayern favourities to join the party from the remaining quarter final matches.
Real Madrid survived a second-half onslaught from Galatasaray in their Champions League quarter-final to reach the last four for a record 24th time.
Cristiano Ronaldo silenced the Turkish crowd with an early volley and Galatasaray rarely threatened until Emmanuel Eboue’s thumping strike.
Wesley Sneijder steered in and Didier Drogba’s backheel left Real rocking, before Ronaldo killed their hopes.
Real substitute Alvaro Arbeloa was sent off following two late bookings
The Spanish champions’ comfortable 3-0 victory in the Bernabeu left Jose Mourinho’s team within touching distance of the semi-finals and many expected the second leg to be a formality for the nine-time European champions.
For the opening hour it was exactly that, as Real played with a measure of confidence and assurance from the first whistle.
But Eboue’s spectacular goal sparked a dramatic turnaround and set up a grandstand finish in Istanbul.
Mourinho, bidding to become the first man to win the Champions League with three different clubs, will be relieved that his team regained their composure in the final 10 minutes to put the tie to bed.
Ronaldo finally put the tie beyond the Turkish champions as he drilled past Fernando Muslera in injury-time – almost 90 minutes after seemingly ending their hopes with the opener.
But Real quickly found their rhythm and already had Galatasaray on the back foot before Ronaldo swept in Sami Khedira’s low right-wing cross.
If Galatasaray’s task was not difficult enough already, the away goal left the hosts needing to score five goals to advance.
However Real continued to control possession and were only denied a second goal in the first half by Uruguay international Muslera.
Ronaldo was the architect of a flowing move, flicking into the path of Angel Di Maria whose fierce shot was instinctively pushed over the crossbar by Muslera.
Galatasaray barely threatened in the opening 45 minutes, with Sneijder forcing Real goalkeeper Diego Lopez into his first save with a low 20-yard shot shortly before the half-time break.
Real continued to stroke the ball around in the early stages of the second half as they looked to further subdue their already-deflated opponents.
However, Borussia Dortmund scored twice in injury time to snatch a dramatic Champions League victory over Malaga and secure a place in the semi-finals.
Marco Reus and then Felipe Santana struck for the German side, although the winning goal – poked home from a matter of inches – looked offside.
After a goalless first leg in Spain, Joaquin scored from 20 yards for Malaga before Robert Lewandowski equalised.
Substitute Eliseu looked to have scored Malaga’s winner before the late goals.
Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp had talked before the match about his desire to see his team’s “wonderful story” continue but it looked as though they would pay for wasting several good chances during the first leg.
Eliseu had finished from close range eight minutes from time – another goal allowed to stand despite a strong hint of offside – to leave Dortmund needing to score twice.
But the vociferous home crowd were sent into raptures as first Reus slotted home into an empty net from eight yards after the ball ran fortuitously into his path and then Santana pounced after a huge scramble inside the penalty box.
Several Dortmund players looked to be offside as the initial ball was played into the Malaga area and, seconds later, Santana was also in an offside position when he scored the winner, touching home a goal-bound effort from substitute Julian Schieber.
Dortmund’s obvious joy was in stark contrast to the emotions of the defeated Malaga players, with a cruel end especially harsh on coach Manuel Pellegrini, who had only arrived in Dortmund on Tuesday after flying back from his native Chile, where he had attended the funeral of his father on Monday.
The campaign was Malaga’s first in the Champions League and there will be no possibility of a repeat next season as a series of off-the-field financial problems means they are banned from European competition during the next campaign when they are eligible to compete.
Dortmund remain the only undefeated team in the competition – but after a disjointed performance that required an ending reminiscent of Manchester United’s victory over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final to seal their progress.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) says it will no longer pay athletes training grants in foreign currency.
The development came after sprinter, Kayinsola Ajayi, alleged foul play regarding the disbursement of training grants by the Commission.
Head of NSC’s Elite Athletes Development and Podium Board, Yusuf Alli, told Tidesports source on Friday that it was wrong of Ajayi to rubbish the good intention of the NSC, saying: “I have been in athletics for over 40 years now, and this current NSC Board, led by Mallam Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, has done what others could not do. So far, the NSC has spent over N200 million in payment of training grants for athletes ahead the 2026 Commonwealth Games and preparation for Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.”
The NSC sourced the money from the private sector. It has never happened before. “I expected the athletes to encourage the NSC so that it can do more instead of raising unnecessary alarm and making allegations that is capable of discouraging them (NSC) and even the sponsors. It takes good initiative and trust for sports administrators in Nigeria to convince sponsors to donate money for welfare of athletes,” he said.
Speaking further, Alli, whose long jump record of 8.27m set in 1989 (35 years ago) is still unbroken, said: “We have decided that henceforth, all payment of training grants will be in Naira. No more payment of grants in U.S. dollars. We are Nigerians, and everyone knows that the exchange rate is not stable. As at the time Ajayi got his money, the rate of dollars to Naira may have changed
“I expected him to make a call either to myself or anybody in the Elite Board, or even the NSC to find out what happened instead of resorting to such allegation.
“If we make payment in Naira, any athlete who wants to convert his or her money to any foreign currency can tell their people back home to do so. I am sure this will solve the problem. If anybody wants to know how much he is entitled to, he must first of all find out the category that he or she belongs to.”
Alli disclosed that coaches, who train the athletes would soon get their grant. “They train the athletes, and the NSC feel is it not proper to leave them out in payment of grants. We have compiled their names, and very soon, the coaches would get their money,” Alli stated.
The chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye, has directed that a minute’s silence be observed before kick-off at all Matchday 30 fixtures this weekend in honour of former Green Eagles captain Henry Nwosu, following the death of the former midfielder at the age of 62.
In a statement made available to Tidesports source on Saturday, the league body confirmed that the tribute would be held across all matches to recognise the contribution of the former international to Nigerian football.
Elegbeleye described Nwosu’s passing as both a personal loss and a painful moment for the country’s club football community.
Nwosu, who was the youngest member of Nigeria’s squad that won the 1980 African Cup of Nations, died in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja after a brief illness.
The former midfielder had reportedly spent several days in hospital receiving intensive care before his death.
Elegbeleye said the late footballer was more than a colleague within the sport, describing him as someone with whom he had maintained a long-standing personal relationship dating back to his time at the National Sports Commission.
He said the former national team star had remained supportive of him in various moments of his career, including when he was nominated for the Pitch Football Awards.
Reflecting on Nwosu’s legacy, the NPFL chairman said the news represented the loss of a major figure in Nigerian football, noting that the former midfielder distinguished himself not only at club level but also later contributed to the development of the domestic game as a coach.
Elegbeleye said the death of the former international was “the death of a true ambassador of the domestic and national team football because he not only made his mark as a player in league clubs, but he also coached some of the league clubs.”
He added that death remained a submission to the will of God and prayed for the repose of Nwosu’s soul while urging strength for his family as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
Earlier confirmation of the former midfielder’s death came from former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami, who revealed that Nwosu died after spending five days in hospital. Odegbami said the former player passed away at about four o’clock in the morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment in intensive care.
“It is with deep pain in my heart that I have to be the conveyor of the news of the death of Henry Nwosu MON,” Odegbami said.
“After five days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at four o’clock this morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, where he had been in intensive care since Wednesday. May he rest peacefully with our Creator in heaven”.
At the club level, the former international spent most of his career in Nigeria, starring for New Nigeria Bank FC of Benin City and African Continental Bank FC of Lagos during a period when both sides were among the dominant forces in domestic football. His performances later earned him moves abroad, where he also played for ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast and Racing FC Bafoussam of Cameroon.
