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UCL: Real, Dortmund In Semi-Final

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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.

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Enekwechi wins Orlen Cup in season opener

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Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi began his 2026 season with victory at the Orlen Cup in ?ód?, producing a dominant 20.82m throw to win the men’s shot put at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting in Poland, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Africa record holder finished ahead of Romania’s Andrei Toader, who placed second with 20.55m, while Serbia’s Armin Sinan?evi? took third on 19.93m.

Poland’s Szymon Mazur, the best-placed home athlete, finished fourth with 19.69m, with Italy’s Nick Ponzio completing the top five on 19.58m.

The rest of the field was headed by Piotr Go?dziewicz (18.02m), Jakub Korejba (17.55m), Wojciech Marok (17.48m), Damian Rodziak (17.23m) and Ukraine’s Maksym Lebediuk (15.75m).

Enekwechi’s winning mark gave him a clear margin over the field and underlined his status as one of world’s leading throwers, as he laid down an early marker for the new campaign in his traditional season-opening competition.

The result also marked an improvement shift in his Orlen Cup history. This was his third consecutive appearance at the meeting and his third straight season opener with the event, having previously finished second in 2024 with 21.14m and again in 2025 with 20.88m.

On this occasion, he converted consistency into victory, finally standing on the top step of the podium in ?ód?.

Enekwechi is the reigning two-time African champion in the shot put, a silver medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a two-time African Games champion, having won titles in 2019 and 2023.

His performance in Poland continues a career trajectory that has established him as Nigeria’s leading figure in the event and one of the continent’s most reliable performers on the global circuit.

The women’s competition at the meeting was won by Poland’s Zuzanna Ma?lana.

With the 2026 season now under way, Enekwechi’s opening victory at the Orlen Cup sets an early tone for the year ahead, as he builds momentum towards major continental and international championships.

The next edition of the Orlen Cup is scheduled to take place in ?ód? in February 2027.

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Simba open Nwabali talks

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Tanzanian giants Simba have opened discussions over a potential move for Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali as they look to reinforce their squad following an injury to first-choice shot-stopper Moussa Camara, Tidesports source reports.

The 29-year-old, who plays for South Africa Premiership side Chippa United, is in the final six months of his contract and is eligible to enter pre-contract negotiations with foreign clubs.

Foot Africa reported that Simba are exploring the possibility of bringing Nwabali to Dar es Salaam either during the current window or on a free transfer at the end of the season, although no agreement has been reached.

“Sources have indicated that Simba are in active talks with the player’s camp in a bid to lure him to Dar es Salaam in the ongoing window or on a free transfer – but no agreement reached,” Foot Africa reported.

Simba’s interest has been accelerated by Camara’s knee injury, which prompted the club to move quickly to sign Mahamadou Tanja Kassila from Niger’s AS FAN.

The club are reportedly considering deregistering Camara to accommodate the new foreign signing, a situation that has frustrated the Guinea international, who has asked for the remaining six months of his contract to be terminated.

In their search for a longer-term solution, Simba identified Nwabali as a prime target, although formal negotiations with his club have yet to begin.

“Simba identified Nwabali as the ideal successor to Camara, but the club is yet to submit a formal bid to Chippa United, who are open to offers,” Foot Africa added.

Nwabali’s profile has continued to rise following his performances for Nigeria, most notably at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he kept four clean sheets in seven matches as the Super Eagles secured a bronze medal.

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Falconets, Senegalese Lionesses arrive Ibadan for qualifier

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Oyo State is set to return to the continental football spotlight as it prepares to host Nigeria’s Falconets in a crucial 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying match against Senegal’s Lioness of Teranga.

The highly anticipated encounter is scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.  The Oyo State Government said the state was selected for the fixture following its successful hosting of a previous Falconets’ qualifier, further underlining its growing profile as a destination for international sporting events.

In a statement on Monday Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Wasilat Adegoke, confirmed that preparations were in top gear to ensure a hitch-free match. She said the choice of Oyo State as host was a reflection of confidence in the state’s sporting infrastructure, organisational competence and security architecture.

She recalled the emphatic victory recorded by the Falconets against Rwanda at the same venue last year, describing the match as a testament to the state’s readiness to stage major sporting events.

“The successful hosting of the Falconets against Rwanda showcased Oyo State’s world-class facilities and our capacity to organise international fixtures that meet global standards,” Adegoke said. “The Lekan Salami Stadium has continued to serve as a fortress for our national teams, and we are confident the Falconets will once again make the nation proud.”

Adegoke also disclosed that the Falconets are expected to arrive in Ibadan today ahead of the qualifier, to allow ample time for acclimatisation and final preparations. She added that the team would enjoy full logistical support from the state throughout their stay.

The Falconets, who reached the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup in Japan 14 years ago, will go into the last round of the qualifying series if they win this encounter, to confront the winner of the Guinea-Bissau/Malawi fixture, for one of Africa’s four tickets at the final tournament.

The 12th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals will be staged in Poland, from September 5 to 27, 2026.

 

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