Sports
146 Goals Scandal: Stakeholders Applaud Life Ban Of Perpetrators
Some stakeholders in football in Nigeria, have commended Nigeria Football Association (NFA) for its verdict on the four clubs involved in the scandalous matches in Bauchi.
They said that the decision would help to ensure sanity among those involved in soccer at all levels.
All four clubs, players and match officials involved in the match fixing at the Nigeria Nationwide League promotion play-off in Bauchi were banned for life by NFA.
In the matches, Plateau United Feeders of Plateau defeated Akurba of Nasarawa State, 79-0, while Police Machine of Adamawa defeated Bubayero of Gombe 67-0.
Abdullahi Abubakar, the FCT FA Secretary, said in Abuja that the verdict was “a bold and courageous step’’.
“It is a shame and an embarrassment as they colluded to carry out an act they knew full well was wrong.
“I am happy NFA took a decision on this as it will set as an example to others and in the future,’’ he said.
The secretary also blamed the situation on similar cases, which occurred in the past but were not punished.
Abubakar said this was not the first time such act happened, adding that it also happened in Zamfara and Calabar, where senior teams were involved but were not punished.
“If those teams were sanctioned, it could have deterred these junior teams from doing same,” he added.
Chairman Nigerian Coaches Association (NCA) FCT Chapter, Godwin Bamigboye, hailed NFA, saying that match-fixing was not a good thing and should not be encouraged.
“The sanction is a welcome development and I am happy with the decision. The punishment is nice approach in checking the practice,’’ Bamigboye said.
A football enthusiast, Chijioke Okoye also said the NFA decision was justified and the sanction well-deserved.
“This has brought nothing but shame to Nigerian football. Such a ban will act as a deterrent to people who may want to perpetrate such acts in future.
“The international community will also be aware that Nigeria has not condoned such acts of impunity in the game of football,’’ Okoye said.
An Abuja-based businessman, Faith Ajide, blamed the leadership of the clubs and said that NFA should have been lenient on the players as the decision had tarnished their future.
“NFA should consider the players, as some of them may be good and talented. A lighter punishment should have been given to them.
“The leaderships of the club are the ones that deserved the wrath of the NFA,’’ Ajide said.
Another football enthusiast, Adeyemo Feranmi also blamed the officials of the match for the scandalous score lines, stressing that the life ban on the players could not be justified.
“The match officials should be able to account for the score lines of the matches, so they should be held responsible for the outcome.
“Therefore, NFA should not have disciplined the players with so much severity,” Feranmi said.
An Abuja-based business woman, Jessy Kadiri, hailed the decision on the clubs but added that sanctioning the referees was wrong.
“It is not the duty of the referee to end a match because of the number of goals scored. If the goals scored were right, the referee had no reason to cancel the goals.
“The referee would have cancelled the goals if they came through foul-play. I think the referees did their job,” she said.
Sports
Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie A Lead
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.
Sports
Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool
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.
Sports
Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors
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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