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Ebonyi Sports Ministry Faults Ogba’s Re-Election

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The Ebonyi Ministry of Youth Development and Sports on Monday in Abakaliki said the state Football Association (FA) election held on Saturday was faulty.
Tidesports source reports that the election had seen the return of Sen. Obinna Ogba (PDP–Ebonyi Central) as a re-elected chairman
The furore generated by the election, especially the candidate’s emergence after a reign as chairman for more than 10 years, among other issues had led to a discontent.
This situation was in spite of the election’s conduct by officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Jonathan Okoronkwo, the ministry’s permanent secretary however, told newsmen on Monday that the election did not follow the stipulated guidelines for the conduct of state FA elections.
He said the ministry had sought the election’s postponement from the NFF as recommended by the review committee it set up and which he headed.
“We discovered that the electoral committee did not offer the contestants a `level-playing ground’ to contest, while the manner in which the delegates (electorate) emerged was faulty.
“The committee profiled the delegates and discovered that they are not engaged in football administration as stipulated in the guidelines and one of them belonged to a club owned by an interested party in the elections.
“There is no way such a person can be an unbiased voter and we further discovered that the electoral committee was set up in 2014.
“This electoral committee oversaw the 2015 state FA election and it is then clear that it has overstayed its required tenure of four years,” the permanent secretary said.
He further noted that the election was supposed to have been held at the Pa Ngele Oruta Stadium in Abakaliki but it was instead held inside a hotel in the town.
“The electoral guidelines stipulate that representatives of the ministry should observe and supervise the election and this fact is even contained in the programme of events for the election,’’ Okoronkwo added.
He then said the sports ministry would properly review events surrounding the conduct of the election, while advising aggrieved contestants to seek redress at the appropriate quarters.
The permanent secretary also faulted claims by NFF officials that the request for the election’s postponement amounted to interference by government, noting that such an assertion was “ill-informed’’.
“The ministry provides the logistics for the FA to operate in the state, such as office accommodation, among others, while the FA secretary is an appointee of government.
“These facts will not be seen as interference, but when the government insists that the right things be done to improve football in the state, it is termed interference” he said.
Chidi Okenwa, a member of NFF’’s Executive Committee who supervised the election, had said the federation viewed the request by the Ebonyi sports ministry as government interference.
He said it was an interference in the affairs of the FA board and congress in the state.
“The appeals committee has complied with the provisions of the Ebonyi FA statutes and guidelines for elections into the executive board and standing on this platform we are empowered to monitor this election,” Okenwa had said.
Chairman of the state FA Electoral Committee, Onyebuchi Ekuma, had said during the election that the committee was properly constituted while the elected officials satisfied all requirements to contest the election.

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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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