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SWAN Congratulates Team Nigeria

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The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has applauded Team Nigeria for its achievement at the just concluded 15th African Games in Morocco, inspite of the not too perfect preparations prior to the championship.
SWAN notes and commends individual athletes who were able to rise to the occasion by exhibiting the ‘can do’ spirit of the average Nigerian.
SWAN commends the Team for finishing second on the medals table with 46 gold, 33 silver and 47 bronze medals.
The outstanding and befitting outing of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Morrocco, is a thing of pride for all Nigerians . Indeed, such performance has taken some time in coming .
With that said, no one can deny the doggedness of our athletes as well as the level of planning and preparation that went into them as the table reflects a cumulation of both, which is a huge plus for the Ministry of Youth and Sports and most especially, the immediate past Minister, Hon Solomon Dalung, under whom the preparations for the event were undertaken .
It is also a befitting way to welcome the present Minister, Hon Sunday Dare, who will look to replicate and of course surpass this incredible landmark left by Hon Dalung, which is arguably Nigeria’s best outing in any event in decades.
While SWAN also congratulates the federal government and the Ministry of Youth and Sports for providing funds for the contingent, we urge the newly appointed Minister of Sports, Mr Sunday Dare to brace up and ensure that Nigerian athletes are given necessary trainings and funding to enable them soar at international meets.
There is no gainsaying, that the bedrock of every nation’s success in sports is at the grassroots therefore, efforts must be made to ensure that hidden talents are identified, harnessed and nurtured for greatness at the grassroot level.
We particularly, urge Mr Sunday Dare to not only build on the modest successes of his predecessor, Barr Solomon Dalung, but should avoid pitfalls which most of his predecessors could not by ensuring that the National Sports Festival (NSF) holds religiously as at when due.
The Ministry of Sports should equally ensure that Nigeria takes full advantage of sporting events where she has comparative advantage over others so as to remain a powerhouse in those sports, while paying attention to others where we can still excel in future.
It is a well known fact that sports if properly nurtured, has the potential to not only serve to entertain people but equally become a huge industry that can gainfully engage millions of Nigerian youth.
If Nigeria gets her sports sector right, most of the social vices that are ravaging the country, today will be things of the past. The outstanding and befitting outing of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Morrocco, is a thing of pride for all Nigerians . Indeed, such performance has taken some time in coming .
With that said, no one can deny the doggedness of our athletes as well as the level of planning and preparation that went into them as the table reflects a cumulation of both, which is a huge plus for the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

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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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