Sports
Pinnick Thumbs Up Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium
The President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has described the renovated Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin as a “world class” edifice.
Pinnick made the comment on Monday in Benin during an inspection tour of the facility, and added that it had undergone tremendous improvement since the last time he visited.
Tidesports source gathered that Pinnick was led on the inspection by the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are scheduled to play their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on November 13, 2020.
Pinnick said his visit was to see things for himself so as to report to members of the NFF Executive Committee.
He said: “There is a tremendous improvement compared to the last time I came, the turf is very brilliant, it’s what you see in world class facilities. I thank the government of Edo State for this facility and we are proud of this achievement.
“The Super Eagles can’t wait to come and play in the state. I’ m in touch with the players, who are all excited to be here to play for the country, especially Ahmed Musa, the captain of the team, whose mother is from Edo State and he is anxious to play for the nation and his state.
“The NFF will move into the state on November 9, while the players will start arriving from November 11 and after the game make preparations to fly to Sierra Leone on Friday or Saturday after the game.
“I will communicate all I have seen here to the Ministry of Youths and Sports and also the Executive Committee. I am happy with what we have seen here today and the Super Eagles will be playing here for a long time.
“We are also going to bring the Super Falcons here to play; they are the most successful team in Africa, you know this is home, like I told you, I made a promise on behalf of the federation, that is promise kept.
“And also, we have always been thankful to Edo State government for being there for Nigeria football federation, and we thank them for that generosity at every point in time because these are very sensitive times.
“We are also working because they have been a lot of people coming into the stadium, we have to observe the COVID-19 protocol to the letter. They have written to us officially, this is about 15, 000 sitting capacity stadium.
“They want about 6,000 to 7, 000 where they will sit out to observe social distancing, so we are going to look at it, we will send a letter to the ministry and also send a letter to Presidential Task Force, once we get the approval within the next two days we will send.
“I have already spoken to CAF, we will send a representative of CAF and I will want a situation whereby people will see decent crowd in the stadium in a very competitive game in Edo.
“We are working towards reducing every mistake humanly and materially possible and ensure we have success.
“The team is like coming home to meet your brother but we will just quietly beat them home and away.”
On the newly-installed Video Assistant Referee (VAR) equipment in the stadium, Pinnick said he had told Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy Shaibu to showcase whatever facilities they have in the stadium.
“You have to showcase whatever facilities you have in Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, we have to write to CAF for approval of the usage of the VAR, but we are very excited about it,” he said.
In his remarks, Shaibu assured that the state was excited to host its first international game in the newly-renovated stadium.
“That was what it was intended to achieve, to have both national and international games here, and we are also excited that in the course of building this stadium, we followed international standards.
“We were all in touch with NFF while we were building the stadium to also guide us with all the FIFA necessary facilities we need to put in place.
“What we have here today is an international standard stadium and we are excited that we are having this game here, and don’t forget that we are having a game in this period of COVID-19 pandemic.
“You know that COVID-19 task force in the state is very strong and they are already being recruited to be part of this game so we are going to make sure that COVID-19 protocols are observed in line with international best practices
“I want to use this medium to appeal to Edo people, that there is going to be lots of games here, this one, we will not have full capacity spectators, we are going to admit half into the stadium.
“We are going to make sure that they are well spaced to meet COVID-19 protocols, so we are very ready and excited, only that we are going to appeal to our president so that we can use our VAR facilities, so that the doubting Thomas will know that there is actually VAR in this stadium,” he said.
Liverpool’s season of abject misery worsened as they were beaten with embarrassing ease by a hugely impressive Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s Premier League champions were looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Manchester City, but instead ran into a Forest side revitalised under new manager Sean Dyche and looking back to their best.
Liverpool head coach Slot gave £125m British record signing Alexander Isak a start, but he was totally anonymous once more and only lasted 67 minutes.
Forest went ahead after 33 minutes when defender Murillo shot powerfully past fit-again Liverpool keeper Alisson to subdue an already anxious Anfield.
Igor Jesus had a second ruled out for handball, but Forest doubled their advantage 39 seconds after the break when former Liverpool defender Neco Williams set up Nicola Savona for a crisp finish in front of The Kop.
Liverpool could barely raise a response in a desperate display, Forest increasing their lead 12 minutes from time when Morgan Gibbs-White scored after Alisson saved from Omari Hutchinson.
It means Liverpool, who lie 11th before Saturday’s late fixture, have now lost six of their past seven Premier League games as Slot’s near £450m summer spending spree comes under further scrutiny.
Forest, meanwhile, are surging away from the relegation zone and are up to 16th.
Michael Olise scored twice and provided a hat-trick of assists as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich came from two goals down to thrash Freiburg.
The visitors stunned the defending champions by taking a 2-0 lead after just 17 minutes when Yuito Suzuki scored from close range and Johan Manzambi rose highest to head home Jan-Niklas Beste’s corner.
Bayern, who had not lost in the league since March, responded superbly and had restored parity by half-time.
Teenager Lennart Karl fired into the bottom corner from Olise’s pass in the 22nd minute and set up the Frenchman for a fierce finish in first-half injury-time, although Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu should have done better.
Bayern took control in the second period as Dayot Upamecano headed home Olise’s corner to put them ahead for the first time.
England captain Harry Kane netted his 14th league goal of the campaign on the hour mark, before Olise made it three assists when he threaded a pass through for Nicolas Jackson to finish at the first time of asking in the 78th minute.
Winger Olise completed a sensational afternoon with his second of the game six minutes later, driving at the Freiburg defence and curling into the far corner.
A 10th victory in the first 11 games left Bayern eight points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, while Freiburg remain 10th in the standings.
Vincent Kompany’s side visit Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday with both sides having a perfect record of four wins so far in the league phase of the competition.
AS FAR Morocco Win African Women’s Champions League (8)
AS FAR held firm to beat debutants ASEC Mimosas 2-1 in the African Women’s Champions League final and become continental champions for the second time.
Hanane Ait El Haj put the Moroccan club ahead from the penalty spot in the 13th minute after Safa Banouk had been tripped by Aboa Yapo.
ASEC Mimosas rallied after the break and Ami Priscal Diallo netted a fine header from Sopie Brou’s cross to drag the Ivory Coast club level 10 minutes into the second half.
But AS FAR were handed a second spot-kick in the closing stages when Noura Diarra committed a rash challenge on Sofia Bouftini.
This time it was Zineb Redouani who stepped up to stroke home in the 85th minute and restore her side’s lead.
Asastasie Gbehi came close to forcing extra time but she poked wide of the post in stoppage time, and the centre-back was sent off after the full-time whistle for dissent.
AS FAR move level with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns as two-time winners of the title, having first lifted the trophy in 2022.
The Rabat-based side will now take on Chinese’s Wuhan Jiangda on 14 December for a place at next year’s Fifa Women’s Champions Cup.
The winner of that match will face European champions Arsenal in the semi-finals of the inaugural competition early next year in London.
Barcelona moved to the top of La Liga on Saturday with an emphatic win over 10-man Athletic Club in their first match at the Spotify Camp Nou since May 2023.
Robert Lewandowski scored their first goal back in their iconic home, which had been closed for extensive renovations, in the fourth minute.
Ferran Torres then netted twice in the second half, each assisted by wonderful skill from Lamine Yamal, who was aged just 15 in his only previous Nou Camp appearance.
Fermin Lopez also struck in the 48th minute, while visiting midfielder Oihan Sancet was sent off for a crude challenge on Lopez just six minutes later.
Large sections of the Nou Camp remained closed for the game, which was played in front of a 45,157 crowd.
The rebuilding work, which was originally scheduled to be finished in November 2024, will eventually increase the stadium’s capacity to 105,000.
Barca moved to 31 points from 13 games and top on goal difference, but Real Madrid had the chance to replace them, if they won at Elche in their game in hand, late last night.
Poland striker Lewandowski got his side off to the perfect start when he drove his low shot in off the arm of Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simon for an eighth league goal of the season.
The home side extended their lead in first-half added time as Yamal’s superb pass off the outside of his foot set up Torres for a good finish.
Lopez made it 3-0 three minutes after the restart, drilling a shot past Simon from near the penalty spot.
Sancet’s tackle from behind on Lopez was initially deemed a yellow card, but upgraded to red after the referee consulted with the video assistant referee (VAR).
And just before full-time, Yamal twisted and turned before sending Torres away to claim his second goal, which was originally disallowed for offside but overturned following a VAR check.
It was a dream return to their ground, with the reigning Spanish champions having mostly played at the 55,000 capacity Olympic Stadium on the city’s Montjuic hill since renovations on the Nou Camp began in June 2023.
They were forced to play two matches at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium, home to their women’s team, this season after failing to get a permit for the Nou Camp through safety reasons.
Pogba Returns To Action In Ligue 1 (6)
Paul Pogba played his first minutes of professional football in more than two years as he came off the bench during Monaco’s 4-1 defeat by Rennes at the weekend.
The 32-year-old was introduced in the 85th minute at Rennes’ Roazhon Park, though his side were already four goals and a player down, following a red card for captain Denis Zakaria.
French World Cup winner Pogba broke down in tears when he joined Ligue 1 club Monaco last summer, after his four-year doping ban was reduced to 19 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
Pogba’s last competitive appearance was 811 days ago, when he featured for Juventus in a Serie A match against Empoli on 3 September 2023. He left Juventus by mutual consent in November 2024.
Pogba was provisionally banned from football for four years after a positive test for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in February 2024, following a doping test in August 2023.
Pogba maintained it was a mistake and that he was given a supplement without knowing it contained a banned substance.
The former Manchester United midfielder was permitted to return to football in March following the decision to reduce his ban.
Pogba watched from the bench as goals from Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas put Rennes out of sight.
Fellow substitute Mika Biereth pulled a goal back for Monaco in the 95th minute, but a second consecutive 4-1 defeat means Sebastien Pocognoli’s side drop to eighth in the table with 20 points after 13 games.
