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AFCON Qualifier: S’Eagles Aim To Build On Perfect Start

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The Super Eagles of Nigeria will be aiming to build on their strong start to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers when they host Sierra Leone at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
The Eagles head into back-to-back matches against the Leone Stars having accumulated a maximum of six points from their opening two Group L matches. The three-time Afcon champions followed a 2-1 win over Benin in Uyo with a 4-2 thumping of Lesotho in Maseru last year.
Head coach Gernot Rohr said that he and his wards will not be underestimating their opponents and is hoping for a good game from his troops at the newly renovated stadium in Edo State.
“We are expecting a tough match because our opponent, Sierra Leone have quality players too. It will not be an easy game because they have professional players,” said Rohr.
“My work is to first explain to the players that this will not be an easy game. We cannot underrate this Sierra Leone team.
He continued: “I see that it’s a new stadium but the most important for the players is to have good grass and then to see a good football game. We want to give joy to Nigerians in this very special period and we want to be happy with a good win.”
Sierra Leone sits bottom of the group after two rounds of fixtures. A 1-1 draw at home to Lesotho was followed by a 1-0 defeat away to Benin in their most recent outing but the Leone Stars have received a timely boost with veteran forward Kei Kamara having confirmed his return to the senior national team.
His presence will add another dimension to John Keister’s team’s attack as they prepare for a Super Eagles side that boasts a plethora of attacking talent.
The teams will meet again in Freetown on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Victor Osimhen has stressed that they would give their all to emerge victorious in the encounter but conceded the Leone Stars will be tough.
In AFCON qualifiers, the Napoli striker is the joint-leading scorer alongside Sao Tome and Principe’s Luis Leal, Senegal’s Famara Diedhiou and Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri scoring three goals in two outings.
He returns to the Super Eagles fold having missed October’s friendlies against reigning African kings Algeria and Tunisia as he was excused to settle down at his Serie A outfit.
“It’s really a good feeling to be back to the squad, I’m really happy and I think the squad is ready to go today,” Osimhen told NFF media.
“To be realistic, the game will never be easy so we have to prepare well – which we have been doing, we are all ready and we will give our all for this win.”
Nigeria’s Ministry of Youth and Sports Development had announced that the fixture billed for the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City will be played without fans, as per the directive from the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19.

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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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