Sports
W/Cup Qualifiers: Keshi Restates Readiness For Kenya
Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi has stated that his team will need to re-enact their Nations Cup winning form in the crucial World Cup qualifying game against Kenya next month, using the friendly against Mexico as a crucial test.
The home-based contingent of the Super Eagles travelled to Germany for a training camp last week were they will take on Mexico on May 31 after being joined by their Euro-based counterparts.
“We need to continue and in fact we are continuing from where we stopped in South Africa where we won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. We hope to continue to build a strong team that would be able to withstand the test of time,” Keshi said.
“I believe this team has the capacity and talents to get to the level that we want them to be. The performance of the new players in the match against Mexico will give us more options in the team.
“A good result in this match will put us in good stead for the important 2014 World Cup qualifying match first against Kenya in Nairobi and the second one also away to Namibia.
“So we need to play well and play good against Mexico to toughen us ahead of the qualifiers,” the former coach of Togo and Mali emphasised.It will be recalled that Nigeria forced Kenya to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture played at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar.
Meanwhile, Goalkeeper Austin Ejide was the first of the Europe-based professionals to report to the Super Eagles camp in Germany on Monday, as the team continued their training programme ahead of a busy summer schedule.
Ejide joined up with the squad of 12 local professionals who arrived last Friday at their Novina Hotel lodgings in Nuremberg.
Later in the day, the squad were joined by first-time call up Anthony Ujah.
The Super Eagles have a friendly game against Mexico on May 31, then follow that with two 2014 World Cup qualifying matches against Kenya and Namibia before heading off to Brazil for the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament.
Sports
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Sports
Forest Embarrass Liverpool At Anfield
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.
Sports
Bundesliga: Oliseh Stars As Bayern Rebound To Thrash Freiburg
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.
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