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NFF Finds Baribote Guilty Of Misconducts

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A committee set up by the
Nigeria Football  Federation  (NFF) has said Victor Baribote, one of the association’s former vice-chairmen, was guilty of disobedience.
Baribote, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) and ex-NFA Second Vice-Chairman, had accused the association’s leadership of misconduct.
He had sent a petition on this to world football governing body FIFA, with the Zurich-based body asking the NFA to investigate the allegation instead.
The NFA then set up a committee headed by Emeka Inyama, one of its board members and Chairman of its Media and Publicity Committee.
Inyama, while presenting the committee’s report to the NFA leadership, said Baribote had contravened various articles in the football statutes which preached fair play.
“In Baribote’s letter to FIFA, he claimed that he was still the chairman of the NPL.
“We saw from evidence available that, sometime in December 2012, he was impeached by the Congress of Premier League Club Owners in Abuja and those evidences were tendered.
“How come six months after, he was writing as if he was still the Chairman of the NPL, whereas the same Baribote submitted himself to the authority of the League Management Company (LMC).
“He took the LMC to court, but he participated in their meetings, one of which was a representation to Nigerian football.
“Baribote was seated there and we found it embarrassing and confusing.
“He went to court against LMC and NFA, and against the course which he was promoting, collected N10. 5 million from the LMC, being a share of revenue from league sponsorship.
“Yet he was in court with the same people, we did not understand that,’’ Inyama claimed.
He also said one Mrs Baribote was the true representative of Nembe City FC of Bayelsa, contrary to the make-belief of Victor Baribote that he was in charge.
“The authorities of Nembe City FC, as we know by the books, is one Mrs Baribote, and legally Mrs Baribote representing Nembe City is not the same thing as Rumson Victor Baribote.
“So, we found this contradicting.
“We found out that the letter he sent to FIFA was in bad faith and taste and we referred to articles 2, 4, 7, 10, 12 and 34.
“These are relevant articles of the NFA that authorised its chairman to set up this committee to look into this matter,’’ Inyama said
The committee chairman said the recommendations of the committee were however being kept secret until the NFA board had seen it and approved it.
He said every other relevant stakeholders linked to the matter appeared before the committee, including Aminu Maigari, the NFA chairman, while Baribote failed to appear.
“Baribote’s refusal to appear before the committee amounted to disobedience of constituted football authorities in the country and will deserve any punishment his action attracts,’’ Inyama said.
Maigari, while receiving the report, commended the committee, saying it was set up based on merit.
“The laws of football will take its course in the administration of football in the country, as no member of the football family has the right to digress.
“We all know that we operate football by guidelines. There are laid-down procedures that govern the game of football, which not one member of the family has the right to digress from.
“So, that is why we set up this committee to study this matter and advise the NFA board on the way forward.
“I assure that the board will sit down and thoroughly study the proposals and advice. We will leave no stone unturned at ensuring that every advice given will be utilised,’’ he said.
NAN reports that Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Ahmad Kawu, who are NFA board members, and Richard Jideaka who is a sports journalist were the other members of the committee.

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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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