Sports
UCL: Chelsea Flies English Flag Into 1/4 Finals
Chelsea became the first English side to reach the Champions League last eight after beating a limp Galatasaray.
Having drawn 1-1 in the first leg, former Blues striker Didier Drogba could not inspire the Turkish team, who fell behind early on when Samuel Eto’o fired past Fernando Muslera.
Gary Cahill made it 3-1 on aggregate when he thumped home after John Terry’s header was saved.
And Galatasaray’s night was summed up by Drogba’s stoppage-time miss.
After Arsenal and Manchester City were knocked out last week Chelsea won this game at a canter.
The result means that Galatasaray boss Roberto Mancini has yet to beat Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho in six European attempts.
Also Galatasaray is yet to beat English opposition in Europe in eight attempts
Unlike the first leg, where the visitors recovered from a poor start in Istanbul, Galatasaray did not look like troubling the Premier League leaders, who responded well to Saturday’s surprise defeat by Aston Villa.
Mourinho, who is aiming to win a third Champions League trophy with a different team, said in the build-up to the game that Drogba was still one of the world’s best strikers.
But there was to be no fairytale return to Stamford Bridge for the Ivorian striker. Eto’o, whose age was recently doubted by Mourinho, took centre stage.
The Cameroon forward, three years younger than the 36-year-old Drogba, looked sharp from the start and he put Chelsea ahead after four minutes with his 30th Champions League goal when he latched on to Oscar’s diagonal pass to beat Uruguayan international Muslera.
Chelsea showed far more impetus in the first half with Frank Lampard and Willian wasting good chances after excellent build-up play from Eden Hazard and Oscar.
Felipe Melo’s tame shot was Galatasaray’s only real effort towards Petr Cech’s goal. Drogba’s free-kick ended up in the top tier of the Chelsea stand and they did not muster a shot on target all game.
Added to their lifelessness in attack the visitors showed little desire to mark Terry at set-pieces and after the Chelsea captain volleyed over from a free-kick, he was free to head goalwards from a corner, with Cahill smashing home the rebound from close range.
Prior to this encounter, Galatasaray had failed to beat English opposition in eight attempts and once they had gone two goals behind they rarely looked like changing the game’s course.
With Hazard again the creative force, Oscar, Willian and Lampard all had chances to extend the lead after the break.
Hazard also drew a late save from Muslera, who is likely to face England in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup.
But despite Mancini’s best attempts to give his team a boost with three second-half substitutions, they could not make an impression and Chelsea set themselves up perfectly for Saturday’s game against Arsenal with a comfortable victory.
Sports
FRSC Wins 2025 Ardova Handball Premier League
The Ardova Handball Premier League 2025, which began with the first phase in Benin City months ago, before the second phase in Lagos which ends with a finale that the Executive Chairman of Ardova PLC, Dr. Abdulwasiu Sowami, ably represented by the Deputy Managing Director, Ardova PLC, Mrs Abiola Babatunde-Ojo, described as delightful to watch in her speech.
For Safety Shooters, it was a historic moment as they clinched the men’s title for the first time since 2020, completing a dominant campaign that saw them finish top of the table with 57 points from 20 matches while Safety Babes also etched their name deeper into Nigerian handball history, winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive women’s championship, reaffirming their status as the league’s most dominant team, not just in the women’s category but in the history of handball premier league in Nigeria.
In the Men’s Safety Shooters finished the season in style, beating COAS Shooters 43–32 (20–10) to cap off a dominant outing in Phase 2.
Their final-day victory ensured they remained clear at the summit with an impressive 18 wins, one draw, and one loss, totaling a superb goal difference of +214 after scoring 638 goals and conceding 424.
Sports
Ikoyi Club Tennis Tourney, Winner Takes N4m
The organisers of the Ikoyi Club Tennis Masters Tournament have earmarked N4 million as the prize money for this year’s edition.
?The Chairman of the tennis section of Ikoyi Club, Diran Famakinwa, stated this at a briefing, highlighting the activities for the second edition of the tournament.
?The tournament, which is in collaboration with MegaMound Investment Limited, is endorsed by the Nigerian Tennis Federation.
?According to Famakinwa, the male and female champions will receive N500,000 each, while the runners-up in both categories will go home with the sum of N350,000 each, with the remaining money to be shared among the semi-finalists and other participants.
?Sixteen players, which includes the eight top ?male and eight top female players, will feature in the one-week event, which started on December 5, and run till Saturday, December 13.
?The female final will be held on Friday, December 12, while the male final will take up on Saturday, December 13.
Sports
NSC hails S’Eagles Captain Troost-Ekong
In a statement released on Saturday, the NSC described the defender as “Captain Fantastic” and praised his decade of distinguished service to Nigeria, highlighting a legacy defined by professionalism, consistency, patriotism and an unwavering commitment to national duty.
“After a decade of distinguished service to Nigeria, Troost-Ekong leaves behind a legacy defined by professionalism, consistency, patriotism and an unwavering commitment to national duty,” the NSC stated.
The commission noted that, as one of the most capped defenders in Super Eagles history with 83 international appearances since his debut in 2015, Troost-Ekong served as a pillar of leadership across multiple tournaments and qualification campaigns.
“His exceptional outing at the last Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored three goals and was named Player of the Tournament, remains one of the most remarkable achievements by a defender in AFCON history,” the NSC added.
The statement further emphasised that Troost-Ekong’s “Nigeria first” mindset, discipline and exemplary conduct set a standard for the next generation of athletes, with his influence within the national team extending beyond the pitch to inspire unity, resilience and professionalism among his teammates.
Meanwhile, Troost-Ekong has dismissed rumours that he was forced to retire by the country’s football administrators as punishment for leading a revolt against the NFF.
The 32-year-old’s announcement came less than a month before the AFCON, and he was named in the 54-man preliminary list. His decision sparked speculation, particularly as he had led a strike in protest against unpaid bonuses during the World Cup qualifying play-offs.
One fan speculated on social media, suggesting that Troost-Ekong was pressured to quit after exposing the NFF. The Al Khoolood defender offered a sharp retort, establishing that he unilaterally made the decision to retire.
“Not true! My own choice/decision and on my own terms. No one ever asked/tried to force me out. If anything, the opposite when I shared my decision. I wish the team all the best and support them together with all Nigerians for the upcoming AFCON to go all the way,” he wrote on X.
The NSC concluded by wishing Troost-Ekong the very best in the next chapter of his career and commending him for representing Nigeria with honour.
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