Sports
EPL: Man City Plots Victory Over Villa …Eyes Top Spot Title
Premier League favourites Manchester City is not getting carried away with possible League glory as they prepare to face mid-table Aston Villa tonight.
The Citizens are now in the pound seat to take this year’s title after Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace on Monday, yet coach Manuel Pellegrini insists his side are merely focused on winning their next encounter.
“We have to win the game against Aston Villa; then at the end of the week, we will see which team has more points,” the Chilean told a press conference ahead of today’s match-up.
“We will prepare exactly the same as we have done in all the games during the year. The next game is always the most important.
“It is a difficult game because all the teams are under pressure. A lot of people said Everton were not going to win because they didn’t want Liverpool to win the title but we had a very tough game against them.”
When asked if he watched Liverpool’s draw at Selhurst Park, Pellegrini replied,”No, I didn’t.
“It is just one result and it is very difficult to win games in the Premier League. You cannot be sure you are winning until the end. Crystal Palace are a good team in a good moment.
“Crystal Palace did not have anything to fight for but they were very strong.
“I am sure Aston Villa will be a difficult team for us but I hope that if we play at home as we have done so far, we can win.”
The manager then thanked the Etihad faithful for their continual support, and hopes his side will be able to lift the League trophy for their vocal supporters.
“It is very important that the supporters have always believed in what we are doing,” he said.
“At the beginning of the season, we didn’t play well away from home but they are always behind the team and always supporting.
“Of course, if we win the Premier League, it will be very important for all of them. It is not easy to win two titles in three seasons but I hope we can do it because the fans deserve it.”
Meanwhile, Paul Lambert has vowed that Aston Villa will attack Manchester City when they meet at the Etihad Stadium tonight.
City will take a two-point lead at the top of the table if they win today’s game in hand against Villa.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have only suffered one home defeat in the top flight this season, but Lambert is plotting to produce another twist in the title race as his side attempt to build on a 3-1 win over Hull City that ensured they are now safe.
“We’re not going there just to make up the numbers, we’re going there to try to win,” said the Scot.
Table Tennis players struggling for honour during a national sporting event in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, recently
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.
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