Sports
Reactions Trail LMC’s Decision Against FC Ifeanyi Uba
Reactions have continued to trail the League Management Company’s decision as they fined FC Ifeanyi Uba N9.1 million and other penalties.
FC Ifeanyi Uba in Kano abandoned their match against Kano Pillars in the opening game of the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, at the 48th minutes following the cancellation of a goal scored by the Anambra based club.
The Anambra Warrious perceived that it was in appropriate for the centre referee, Folusho Ajayi to cancel the goal scored.
In his reaction, former Chief coach of defunct Sharks FC, of Port Harcourt, Sunny Iseokweinma said he supported the decision of LMC, because that will sanitize NPFL.
According to him, the fime should not be only monetary terms but also attract six points deduction from accumulated points gotten.
“For me the decision of LMC is very much okay, because this will improve our league and serve as deterrent to other clubs”, Isekweinma said.
He further suggested that fines should also include deduction of six points from any club who abandoned their game midway.
“I want to say that referees should be sanctioned if found guilty of poor officiating,characterized with bias. We want our league to improve, he stated.
A frontline sports writer and blogger, in Nigeria, China Achiru also gave a nod to LMC decision.
According to him, LMC played by the rules, adding that the punishment is in line with LMC rules and regulation.
“The punishment is okay by me because they played by the rules guiding LMC” Achiru said.
He explained that the decision taken by the centre referee, Folusho Ajayi, is also in line with law saying that the referee have the discretion to call off the game anytime after 45th minutes of play in each half.
“I know that the referee association has given her vote of confidence, because before they gave her such top flight match to officiate they have satisfied her fit and competent” he stated.
In Awka, an ex-Rangers International player, Arthur Ebunam, said he supported the LMC’s decision, noting that the standard of the game must be upheld in spite of any perceived injustice.
Ebunam, however, said that the referees association must ensure that their members were of high moral standards as they were in position to make or mar the game.
“The LMC is right; FC IfeanyiUbah should not have abandoned the game, granted that referees make mistakes knowingly or unknowingly all over the world.
“You don’t abandon a game that is already in progress because it is not about you, but about the millions who have interest in it across the continent even the world.
“The option was to continue the game and protest afterwards with all the evidence that you have.
“The behaviour was just unprofessional and the referees that have shown not to be above board should be stopped from spoiling the game for us, I think I support the decision of the LMC,” he said.
Another enthusiast, Nnamdi Obi, said the two-way disciplinary action taken by the LMC was good but lamented the enormity of the fine slammed of FC IfeanyiUbah.
Obi wondered what action was taken against SuperSports which suspended broadcast in the peak of the disagreement and denied fans the opportunity of seeing what was going on.
Tonye Orabere
Tottenham fought back from two-goals down to secure a deserved point against Brighton.
The Seagulls were second best for much of the match but found themselves 2-0 up after 31 minutes thanks to Yankuba Minteh’s early strike and Yasin Ayari’s powerful drive.
However, Richarlison halved the deficit just before half-time when he stopped a shot by Mohammed Kudus before slotting in.
Spurs dominated the second half but their finishing let them down as Richarlison and substitute Xavi Simons were both unable to make the most of promising opportunities.
But the equaliser came eight minutes from time when Jan Paul van Hecke turned Kudus’ cross into his own net.
Spurs then pushed for a winner as they looked to continue their impressive start to the season, but Brighton held on for the point.
Bundesliga: Kane Continues Goal Harvest (5)
Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the season as Bayern Munich overcame a shaky start to win at Hoffenheim and continue their 100% start.
The England captain, 32, broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a clinical first-time finish from a cleverly worked low corner, and doubled Bayern’s lead from the spot after Albian Hajdari was harshly penalised for a handball.
That broke Hoffenheim’s resistance and Kane completed his ninth Bundesliga hat-trick with another penalty, given for a foul on substitute Michael Olise after a video assistant referee (VAR) check.
This time Kane sent home keeper Oliver Baumann the wrong way for his 13th Bayern goal in seven matches across all competitions this season, adding to his Champions League double against Chelsea last Wednesday.
“Hat-trick Harry is what they called me in school,” Kane told Tidesports source after the match. “That one kind of stuck when I was younger.”
“Any ball in the box, whether penalty or not, I back myself to hit the target.”
Hoffenheim had the better of the first 45 minutes, Fisnik Asllani only able to hit the post after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer passed straight to the Kosovan.
They eventually got some reward for their efforts, former West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal’s deflected free-kick beating Neuer to earn the Czech his first goal for the club.
Ex-Liverpool winger Luis Diaz hit the top of the bar late on as he failed to continue his record of scoring in every Bundesliga game this season, but Serge Gnabry added a fourth for Bayern with the last kick, converting a rebound from a tight angle after Baumann saved from Joshua Kimmich.
Nicolas Jackson made his first start since joining Bayern on an initial loan deal from Chelsea, but the Senegal striker had a very quiet game before being replaced in the 62nd minute.
In Italy, Lorenzo Pellegrini fired Roma into the Serie A top four as Lazio had two players sent off in a fiery derby.
The midfielder found the bottom corner in the 38th minute as Roma extended their unbeaten run to four games against their city rivals.
Lazio have lost three of their opening games of the season and had Reda Belahyane and former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi dismissed in late drama.
Roma started well and Rome-born Pellegrini claimed the vital goal – his fourth in a Rome derby after being available for transfer in the summer – following good work down the right by Matias Soule.
But the hosts will rue missed opportunities as Boulaye Dia, Mattia Zaccagni and Alessio Romagnoli all had openings.
With four minutes left substitute Belahyane was shown a red card for a late studs-up challenge on Manu Kone.
Danilo Cataldi struck the outside of the post for Lazio in a last-gasp effort to snatch a point, while team-mate Guendouzi was sent off for dissent after the final whistle.
Luca Zidane, the son of France’s World Cup-winning playmaker Zinedine, has switched his international allegiance from France to Algeria.
Born just outside Marseille, the 27-year-old goalkeeper had appeared for France at various youth levels.
The move, which was approved by Fifa, may enable Zidane to follow in his father’s footsteps by appearing at a World Cup, with Algeria expected to secure a place at the 2026 finals in North America in their qualifier against Somalia next month.
Zidane, who is the second of four brothers, all of whom came through the Real Madrid academy, currently plays for Spanish second tier side Granada.
He played two matches for Madrid and has La Liga experience at Rayo Vallecano, but dropped a level in 2022 to play for Eibar before heading to Andalusia in 2024.
Zidane qualifies for the North African country through his father, whose parents hailed from the Kabylie region of Algeria.
Zinedine Zidane, who is regarded as one of the games greatest players scored twice for France in their 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil, but was famously sent-off in the 2006 final, which was won by Italy after a penalty shootout.
Manchester United capitalised on Robert Sanchez’s fifth-minute red card to secure a crucial victory over Chelsea in torrential rain at Old Trafford.
The first match in Premier League history to see two or more goals, red cards and substitutions in the first half was settled by goals from United skipper Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, who was the other player sent off before the break.
It was Sanchez’s dismissal that set the course of the game though.
The Spain international raced from his goal to meet Bryan Mbeumo as the striker ran beyond the Chelsea defence.
Sanchez then upended the forward outside his area rather than allow him past to tap the ball into an empty net.
Enzo Maresca’s response to the red card was to take off both Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian and, as Cole Palmer had to be replaced after suffering a recurrence of a groin injury, Chelsea had lost three attacking players in the space of 20 minutes.
Trevor Chalobah pulled one back for Chelsea with a header 10 minutes from time but United kept their nerves at bay to make it to the final whistle with their lead intact.
The victory was United’s second of the season and came in front of minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who gave head coach Ruben Amorim assurances over his future 48 hours earlier.
It also means Chelsea have still not won at Old Trafford since 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson was United manager.