Sports
Fans Urge Ezenwa To Prove Mettle
Ebonyi football fans at the weekend tasked Ifeanyi Ubah’s FC goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, to become Super Eagles’ first choice goal tender.
The fans expected the keeper to use yesterday’s match against Benin Republic in the first leg of 2018 CHAN qualifier to prove his mettle and end the clamour for the recall of experienced former number one, Vincent Enyeama to the national team.
The CHAN Eagles tackled the Squirrels of Republic of Benin in Cotonou, in the first leg of the “Kenya 2018’’ CHAN final round qualifiers, a match the home-based Eagles narrowly lost 1-0 via a late minute penalty.
Those that were interviewed at weekend in Abakaliki were of the view that a good performance from the domestic league goalkeeper would solve the team’s prevailing goalkeeper crisis.
Ajah Okike, a former Ebonyi Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), said that Ezenwa should be supported by all to succeed because of his consistency in the team.
“We should stop toying with our goalkeeping chances against Cameroon but support Ezenwa who has been in the team for long to cement the first team place.
“Ezenwa has been the second choice goalkeeper even before Daniel Akpeyi was invited and it is time for him to take his place as the team’s first choice keeper,’’ he said.
In the same vein, Hillary Obiesie, Secretary of Ebonyi Sports Council, urged relevant soccer authorities to stop clamouring for Enyeama’s return for the team’s benefit.
“We have less than three weeks to the match against Cameroon. The team should concentrate on preparing the available goalkeepers instead of engaging in a wild-goose chase.
“We should not use the Benin Republic match to judge Ezenwa, but encourage him to improve on his performances in spite of being a home-based player,’’ he said.
An Enugu-based football agent, Cajetan Ikpe, said that Enyeama was right to reject his invitation to the team due to the way the soccer authorities treated him.
“He was badly treated right from the Sunday Oliseh’s days and the authorities did little to accord him his full recognition as a captain and patriot.
“However, I join millions of Nigerians to appeal to Enyeama to return to the team for the sake of the soccer fans, who supported him during the trying periods,’’ he said.
Also, Chief Jacob Eneagu, a businessman and soccer enthusiast, called for caution in the call for Enyeama’s return.
“We should determine whether Enyeama is fit and desirous to feature in the match as the same people who are clamouring for his return would vilify him if he performs woefully in matches.
“Ikechukwu Ezenwa should use the Benin Republic match to prove that he is worthy of selection against Cameroon to eclipse the poor performance of Daniel Akpeyi against South Africa,’’ he said.
Sports
Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie A Lead
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.
Sports
Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool
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.
Sports
Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors
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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