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Will NPFL Crown Return To Jos, 45 Years After?

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Baring hard luck, Plateau United FC of Jos is on the historic path of clinching  the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) crown to the city of Jos after 45 years of waiting.
The history of league matches cannot be complete without mentioning the winners of the maiden edition of the competition, Mighty Jets of Jos, which won the modern day league in Nigeria in 1972.
Mighty Jets are the first champions of the Nigerian League played among six teams in 1972.  Although the team played at the top level until 1985, they were demoted to the third division in 1994.
However, for the city of Jos, it will be a great feeling to have the cup back to where it took off in 1972.
After Mighty Jets, many clubs have tasted the league’s crown, many that may be considered regular winners such as Enyimba International FC of Aba and Rangers International of Enugu, both with seven titles.
Shooting Stars of Ibadan clinched the title five times alongside Iwuanyanwu Nationale of Owerri and Kano Pillars with four titles.
Plateau has, however, enjoyed rich football with some notable clubs such as Giwa FC and Plateau United.
The football fans in the state have also showed enough passion for their club in the way they usually turn out for league matches at the Rwang Pang Stadium in Jos.
Sometimes too, stadium violence that accompany any home loss during matches is something to note about the diehard fans from Plateau.
The state that lies in the Savannah belt of Nigeria boasts of one of the best altitude for sports due to its location within the rocks.
Moreover, with the 2016/2017 NPFL coming to an end, there are only three top contenders for the coveted trophy in which Plateau United is almost the best bet of them. The season has been terrific with the traditional clubs faltering, thus making the NPFL cutthroat.
With six more matches to be played for the league title to be won; continental places are hot-up between the teams, bookmakers may refer to as rookies.
Plateau United, also called “The Peace Boys’’ by their fans are on the summit of the table with 58 points, three points adrift of the second placed Lagos-based MFM FC which has 55 points, while Akwa United are with 51 points in the third position.
Considering the history of Plateau United founded 1975 as JIB Strikers, the club only got their promotion to the elite division in 2010/2011 season after defeating city rivals Mighty Jets.
Although the club has yet to reach this height before in their history, they won the FA Cup in 1999 but were unable to consolidate on the victory at the continental level. The team was dumped out in the preliminary stage of the CAF Cup Winners Cup in 2000.
Football pundits are already tipping the Jos-based team as Leicester City of England replica because of the intensity in their matches, especially while playing top league teams.
The Peace Boys have been able to comfortably dispatch tough oppositions and many a time picking out unusual points as they did against Kano Pillars in the Match Day 33 encounter.
Looking at how it started for the history making-bound team; they launched the season with a definite mark when they won 2-1 away at Remo Stars in Sagamu. This was followed by a 3-1 thrashing of former league champions, Enyimba International of Aba.
For this season, the Kennedy Boboye-tutored side remains one of the teams that have kept 100 per cent home record win with just a barren draw against Lobi Stars on Match Day 11.
The team also has an astonishing seven away draws. It played 0-0 with Gombe United, 0-0 with Nasarawa United and also played a 1-1 draw with 3SC of Ibadan.
The Peace Boys played 0-0 away draw against Rivers United in the Match Day 16, 1-1 against Kastina United, 0-0 against Lobi and 1-1 against Kano Pillars on Match Day 20, 31 and 33 respectively. The team currently is also able to secure the highest score-line in the 2016/2017 league match with their 5-1 thrashing of Gombe United in the Match Day 24.
At present, the club is on the verge of making the history books as outside winners of the league crown.
The table toppers, Plateau United, only need to consolidate by winning all their three home matches to gather 68 points to be league champions.
But they have some tough away fixtures ahead as they face the hurdle of ABS FC of Ilorin and Wikki Tourist of Bauchi on Match Day 35 and 37 respectively.
The Savannah Boys could, however, go on to win the league with the remaining home matches with MFM and Rivers United on Match Day 34 and 36 respectively.
Plateau United will play their last game of the season against the incumbent champions, Rangers International of Enugu at home in the Match Day 38.
Commenting on Plateau United’s exploits, a football pundit, Rotimi Arabi, said the team’s hunger to claim the title was important to their aspiration.
“The team started well and also maintains the momentum, right from the first match till the last played in Kano on Sunday, the team has shown resilience.
“The team looks hungry to win the cup, they play opposition with all intensity and they hardly allow breathing space or lapses.
“I think the coach has done a wonderful job keeping the team together; he is an experienced manager in the league too,’’ he said.
For Babatunde Olawunmi, an ardent supporter of MFM FC, the technical expertise of the coach Boboye accounted for Plateau United fairy runs in the league.
“The team has an experienced manager who is capable of turning things around for a modest club like Plateau United.
“Kennedy is well experienced; he has once coached the home-based Super Eagles and a couple of other local-based clubs such as Abia Warriors.
“If the team eventually wins the league, it will be no surprise at all because they are in good hands and not in the comparison with Leicester FC of England’s feat at the Premier League,’’ said the official of MFM’s supporters club.

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Tottenham Fight Back To Hold Brighton

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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.

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Zidane’s Son Switches Allegiance To Algeria

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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.

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Man Utd Beat Chelsea To Ease Pressure 

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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.

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