Sports
Lawmaker Sponsors U-21 Football Tourney In Lagos
In an effort to develop the youth in Lagos State, a member of the state House of Assembly, Mr Adedamola Kasunmu, at the weekend unveiled the ARK Football Competition (ARK Cup) in Lagos.
Kasunmu, who is the sponsor of the competition, represents Ikeja Constituency 11 in the Assembly. He is popularly known as ARK.
A total of 32 teams drawn from different local governments in Lagos State will participate in the maiden edition of the competition to start in March.
Kasunmu, the Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Youth and Social Development at the Assembly, told newsmen at the unveiling ceremony that sports remain a solution to youth restiveness.
“The tournament, which is strategically structured to showcase players within the ages of 21 and below, is targeted at discovering, promoting and empowering untapped soccer talents across the state.
“The opening ceremony/ opening game will take place on March 14 while other games in the group stages will be played between them and March 28.
“The grand finale/closing ceremony will come up on March 29, which happens to be my birthday. Most of the games will be played at the Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Centre (RVTC) Mini Stadium, Isheri, Ojodu Berger,’’ he said.
The sponsor said that cash prizes and other gifts would be won by the overall winner and first and second runners -up.
“It is my hope that through this competition, some Lionel Messis, Christiano Ronaldos, J.J. Okochas, Nwankwo Kanu, Dosu Josephs etc would be discovered from Lagos State in the nearest future,” he added.
The lawmaker, who noted that the event would be annual, said the tournament, being coordinated by Nigeria’s ex-international goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, attracted youth football clubs across council areas.
Kasunmu called on corporate organisations, multinationals and philanthropists to give attention to sports development as a strategy to engage the youth positively.
“This will not only raise the standard of the game in our local leagues, it will indeed go a long way in boosting our local economy and empowering our youth,” Kasunmu said.
According to him, challenges faced by the youth across the state especially in the area of sports and social development necessitated initiation of two bills on Lagos State Sports Commission and Lagos State Sports Trust Fund in 2016.
In his remarks, Joseph, said: “ I am sure we will all witness a performance of highest quality in this competition.
“The purpose of this competition is to develop football at the grassroots and identify talents to give career opportunities in football.
Dr Kweku Tandoh, Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, urged other lawmakers to assist the commission to take sports to the grassroots for the development of the society.
Tandoh, however, urged young talents to ensure they also embraced education as they pursued careers in sports.
Seyi Akinwunmi, the Chairman, Lagos State Football Association, said that football would develop with sponsorship from spirited individuals and organisations.
Akinwunmi said that the state government would soon unveil football leagues, adding that football associations across six South-West states were also working on having a regional football league.
Debo Osundun, the Chairman, Lagos State Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), who lauded Kasunmu, said that the association would continue to provide media coverage to promote grassroots football.
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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