Sports
Biffo Blames Slim Players For Poor Finishing
Katsina United’s head coach Abullahi Biffo says the poor conversion rate of his strikers is to be faulted for their slim 1-0 win over Heartland FC in their Matchday 13 game of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) on Sunday.
A well-taken penalty in the third minute of play converted by Lukman Muhammed gave Katsina United all three points, but Biffo believes it could have been more if his players had taken their chances in the game.
Katsina United failed to score despite creating numerous chances especially after Heartland were reduced to ten men following the sending off of Abiodun Thompson for two bookable offences in the second half.
“My boys were not on top of their game in terms of goalscoring. We had chances to kill this game off right from the first half but we didn’t make use of them. Normally we convert such chances. It’s just one of those days,” Biffo said.
Heartland was unfortunate to concede an early penalty when Odeh Uche handled a cross from Tasiu Lawal in his bid to clear the danger with Eric Dufegha waiting to pounce for Katsina United in the box.
Although goalkeeper, Opubo Japhet guessed the right way, the power in the strike from Lukman Muhammed took the ball away from him. Heartland almost responded immediately but Fuad Ekelojuoti failed to utilise a one-on-one chance against goalkeeper Dami Paul.
Ekelojuoti hit his effort straight at the goalkeeper after a through-ball from Thompson sliced open the defence of the home side, leaving him through on goal with the goalkeeper at his mercy in the final action of the first half.
Heartland started the second half with intent to draw level but their course was made worse when Thompson got himself sent off for dissent, after vehemently protesting a call that went against him five minutes after the restart.
The striker was ruled to have handled the ball by the referee while trying to cushion a pass on his chest, he protested the call claiming he was pushed from behind by the defender marking him. His protest earned him another booking after his first caution in the first half.
His dismissal killed the momentum which Heartland started in the half, and Katsina United seized the initiative to pile more pressure in search of a second goal, but Opubo was up to whatever was thrown at his goal.
Opubo and the defence line of ýHeartland were brave when they had to, as they were not scared of putting their body on the line to frustrate the home side from extending their lead.
Heartland head coach Ramson Madu praised his players for raising their game beyond the level they performed in their last away game against MFM FC, despite playing with ten men for majority of the second half.
“Many people will understand ýwhen you lose a game due to an early penalty and a red card in the early minutes of the second half. My players raised their game, and their performance is better than our last away game against MFM FC,” coach Madu said.
“We played with ten players for a very long time and we didn’t concede another goal. The positives from this game are many, and we will work on the grey areas we noticed during the game.”
Isaako All Stars FC of Opuoko and Khana Khana AllStars Football all in Local Government Area of Rivers State will tomorrow engage in a friendly football match at Opuoko Mini Stadium.
Chatting with Tidesports in a telephone interview yesterday the Chairman of Khana All Stars Saro Tap-le said that the encounter is not going to be an easy game in spite it is an AllStars game.
He express his side readiness for the encounter stating that the opportunity as come for them to showcase their talents.
However, the chairman explained that AllStars game is not about winning but the excitement, love, unity and friendship it creates is more important.
” Tomorrow game is not going to be an easy one despite is a AllStars game. We are going there in a full force to do what we know how to do best and to showcase our talents.
“As Chairman of Khana All Stars I believes we have an edge over the Isaako All Stars be we are training so hard for the encounter” Tap-le said.
Also speaking the Chairman of Isaako All Stars Mina Zaasi Iloori sees the match as an opportunity to build relationships.
” My brother it is an AllStars friendly game I think winning is not important but the paramount thing is the relationship we are going to create among both teams and my community at large
” We are training hard because of the encounter because I will not be in my house and somebody will rob soap in my eyes.
” As I speak with you we are just coming from back training ground to ensure all my players are fit for the match.
” I am using this medium to call on football fans to come en mass to Opuoko Mini Stadium tomorrow and enjoy the best of round leather game.
I promise the game will be an exciting display of football talents and sportsmanship”, Iloori said.
Kiadum Edookor
Thierry Henry has called for the return of the away goals rule in the aftermath of the bombastic Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The visitors at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys came within milimeters of clinching the first leg of the final-four clash after former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted late in the second-half.
But the linesman was quick to raise his flag, and semi-automated offside ruled out what would have been a thrilling conclusion to the high-octane 3-3 draw.
The hosts came from behind twice to share the spoils, chasing Inter Milan from the first minute of the game after Marcus Thuram stunned the Barcelona faithful into silence with his neatly flicked goal.
Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead 20 minutes later, but it took just three more for the Blaugrana to finally get on the scoresheet courtesy of a moment of magic from teenage starlet Lamine Yamal.
Ferran Torres drew Barcelona level ahead of the break, but Lamal was forced to play catch-up again in the second-half after Dumfries scored his second.
In light of the impressive effort from Inter, Henry wondered if the team should have got more from the fixture ahead of the second-leg at the San Siro.
‘I know it’s been like that for a very time, and we have to accept it,’ Henry said of the removal of the away goals rule, ‘But off air I was talking to Jamie (Carragher), and I was like, “how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”
‘Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home,’ Henry shrugged.
UEFA took the decision to scrap the rule which gave goals scored away from home the ability to act as a tiebreaker in the case of level scorelines ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger claimed during his time as Arsenal manager in 2015 that the away goals rule ‘encouraged the team at home not to attack’ and that ‘the weight of the away goal (was) too big today’.
Without the rules, the tie at San Siro will go to extra time and penalties to decide which teams books their spot in the Champions League final.
But based on Wednesday evening’s performance, Henry seemed to give Inter a fighting chance against the newly minted Copa del Rey champions.
The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.
A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.
“The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race,” he said.
“It is also the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.”
The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year’s race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.
Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women’s race in a world record for a women’s only field, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men’s event.