Sports
2019 AFCON Qualifiers: S’Eagles Aim To End On High
The race to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) comes to an end this weekend, with the battle for qualification slots in the 12 groups getting to an interesting climax.
The Super Eagles, after an inauspicious start when they lost 0-2 at home in Uyo to South Africa in 2017, are now looking to end the qualifiers on a high note.
The three-times champions have moved on from that disappointment however, and they are now Group E leaders with the qualification ticket in the bag.
On Friday, they are up against the Pirates of Sychelles at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba as from 4 p.m.
The group’s other fixture has the Mediterranean Knights of Libya against Bafana Bafana of South Africa at Sfax in Tunisia on Sunday.
Nigeria’s encounter against Seychelles is not more than an academic affair, and the Eagles may be seeking to maintain reputation and also use the game to kickstart preparations for the AFCON.
While Nigeria have already qualified, the big question in focus now is who will be joining them from the group.
As South Africa and Libya try to figure that out, Seychelles are just meeting obligations by playing the final qualifying match.
Their campaign has seen them earn just a single point, scored only twice and concede 22 goals, the qualifiers’ worst record.
Nigeria, meanwhile, have conceded only five goals throughout their campaign to go along with an impressive 11 strikes.
Three of those goals came in the first half when both sides met in Victoria.
Ahmed Musa, Chidozie Awaziem and Odion Ighalo were all on the scoresheet on that day.
Ighalo in particular will see this as an opportunity to add to his haul of six goals in the qualifiers, the leading figure
He leads the goalcorers’ race by two goals going into the final round of matches.
Tidesports source reports that the Changchun Yatai striker leads Red Star Belgrade’s forward El Fardou Ben Nabouhane and Knowledge Musonad of Anderlecht who both have four goals.
While the Super Eagles would be back at Africa’s showpiece for the 18th time in the history of the competition, they haven’t been quite able to confirm themselves as Group winners just yet.
Bafana Bafana of South Africa on the other hand are in a do-or-die situation.
The South Africans are second in the standings with nine points, just two ahead of the Mediterranean Knights of Libya.
They will be looking to avoid defeat as they need at least a draw to join Nigeria as the top two sides from the group.
Failure to qualify would naturally be considered a disaster for the South Africans, considering how they had started their campaign on a bright note.
Libya are on seven points with two wins, one draw and two losses, and they will aim for nothing but an outright win when they host the South Africans in Sfax.
Both sides played to a goalless draw the last time they met at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in September 2018.
Libya controlled the first half and the South Africans rallied in the second, but could not break the big physical, well-organised North Africans down.
The result threw the group’s second qualification spot open, thus setting the stage for a nervy and mouth-watering encounter which could swing either ways when it is all said and done.
The draw for the biennial men’s football championship of Africa will take place on April 12, at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) headquarters in Cairo.
The 24 qualified teams from the 12 groups will be seeded into four pots based on the CAF National Team Rankings with the teams drawn into six groups of four teams.
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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