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Deputy Governor Denies Sidelining Sports Commission Boss Ahead NSF

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Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip  Shuaibu says there is no iota of truth in the claim that he has sidelined Godwin Dudu-Orumen, the Executive Chairman, Edo Sports Commission from his duties as the state prepares to host the 2020 National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged “Edo 2020”.
The denial came after Dudu-Orumen told newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja that the deputy governor had sidelined him in matters of the NSF.
Dudu-Orumen made the assertion when a news correspondent asked to know the state’s level of preparation for the festival following the lifting of the ban on contact sports by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
He said that Philip Shuaibu, the Edo Deputy Governor, who is also the Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the festival, was the right person to know about the preparations.
“The Deputy Governor of Edo, Mr Philip Shuaibu, is in a better position to answer questions on the National Sports Festival; I am a spectator.
“Statutorily, I am in charge of sports, but politically the deputy governor won’t let me do my job; so I am watching,” he said.
Dudu-Orumen had said he was a mere appointee as chairman of the sports commission with no knowledge of the goings about the NSF.
But swiftly, Shuaibu, through Musa Ebomhiana, his Chief Press Secretary, denied the allegation, saying Dudu-Orumen remained the dejure and defacto chairman of the sports commission in the state.
Shaibu is the Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the festival, he said.
Ebomhiana said : “It is unfortunate if Dudu-Orumen said so. As it is today, he is the dejure and defacto chairman of the sports commission in the  state.
“Nobody has taken over his position. Like I said, he is the dejure and defacto chairman of the sports commission as it stands today.
“He is just being economical with the  truth. The deputy governor will not descend to the level of taking over his job as chairman of the sports commission.”
According to the chief press secretary, the deputy governor was among those who made him the chairman in the first place. The governor and his deputy presided over his appointment.
“As the man who superintends sport in the state, he can not descend to the level of taking over the job he himself gave out.
“As you are aware, the presidency has announced commencement of contact sports from 19th, which was two days ago.
“And you and I know what the situation has been in the past two days across the states.
“There’s nothing tangible that has happened for now. And the Council of Sports has to meet and advice Mr President on further pronouncement,” he said.
Tidesports source reports that COVID-19 pandemic which led to the suspension of sports activities since March 18, caused the indefinite suspension of the National Sports Festival which was originally scheduled for between March 22 and April 1.
It was also initially moved to between October 3 and October 13 and later scheduled  to now hold between October 25 and November 4.

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Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie  A Lead

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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.

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Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool 

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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.

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Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors

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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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