Sports
Klopp Relishing Title Battle With City
Jurgen Klopp is trying not to get carried away by Liverpool being in a full-on Premier League title battle with Manchester City.
The only thing is, Jurgen Klopp and staying calm do not go together well.
He let out a fury of celebratory fist pumps at Anfield after Liverpool beat Leeds 6-0 as they have now won six games on the trot and are just three points behind Premier League leaders Man City as they made the most of City losing at home to Tottenham last weekend.
Liverpool faces Man City at the Etihad in early April and many see that game as a straight battle for the Premier League trophy.
Klopp is not so sure, and is trying hard not to focus on whether or not his side is in a battle for the title.
Asked after the game if Liverpool is excited to be in the title race, this was Klopp’s response.
“I am not excited, it is normal after a night like this people get carried away and that is completely fine but Sunday is looming and we have to be 100 percent ready for this,” Klopp said, as he smiled.
“We have 10 days no with no league game and City is probably playing in that time for sure. It is how it is. We have to win our football games and if we do that we will be around and if we don’t there is no title race. But if we do it, then maybe.”
Liverpool has been here before with Manchester City.
This run-in feels very similar to the end of the 2018-19 season, when City finished on 98 points and Liverpool on 97 as the title race went down to the final day of the Premier League season.
Meanwhile, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte will assess his future at the troubled club after admitting he does not deserve his salary following Wednesday’s damaging 1-0 defeat against Burnley.
Conte’s side saw their hopes of a top four finish in the Premier League severely damaged by Ben Mee’s second-half winner at Turf Moor.
Just days after their memorable 3-2 win at champions Manchester City, Tottenham returned to the kind of lacklustre display that has marred their dismal season.
It was a fourth league defeat in five games for eighth-placed Tottenham, who are seven points adrift of the top four in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
Conte cut a forlorn figure after the latest loss in a difficult start to his first season with the north Londoners.
The Italian, who replaced the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo in November, appeared to hint he could walk away from Tottenham if there is not an improvement in their results soon.
Suggesting he wanted to talk to the Tottenham board about the team’s predicament, Conte said: “When you lose four out of five it means the club have to make an assessment, also to speak together, and to understand which is the best solution.
“In this situation the players are always the same in this club, the club change coaches, but the players are the same, but the result doesn’t change.
“This is the reality. No one deserves this type of situation, the club, me, the players, the fans, but this is the reality.
“I came here to try to improve the situation in Tottenham but maybe in this moment I’m not so good.
“I’m too honest to close my eyes. It means there will be an assessment about the club, about me.”
Conte was already unhappy with Tottenham’s decision to sell several players during the January transfer window, with only two replacements arriving.
The former Inter Milan and Chelsea boss a title winner in England and Italy, conceded Tottenham’s current form was closer to a side battling relegation.
The decision comes after Benin failed to secure approval for any of their home stadiums from the Confederation of African Football.
As a result, the federation opted to play its “home” fixture at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé.
The first leg of the second-round qualifier will be held in Togo on October 24, whilst the return leg will take place four days later in Nigeria on October 28.
The aggregate winner over the two legs will advance to the 2026 WAFC
Ferdinand soared to victory on Saturday, lifting an impressive 153kg to clinch gold in the women’s up to 79kg category and further cement Nigeria’s legacy in the sport.
Her remarkable feat added to Nigeria’s growing medal haul at the historic championship after Nworgu had earlier won silver in the 50kg category, whilst Ajiboye claimed bronze in the same class.
Nworgu narrowly missed gold to Venezuela’s Clara Fuentes, who edged her out for the top spot in a fiercely contested competition.
The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, congratulated the athletes on their outstanding performances, commending their relentless drive and patriotic spirit.
“Our athletes continue to make us proud, showing the world that Nigeria is a force to be reckoned with in para powerlifting. Their bright start in Cairo reflects the depth of talent, discipline, and dedication that define Nigerian sports,” Olopade said.
“The NSC remains steadfast in providing the necessary support to ensure our champions keep soaring.”
The 11th World Para Powerlifting Championships, taking place from October 9 to 18, 2025, marks the first-ever edition to be hosted on African soil, a milestone event highlighting the continent’s growing influence in adaptive sports.
The National Sports Commission had expressed confidence in the team’s readiness and determination to uphold Nigeria’s longstanding reputation as a force to be reckoned with in global para powerlifting.
The hosting of the championships in Cairo represents a significant moment for African para sports, providing an opportunity to showcase the continent’s growing infrastructure and commitment to disability sports.
Nigeria has established itself as one of the leading nations in para powerlifting, consistently winning medals at major international competitions, including the Paralympic Games and World Championships.
The 10-day competition has attracted top para powerlifters from across the globe, all vying for world titles in their respective weight categories.
The National Sports Commission reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Team Nigeria throughout the competition as the athletes aim for more podium finishes and continue to make the nation proud.
Nigeria’s strong start in Cairo has raised expectations that more medals will follow as the championship progresses, with several other Nigerian lifters yet to compete in their respective weight categories.
The NEC said the only intention of the suspended members of the association is to create confusion, wondering why they leverage the use of thugs to create confusion while colluding with illegal security operatives.
In a firm resolution reached by the NEC and endorsed by the National Secretariat, SWAN reaffirmed that Ms. Olatutu Oladunni and Mr. Bello Omotunde, former Chairperson and Secretary of the Lagos Chapter respectively, remain indefinitely suspended from all activities and structures of the association.
The association has consequently petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), drawing attention to what it described as a dangerous pattern of intimidation, impersonation, and misuse of security operatives by the suspended duo to disrupt peace within the Lagos sporting and journalistic community.
In the petition signed by SWAN National President, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, and Secretary-General, Amb. Ikenna Okonkwo, the association said the suspended officials are attempting to stage an unauthorised election in Lagos on Thursday, October 9, 2025, despite prior notification of their suspension to both the Lagos State Police Command and the DSS Directorate.
SWAN recalled that during the Lagos SWAN Congress held on September 17, 2025, Ms. Oladunni mobilised more than eleven (11) police vehicles and armed operatives to a peaceful gathering of sports journalists — describing the act as “a brazen show of force, abuse of privilege, and a deliberate attempt to intimidate members.
“The so-called Lagos election is not only illegal but also an affront to the authority of the National Executive Council,” the NEC resolution stated. “The individuals behind this plot have no mandate or legitimacy to act in the name of SWAN. Their continued defiance constitutes gross misconduct and will attract further disciplinary measures.”
The association warned that any security officer or agency that lends support to the illegitimate exercise would be aiding an unlawful activity and undermining the association’s recognised constitutional order.
SWAN therefore, urged the IGP and DG DSS to restrain the suspended officials, maintain neutrality, and prevent any misuse of security institutions in matters internal to professional associations.
Reaffirming its authority, the NEC through the National Secretariat, reserves the power to supervise or approve elections in state chapters, stressing that any activity outside that structure “is null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.”
“The NEC of SWAN stands firm in defending the unity, credibility, and sanctity of the association,” the statement added. “We will not permit any act of indiscipline, impersonation, or external interference that threatens our stability and professional integrity.”
The association further assured all members nationwide of its commitment to due process, accountability, and the protection of journalists’ rights, urging them to disregard the actions of the suspended individuals and remain guided by the decisions of the National Executive Council.
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