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Bayelsa Queens Seal Women’s African Champions League Spot

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Nigerian women football clubside, Bayelsa Queens became the sixth side to qualify for the Women’s African Champions League after winning their zonal qualifier.
The Queens beat Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies 3-0 in Ivory Coast last Saturday to seal their spot at the eight-team finals, which begin in Morocco on 30 October.
The Nigerian champions join Moroccan hosts AS FAR, inaugural champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Egypt’s Wadi Degla, and will be one of four debutants in the competition.
Zambia’s Green Buffaloes, Determine Girls of Liberia and Tanzanian side, Simba Queens will also be making their first appearance.
The final qualifier, from Africa’s central zone, will be decided at a tournament in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, from 10-16 September.
The group-stage draw for the second Women’s African Champions League will be held in Morocco on Friday.
Meanwhile, Madagascar sealed an historic first appearance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) but Nigeria and South Africa will be notable absentees from the 2022 finals in Algeria.
Ghana beat arch-rivals Nigeria on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw, while South Africa suffered to a 4-1 loss at home to Angola, who triumphed 6-1 overall.
Indian Ocean nation Madagascar will be the only tournament debutants despite being held 1-1 by Botswana in Antananarivo last Friday they progressed 2-1 on aggregate.
Leading nations who will be at the seventh edition of the tournament reserved for domestic-based players include title-holders Morocco, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
The defending champions, hosts Algeria and Libya were already assured of places at the finals after Egypt and Tunisia withdrew from the Northern Group.
The expanded 18-team CHAN finals are scheduled to be held from 13 January to 4 February 2023, and the group-stage draw will be conducted in Algeria on 1 October.
Trailing 2-0 after the first leg in Ghana, Nigeria staged a late rally in Abuja to win the return match 2-0 through goals from Zulkifilu Rabiu and Chijioke Akuneto, the latter through a 94th-minute penalty.
The Black Galaxies converted all five spot-kicks in the shootout while Maurice Ugochukwu missed to eliminate 2018 runners-up Nigeria.
The dramatic victory took two-time beaten finalists Ghana back to the finals after failing to qualify for the last three editions.
Africa’s most populous nation Nigeria boast one of the stronger national leagues in Africa but have reached the CHAN finals only three times – with their qualifying failures including a stunning 2020 loss to Togo.
It was yet another celebration for Ghana in the Nigerian capital city after pipping their bitter rivals to 2022 World Cup play-off ticket at the same venue in March.
In Soweto, South Africa got off to a great start with Prince Nxumalo halving the aggregate deficit by nodding home a free-kick just six minutes into the first half.
But disaster struck for the home side on 39 minutes when an attempted headed clearance by Mosa Lebusa looped over goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse into his own net.
It left South Africa needing to score three unanswered goals to survive with a team sorely weakened by the absence of stars on club duty.
Angola grew stronger as the second half progressed with Jaredi Teixeira a constant menace on the left wing. He set up the second and fourth goals for Deivi Viera and Danilson, and Joaquim Paciencia netted the third with a free-kick that flew in off the underside of the crossbar.
Cameroon, fourth when they hosted the 2020 tournament, netted twice late in the opening half to beat Equatorial Guinea 2-0 and squeeze through, having lost 1-0 away.
Djawal Kaiba broke the deadlock on 43 minutes in the north-western city of Garoua and Souaibou Marou snatched what proved the crucial goal in stoppage time.
There was an even closer call for Ivory Coast, who beat Burkina Faso on penalties after both legs finished 0-0.
Football’s world governing body Fifa classifies CHAN matches as full internationals, and the results count toward its rankings.
Full list of qualified team for CHAN 2022: Algeria (hosts), Morocco, Libya, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Ghana, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Congo, Cameroon, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Madagascar, Angola, Mozambique.

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Galaxy Win Sixth MLS Title

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LA Galaxy won a record-extending sixth MLS Cup title as they beat New York Red Bulls to delight a home crowd at Dignity Health Sports Park.
The MLS Cup is the showpiece match at the end of the US season, pitching the champions of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference finals together.
This was the first MLS Cup between two sides from the largest cities in the United States, Los Angeles and New York, and it produced a hectic opening with all three goals scored in the first half-hour.
Red Bulls were the lowest seed to ever reach the final after finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, and their underdog status initially showed as Galaxy dominated the 29th MLS Cup early on.
Galaxy led after nine minutes when Joseph Paintsil squeezed his shot under goalkeeper Carlos Coronel, and it was 2-0 soon after as Dejan Joveljic ran through the Red Bulls defence and finished with the outside of his boot.
Both men celebrated by holding up the shirt of team-mate Riqui Puig, the former Barcelona player who ruptured his ACL in the Western Conference Final which Galaxy won to reach this championship game.
Galaxy threatened to overwhelm their opponents as Sean Nealis headed a free-kick against his own crossbar.
But Red Bulls centre-back Nealis pulled his team back into the game after 28 minutes when he chested down and volleyed in from 15 yards when Galaxy players failed to clear a corner.
Both sides hit the woodwork in the second half: Galaxy right-back Miki Yamane struck the outside of the post, before Emil Forsberg curled an effort off the upright for Red Bulls.
But Galaxy, who had home advantage because of their better record in the regular season, held on to win their first MLS Cup since 2014.
Red Bulls remain without an MLS Cup title in their history after losing on what was their second appearance in the championship game.

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Bayern Extend Bundesliga Lead To Six Points

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Bayern Munich continued their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season with a 4-2 win against Heidenheim.
A double from Jamal Musiala and goals from Dayot Upamecano and Leon Goretzka saw Bayern extend their lead at the top of the table to six points as closest challengers Eintracht Frankfurt were held to a 2-2 draw by Augsburg.
Vincent Kompany was without the injured Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer, Mathys Tel and Serge Gnabry, with Musiala starting on the bench.
Leroy Sane spurned two excellent early chances from close range before Upamecano headed the hosts in front from a Joshua Kimmich corner.
Bayern enjoyed 86% possession and completed 10 times as many passes (503) as the visitors (51) in the first half, yet Alphonso Davies hit the post with the only other clear chance created.
To their credit, Heidenheim didn’t wilt and drew level when Mathias Honsak rounded stand-in Bayern goalkeeper Daniel Peretz after Upamecano under-hit a backpass.
Kompany immediately introduced Musiala from the bench and was rewarded five minutes later when the 21-year-old drove into the box and beat Kevin Muller with a low strike.
Bayern looked to have secured the three points when Goretzka’s shot deflected past Muller, but the visitors halved the deficit almost immediately through a Niklas Dorsch tap-in.
Any nerves soon dissipated when Musiala ran half the length of the pitch unchallenged to slot home the fourth and final goal.
Bayern will face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League tomorrow before returning to domestic duty away against Mainz on Saturday.

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La Liga: Barca Stumble Again

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Robert Lewandowski continued his superb start to the season but could not prevent Barcelona dropping points in a 2-2 draw with Real Betis.
Lewandowski scored his 16th goal of the league campaign before Ferran Torres cancelled out Giovani Lo Celso’s penalty – but Assane Diao snatched a point for Betis with a late equaliser.
Real Betis could have easily scored twice in the opening three minutes but Raphina cleared Diego Llorente’s header off the goalline before Abde Ezzalzouli – formerly of Barcelona – saw his one-on-one effort saved by Inaki Pena.
Lamine Yamal wasted a good chance to break the deadlock from close range but team-mate Lewandowski made no such mistake.
The Poland international converted Jules Kounde’s cross from close range to finish a fine team move and score for the 23rd time in 21 games in all competitions.
Betis emerged from half-time with renewed energy but spurned three more clear chances.
Sergi Altimira and Lo Celso sent headers wide of Pena’s post before the Barcelona goalkeeper was called upon to tip Chimy Avila’s snap-shot wide.
Betis finally got their just reward when Lo Celso converted from the penalty spot after Barca substitute Frenkie de Jong felled Vitor Roque – on-loan from the Catalans – as he raced into the area.
Barca pushed for a winner and found it when substitute Torres beat the offside trap to latch on to Yamal’s reverse pass and finish past Fran Vieites.
It looked like Barca would see out the win, but in the fourth minute of injury-time 19-year-old substitute Diao swept home to rescue a point for the hosts.
The draw sees Barca surrender control in the title race. Flick’s side are five points ahead of closest challengers Real Madrid but Los Blancos have played two games fewer.
Barca will be in Champions League action against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday (20:00 GMT kick-off) before facing Leganes in La Liga on Sunday, 15 December.

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