Sports
‘NPFL’ll Soon Be Most Watched League’
President of the Spanish foot
ball league (LaLiga), Javier Tebas, at the weekend in Abuja said the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) would soon be the most watched league in Europe.
Tebas who spoke during the official commissioning of the LaLiga office in Abuja said this would materialise in view of the Spanish league’s partnership with its Nigerian counterpart.
The opening of an office in Nigeria by LaLiga is part of the implementation of a technical and commercial partnership recently signed.
LaLiga signed the partnership with the League Management Company (LMC), who are the organisers of the NPFL.
The LaLiga President noted that the Spanish league, being one of the top leagues in the world, attracts a lot of media attention worldwide.
He said its partnership with the NPFL would therefore draw a lot of media attention to the Nigerian league.
“Our vision is very clear. We want to see the NPFL get better in terms of its quality and organisation.
“I am convinced that in a few years from now, the NPFL will be the most watched in Europe.
“Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will also come here to play in Nigeria,’’ Tebas said.
He said part of the partnership deal was the LaLiga tour by 40 players selected from the NPFL into an All-Star team.
NAN reports that during the team’s tour of Spain, it will participate in the prestigious Carranza LaLiga World Club tourney and also play a friendly
match against Valencia CF.
Also, Antonio Baradas, the LaLiga Africa Representative based in South Africa, expressed satisfaction with the location of the office in the high-brow Maitama district of Abuja.
“I am impressed by the quality of materials used in equipping the office.
“It is a very conducive place for us to work on making the NPFL-LaLiga partnership a success.”
He said LaLiga would invest in the grassroots of Nigerian football, adding that a lot of talents abound in the country.
“The talents are here. We have to work with what you’ve got.
“We have a contract signed for five years and hopefully we can extend it beyond that for a long time to come,’’ Baradas said.
Simililarly, the Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Alfonso Barnuevo, said the partnership between LaLiga and the NPFL marked the beginning of a solid presence in Nigeria.
He said it would be consolidating what has already been achieved.
“As Spanish Ambassador, I have to express my satisfaction that one of the strongest institutions in Spain, and probably one of the best known worldwide, LaLiga, has established an office in Nigeria.
“I see a bright future ahead,’’ Barnuevo said.
Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), described the event as another major milestone and a new dawn for Nigeria.
“We are delighted that very early in the tenor of this partnership, a lot of positives are being recorded.
“This opening of the LaLiga Office represents another landmark in the partnership and will facilitate effective collaboration between the two leagues,’’ he said.
Tidesports source recalls that LaLiga Foundation, a charity arm of LaLiga, recently announced a grant of 56,000 Euros and equipment to El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club of Maiduguri.
The grant was to support the club in the response to the insurgency which forced the club to play home league fixtures in other cities for almost three seasons.
Nigeria is the second African country after South Africa to have an office of a major European League.
Tottenham fought back from two-goals down to secure a deserved point against Brighton.
The Seagulls were second best for much of the match but found themselves 2-0 up after 31 minutes thanks to Yankuba Minteh’s early strike and Yasin Ayari’s powerful drive.
However, Richarlison halved the deficit just before half-time when he stopped a shot by Mohammed Kudus before slotting in.
Spurs dominated the second half but their finishing let them down as Richarlison and substitute Xavi Simons were both unable to make the most of promising opportunities.
But the equaliser came eight minutes from time when Jan Paul van Hecke turned Kudus’ cross into his own net.
Spurs then pushed for a winner as they looked to continue their impressive start to the season, but Brighton held on for the point.
Bundesliga: Kane Continues Goal Harvest (5)
Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the season as Bayern Munich overcame a shaky start to win at Hoffenheim and continue their 100% start.
The England captain, 32, broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a clinical first-time finish from a cleverly worked low corner, and doubled Bayern’s lead from the spot after Albian Hajdari was harshly penalised for a handball.
That broke Hoffenheim’s resistance and Kane completed his ninth Bundesliga hat-trick with another penalty, given for a foul on substitute Michael Olise after a video assistant referee (VAR) check.
This time Kane sent home keeper Oliver Baumann the wrong way for his 13th Bayern goal in seven matches across all competitions this season, adding to his Champions League double against Chelsea last Wednesday.
“Hat-trick Harry is what they called me in school,” Kane told Tidesports source after the match. “That one kind of stuck when I was younger.”
“Any ball in the box, whether penalty or not, I back myself to hit the target.”
Hoffenheim had the better of the first 45 minutes, Fisnik Asllani only able to hit the post after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer passed straight to the Kosovan.
They eventually got some reward for their efforts, former West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal’s deflected free-kick beating Neuer to earn the Czech his first goal for the club.
Ex-Liverpool winger Luis Diaz hit the top of the bar late on as he failed to continue his record of scoring in every Bundesliga game this season, but Serge Gnabry added a fourth for Bayern with the last kick, converting a rebound from a tight angle after Baumann saved from Joshua Kimmich.
Nicolas Jackson made his first start since joining Bayern on an initial loan deal from Chelsea, but the Senegal striker had a very quiet game before being replaced in the 62nd minute.
In Italy, Lorenzo Pellegrini fired Roma into the Serie A top four as Lazio had two players sent off in a fiery derby.
The midfielder found the bottom corner in the 38th minute as Roma extended their unbeaten run to four games against their city rivals.
Lazio have lost three of their opening games of the season and had Reda Belahyane and former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi dismissed in late drama.
Roma started well and Rome-born Pellegrini claimed the vital goal – his fourth in a Rome derby after being available for transfer in the summer – following good work down the right by Matias Soule.
But the hosts will rue missed opportunities as Boulaye Dia, Mattia Zaccagni and Alessio Romagnoli all had openings.
With four minutes left substitute Belahyane was shown a red card for a late studs-up challenge on Manu Kone.
Danilo Cataldi struck the outside of the post for Lazio in a last-gasp effort to snatch a point, while team-mate Guendouzi was sent off for dissent after the final whistle.
Luca Zidane, the son of France’s World Cup-winning playmaker Zinedine, has switched his international allegiance from France to Algeria.
Born just outside Marseille, the 27-year-old goalkeeper had appeared for France at various youth levels.
The move, which was approved by Fifa, may enable Zidane to follow in his father’s footsteps by appearing at a World Cup, with Algeria expected to secure a place at the 2026 finals in North America in their qualifier against Somalia next month.
Zidane, who is the second of four brothers, all of whom came through the Real Madrid academy, currently plays for Spanish second tier side Granada.
He played two matches for Madrid and has La Liga experience at Rayo Vallecano, but dropped a level in 2022 to play for Eibar before heading to Andalusia in 2024.
Zidane qualifies for the North African country through his father, whose parents hailed from the Kabylie region of Algeria.
Zinedine Zidane, who is regarded as one of the games greatest players scored twice for France in their 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil, but was famously sent-off in the 2006 final, which was won by Italy after a penalty shootout.
Manchester United capitalised on Robert Sanchez’s fifth-minute red card to secure a crucial victory over Chelsea in torrential rain at Old Trafford.
The first match in Premier League history to see two or more goals, red cards and substitutions in the first half was settled by goals from United skipper Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, who was the other player sent off before the break.
It was Sanchez’s dismissal that set the course of the game though.
The Spain international raced from his goal to meet Bryan Mbeumo as the striker ran beyond the Chelsea defence.
Sanchez then upended the forward outside his area rather than allow him past to tap the ball into an empty net.
Enzo Maresca’s response to the red card was to take off both Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian and, as Cole Palmer had to be replaced after suffering a recurrence of a groin injury, Chelsea had lost three attacking players in the space of 20 minutes.
Trevor Chalobah pulled one back for Chelsea with a header 10 minutes from time but United kept their nerves at bay to make it to the final whistle with their lead intact.
The victory was United’s second of the season and came in front of minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who gave head coach Ruben Amorim assurances over his future 48 hours earlier.
It also means Chelsea have still not won at Old Trafford since 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson was United manager.