Sports
Brazil World Cup: Turkish Ambassador Rates Eagles High
Turkey’s Ambassador to
Nigeria, Mustafa Pulat, has in Abuja said Nigeria’s Super Eagles have “a good chance’’ of excelling at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June.
Pulat told newsmen that his submission was on the basis of Nigeria’s pedigree in football, as well as quality of players and the element of luck.
“Nigeria is a strong football nation, and with this it has a strong chance of doing well at Brazil 2014.
“Moreover, Nigeria has a rich football tradition, going by what the likes of Daniel Amokachi, Austin Okocha, Uche Okechukwu and Joseph Yobo have done.
“Nigeria also has a qualitative player in Emmanuel Emenike, and with luck coming into it, the Super Eagles can make it to the second round at least. From there, anything can happen,’’ he said.
The ambassador also said the Super Eagles would get it right by being motivated by the fact that they were playing at the highest level of the game.
“The World Cup is the highest level of all football competitions, and teams get motivated into doing better at that point.
“This can happen to Nigeria, and then the element of luck comes into play too,’’ he said.
Pulat, however, tipped Nigeria to join Argentina in picking the two second round tickets from Group F, with Bosnia-Herzegovina having an outside chance of dislodging Nigeria.
“Argentina is sure for a ticket, with Nigeria picking the second ticket. But Bosnia-Herzegovina can spring a surprise too to challenge Nigeria for the other ticket,’’ he said.
The Turkish diplomat said further that it was going to be difficult to predict the competition’s winners.
“It is difficult to tell who would lift the Cup after the final on July 13, but it is usually normal to expect it to be between Brazil and Spain. They are always one of those at the top.
“But it is hard to assess now, until the end of the first round. This is because most of the players expected there are still in their various leagues and it is difficult to assess them for now,’’ he said.
Pulat was, however, unsure of whether an African team would be able to win the trophy this time around.
He said it needed more than being competitive for an African side to win the World Cup.
“The draws, for one, always have a strong impact on what the African teams can do. But it is a fact that African teams are always good and competitive. However, football is always full of surprises.
Kylian Mbappe scored a stoppage-time penalty to seal Real Madrid’s win against nine-man Rayo Vallecano, after Jude Bellingham was forced off with injury.
Nobel Mendy’s foul on Brahim Diaz in the 100th minute gave Mbappe the chance to put Real to within one point of Barcelona in the La Liga title race.
Vinicius Jr had opened the scoring for Real early on, a few minutes after Bellingham went off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Rayo Vallecano fought back, and levelled just after the break through Jorge de Frutos.
Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga hit the woodwork for Real, while Vallecano were reduced to 10 men with 10 minutes of normal time to go when Pathe Cisse was shown a straight red card for a crude challenge on Dani Cebellos.
The home fans had been agitated at times before Mbappe scored from the spot, and there was time for more drama when Pep Chavarria was shown a second yellow card and dismissed in the 103rd minute.
Bellingham was distraught when he fell to the ground clutching the back of his left thigh after 10 minutes, but the England international was seen to be walking unaided shortly afterwards.
Vinicius Junior struck soon after Bellingham’s exit, curling in a sublime shot after cutting in from the left flank but Real fans grew restless as Vallecano grew in confidence with Chavarria lashing a shot over the bar just before half-time.
De Frutos equalised with a clinical finish, sweeping in a knock-down from Alvaro Garcia with a first-time shot and Thibault Courtois stopped Vallecano taking the lead when he used his feet to save from Andrei Ratiu.
Mbappe seemed set to score when he went around Augusto Batalla after the Vallecano keeper had moved out of his penalty area, but the Real striker’s shot hit the bar.
Cisse was shown the red card after he caught Cebello on the left ankle, and Real went close to taking the lead again when Camavinga’s header struck the post.
Real’s late pressure seemed to be for nothing until Mendy caught Diaz high up, giving Mbappe the chance to strike for his 22nd goal in La Liga.
Chavarria received his second yellow card, for a push on Rodrygo, just before full-time as Real claimed their sixth straight win in La Liga while Vallecano remained just one point and a place above the relegation zone.
Hugo Ekitike turned the game on its head to stun former suitors Newcastle United as champions Liverpool recorded their first Premier League win of 2026.
Newcastle attempted to sign Ekitike in three transfer windows over the course of three and a half years, and how the visitors rued losing out to Liverpool in the race to recruit the lethal striker from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer.
After scoring in the reverse fixture in August, the Frenchman came back to haunt Eddie Howe’s side once again at a buoyant Anfield with two goals in two minutes before half-time.
Anthony Gordon had initially opened the scoring for Newcastle with a fine finish, but Liverpool quickly showed their powers of recovery to go on and win the game comfortably thanks to a devastating double from Ekitike, a well-taken goal from Florian Wirtz and a close-range finish from an emotional Ibrahima Konate.
Ten-man Brentford claimed a brilliant win at Aston Villa yesterday to dent the hosts’ Premier League title ambitions.
Dango Ouattara’s fine strike stunned Villa minutes after Kevin Schade was sent off for pushing his studs into Matty Cash’s midriff.
The returning Tammy Abraham had a goal disallowed as Villa lost successive home league games for the first time in two years.
They remain third in the table, seven points behind leaders Arsenal, while Keith Andrews’ Brentford sit seventh, four points adrift of the top five.
Striker Schade’s dismissal looked to have given Villa control, only for Ouattara to find the top corner.
Abraham thought he levelled three minutes into the second half after Caoimhin Kelleher parried Jadon Sancho’s strike, only for the goal to be ruled out – after a four-minute video assistant referee (VAR) review – as the ball went out before Villa attacked.
But there were no late heroics as Brentford defended valiantly to hold on for a deserved and impressive victory.
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