Sports
Pillars Now Favourites For League Title
Nigeria league defend
ing champions Kano Pillars are set to clinch a record third straight title with six rounds of games to be played.
But six-time champions Enyimba are expected to push this race for the championship to the wire again.
Pillars sit on top of the league table with 53 points from 32 games, with Warri Wolves second on 52 points from same number of matches.
With three home games and three away games to go, will Kano Pillars make it a three title in a row?
Or would Warri Wolves get their first league shield? Or could it be Nasarawa United or Enyimba, who have won a record six championships?
Pillars can end the season with 63 or 62 points.
The home games left for Pillars are vs Gombe United, Kaduna United and Nembe City and wins in these games will give Pillars nine more points.
Out of their away games against Nasarawa United, El Kanemi Warriors and Enyimba, Pillars could nick a point against El Kanemi as the match will be played at the Sabongari Stadium in Kano, where the champions also play their home games.
Warri Wolves are presently second with 52 points and could well end the season with 61 points if they win their remaining home games against Lobi, Crown and Gombe United.
Their away fixtures are tough and they are not likely to get a point from the three games against Heartland, Sharks and title-chasing Nasarawa United.
Nasarawa United is currently third with 50 points, and they may end the season with 59 or 60 points considering their remaining games.
They have three home games against Pillars, Sunshine Stars and Wolves and if they could win all three, they would have nine more points.
Out of the away games they could get a point at Giwa, but the same could not be said when they face Enyimba and Rangers away from home.
Enyimba have 48 points and now need to win at least an away game apart from claiming all the points at home to be champions again.
‘The People’s Elephant’ are expected to garner nine points at home against Nasarawa United, El Kanemi Warriors and Pillars.
Their remaining away games are against Nembe, Kaduna, who are both battling against relegation, and Dolphins.
If they could beat Nembe and Kaduna, they would end up with 63 points and with the biggest goals difference of +16 so far, they would push Pillars all the way to the top prize this season.
Maybe the final game of the season between Pillars and Enyimba in Aba could well determine where the trophy will rest at the end of the season.
Sports
Tottenham Fight Back To Hold Brighton
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.
Sports
Zidane’s Son Switches Allegiance To Algeria
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.
Sports
Man Utd Beat Chelsea To Ease Pressure
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.
-
Sports4 days ago
CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
-
Sports4 days ago
FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
-
Sports4 days ago
NPFL club name Iorfa new GM
-
Sports4 days ago
NNL abolishes playoffs for NPFL promotion
-
Sports4 days ago
NSF: Early preparations begin for 2026 National Sports Festival
-
Sports4 days ago
Kwara Hopeful To Host Confed Cup in Ilorin
-
Sports4 days ago
RSG Award Renovation Work At Yakubu Gowon Stadium
-
Politics4 days ago
Rivers Assembly Resumes Sitting After Six-Month Suspension