Sports

Liverpool To Face Chelsea In League Cup Final

Published

1 year ago

January 25, 2024

Liverpool will face Chelsea in the League Cup final after surviving a scare in their 1-1 draw against Fulham in the semi-final second leg on Wednesday.

Holding a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, Liverpool took the lead through Luis Diaz early in the first half at Craven Cottage.

That should have been the signal for a comfortable evening for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

But they missed several chances to kill off Fulham before Issa Diop’s late goal set the stage for a dramatic denouement.

Liverpool barely held on under Fulham’s barrage of pressure before finally clinching a 3-2 aggregate success.

“This was not a night to shine or play a bit of fancy football, it was a night to qualify for a final. The boys did really well and I’m really happy,” Klopp said.

“The very young ones have been incredible. I’m so happy to see their reaction in the dressing room.”

In a repeat of the 2022 final won by Liverpool on penal

ties, the Reds will make their 14th appearance in the League Cup showpiece against Chelsea at Wembley on February 25.

“It’s fantastic. We had the experience before, we know what to expect. Again Chelsea. Wow what a story that is,” Klopp said.

“You should never take for granted if you are part of the team who can qualify for trophies.”

Liverpool have won the League Cup a record nine times, while Chelsea, who routed Middlesbrough 6-2 on aggregate on the other semi-final, have lifted the trophy on five occasions, most recently in 2015.

With Mohamed Salah suffering a serious hamstring injury on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt, Liverpool will be bereft of star power for several weeks.

But in Salah’s absence, Liverpool’s victory over Bournemouth on Sunday took them five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The Reds are also competing in the FA Cup and Europa League, giving them a chance for an incredible quadruple trophy haul this season.

Black and white billboards with the slogan ‘dare to dream’ had surrounded the Craven Cottage pitch in a pre-match message to the Fulham fans, who responded with a raucous atmosphere that belied their sedate reputation.

It didn’t take long for Liverpool to puncture Fulham’s optimism.

– Deadly Diaz –

Klopp’s men wasted no time getting on the front foot as Diaz glanced a header narrowly wide from Harvey Elliott’s free-kick inside the first two minutes.

Crucially, Joao Palhinha wasted a golden opportunity to put Fulham ahead when the unmarked midfielder met Andreas Pereira’s corner with a volley that whistled over from 10 yards.

Diaz made sure Liverpool took advantage of that escape in the 11th minute, the Colombian rising to win an aerial challenge before darting into the area for a low drive that squirmed through Bernd Leno’s weak attempted save at his near post.

A constant thorn in Fulham’s side, Diaz had the ball in the net again midway through the half but this time his strike was disallowed for offside against Darwin Nunez.

So dominant in the opening stages, Liverpool let their guard down after that and Raul Jimenez’s effort from outside the edge brought a sprawling save from Caoimhin Kelleher.

Deputising for the rested Alisson Becker, Kelleher held Willian’s 25-yard blast moments later.

Kelleher gifted Fulham a chance by coming off his line in a failed bid to catch Willian’s cross, with Tosin Adarabioyo’s knock-down smashed against the post by Pereira.

That lucky let-off re-energised Liverpool, who threatened a second goal as Nunez’s curler forced a fine save from Leno at full stretch.

But Harry Wilson came off the bench to provide a spark for Fulham in the closing stages, whipping over a perfectly-placed cross that Diop flicked past Kelleher from close-range.

In a tense finale, Kelleher made a good stop to keep out Wilson’s blistering strike before Liverpool could finally celebrate.

Sports

Tobi Amusan Hits Season’s Best At Paris Diamond League

Published

11 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

Nigeria sprint icon, Tobi Amusan has emerged as the winner of the Diamond League trophy for a third consecutive time.

World record holder Tobi Amusan delivered a powerful performance at the 2025 Paris Diamond League on Friday, recording a season-best 12.24 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles to secure a strong second-place finish.

This marks the Nigerian star’s second-fastest time ever, trailing only her world record of 12.12s set in 2022.

Amusan surged in the final stretch, narrowing the gap on the USA’s Grace Stark, who had an explosive start and clinched victory with a lifetime best and meet record of 12.21s—making her the fifth-fastest woman in history over the distance. Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent followed closely in third, clocking 12.30s.

The race in Paris was a thrilling continuation of Amusan’s resurgent 2025 campaign. After beginning the season with a pair of fourth-place finishes in Xiamen (12.74s) and Shaoxing (12.66s), she rebounded in style, winning the Rabat leg of the Diamond League in 12.45s—a season-best at the time and a meet record.

Paris marked Amusan’s fourth Diamond League appearance this season, and the consistency she’s building suggests she is rounding into peak form just as major international competitions approach.

She faced a stacked field that included the likes of former world silver medallist Keni Harrison, Jamaican rising talent Ackera Nugent, Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska, Dutch national champion Nadine Visser, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas, and the in-form Diamond League leader, Grace Stark.

Despite the fierce competition, Amusan showcased her experience and rising form, finishing strong and scoring valuable points in the race toward the Diamond League Finals in Zurich.

She now sits fourth on the Diamond League leaderboard with 10 points, trailing Stark (23), Danielle Williams (15), and Marione Fourie (12).
(VANGUARD)

Sports

Enabulele Hails Edo-born Athletes’ International Feats

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2025

Editor

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has expressed delight over the outstanding performance of Edo athletes representing Nigeria on the international stage.

Enabulele, while describing the athletes as worthy ambassadors of the state and the country in general, singled out the impressive participation of seven Edo kickboxing athletes in Team Nigeria at the African Union Kickboxing Championship in Cameroon.

In a congratulatory message signed by his media aide, Edoko Wilson Edoko, Enabulele lauded the accomplishments of Flora Ugwunwa and Christopher Michael, who clinched gold medals at the 2025 World Para Athletics (WPA) Grand Prix in Tunis, Tunisia.

INFO DAILY reports that Ugwunwa bagged gold in the F54 women’s shot put and discus events, while Michael emerged victorious in the T11 men’s 100m event.

He said: “The remarkable performance of the country’s para-athletes in Tunisia, where Nigeria finished second overall out of 42 participating nations with 10 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze medals, is highly commendable.”

The Edo sports boss, while recalling the impressive performance of Team Edo during the recently concluded National Sports Festival (Ogun 2024), where Edo kickboxers secured 20 gold medals, said the feat which earned many of them national call-ups.

Enabulele reaffirmed the Commission’s unwavering commitment to grassroots sports development and consistent support for para-athletes and other promising talents who continue to bring pride to Edo State and Nigeria.

“I’m proud of our athletes. Flora, Christopher, and our kickboxing team have done exceptionally well. This is what we want to see—Edo athletes in large numbers representing Nigeria at global events,” he emphasized.

Enabulele added that the achievements of Edo athletes reflect the deliberate investments in sports development by the current administration.

Sports

Full List: Maresca No Longer Needs Nine Players At Chelsea

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2025

Editor

Chelsea are preparing for another major squad overhaul this summer, with as many as nine players set to leave Stamford Bridge.

New manager Enzo Maresca is keen to trim the squad further, targeting players who no longer fit into his long-term plans.

According to BBC Sport, the Italian tactician has identified nine players who are now available for transfer.

The players reportedly on the exit list include Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi, Djordje Petrovic, Armando Broja, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Lesley Ugochukwu.

Sterling and Félix were both omitted from Chelsea’s squad for the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Sterling, who spent last season on loan at Arsenal, struggled to make an impression at the Emirates and failed to secure a permanent move.

Félix, meanwhile, was on loan at AC Milan from January until the end of the campaign, but the Serie A club have reportedly decided against making the deal permanent.