Sports
Mbappe Penalty Powers France Past Greece In Euro Qualifier

A Kylian Mbappe penalty gave France a 1-0 victory over 10-man Greece on Monday that maintained their perfect record in qualifying for Euro 2024.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar, and France captain, had his initial kick saved early in the second half but was allowed a second attempt because of encroachment into the area by a Greek defender.
He made no mistake second time around and France could have gone on to win by a greater margin after Greece defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was sent off for barging Randal Kolo Muani to the ground, denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
France’s win follows their 3-0 defeat of minnows Gibraltar last Friday and leaves them clear at the top of qualifying Group B with 12 points from four games.
We’ll fight to keep Gundogan – says Guardiola amid Barca interest
They have not conceded a goal so far and are six points clear of Greece, albeit having played a game more.
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Having already opened their campaign with wins against the Netherlands the Republic of Ireland in March, last year’s World Cup runners-up appear certainties to qualify for next year’s finals in Germany.
Their next match is against Ireland at the Parc des Princes in September, by which time it will be clear where Mbappe will be playing his club football next season.
The 24-year-old, who took over as skipper of Les Bleus when Hugo Lloris quit international football following the World Cup, last week confirmed he would not extend his contract at PSG, which expires next year.
That has raised the prospect of the Qatar-backed club selling the forward in this transfer window, even if he has said he intends to stay with the French champions next season.
READ ALSO: Kylian Mbappe Breaks Silence On Real Madrid Transfer Link
Mbappe put the talk of his future to one side to score a penalty against Gibraltar and he was the matchwinner here in what was not a vintage French display.
– Griezmann’s bloodied head –
He had been frustrated in the first half in front of a sell-out Stade de France crowd as Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz dismissed his appeals for a penalty when he went down under a George Baldock challenge.
Kolo Muani and Jules Kounde both came close for the hosts in the first half, with the latter seeing his shot saved by goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos just before the interval.
France got the chance to go in front when Mavropanos caught Antoine Griezmann in the head with a high boot four minutes after the restart.
A spot-kick was awarded and VfB Stuttgart stopper Mavropanos was booked with Griezmann needing his bloodied head bandaged.
READ ALSO: Mbappe Told Me He Was Forced To Sign New PSG Deal – Former Real Madrid Player
Vlachodimos did well to save Mbappe’s penalty the first time but he could not repeat his heroics when a retake was ordered, despite diving the right way.
It was Mbappe’s 13th goal in 13 games for France this season, to go with 41 in all competitions for PSG.
He now has 40 goals in 70 games for his country and needs just one more goal to equal Michel Platini’s tally in a France shirt.
Greece, the 2004 European champions, have been enjoying something of a revival under their Uruguayan coach Gustavo Poyet, but their chances of claiming anything from this game died when Mavropanos was dismissed in the 69th minute.
Kolo Muani was sent through on goal by a Kingsley Coman pass only to be bundled over by Mavropanos. Already on a yellow card, this time the defender saw a straight red.
However, France could not add to their lead with the extra man, with substitute Ousmane Dembele just unable to get on the end of Mbappe’s low centre at the end of a breakaway.
Sports
Edo Female Cricket League 2025 Takes Off Amid Applause From Sports Commission Boss
The 2025 edition of the Edo State Female Cricket League bowled off at the weekend in Benin City, drawing commendation from the Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele.
In a statement released through his Media Officer, Mr. Edoko Wilson Edoko, Enabulele hailed the tournament as another major step in grassroots sports development, describing it as the true foundation of Edo’s growing sporting excellence.
He praised Governor Monday Okpebholo for sustaining a conducive environment for sports to thrive, noting that Edo has now become “a sporting hub in Nigeria, hosting viable tournaments that nurture young talents for national and international glory.”
The Sports Commission boss highlighted cricket’s steady rise in the state, recalling Edo’s strong performances in national competitions such as the Sports Festival and the National Youth Games, where state athletes bagged gold medals.
READ ALSO:Enabulele Applauds Team Edo Deaf Athletes For Performance At W’Africa Championship
“We’re deliberately investing in sports beyond football. Cricket is one of those with huge potential, and we’re determined to keep catching them young,” Enabulele said.
The weekend fixtures lived up to expectations, producing some thrilling moments across two venues in Benin City. Adolor Amazons and Emotan Queens recorded early wins in the opening round of matches.
At the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Cricket, Iyoba Girls College, Ekpoma Supernova CC beat Idia Royals CC by two runs in a nail-biting finish. The Supernova team, who had scored 47 runs all out in 18 overs, fought back dramatically to bowl out their opponents for 45 after initially trailing.
READ ALSO:Edo Gov Sacks Education Board Chair, Names Replacement
Coach Emmanuel Eromosele, still thrilled by the result, said he had “almost given up,” but credited his players’ resilience and fighting spirit. Team captain Peculiar Agboya added, “We had a lot of young players out there today, but we believed in ourselves and it paid off.”
At the High-Performance Centre, Edo Boys High School, Emotan Queens CC crushed Adolor Amazons CC in a low-scoring affair, chasing down 20 runs in just three overs. Their coach, Osamudiamen Ikpomwen, described the result as “a good day for us—two games, two wins. But we know we can always do better.”
The league continues on Saturday, October 18, with Emotan Queens CC facing Ekpoma Supernova CC at Iyoba Girls College, while Adolor Amazons CC take on Idia Royals CC at Edo Boys High School. The top two teams will meet in the grand finale on Sunday, October 19.
Sports
WCQ: Haaland Scores Hat-trick As Norway Thrash Israel 5-0
Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick to pass 50 international goals in record time as Norway cruised to a 5-0 thrashing of Israel on Saturday, edging closer to qualifying for a first World Cup since 1998.
Norway, who have not played at a major tournament since Euro 2000, now lead Group I with nine points more than second-placed Italy, who have two games in hand and play in Estonia later Saturday.
The Scandinavians will secure a place at next year’s finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico with a win over the Estonians on Tuesday if Italy fails to defeat either Estonia or Israel in their next two matches.
Manchester City striker Haaland is the leading scorer in European qualifying with 12 goals so far.
READ ALSO:EPL: Haaland Finishes Top Goal Scorer [See list]
He also became the fastest player in men’s international football to reach 50 goals for his country and now boasts 51 goals for Norway in just 46 games.
England captain Harry Kane held the previous record, bringing up his half-century in 71 appearances.
Ahead of kick-off, hundreds of people attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration, chanting “Free Palestine” to protest against Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza, AFP journalists reported.
The head of the Norwegian football association, Lise Klaveness, recently said she was pushing “for Israel to be sanctioned”.
READ ALSO:EPL: Haaland Scores Four In Man City Rout Of Wolves
In early action, Haaland surprised the Norwegian fans in the Ullevaal Stadium when his penalty was saved by Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.
The spot-kick was ordered to be retaken for encroachment inside the area and Haaland struck his second effort in the opposite direction, only for it to be parried away again by Peretz.
But Norway did forge ahead in the 18th minute through an Anan Khalaili own goal, before Haaland raced clear to score in a ninth successive international appearance.
READ ALSO:Five-goal Haaland Crushes Luton As Man City Reach FA Cup Quarter-finals
The hosts grabbed their third just seconds after Israel kicked off again in the 28th minute, as Peretz kicked the ball off Idan Nachmias, who was under pressure from Haaland, and into the net for another own goal.
Nachmias also had to go off injured after colliding with the post.
Haaland added his second in the 63rd minute, powering home a header from Antonio Nusa’s cross, before nodding in to complete his hat-trick with 18 minutes left.
Elsewhere, Hungary beat Armenia 2-0 in Group F, meaning Portugal could qualify with back-to-back wins over the Republic of Ireland, who they were facing at home later Saturday, and then Hungary on Tuesday.
Sports
Just Like Football Clubs, Let’s Sign Foreign President To Fix Nigeria – Actor Okele [VIDEO]
Popular Nigerian actor, Tunde Usman, professionally known as Okele, has proposed ‘signing’ of foreign Presidents to fix the country.
The actor made the suggestion while reacting to Nigeria’s current economic hardship.
Reacting to the increase in price of cooking gas across the nation, Okele in a now trending video shared on his Instagram page proposed a football method of removing a non performing coaches to address Nigeria’s challenges.
Speaking in Yoruba, the actor argued that adoption of the football method might solve constant disappointment with elected leaders.
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“Greetings to all Nigerians home and abroad. May God help us soften this hardship. I just thought of something about gas, fuel and the way things are expensive in Nigeria.
“If you are a lover of football you would know that every club has a coach, assistant coach, and those that train the keepers. So, instead of campaigning for different political parties with some looting our money, why can’t Nigeria look around the world and sign any ex-president that has proven himself in another country to fix Nigeria.
“Even many football nations signed coaches from different countries. Maybe we should adopt the signing of the President method to end different political parties campaigns. Let’s come together and sign our President the same way we signed the coach and we can sack the non performing President and sign a new one.”
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