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PSG Beat Reims To Win French Cup Ahead Of Champions League Final

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Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for their Champions League final showdown with Inter Milan by winning the French Cup on Saturday as Bradley Barcola scored twice in a comfortable 3-0 win against Reims.

Barcola netted two goals in the space of four minutes early on to quickly extinguish whatever hopes Reims had of causing an upset at the Stade de France, and Achraf Hakimi added another goal before half-time.

It was exactly the kind of smooth preparation coach Luis Enrique would have been hoping for ahead of the season-defining game against Inter in Munich next weekend, when PSG will be hoping to win the Champions League for the first time.

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However, one minor issue to come out of the evening was the late withdrawal from the team of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

READ ALSO: PSG Knock Liverpool Out Of Champions League On Penalties

The Georgian winger was replaced in the starting line-up by Desire Doue and returned home early due to a headache, according to a source close to the team.

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PSG’s victory, watched by a crowd of over 77,000 at the national stadium, allowed them to complete a clean sweep of the domestic honours for the second time in as many seasons since Luis Enrique became coach in 2023.

They added the French Cup to the Ligue 1 title as well as the Champions Trophy, France’s equivalent of a Super Cup.

PSG have now won the French Cup a record 16 times, including eight times in the last decade. The next most successful club in the history of the competition are Marseille, who won the last of their 10 titles in 1989.

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READ ALSO: Elliott Gives Liverpool Slender Win Over PSG In Champions League

– Barcola double –

Reims were appearing in their first French Cup final since 1977 and were looking to win the trophy for the third time, with their last success coming during their glory days in the 1950s.

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They held PSG to draws twice during the league campaign but any prospect of them winning this time probably ended a week ago.

That was when they slumped into the relegation play-off place on the final night of the Ligue 1 campaign, forcing them into a two-legged tie against second-tier Metz which they must win to remain in the top flight next season.

The first leg of that tie ended in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, and Reims must now prepare for the decisive return match at home next Thursday.

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PSG wasted little time in putting their struggling opponents to the sword as Barcola’s quickfire brace effectively decided the final before the midway point in the first half.

READ ALSO:[FULL LIST] UCL: Madrid Face Atlético, PSG Host Liverpool, Other Last 16 Draw

Doue’s through-ball sent Barcola in behind to open the scoring in the 16th minute, and Doue then latched onto a Marquinhos pass before squaring for Barcola to tap in and make it 2-0 on 19 minutes.

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The double took Barcola to 21 goals for the season in all competitions, a tally bettered only in the PSG squad by Ousmane Dembele with 33.

They had chances to score again in this one-sided contest before Hakimi made it 3-0 two minutes prior to the interval, arriving at the back post to cushion in a Barcola cross, finishing off a great move.

That was the end of the scoring as Luis Enrique — who gave Matfey Safonov a start in goal ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma — took the chance to ring the changes after the break.

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However, Barcola was only a denied a hat-trick by a good save from Reims goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, who also turned a Dembele cross-cum-shot onto the post.

 

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CRASH: Anthony Joshua Opens Up On Friends’ Death

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Former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has said the death of his two friends posed a tough time for him.

Recall that a car conveying the boxer earlier this month, rammed into a stationary truck along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The accident claimed that lives of his personal trainer, Kevin Latif Ayodele, and his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami.

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In a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, the former heavyweight champion said it was tough for him.

READ ALSO:Anthony Joshua Returns To UK In Private Jet

Joshua acknowledged that the incident was “even tougher” for the parents of the deceased.

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He wrote, “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers. I didn’t even realise how special they are.

“I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

“100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

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NPFL: Kano Pillars Sack Two Players

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Kano Pillars have announced the departure of the duo of Umar Sani Yakasai Samuel Tiza.

Yakasai and Tiza’s contracts were terminated by the Kano-based club.

The Sai Masu Gida confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday.

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READ ALSO:Why Kano Governor Postponed Formal Defection To APC

“Kano Pillars FC wishes to announce that, following a mutual understanding, the club have amicably parted ways with striker Samuel Tiza and midfielder Umar Sani Yakasai,” Kano Pillars wrote in a statement confirming the players departure.

“Both players will now continue their careers elsewhere ahead of the second stanza of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League season.”

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Kano Pillars is expected to make up for their departure with the signing of new players.

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AFCON: It’s Not Possible – NSC On Super Eagles Players Requesting Cash Payment

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Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Shehu Dikko, has insisted that it is not possible to pay the Super Eagles of Nigeria their match bonus in cash.

Dikko stated this while clarifying the situation about Super Eagles match bonuses following reports of players threatening to boycott training and refusing to travel to Marrakech for Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, quarter-final clash against Algeria on Saturday.

He spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

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Clearly, the players requested whether they could get some of these in cash, and they were told it’s not possible,” Dikko said.

READ ALSO:AFCON 2025: Super Eagles Players Refuse To Travel For Algeria Game Over Bonuses

These bonuses are not paid in cash; they have to be paid through the bank, which is the normal procedure.

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“The only ones they agreed to pay in cash are the daily allowances.”

The Super Eagles progressed to the last-8 after humiliating Mozambique 4-0 in the AFCON Round of 16.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Doris Nkiruka-Anite, had earlier disclosed that the Super Eagles players will start receiving their bonus money alerts today or tomorrow before the Algeria clash.

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