Sports
UPDATED: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON final after defeating South Africa On Penalties
Published
3 months agoon
By
EditorSuper Eagles of Nigeria have defeated the Bafana Bafana of South Africa 4-2 on penalties to qualify for the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The match finished 1-1 after extra time and the three-time champions will face hosts Ivory Coast or the Democratic Republic of Congo, who meet later, in the final on Sunday.
Both regular-time goals also came from penalties with captain William Troost-Ekong scoring after 67 minutes for Nigeria and Teboho Mokoena equalised from a 90th-minute spot-kick.
The Mokoena equaliser came after Nigeria thought they had scored a second goal through a tap-in from star forward Victor Osimhen.
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But play was called back to the other end of the field after VAR alerted the Egyptian referee that South African Percy Tau had been fouled in the area, and the match official concurred.
Khuliso Mudau had a chance to win the South Africa in added time at the end of regular time, but blazed over after goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali parried a Mokoena free kick.
South Africa finished with 10 men when Grant Kekana was sent off on 115 minutes for a last-defender foul.
Nigeria entered the match with a perfect record against South Africa in the premier African football competition having won three previous meetings.
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The Super Eagles beat Bafana Bafana (The Boys) 2-0 in a 2000 semi-final in Nigeria, 4-0 in a group match four years later in Tunisia and 2-1 in a 2019 quarter-final in Egypt.
Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro made one change to the team that beat Angola 1-0, bringing in Bright Osayi-Samuel for left-back Zaidu Sanusi, who did not train on the eve of the match.
Star Napoli forward Osimhen started for the three-time champions after recovering from an abdominal discomfort that delayed his arrival in Bouake from Abidjan.
Some Nigerians in the stadium demonstrated their support for Osimhen by wearing replicas of the protective facial mask he still dons three years after suffering an eye socket injury.
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Belgium-born South Africa coach Hugo Broos also made one change after victory on penalties over Cape Verde with central defender Siyanda Xulu recalled and Thapelo Morena dropping to the bench.
South Africa had an equal number of shots at goal, but more on target, greater possession, and forced more corners in a tense, lively opening half.
Barely a minute after the kick-off, reigning African Player of the Year Osimhen knelt clutching his abdomen, but he continued after treatment and worked tirelessly.
When pre-match favourites Nigeria were awarded a free-kick, Semi Ajayi headed tamely at goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who saved four shootout penalties against Cape Verde.
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Percy Tau had a couple of half-chances for South Africa, but a weak shot and later a heavy first touch let him down before a 32,000 crowd.
Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who plays for South African top-flight club Chippa United, produced a good one-hand parry to foil Evidence Makgopa as half-time approached.
With the Super Eagles in the ascendancy, the deadlock ended midway through the second half when Mothobi Mvala fouled Osimhen and Troost-Ekong converted the penalty.
Makgopa fired narrowly wide with 15 minutes remaining as South Africa chased an equaliser in the central Ivorian city.
Then came the disallowed Osimhen goal, the Mokoena equaliser, the Mudau miss and 30 minutes of end-to-end extra time action, including a red card for Kekana, before the shootout.
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Sports
Crystal Palace Thrash Man Utd 4-0 To Leave Ten Hag’s Future In Doubt
Published
2 days agoon
May 6, 2024By
EditorManchester United are at risk of failing to qualify for Europe next season after a dismal 4-0 thrashing at Crystal Palace left the Red Devils eighth in the Premier League.
Michael Olise scored twice, either side of goals from the in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell, as the Eagles’ resurgence since the appointment of Oliver Glasner as manager continues.
The time for a change of boss at Old Trafford could be coming soon as Erik ten Hag fails to arrest a slide in his second season in charge.
United have only been absent from European competition once since the 1989-90 season.
That came after finishing seventh in David Moyes’ sole campaign 10 years ago and the Scot was sacked with four games of the season to go.
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United have never come lower than seventh in the Premier League era but are staring that possibility in the face with title-chasing Arsenal to come at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Ten Hag has routinely cited injury problems as mitigation for his side’s struggles.
The Dutchman was forced to cobble together a makeshift backline as Casemiro deputised out of position at centre-back, alongside 36-year-old Jonny Evans.
Captain Bruno Fernandes was also absent as his proud record of never missing a club game in his career due to injury came to an end.
But there was little excuse for the lack of fight or quality on show from a United side, whose sole Premier League win in their last seven games came against relegated Sheffield United.
Palace are unbeaten in their last five as former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Glasner’s project takes shape.
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The south London club will have to ward off interest in Olise and Eberechi Eze if they are to kick on to even better things under the Austrian next season.
Olise has attracted interest from United, Manchester City and Chelsea and showed why as he eased through the middle of the visitors’ defence before firing low past Andre Onana.
United failed to muster even a single shot on target in the first half but were unfortunate not to level against the run of play.
Casemiro’s looping header dropped into the net after Rasmus Hojlund clashed with Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson and was harshly penalised for a push.
But a two-goal half-time lead was the least Palace’s superiority deserved.
Mateta has been a man transformed under Glasner and hammered home his ninth goal in 11 games after skipping past the leaden-footed Evans with ease.
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There was no response from United after the break on a night which could be the final straw for the club’s new leadership group when deciding Ten Hag’s future.
Some heroics from Onana briefly kept the scoreline down as he saved from Eze, Will Hughes and Mitchell in quick succession.
But he was powerless to deny Mitchell a rare goal from close range as United were cut open from a set-piece.
Onana was then caught out by the power of Olise’s strike that flew past the Cameroonian.
The margin of the defeat took United’s goal difference to -3 which tells the tale of a sorry season for the 20-time English champions.
The FA Cup final against Manchester City offers Ten Hag one last shot at redemption, should he survive in charge until on May 25.
However, based on this evidence, United fans will fear double-chasing City could run riot at Wembley to inflict the ultimate humiliation.
AFP
Sports
Bayer Leverkusen Extend Unbeaten Run To 48 Games With Win At Frankfurt
Published
3 days agoon
May 5, 2024By
EditorBundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen extended their season-long unbeaten run to 48 games with a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
With Xabi Alonso forced to watch from the stands due to a yellow card suspension, Leverkusen turned on the style, winning with goals from Granit Xhaka, Patrik Schick, Jeremie Frimpong and penalties from Exequiel Palacios and Victor Boniface.
Alonso left midfield lynchpin Florian Wirtz, who turned 21 on Friday, out of the squad with Thursday’s second Champions League semi-final against Roma in mind, but Leverkusen had no problems in attack.
Xhaka opened the scoring with a long-range effort, before Frankfurt equalised through Hugo Ekitike, who scored for the third game in succession.
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Schick headed Bayer Leverkusen back in front just before half-time and World Cup winner Palacios scored a third from the penalty spot on the 58-minute mark.
The floodgates opened in the final stages, with Frimpong scoring just five minutes after coming on and then won a penalty with three minutes remaining.
Boniface converted the spot kick for Leverkusen’s first win in Frankfurt for six years.
Bayer Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in 48 across all competitions, need to avoid defeat in two remaining league matches to become the first team to go unbeaten through a Bundesliga season.
Alonso’s side have a 2-0 advantage ahead of Thursday’s second Europa League semi-final leg at home and are through to the final of the German Cup, keeping their dreams of an incredible unbeaten treble alive.
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– Union on the edge –
Earlier on Sunday, Bochum won 4-3 at Union Berlin, pushing the hosts closer to the drop just months after they were playing in the Champions League.
In the top division since 2019, Union Berlin finished fourth last season and were playing Champions League football against Real Madrid as recently as December.
Having built their success on home form, a lethargic Union were 3-0 down by half-time thanks to a Maximilian Wittek brace and a goal from former Berliner Keven Schlotterbeck.
Coach Nenad Bjelica made three changes at the break and they had their desired impact immediately.
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Yorbe Vertessen and Chris Bedia, both of whom came off the bench, scored in a three-minute period to cut the deficit to one.
With Union on the march and looking for an equaliser, Bochum scored again, Philipp Hofmann heading in from close range.
The home side gave their fans hope again just four minutes later, Benedict Hollerbach again cutting the deficit to just a goal.
Union fought but could not score the equaliser and now sit just two points clear of Mainz in the relegation playoff spot.
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Mainz play at promoted Heidenheim later on Sunday and could leapfrog Union into safety.
Leeds loanee Brenden Aaronson, one of three Union players to be subbed on at half-time, criticised his team’s first-half performance.
“It was one of those days when we didn’t show up and that’s all there is to it.
“We need to band together and fight like we did in the second-half. That’s what we need to take away from this game.”
Bochum moved five clear of the drop with two games remaining this season.
Sports
BREAKING: PSV Eindhoven Crowned Dutch Champions For Record 25th Time
Published
3 days agoon
May 5, 2024By
EditorPSV Eindhoven were crowned Dutch champions for the 25th time on Sunday, the club’s first title since 2018, in a season also notable for the implosion of rivals Ajax.
Peter Bosz’s men made sure of the Eredivisie trophy with two games to spare via a 4-2 win over Sparta Rotterdam in a party atmosphere at a sunny Philips Stadion.
This meant second-placed Feyenoord could no longer catch PSV, who celebrated in front of their jubilant fans at the final whistle.
It has been a season to remember for the Eindhoven club whose shirt has been graced by Brazilians Romario and Ronaldo, as well as Dutch legends Mark van Bommel and Arjen Robben.
They went 17 games before even dropping a point in the Eredivisie, finally losing their unbeaten record on the 27th matchday with a 3-1 loss away to NEC Nijmegen.
Particularly sweet was a 5-2 win at home to Ajax and a crunch 2-1 victory away in Feyenoord’s intimidating De Kuip stadium, which set PSV on their way towards the title.
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Central to PSV’s success this term has been the form of their veteran Dutch striker Luuk de Jong, whose 27 goals has made him the league’s joint top goalscorer.
This team has some way to go before matching the legendary 1987/88 Guus Hiddink-coached side that swept all before them, beating Benfica on penalties in the European Cup final.
But the Eredivisie trophy will assuage the frustrations of previous seasons when PSV finished second on three consecutive occasions, watching Ajax or Feyenoord lift the title.
PSV also enjoyed a good run in Europe, coming second in a Champions League group that included Arsenal, Sevilla and Lens, before crashing out to Borussia Dortmund in the last 16.
– Bliss for PSV, Horror for Ajax –
Feyenoord can count themselves unlucky to have come up against an all-conquering PSV this year — the Rotterdam club have only lost twice all season in the top flight.
The De Kuip faithful will settle for second place plus a Dutch Cup triumph but are set to lose their coach, with Arne Slot heading to Liverpool to replace Jurgen Klopp.
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Meanwhile, Ajax fans would settle for anything after a season which would have Johan Cruyff turning in his grave.
The four-time European Cup champions seem unlikely to qualify for any European football next season, lying a shocking fifth — nine points behind AZ Alkmaar.
The 5-2 win for PSV over Ajax in October was doubly joyous for the Eindhoven club as it also, briefly, condemned their perennial rivals to a historic last place in the Eredivisie.
Historic low followed historic low Ajax, a club that counts Cruyff, Marco Van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp as alumni, as they crashed out of the Dutch club to amateur club Hercules.
The nadir for the Amsterdam club came in early April when they suffered humiliation in De Kuip, losing 6-0 to Feyenoord in the Dutch “Klassieker.”
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Frustrations on the pitch have boiled over into violence in the stands and chaos in the boardroom.
CEO and chairman Alex Kroes was suspended on suspicion of insider trading, only to return a few weeks later as technical director.
A few days after his suspension, it emerged that club chairman Michael van Praag, who had vocally criticised Kroes, had “forgotten” to declare his own shares in the club to the correct authorities.
Vitesse Arnhem were relegated for the first time in 35 seasons after the Dutch federation imposed an 18-point penalty on them.
They currently sit on two points after their punishment for breaches of the league’s licensing regulations.
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