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Lookman On Score Sheet As Atalanta Take Top Spot In Serie A, Roma Hit Five

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Atalanta surged back to the top of the Serie A standings with a Charles De Ketelaere-inspired 3-2 win at home to Empoli on Sunday, while inconsistent Roma thrashed Parma 5-0.

De Ketelaere was twice on target for Atalanta in the topsy-turvy encounter — his second goal proving to be the winner with just four minutes left on the clock.

Ademola Lookman was also on the scoresheet to ensure Gian Piero Gasperini’s side leapfrogged Napoli back into top spot.

The Bergamo-based side restored their two-point buffer over Napoli, who had moved a point ahead of them following their 2-1 win at Genoa on Saturday.

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Lorenzo Colombo gave 11th-placed Empoli the lead at the Gewiss Stadium on 13 minutes.

But De Ketelaere hit back to level for the Europa League champions four minutes after the half-hour.

Recently crowned African player of the year, Lookman got his 12th goal of the season in all competitions to put Atalanta in front in first-half added time.

Sebastiano Esposito pegged back Atalanta on 57 minutes, converting from the penalty spot.

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As the game crept towards a disappointing draw that would have still sent Atalanta back top on goal difference, Belgian midfielder De Ketelaere popped up with his fifth league goal this term in the 86th minute.

The 23-year-old showed skill and composure to glide along the edge of the box until a chance presented itself, and he then fired off a disguised left-footed shot which flashed past the goalkeeper.

Earlier, Roma bounced back from last weekend’s surprise 2-0 loss at Como, which had left Claudio Ranieri’s side within two points of the drop zone, to thump Parma in the Italian capital.

Paulo Dybala hit a brace, with goals also coming from Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Paredes and Artem Dovbyk as Roma moved to 10th place.

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Parma remain one point above the drop zone in 16th spot.

Dybala converted a penalty and Saelemaekers slammed home a volley to give the home side a 2-0 lead inside the opening quarter of an hour.

The Argentinian netted his second six minutes after the break. Paredes then scored from 12 yards in the 74th minute and Ukrainian striker Dovbyk put the cherry on top for the Romans with seven minutes remaining.

Venezia climbed off the bottom of the table with a vital 2-1 home win over fellow strugglers Cagliari.

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Francesco Zampano and Marin Sverko scored either side of the break for the hosts, before Leonardo Pavoletti pulled one back for the Sardinians inside the final 15 minutes.

The result leaves Cagliari 18th on 14 points, one ahead of Venezia, with Monza propping up the standings with 10 points.

Monza can send Venezia back to the bottom of the pile later on Sunday, but to do so they must inflict a first league defeat of the season on Juventus.

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Super Eagles: Chelle, NFF Reach New Contract

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Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has reached agreement on a new contract with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.

Chelle entered the new agreement with NFF during a meeting at the National Sports Commission, NSC, headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, and Chelle attended the meeting.

Chelle will now earn $100,000 monthly, in place of his earlier $45,000 salary, following the new agreement.

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The Malian’s assistants will also now be paid by the NFF.

The 48-year-old, who was appointed Super Eagles head coach in January 2025, guided the Super Eagles to third position at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

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Messi becomes World Cup highest goalscorer as Argentina beat Austria 2-0

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Argentina’s Lionel Messi has broken the record for the most goals in World Cup history with 18 goals after a brace in a win against Austria.

The defending champions won 2-0 after a hard fought game against Austria, but were able to get the win after Messi scored in both halves of the game.

Messi, who is widely regarded as the greatest footballer ever surpassed Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals.

Argentina now have two wins in two games and have qualified for the next round as they look to successfully defend the title.

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Meanwhile Austria will look to seal their qualification to the next round in their last game against Algeria.

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Egypt’s historic World Cup win over New Zealand, will be remembered for a long time-Sallah

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Mohamed Salah has described his country’s 3-1 victory over New Zealand at the FIFA World Cup 2026 as one of the most significant moments in Egyptian football history, after the Pharaohs secured their first-ever win at the global tournament.
Salah, who has carried the hopes of a football-mad nation for more than a decade, could barely contain his emotions after Egypt overturned a first-half deficit to defeat the Oceania side and keep alive their hopes of finishing top of Group G.

For a nation that has dominated African football with a record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles but struggled to make an impact on the World Cup stage, the victory represented a long-awaited breakthrough.
Speaking after the match, Salah reflected on the significance of the achievement and challenged his teammates to build on the result.
“I told the players before the game that they could write history today,” Salah said.

“This is our first World Cup win ever. If we can qualify as group winners in the next game, it will be remembered for years to come.”

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The result marked a historic moment for Egyptian football, ending decades of frustration on the world’s biggest stage. Despite their pedigree in Africa, Egypt had previously failed to register a victory at the World Cup, with past appearances yielding disappointment rather than celebration.

Salah, who has been a fixture in the national team for 14 years, said the victory was particularly satisfying because of the sacrifices made by generations of Egyptian players.

“I always try to give my best to the national team and share my experience with the younger players,” he said. “We have reached the Africa Cup finals before and came close to winning trophies, but this is something special.”
The match itself was far from straightforward.
New Zealand stunned Egypt by taking the lead and looked capable of pulling off a major upset after a disciplined and energetic first-half display. The Kiwis, who had drawn their opening match, once again demonstrated resilience and organisation, forcing Egypt to dig deep.
However, the Pharaohs emerged transformed after the break, showing the determination and mental strength that Salah later praised.

“They scored first and were very sharp in the first half,” the Egyptian captain said.
“But in the second half, we came back into the game and showed strong mentality.”

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Egypt’s quality eventually shone through as they struck three times to seal a memorable victory and move into a strong position heading into their final group fixture.
Despite the defeat, Salah reserved praise for the New Zealand side, describing them as a team capable of competing at the highest level.
“It is a very good team with good players,” he said. “Many of them play in Europe.

They are mentally strong and physically strong. They made it very difficult for us.”
While celebrations erupted among Egyptian supporters, Salah’s thoughts also turned to teammate Hossam, who appeared to suffer a concussion during the encounter.

“As captain, I try to check on everybody,” Salah revealed. “I was worried about him and wanted to make sure he was okay.”

The victory places Egypt on the brink of an even greater achievement. Having already secured a point against Belgium in their opening match, the Pharaohs now have an opportunity to finish top of Group G when they face Iran in their final group game.
For Salah, however, the occasion was about more than points or standings. It was about creating a moment that millions of Egyptians could cherish.
“For other countries, winning World Cup games may happen often,” he said. “For us, it doesn’t happen often. This is history for Egypt.”
Egypt now stands one match away from another piece of history. Should the Pharaohs defeat Iran and finish as Group G winners, the team would further cement its place among the country’s greatest football generations.

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