Sports

Finally , Arsenal crashes, loses 2-1 to Aston Villa after 18-match unbeaten

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8 months ago

December 6, 2025

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Emi Buendia with the last kick of the game saw Arsenal lose to Aston Villa at Villa Park as their 18-match unbeaten record collapsed.

Matty Cash gave the hosts the lead at half-time thanks to a well-taken finish on 36 minutes, but after the break we came out firing and swiftly responded through substitute Leandro Trossard who netted for the third successive league game having returned from injury.

Both sides had numerous good chances to snatch the win but found David Raya and Emiliano Martinez in good form, who made a string of top saves between them, but in the last action of the game, Buendia managed to find the net after a goalmouth scramble to secure a fifth-straight win for the in-form Villans.

The teams went into this game sitting first and third in the table, and with confidence high in both camps, chances were quick to come.

Martin Odegaard shot straight at Martinez when he won back possession in a dangerous area, and then a minute later Raya saved smartly from Ollie Watkins after the Villa frontman wriggled his way past our centre-back pairing of Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber.

Bukayo Saka then became involved in the thick of the action, firstly driving the ball goalwards which forced Martinez to push his blast away, and then heading over Odegaard’s resulting cross. But just before the midway point of the half, Saka slipped in behind the Villa backline to square for Ebere Eze to tap into the net, but was ruled offside.

However when the ball next went into the net, unfortunately, it was ours that was rippled on 35 minutes. Pau Torres fired a cross that flicked off the head of Jurrien Timber and spun towards the back post, dropping invitingly to Cash to thump between Raya’s legs and hand the hosts the lead.

The better of the chances kept coming our way though, but we were lacking the execution needed to force Martinez into any real action. Ben White and Declan Rice both scuffed efforts at the former Gunner towards the end of the half as we went into the changing room behind.

Trossard again
Arteta responded by sending on Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard at the break, and the latter nearly made an immediate impact when he connected well with an Odegaard cross but his volley flashed just wide, however on 52 minutes our super sub once again came up with the goods.

Saka won possession on the halfway line and, after exchanging passes with Odegaard, drove into the area. His cross-shot was palmed away by Martinez, but only into the path of Trossard who squeezed the ball over the line to score his 50th Premier League goal and, more importantly, restore parity.

But the momentum refused to swing our way as Villa showed why they’d lost just one of their previous 25 league encounters on their own turf since we defeated them 2-0 last August, and after a sustained period of pressure Raya did well to get down low and deny Watkins again as we struggled to clear our lines.

However Martinez was then forced to be at his best when Odegaard found himself with time and space to aim for the top corner and looked set to celebrate, but the Villa shot-stopper got the faintest of fingertips to just divert it over the crossbar.

Late heartbreak
The game was on a real knife-edge at this point and another former Gunner in Donyell Marlen dragged the ball just wide of the far upright after capitalising on a miskick by Riccardo Calafiori, while in the second of four minutes of injury time Noni Madueke struck the sidenetting.

But just as it seemed as though we were returning south with a useful point, with seconds left a goalmouth scramble ensued that saw Raya make another good save, but we couldn’t clear our lines, with Buendia eventually given the chance to guide the ball into the net and condemn us to our first loss since August.

Sports

Sad; Katsina United footballer, Ozor, slumps, dies, Gov Radda mourns

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2 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Austin Ojomah

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Katsina State was thrown into mourning on Tuesday after the tragic death of Katsina United Football Club player, Chinedu Ozor, who collapsed during a pre-season friendly match against Niger Tornadoes FC at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium.

The promising footballer, who recently joined Katsina United from Kano Pillars FC, reportedly suffered a medical emergency during the encounter and was rushed to K-Dara Specialist Hospital, Katsina, where he was confirmed dead in the early hours of Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

Reacting to the heartbreaking incident, Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, expressed profound shock and sadness over the untimely passing of the young player, describing the loss as a devastating blow to the football community and the state.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Mohammed, Governor Radda said the tragedy was especially painful as Ozor had been preparing to begin a new chapter of his career with Katsina United.

“The sudden death of Ozoh Chinedu is deeply shocking and heartbreaking. It is particularly painful that a young footballer with a promising career has lost his life at such a time,” the Governor said.
Governor Radda extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, Katsina United Football Club, the player’s teammates, coaches, management, supporters, his former club Kano Pillars FC, and the wider Nigerian football community.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Katsina State, I extend our condolences to the family of Ozoh Chinedu, Katsina United FC, his teammates, coaches, management, supporters, Kano Pillars FC and the entire football community,” he added.

The tragic incident has sent shockwaves across the country’s football fraternity, with tributes expected to pour in for the late midfielder, whose career was widely regarded as one of great promise.

Ozoh’s sudden passing has once again highlighted concerns over player health and emergency medical preparedness in competitive football, as the football community mourns the loss of a talented athlete whose life and career were cut short.

Sports

Countries That Qualified For 2027 Women’s World Cup As Cameroon Beat Nigeria In Quarter- Final

Published

2 days ago

August 10, 2026

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Cameroon on Sunday secured their place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after edging Nigeria’s Super Falcons 1-0 in their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final encounter.

The victory also sent the Indomitable Lionesses into the WAFCON semi-finals, securing their qualification for next year’s global tournament in Brazil.

The 2026 WAFCON doubles as Africa’s qualifying competition for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the four semi-finalists earning the continent’s automatic tickets to the tournament.

Cameroon join Algeria and Morocco, who had already sealed their places after reaching the semi-finals on Saturday.

Brazil will host the 2027 tournament, while the remaining qualifying places are being determined through continental competitions across the various confederations.

See full list of countries that qualified:

Host:

Brazil

AFC:

Australia
China PR
Japan
Korea DPR
Korea Republic
Philippines

CAF:

Algeria
Cameroon
Morocco

Concacaf:

None yet

CONMEBOL:

Argentina
Colombia

OFC:

New Zealand

UEFA:

Denmark
France
Germany
Spain

More teams are expected to secure qualification as the various continental qualification campaigns conclude.

The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will feature 32 teams.

Sports

Just in: Unlucky Sunday for Nigeria as Super Falcons, Flying Eagles crumble, World Cup hopes dimmed

Published

2 days ago

August 10, 2026

Austin Ojomah

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It is an unlucky Sunday for two National teams of Nigeria, the Super Falcons fell to Cameroon just as Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been knocked out of the race for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup after suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to Burkina Faso in the final of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship.

The defeat at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, also ended Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

The WAFU Zone B final carried added importance, as the winner was guaranteed a place at the 2027 U-20 AFCON, which will serve as the qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

With Burkina Faso emerging victorious, the Young Stallions secured the region’s ticket, while Nigeria’s hopes of returning to the global youth tournament came to an end.

Burkina Faso took control of the final from the opening whistle, scoring three goals within the first 15 minutes and leaving the Flying Eagles with a huge deficit.

Nigeria struggled to contain the Young Stallings’ attacking pressure and could not recover from the early setback before the break.

Coach Abdu Maikaba’s side attempted to fight back after the interval but failed to produce the response required to turn the game around.

Burkina Faso eventually added another goal to complete a convincing 4-1 victory, while Nigeria’s consolation effort was not enough to change the outcome.

The result was particularly painful for the Flying Eagles after Burkina Faso had already defeated them 2-0 during the group stage.

Nigeria had hoped to avenge that earlier loss in the final but instead suffered another defeat to the Young Stallions when the stakes were highest.

The Flying Eagles had reached the final after overcoming Côte d’Ivoire in a dramatic semi-final.