Sports
Liverpool Held By Fulham After Last-Gasp Reed Rocket
Liverpool were held to a dramatic 2-2 draw by Fulham on Sunday as Harrison Reed scored a stunning stoppage-time equaliser just moments after Cody Gakpo netted for the Reds.
Gakpo had seemingly put Liverpool on course for victory at Craven Cottage with his strike in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
But Reed hauled Fulham level with a superb long-range blast to dent Liverpool’s push to finish in the Premier League’s top four.
On a controversial afternoon in west London, Arne Slot’s side had trailed to Harry Wilson’s first-half goal.
Fulham’s opener had been awarded after VAR rejected the initial offside decision against Wilson.
While that appeared to be the correct decision, there was far more doubt about Florian Wirtz’s leveller.
The German was originally ruled offside, and Fulham’s players were so confident that it was the right call that they had virtually stopped before Wirtz took his shot.
However, the VAR official disagreed, ruling that Wirtz was played onside by the narrowest of margins, even though his foot seemed in an offside position.
Fourth-placed Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions ahead of a trip to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Thursday.
But it was another far from convincing display from the Reds following the goalless stalemate against Leeds on New Year’s Day.
French striker Hugo Ekitike was absent due to a hamstring injury, and, with Alexander Isak also injured and Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations, Slot used Wirtz, Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai in his makeshift attack.
After kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes due to a medical emergency at Craven Cottage, Liverpool immediately looked out of sync.
Gakpo wasted two early opportunities with a deflected strike that whistled wide before he made a hash of finishing off Curtis Jones’ pass.
Liverpool were punished for their spluttering start in the 17th minute when Raul Jimenez’s pass beat the Fulham offside trap.
With Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk flat-footed, Wilson scampered onto the through ball and planted a composed finish past Alisson Becker.
The goal was initially disallowed for offside before a VAR check allowed Wilson to celebrate scoring against his former club.
Alexis Mac Allister nearly ended Liverpool’s malaise with a thumping header that smacked off the bar from Szoboszlai’s corner early in the second half.
That was the spark for Liverpool’s 57th-minute equaliser.
Conor Bradley surged through the heart of the Fulham defence and slipped a pass to Wirtz, who slotted into the far corner from six yards.
The German’s celebrations were initially curtailed by the offside flag, but after a lengthy review, he celebrated his second goal since his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen.
Liverpool had an incredible escape when Jimenez was unable to finish after bursting through, Wilson chipping the rebound onto the bar before Van Dijk cleared the follow-up off the line.
They looked set to make the most of that let-off when Gakpo prodded Jeremie Frimpong’s cross into the net from close range in the dying moments.
But Reed had other ideas, leaving Liverpool stunned as he drove a sublime strike into the top corner from 30 yards for his first goal since April 2023.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles began their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo on Friday.
Madagascar stunned the home crowd at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium by taking the lead in the 16th minute through E. Kari, who converted a pass from R. Ponti.
Nigeria responded before half-time, with debutant George Ilenikhena restoring parity after combining with Alex Iwobi to finish off the move.
The Super Eagles completed the comeback in the second half when another debutant, Moses Usor, scored to put Eric Chelle’s side 2-1 ahead.
Nigeria held on to secure all three points and make a winning start to their Group L campaign.
The result is particularly significant because Tanzania, one of the group’s co-hosts, already has an automatic place at the 2027 AFCON finals.
Consequently, only the highest-placed team among Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau will claim the remaining qualification ticket from the group.
The Super Eagles will next travel to Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday for their second Group L fixture, while Madagascar will face Tanzania.
Nigeria were without Victor Osimhen for the match after the Galatasaray striker was ruled out of the opening two qualifiers while recovering from a muscle injury.
Team FCT have emerged winners of the Abuja Zone of the ongoing 2026 First Bank/Samuel Okwaraji Foundation Inter-Secondary School Football Competition.
The FCT side finished top of the zonal standings with 10 points to secure the first position, while Plateau State came second with 7 points.
Other teams that participated in the Abuja Zone competition were representatives from Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
Speaking after FCT emerged champions of the zone, 16-year-old Victor Onyebuchi, an emerging star and a student of GSTC Garki, praised the organisers for providing young footballers with an opportunity to showcase their talents.
Onyebuchi said he had hoped and prayed that FCT would emerge winners of the group, expressing delight that his wish had been fulfilled.
He, however, stressed that the team must work harder ahead of the national final, where they will aim to compete for the overall title.
“I am very happy that FCT emerged winners of the group. I prayed for this and my wish has come true. Now, we have to work harder for the national final and hopefully emerge champions,”
Onyebuchi said.
The promising midfielder also revealed that the competition represents an important platform in his ambition to become a professional footballer.
“My dream is to become a professional footballer in Nigeria and later play for the national team. I believe this tournament can give me the opportunity to achieve that dream.”
The Abuja Zone was one of the zonal centres for the 2026 First Bank/Samuel Okwaraji Foundation Inter-Secondary School Football Competition, designed to provide young players with a platform to develop and showcase their football abilities.
Former Super Eagles captain and Al-Ahli star, William Troost-Ekong, has converted to Islam.
Troost-Ekong was said to have recited the Shahadah in Doha, Qatar, where he plays for Qatar Stars League club Al-Ahli, as reported by a Qatari press, “Al-Arab” on Wednesday.
A respected Islamic cleric, Dr Muhammad Salah, also shared a video on his verified Facebook account wherein the defender recited the testimonies.
The 33-year-old defender first moved to the Arab region in the summer of 2024, when he signed for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Khaleej.
He joined Qatari side, Al-Ahli in January 2026 on a one-and-a-half-year contract and has since played 14 matches across all competitions, including a single appearance in the current season.
On the international stage, Ekong won 83 caps for Nigeria between 2015 and 2025, scoring 8 goals.
He reached the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire and was named best player of that edition.
Troost-Ekong also represented Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games, establishing himself as one of the country’s most experienced defenders of the past decade.
He enjoyed a distinguished international career with Super Eagles, making more than 70 appearances for the Super Eagles.
PDP group slams Zamfara Governor for attacking Wike, hails FCT Minister’s nationalistic position
‘I regret sleeping with you’: Married man, ‘feminist’s messy affair goes viral
Obi, Momodu condemn El-Rufai’s prolonged detention
-
News10 hours agoHow AI Could Cause the catastrophic death of a Billion people — Billionaire Bill Gates Warns
-
News10 hours agoPolice Arrest Officer Who Said Igbo Man Can Never Be President
-
News20 hours agoPope Leo XIV Warns Against AI Risks, Urges World to Protect Human Dignity
-
Sports10 hours agoAFCON Qualifier: Nigeria Defeats Madagascar
-
News20 hours agoNigeria @66: Tinubu Urges Citizens to Keep Faith, Says ‘Light At End of Tunnel
-
News20 hours agoAregbesola Missing From Atiku’s 2027 Campaign Council Amid Reported ADC Rift