Sports
Osasuna Dismantle Barca’s Perfect Liga Start
Osasuna shattered La Liga leaders Barcelona’s perfect start to the season with an emphatic 4-2 victory on Saturday.
The Catalans won all seven of their opening fixtures but Hansi Flick’s rotated side came badly undone in Pamplona as Ante Budimir scored a brace either side of Bryan Zaragoza’s strike.
Pau Victor had given Barca a lifeline to pull them back into the game before Budimir bagged his second from the penalty spot.
Abel Bretones added a sensational fourth from the edge of the box before Lamine Yamal pulled one back with a fine effort of his own.
Victory would have matched Barcelona’s best-ever start to a league campaign with eight consecutive wins, but they were not able to build on their four-point lead on second-place Real Madrid.
The Spanish champions visit Atletico Madrid, third, in a derby clash on Sunday.
“It’s normal there are rotations, there are a lot of games, it’s not an excuse,” Barcelona midfielder Pedri told Movistar.
“In the second half, we deserved a bit more but we let in goals when we were at our best.”
Ahead of a Champions League match against Young Boys on Tuesday, Flick shuffled his pack.
The coach handed starts to defenders Gerard Martin and Sergi Dominguez as well as Pablo Torre in midfield and Victor in attack.
The coach rested Spain Euro 2024 starlet Yamal and Brazilian winger Raphinha among other regular picks.
As a result, Barcelona failed to ignite in the first half, and Osasuna winger Zaragoza took centre-stage.
Last season Zaragoza struck twice while playing for Granada in a 2-2 draw against Barca, a performance that helped earn him a move to Bayern Munich.
On loan from the German giants, Zaragoza created the opener for target-man Budimir with a fine cross, which the Croatian nodded home with ease in the 18th minute after escaping the attentions of Dominguez.
Zaragoza finished the second himself 10 minutes later after being sent through on goal, with the winger bypassing goalkeeper Inaki Pena with a fine ball roll and then slotting into the empty net.
Barcelona complained there had been a foul on Victor in the build-up but the referee waved their complaints away.
The leaders created little themselves, with the best opening falling to Ferran Torres. However, the Spanish winger miscontrolled on the edge of the box and was quickly swallowed up by the Osasuna defence.
Reinforcements
Yamal, Raphinha, and Ansu Fati warmed up at half-time, with Barcelona needing to turn to their stars to mount a comeback.
Before Flick had time to send them on, Victor pulled Barcelona back into the game.
Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera gave the ball away with a poor throw, intercepted by Martin, who fed Victor.
The forward took an early shot from distance which Herrera, who slipped as he made it back to his goal, should have kept out but could not.
Flick took off top scorer Robert Lewandowski, largely uninvolved, with 20 minutes remaining and moved Torres into the middle to fill the gap.
However, Osasuna almost immediately stretched their lead when 19-year-old centre-back Dominguez scythed down Budimir in the area as he went to shoot.
The striker buried the penalty with a low effort hit hard enough to beat Pena although he dived the right way.
Ruben Pena wasted a glorious chance to grab a fourth as he ran in on goal but was caught in two minds whether to pass or shoot, and Eric Garcia charged back to dispossess him as he dawdled.
Bretones, on the other hand, was lethal from the edge of the box when he won the ball back and powered an effort past Barca goalkeeper Pena.
Yamal hit back brilliantly from range and teed up Torres who struck the post, but it was too little, too late.
Osasuna rose to sixth and Zaragoza said his team had been determined to beat the leaders.
“We knew Barca were an incredible team, they had won everything and we knew we had to get stuck into it, and that’s how we went out there,” explained the winger.
“It’s a special game and really nice to play in.”
AFP
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on the Super Eagles to gear up for a rematch against Libya, following the team’s harrowing experience at a Libyan airport last Sunday.
The Nigerian players and officials were stranded for hours, denied food and internet access, ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match against Libya’s Mediterranean Knights.
In a statement on his X handle, Obi expressed sympathy for the team’s ordeal and commended their patriotism and patience in the face of unfair treatment.
He encouraged the players not to let the experience dampen their spirits, but rather recharge their determination to win the match and qualify for the Morocco 2025 AFCON.
The statement reads: Like every other patriotic Nigerian, I sincerely sympathize with our dear Super Eagles over their ordeal in Libya on their way to play the Morocco 2025 AFCON Qualifier return leg match, which was later delisted by CAF following the players’ decision not to play the match.
The neglect and abandonment they and their officials suffered at a remote Libyan airport is highly regrettable and justifies their alternative decision of returning home.
While we await the outcome of an investigation ordered by CAF, I wish to use this opportunity to commend the players for their patriotism, patience, and forbearance in the face of the unfair treatment by our Libyan brothers.
I appeal to them not to allow this sad experience dampen their zeal or break their spirit.
On the other hand, it should recharge their determination to fight to win the match whenever it takes place, to qualify for the Morocco 2025 AFCON, and, to win the championship.
In times like this, when Nigerians are left dejected by the sorry state of affairs in the country, every victory by the Super Eagles would not only serve to unite the country but also give Nigerians something to celebrate.
The sad experience of our national team in Libya should encourage all of us to work hard to bring more respect and dignity to our nation.
With the right leadership in place, Nigeria surely will rise again. Indeed, a new Nigeria is POssible.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has picked Morocco to host the 2024 edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League Finals.
The CAF Women’s Champions League Morocco 2024 will be played between November 9 and 23.
Morocco hosted the 2022 edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League – the premium women’s club football competition in Africa.
Eight clubs including Edo Queens will contest the top prize. Winners will get USD 400 000 in prize money with runners-up walking away with USD 250 000.
Mamelodi Sundowns are the current holders – having won the competition twice in three years.
Morocco’s ASFAR is the other team that has won the Competition – back in 2022 when they defeated Mamelodi Sundowns.
Since its inception, the CAF Women’s Champions League played a key role in shaping women’s football in Africa.
Morocco’s hosting of the CAF Women’s Champions League follows the nation’s successful hosting of the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2022 which also enjoyed unparalleled success.
Six Zonal tournaments took place to qualify six teams in addition to the host and the holder of 2023 title to the FT of CAF WCL 2024.
Apart from holders Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) and host team ASFAR (Morocco), Aigles de la Medina (Senegal) will represent WAFU A while Edo Queens (Nigeria) will represent WAFU B .
Others are
University of Western Cape (South Africa) for COSAFA , Tutankhamun (Egypt) for UNAF , CBE FC (Ethiopia) for CECAFA and TP Mazembe (DR Congo) for UNIFFAC.
Kano Pillars bagged their first away win of the season at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu against Rangers International and have thrown a spanner in the Nigeria Premier Football League reigning champions title challenge.
It was a Matchday 7 tie that came barely three days after Kano Pillars were pinned 2-0 in Uyo by Akwa United. But they were at their best against the Flying Antelopes and raced to a 4-0 first half lead to the bewilderment of Rangers’ head coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu.
Rabiu Ali scored the game’s first goal for the visitors in the 19th minute from the spot kick while Rabiu Muhammed Zulkifilu made it two 10 minutes later. Ali got his brace in the 41st v minute from the penalty spot again before Ahmed Musa’s icing on the cake in the 45th minute.
But Isaac Saviour scored a quick-fire double in the 46th and 59th minutes for the home side to raise the hope of a comeback but they could only add one more in the 90th minute. The game finished 4-3 with Sai Masu Gida having the last laugh on the Flying Antelopes’ stomping ground.
Rangers slipped to the fifth spot with 10 points but Kano Pillars moved to the fourth spot with 10 points. The arrival of Super Eagles Skipper Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi is helping to provide the necessary stability at Kano Pillars.
In the remaining games played yesterday, Lobi Stars were held to a 2-2 draw by unbeaten El Kanemi Warriors at the Lafia City Stadium.
Lobi Stars went 2-0 up through the goals of Ossy Martins in the 17th and 53rd minutes. It was Martins’ third goal in his last two games for the Pride of Benue.
El Kanemi Warriors began their comeback in the 57th minute through Ibrahim Mustapha’s goal before Mukhtar Mohammed’s equaliser four minutes from full time. It was the Borno Army’s fifth draw of the season after six games. They are still with a game at hand against Kwara United in Maiduguri.
In another game played in Lafia, Nasarawa United’s Anas Yusuf notched his second hat trick of the season in their 3-0 whiplash of Abia Warriors. Yusuf has seven goals from the seven games played thus far.
In Aba, Enyimba had to comeback from behind to avoid a first home defeat of the season against Niger Tornadoes. The People’s Elephant had held Shooting Stars to a goalless draw in Ibadan last weekend but they went behind to God’s time Joseph’s 42nd minute stunner.
Enyimba’s Chinedu Ufere got the leveller in the 76th minute to ensure it was a draw.
At the Kwara Sports Complex, Ilorin Wasiu Alalade was the star man for Kwara United who whipped Sunshine Stars 3-0.
Alalade scored twice in the 30th and 38th minutes while Shola Abdulraheem hit the target for the third goal of the game in the 73rd minute.
The remaining Matchday Seven games slated for today are: Bendel Insurance versus Bayelsa United; Rivers United versus Shooting Stars; Heartland versus Ikorodu City; Plateau United versus Remo Stars and Katsina United versus Akwa United.
NPFL Matchday 7 Results
Lobi Stars 2-2 El Kanemi
Nasarawa United 3-0 Abia Warriors
Enyimba 1-1 Niger Tornadoes
Kwara United 3-0 Sunshine Stars
Rangers FC 3-4 Kano Pillars
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