Sports
FA Cup: Arsenal trounce Portsmouth 4-1 as Martinelli hits hat-trick
Gabriel Martinelli shrugged off the backlash to his clash with stricken Liverpool defender Conor Bradley to send Arsenal into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 4-1 win at Portsmouth on Sunday.
The Championship side were dreaming of an upset against the Premier League leaders when they went in front after just three minutes through Colby Bishop.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had made 10 changes from the side that drew 0-0 with Liverpool on Thursday.
Martinelli drew stinging criticism for trying to push Bradley off the pitch in the closing stages after the Northern Irishman hit the ground with a serious knee injury.
Liverpool confirmed on Sunday that the right-back will require surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
The Brazilian apologised to Bradley after the game and did not seem affected by the furore at Fratton Park.
Arsenal could rely on their threat from set-pieces to turn the tie around.
The Pompey lead lasted only two minutes as Christian Norgaard bundled in from close range before Martinelli flicked in the first of his three goals.
Noni Madueke missed the chance to make it 3-1 from the penalty spot when the England international fired wide.
Martinelli killed the tie off early in the second period from Gabriel Jesus’ cross before completing his hat-trick from another Arsenal corner.
Darren Fletcher is looking to further his case to remain in charge of Manchester United beyond Sunday with victory over Brighton later to keep alive the Red Devils’ hopes of silverware this season.
Leeds needed a second-half fightback to beat Derby County 3-1 and book their place in the fourth round.
The Premier League side have lost just once in their last nine games to pull clear of the relegation zone.
But they were headed for defeat at half-time to second-tier Derby after Chilean international Ben Brereton Diaz drilled a strike into the bottom corner.
Joel Piroe had seen a penalty saved by Jacob Zetterstrom before Leeds fell behind, but the Dutch striker redeemed himself by playing a part in the comeback.
Jaka Bijol played the ball into the area, and Piroe’s neat step-over allowed Willy Gnonto to smash home a 55th-minute equaliser.
Just four minutes later, Piroe’s low shot was parried by Zetterstrom, and Ao Tanaka slotted in the rebound.
The visitors made sure of victory in stoppage time when James Justin rounded off a slick counter-attack.
AFP
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.
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