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JUST IN: Tinubu receives Super Eagles at Aso Villa

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By Francesca Hangeior

President Bola Tinubu is currently hosting Nigeria’s National football team, the Super Eagles at the State House Council Chambers.

This is coming barely 48 hours after they battled unsuccessfully for the top spot at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations against the host country Côte d’Ivoire.

In a statement he released after the match, Tinubu had commended the team, the coach, the crew and the entire management team for their “hard work, assiduity, and sacrifice to come this far in the tournament,” acknowledging the hurdles they consistently surpassed with steadily improving performance as they pulled through to the finals.

The President had urged Nigerians to be of good cheer, stressing that “we won a great victory in the hearts of Africa and the world by our grit, rigour, and determination in the field of play.”

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“Let this passing event not dispirit us, but bring us together to work harder. We are a great nation bound as one by the green-white-green banner of resilience, joy, hope, duty, and untiring love.

“To those cherished Nigerian youths expressing their gifts in communities, drawing lines in the sand as they play football in their humble rectangles of play, you can be our heroes tomorrow, do not relent in your pursuit. My administration is here to make dreams come true,” Tinubu had said.

Details later…

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Turkey: Osimhen fires Galatasaray to victory over Konyaspor

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Victor Osimhen netted the decisive goal as Galatasaray claimed a 1-0 victory over Konyaspor.

Osimhen fired home the winner from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute.

The Nigeria international has so far registered 12 goals in 15 league appearances for the Yellow and Reds.

The forward’s last seven goals for Galatasaray have come from penalties.

The 26-year-old featured for the entire duration of the game.

Okan Buruk’s side will be away to Gaziantep in their next league game.

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Haaland leads Man City revival to beat Chelsea

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Erling Haaland inspired a Manchester City fightback from 1-0 down to beat Chelsea 3-1 and move into the Premier League top four at the Blues’ expense on Saturday.

City recovered from a nightmare start to Abdukodir Khusanov’s debut as he gifted the visitors the opening goal, scored by Noni Madueke.

Josko Gvardiol levelled for Pep Guardiola’s men before Haaland showed his blend of strength and skill to chip in 22 minutes from time.

The Norwegian then turned provider for the in-form Phil Foden to secure City’s fourth win in five league games after just one in their previous nine.

Chelsea have won just once in their last seven Premier League games to fall to sixth and will once again reflect on the need to upgrade on goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after his positioning led to Haaland’s crucial goal.

City’s victory puts them back in pole position to qualify for next season’s Champions League, just days before they try to save themselves in this season’s competition.

The English champions must beat Club Brugge on Wednesday to reach the playoff round after collapsing from 2-0 up to lose 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.

Guardiola reacted by throwing in new signings Khusanov and Omar Marmoush for their debuts.

But that decision backfired spectacularly in the case of Khusanov inside three minutes.

The first ever Uzbek to play in the Premier League did not properly connect with an attempted header back towards his own goal and Nicolas Jackson pounced to tee up Madueke for a tap in.

Moments later Khusanov was fortunate to get away with only a yellow card for chopping down Cole Palmer.

By contrast, Marmoush was showing why only Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane had scored more Bundesliga goals than him this season prior to a £59 million ($72.6 million) move from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Egyptian thought he had equalised when he pounced to fire home the rebound after Sanchez parried Ilkay Gundogan’s effort, but was flagged offside.

Gvardiol’s marauding runs from left-back were causing City’s biggest threat.

Chelsea did not heed a warning as the Croatian prodded inches wide with his left foot after storming into the box.

Just before half-time, Gvardiol had a simple task for his fifth Premier League goal of the season.

Matheus Nunes this time made the break from full-back and after he was denied by Sanchez, the ball fell for Gvardiol to roll into an empty net.

Guardiola cut his losses with Khusanov at the start of the second period. He was replaced by John Stones and City were rarely troubled thereafter at the back.

Marmoush was close to a perfect start to his City career when he blasted wide from Haaland’s pass after the Norwegian was picked out by a long ball from Ederson.

But again Chelsea did not learn their lesson. Moments later from another Ederson clearance, Haaland outmuscled Trevoh Chalobah and then chipped Sanchez, who had charged out of his goal and ended up in no man’s land.

Despite City’s struggles, Haaland has remained a reliable source of goals as he took his tally for the season to 24, six of which have come in the last six games.

And he created he third goal as his layoff sent Foden clear to slot home his sixth goal in his last four league games.

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NPFL: Tornadoes defeat Rangers in Enugu 2-1

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It was a sad day for the fans of Rangers International Football Club of Enugu, as visiting Niger Tornadoes of Minna defeated their darling team by two goals to one.

What rankled most is that Rangers lost a penalty kick in the 90th minute of the game that would have made them equalise.

Jersey No. 31, Okechukwu Chidozie kicked the ball across the bar to the charging of the teeming fans and officials of the Flying Antelopes.

Tornadoes began their winning spree 28th minute of the first half through Israel Sarai, Jersey No. 17.

Rangers Jersey No.21, Collins Ugwuele reduced the tally 32 minutes into the first half.

All efforts by the league champions to equalise the game proved a Herculean task as they lost scoring chances, even missing a penalty in the second half of the game.

Happy at the performance of his boys, Niger Tornadoes coach, Mohammed Majin said they had to win because they were on a revenge mission.

“Rangers was the only team that defeated us home and away last season and we prepared for them.  We came for a revenge mission,” he said.

Rangers Technical Advice, Fidelis Ilechukwu, said he would apologise to their fans for the loss.

“I want to apologise to our fans for today’s loss. We shall make up for the loss in the coming games,” he said.

Commenting on the penalty they lost, Ilechukwu said that they had ‘big boys ‘ that will not play penalty, and that resulted in their failure.

He regretted that they did not have good strikers, but promised to address the lapse in the coming matches.

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