Sports

Leverkusen Defeat Freiburg, Extend Unbeaten Run To 38 Matches

Published

9 months ago

March 18, 2024

Florian Wirtz scored after 84 seconds as Bayer Leverkusen made it 38 games unbeaten in all competitions with a 3-2 victory in Freiburg on Sunday.

Leverkusen’s seventh league win on the bounce kept them 10 points clear of serial champions Bayern Munich with eight games to play in their quest for the club’s first ever Bundesliga crown.

“It was a good performance, a deserved victory. It’s not easy to win in Freiburg but we keep going,” Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso told DAZN before praising the performance of his playmaker Wirtz.

“It’s not just the goal he scored, he has a super game. He has real quality and I am very happy for his development.”

Wirtz, one of Leverkusen’s key performers this season, got things moving in style. The Germany forward cut in from the left and unleashed a perfect shot with his right foot, chalking up his seventh league goal of the campaign.

The early goal stunned Freiburg, who came into the game fresh from a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of West Ham in the Europa League, with Leverkusen to face the Londoners in the quarter-final of the competition next month.

Freiburg responded against the run of play though, with Japan forward Ritsu Doan exchanging passes neatly with Lucas Hoeler to drill a low shot beyond the unsighted Lukas Hradecky.

Leverkusen put their noses back in front before half-time though, with Adam Hlozek tapping into an empty net after a mistake by Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.

Patrik Schick put the gloss on another convincing victory for Alonso’s team, with a sensational finish to a scintillating Leverkusen counter-attack.

Jeremie Frimpong’s cross from the right was caressed into the top corner by the Czech striker, who was the Leverkusen hero on Thursday with two stoppage-time goals against Qarabag in Europe.

Yannik Keitel pulled one back for Freiburg but the damage was already done, leaving the hosts in ninth and with European qualification slipping away.

In the final game of the weekend, Borussia Dortmund left it late against Eintracht Frankfurt but eventually secured a 3-1 win to stay a point ahead of RB Leipzig in the race for fourth spot.

Dortmund, who beat PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last week to set up a quarter-final showdown against Atletico Madrid, fell behind to a breakaway Frankfurt goal by former hero Mario Goetze in front of the Yellow Wall.

But the hosts struck back through Karim Adeyemi before the break.

Mats Hummels’ diving header from Julian Brandt’s free-kick put Dortmund ahead for the first time in the 81st minute, with Emre Can’s stoppage-time penalty adding the gloss.

“We’ve now won our last four games and go into the international break with a much better feeling than we had two weeks ago,” Hummels said.

“We’re all very satisfied to be in the quarter-finals of the Champions League but, in the Bundesliga, of course we’re lagging behind.”

AFP

Sports

From Junk Food To Nigerian Fufu With Ewedu Soup : How My Mum Introduces Fufu To Me, Transformed My Game On The Pitch – Ademola Lookman

Published

9 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, the winner of the Africa Player of the Year award at the 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, Morocco.

Lookman was the biggest winner at a star-studded 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, as Africa’s best performers for the year were honoured.

Ademola Lookman reflects on a pivotal moment in his life as a Nigerian growing up in the UK.

According to him,”During my childhood in the UK, I often found myself indulging in convenient junk food. It was quick and easy, but not exactly nourishing.

“One day, when I was around ten years old, my mum came to watch me play soccer with my friends. After the game, she noticed that I was frequently knocked down by the other kids when we battled for the ball.

With a concerned look, she said to me, ‘Ademola, my son, I’m not pleased with how easily you fall during the game. You’re a Nigerian, and you should possess the stamina that comes with that heritage.’

The very next day, my mother introduced me to Fufu (Nigeria Food). At first, I was put off by its strong smell, but when paired with ewedu soup, I began to appreciate it. Before long, I noticed a remarkable boost in my stamina.

Looking back, I can’t help but wonder how I would have made it this far without embracing Fufu. I will always carry the pride of representing Nigeria,”he said.

Sports

Super Eagles Coach Eguavoen Undergoes Surgery

Published

10 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Super Eagles interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has undergone a successful surgery in Belgium after several delays. The procedure had been postponed multiple times due to his busy schedule with the team’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers campaign.

Eguavoen played a key role in leading the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in November. However, health issues kept him away from the 2024 CHAN qualifiers against Ghana. In his absence, assistant coach Daniel Ogunmodede has taken over responsibilities, guiding the home-based Super Eagles.

In the first leg of the CHAN qualifier in Accra, the Eagles secured a goalless draw, setting up a decisive second leg. The team returned to Nigeria on Tuesday and arrived in Uyo, where they are preparing to host the Black Galaxies at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Saturday, December 28.

Assistant coach Ogunmodede expressed optimism about the upcoming match, emphasizing the importance of a win to secure the team’s place in CHAN 2024. Preparations began immediately upon their arrival, with the squad scheduled for their first training session at the stadium’s practice pitch on Tuesday night, December 24.

The Super Eagles aim to leverage home advantage to achieve victory in this crucial encounter.