Sports

Boniface Scores As Brilliant Leverkusen Stretch Unbeaten Run To 50 Games

Published

11 months ago

May 13, 2024

Bayer Leverkusen stretched their season-long unbeaten run to 50 games with a 5-0 win at 10-man Bochum on Sunday.

Bochum defeated a 10-man Leverkusen in May 2023, the last side to beat Xabi Alonso’s side in any competition, but the tables turned on Sunday with Leverkusen’s goals coming from five different scorers.

Alonso’s league champions are just one game away from the first unbeaten Bundesliga season and three games from a remarkable treble.

Bochum lost a man early when Felix Passlack saw red for a last-man foul on Nathan Tella.

With attacking midfield maestro Florian Wirtz missing through injury, Alonso started strikers Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick and both had a goal by half-time.

Schick blasted in an Arthur cross with a superb first-touch finish after 41 minutes. Boniface converted a penalty five minutes later after Tella was fouled in the box.

Amine Adli, brought on for Schick with 20 minutes remaining, headed in a corner to make it 3-0.

Josip Stanisic, who scored in stoppage time to keep Leverkusen’s unbeaten run alive against Roma in the Europa League on Thursday, added a fourth with three minutes remaining before setting up Alex Grimaldo’s goal in the final moments.

Within three days in late May, Leverkusen face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin before taking on second-division Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final.

No Kane, no problem for Bayern
Thomas Tuchel’s heavily changed Bayern Munich line-up made short work of Wolfsburg at home, winning 2-0 to leapfrog Stuttgart into second spot.

Tuchel made eight changes to the side eliminated from the Champions League with a 2-1 loss at Real Madrid on Wednesday, with England captain Harry Kane, out with back issues, missing his first league match of the season.

If the England captain returns next week, Kane — currently on 36 league goals this season — will have just one match remaining to try and reach Robert Lewandowski’s all-time record of 41.

Bayern captain Manuel Neuer was proud with his side for bouncing back after the disappointing and controversial loss to Real.

“We were in control for over 90 minutes and got into the game well, that was crucial,” Neuer told DAZN.

“Real was difficult to deal with, today we had to ignore it – we did a good job of that.”

The win sends Bayern two points clear of Stuttgart in second with one game remaining.

Croatian midfielder Lovro Zvonarek, aged just 19, celebrated his first start by scoring after four minutes. Leon Goretzka was set up by Thomas Mueller just 10 minutes later.

Four minutes after Goretzka’s goal, Spain winger Bryan Zaragoza, also making his first league start for Bayern, had a goal was ruled out for offside.

Bayern, who will finish the season without a trophy for the first time since 2012, gradually took the sting out of the match and handed out further debuts in the final stages.

Israel goalkeeper Daniel Peretz came on late in the second half, replacing Bayern captain Manuel Neuer who was playing his 500th Bundesliga game. Teenagers Matteo Perez Vinlof and Jonathan Asp-Jensen also came on.

“Daniel has given the team so much and shown good performances, he simply deserves to get minutes,” said Neuer.

The loss means Wolfsburg are yet to win in the Bavarian capital after 27 games.

Earlier on Sunday, Hoffenheim boosted their chances of qualifying for Europe with a 6-0 demolition of already relegated Darmstadt.

Both Ihlas Bebou and Maximilian Beier scored doubles with Pavel Kaderabek and former Liverpool centre-back Ozan Kabak adding goals against the last-placed team.

AFP

Sports

NFF denies owning Christian Chukwu $128,000 amid social media claims

Published

9 hours ago

April 15, 2025

Admin

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed claims circulating on social media that it owed former Nigeria captain and Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu, the sum of $128,000 before his death.

Reacting to the reports following Chukwu’s passing on Saturday, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, described the allegations as baseless and misleading.

“There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu,” Sanusi said.

Read Also: President Tinubu, Atiku, Gov. Mbah mourn Nigerian football icon Christian Chukwu

“During the first term of the Board headed by Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the documents of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.”

He explained that the committee had been mandated to verify and settle all legitimate debts owed to coaches, and there was no documentation indicating that Christian Chukwu was owed any funds.

“I am aware that ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of his duties following a 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”

Sanusi further urged anyone in possession of genuine and verifiable documents proving the NFF owed Chukwu or any other coach to come forward.

“As a credible organisation that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately,” he stated.

The NFF has reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability in managing its obligations, especially to individuals who have served the national teams.

Christian Chukwu, affectionately known as “Chairman,” captained Nigeria to its first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980 and later coached the Super Eagles between 2002 and 2005.

Sports

UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final Second Leg Preview: Fixtures, Predictions

Published

9 hours ago

April 15, 2025

Admin

As the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals head into the decisive second-leg fixtures, clubs across Europe are preparing for season-defining clashes that will determine their place in the semi-finals.

Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain (Aggregate: 1–3)
Second Leg: Tuesday, 8 p.m.
Aston Villa return to Birmingham with work to do after a 3-1 defeat in the first leg at Parc des Princes. Despite managing an away goal, overturning a two-goal deficit against a PSG side boasting significant European experience and attacking firepower will be a major task.

Under Unai Emery, Villa have shown resilience in Europe, but PSG remain favourites to book a semi-final spot.
Prediction: PSG expected to advance (Aggregate Prediction: 2–4)

Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona (Aggregate: 0–4)
Second Leg: Tuesday, 8 p.m.
Barcelona delivered a dominant performance at Camp Nou with a convincing 4-0 win. With a commanding advantage heading into the return leg, Xavi’s men are well-positioned to close out the tie.

Dortmund will rely on home support and pride, but overcoming such a margin against an in-form Barça side appears highly improbable.
Prediction: Barcelona strongly favoured to progress (Aggregate Prediction: 2–6)

Real Madrid vs Arsenal (Aggregate: 0–3)
Second Leg: Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Arsenal stunned the Spanish giants with a stunning 3-0 away win at the Bernabéu, capitalising on their pressing game and quick transitions. While Real Madrid have a rich history of remarkable comebacks in Europe, the Gunners’ advantage is substantial.

With composure and discipline, Mikel Arteta’s side are in a strong position to seal qualification.
Prediction: Arsenal likely to go through (Aggregate Prediction: 3–4)

Inter Milan vs Bayern Munich (Aggregate: 2–1)
Second Leg: Wednesday, 8 p.m.
This matchup is the most closely contested of the quarter-finals. Inter edged out Bayern 2-1 in Munich, though Bayern’s away goal keeps the tie wide open. With both sides stacked with attacking quality, the second leg at San Siro promises high drama.

Expect a fiercely competitive affair, but Inter may just have the edge with home support.
Prediction: Inter tipped to narrowly advance (Aggregate Prediction: 3–2)

Projected Semi-Final Pairings:

Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal

Barcelona vs Inter Milan