Sports

The Big Winners The Viewers.Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain was the final many wanted last season. Wednesday’s group-stage meeting showed why. The fixture did not disappoint, even if, with red tape delaying the opening of the renovated Camp Nou, it was played in the less atmospheric Lluís Companys Stadium. Luis Enrique’s young Parisians staged a comeback in Catalonia, thanks to their coach’s expert use of his squad. Senny Mayulu, 19, upstaged Lamine Yamal by scoring the equaliser – Wednesday was the first match this season Yamal had failed to either score or contribute to a goal. Instead, the resurgent Marcus Rashford…

*No La Liga Team Won *Man City Pegged Back *Newcastle Win Away The goal that won Wednesday night's game for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was a portrait of how it had been played: all in, all the way to the end. A move that started deep in PSG's half with Lee Kang-in chased backwards, turning, escaping and going at the same opponents who had been pursuing him, ended in the Barcelona penalty area with Gonçalo Ramos slotting past Wojciech Szczesny. There were six seconds left, it was the 26th shot of an exhausting and enjoyable night, and now it really was…

Reigning Premier League champions and league leaders may be held to higher standards but concerns grow for Liverpool. Arne Slot’s side suffered back-to-back defeats after falling to Galatasaray in Istanbul, the Turkish capital on Tuesday night, 30 September. Their performance may trouble Liverpool’s head coach greater than the result. Liverpool were short on ideas and again suspect defensively as they were beaten by Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty. Defeat could have been heavier had the Galatasaray striker not squandered two clear openings early in the second half and it needed the 62nd minute introduction of Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak to…

*Lesotho Jubilant Over Bafana's Fate After a seeming silence over yesterday's FIFA Disciplinary Committee's sanctions which,among others, docked three points from her national football team, Bafana Bafana, for fielding an ineligible player in their preliminary World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho, the South African government today rose up in apparent fury. Looking inwards for culprits and reasons, the government said it would beam a thorough searchlight on the incompetence in the South African Football Association (SAFA) which led to FIFA's action suddenly imperiling the country's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie…

*UEFA Champions League Cracker At Stamford Bridge José Mourinho called himself “the Biggest One” as he reflected on his record-breaking Chelsea history before his latest Stamford Bridge return. The self-styled “Special One” is back with Benfica for tonight’s Champions League tie and he repeated another famous old line of his to set the scene. Mourinho anticipates no hostility from Chelsea’s supporters as he seeks to ignite his Benfica tenure, having only joined them 11 days ago after his sacking by Fenerbahce at the end of August. It has not always been the case when he has gone back to Stamford…

*Rejoicing In Nigeria As Hope Rises By Felix Durumbah, Abuja Several hours after the story of FIFA sanctions on South Africa Football Association (SAFA) and its male national football team, Bafana Bafana broke, most newspapers in Nelson Mandela's country appeared to have turned their backs to what has been tagged breaking news in Nigeria's sports circles. Recall that FIFA's Disciplinary Committee sanctioned SAFA via a statement today, on the fielding of an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during their World Cup qualifier away in Lesotho on 21 March, 2025. Bafana won the match 0-3. FIFA stated that SAFA breached Article 19…

Tides Change For Arsenal At Newcastle St James’ Park has done strange things to Arsenal. It had become Mikel Arteta’s bogey ground, defeats the last three visits, his team unable to score. Each time, bright beginnings had given way to becoming bogged down by refereeing controversy, Arsenal pulled into the rolling maul football that better suits Newcastle’s muscle. Sunday’s attacking team selection and Arteta throwing the kitchen sink in chasing a win when a point had already been rescued, hinted at a change in mentality. Arteta’s team eventually wrested control of the physical battle to push for three. If the…

Mikel Arteta said that his Arsenal side had shown the Premier League “who we are” after they reinforced their title credentials by coming from behind to register a statement win at Newcastle on Sunday, 28 September. “It was an opportunity to show who we are, the way we want to be and the way we want to play,” said a smiling Arteta. “And the team has done that in a remarkable way.” Arsenal’s manager saw Newcastle take the lead through Nick Woltemade’s first half goal before Mikel Merino’s 84th-minute equaliser and Gabriel’s 96th minute winner changed the narrative. “It’s an…

*Madrid Coach Alonso Says Team Work In Progress, Following 2-5 Loss To Atletico *Unbeaten Liverpool Lose Ruben Amorim insisted once again that he could turn around Manchester United’s fortunes, despite Saturday's 3-1 loss away to Brentford. He has taken 34 points from 33 Premier League games since his appointment last November. “We can play better and we need to play better,” he said. “It’s ups and downs. When you win, you feel that everything … the momentum is here. "When you lose, you go back to the same place and you fight again for one win that can help you…

UEFA could decide as early as next week whether to suspend Israel from its competitions, with the governing body facing growing pressure from inside and outside the game. Reports on Thursday, September 25, initially in the Times of London, suggested a vote that would determine Israel’s participation in World Cup qualifying and that of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League could be held by UEFA’s Executive Committee (Exco) before the international break begins on October 6. UEFA said no meetings were scheduled for next week, with the next Exco gathering due on December 3. But sources inside national federations…