Sports
Five most talked about moments of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s career
Swedish footballer, Zlatan Ibrahimović announced his retirement from football on Sunday after AC Milan’s final match of the Serie A season.
Ibrahimović is one of the players recognised and known for powerful long-range shots, acrobatic strikes, ball control and volleys.
The 41-year-old striker has 511 club goals to his name and 33 major trophies. He is often described as one of the most iconic football strikers in the world.
Ibrahimović began his career at Malmö FF in 1999 and signed for Ajax two years later, where he gained a reputation as one of the most promising forwards in Europe. He departed two years later to sign for Juventus before joining domestic rivals Inter Milan in 2006, where he won three consecutive Serie A titles.
In the summer of 2009, he moved to Barcelona in one of the world’s most expensive transfers. After just one season, he returned to Italy having signed for Inter’s rival Milan. With them, he won the Serie A title in his debut season.
In 2012, Ibrahimović joined Paris Saint-Germain, leading them to their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years and soon establishing himself as a leading figure in their dominance of French football.
However, the player, yesterday, while announcing his retirement from football said he is saying “goodbye to football, not just to you,” referring to the fans. He spoke on the San Siro pitch following Milan’s 3-1 win over Verona.
Zlatan is known for his skill and ability on the football pitch, but he is also known for his fiery personality and his tendency to speak his mind and that has created the most controversial moments of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic is a player who is not afraid to speak his mind or stand up for himself on the pitch. His savage moments, including insulting Pep Guardiola, calling out Marco Materazzi, and scoring spectacular goals, have made him one of the most entertaining and controversial players in football history.
Here are his five of the most talked about moments:
1. Facing Marco Materazzi
In 2010, Ibrahimovic accused former Italian former footballer Marco Materazzi of insulting his wife and family. This, Ibrahimovic did during a match between AC Milan and Inter Milan.
However, the duo got into a fight and had separated by their colleagues and officials present.
The moment, many described as “standing up” for his family.
2. Bicycle kick goal against England
During a friendly match between Sweden and England in 2012, Ibrahimovic netted one of the most unique goals in the history of football.
He scored a stunning bicycle kick goal from 30 yards out that sailed over the goalkeeper’s head and into the net.
3. Four goals in a match against Anderlecht
In 2013, Ibrahimovic scored four goals out of five in a Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht.
One of the uniqueness of the goals was, he scored with both feet and his head and from a range of distances. This describes his specular moves and his role in the elevation of his club.
4. Confronting Pep Guardiola
The player had once disclosed he had a contentious relationship with Spanish football manager, Pep Guardiola when they were both at Barcelona.
He made this known in his autobiography titled “I am Zlatan.”
Explaining what happened, Ibrahimovic said the manager insulted him during a training session by saying, “You have no balls.” Ibrahimovic was said to have replied to Guardiola, “You don’t have any balls either.”
5. Again, critising Pep Guardiola
Ibrahimovic had in 2019, criticized Guardiola for his accomplishment as manager of Manchester City.
“He’s not a man, he’s a coward. He’s a little baby who’s been pampered all his life,” he disclosed, in an interview with the Mirror.
Meanwhile, he also trolled Verona fans booing his retirement speech while addressing the fans of AC Milan during their final Serie A game of the season.
As Ibrahimovic was giving his retirement speech, Verona fans jeered at him, to which he gave a cheeky response by saying, “Keep booing. This is the biggest moment in your year seeing me.”
Following intense competition across various centres in the ongoing inaugural Girls Play Sports Football Tournament, four amateur women’s teams have qualified for the Southern Zonal Finals billed for Lagos on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
The teams who secured their places for the zonal finals after impressive performances at their respective centres in Ota, Yenagoa, Ibadan, and Lagos are Royaltoms Queens FC, Golden Sun SS, Adewale Babes and Cats Ladies.
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At the Ogun Centre, Royaltoms Queens FC earned a 2-0 victory over Ijamido Queens FC. At the Bayelsa Centre, Golden Sun SS triumphed with a 3-1 win over Benin Red Soil Queens.
In the Oyo Zone, Adewale Babes emerged victorious in a penalty shootout, defeating Joke Babes 3-0 after a goalless draw.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, Cats Ladies defeated STM Doves 2-0 in the final after a thrilling semi-final that ended 3-3, with Cats Ladies advancing on penalties.
The Southern Zonal Finals will take place on the 22nd of September, 2024, at The New Maracana Stadium in Lagos.
The draw for the matches will be conducted at 10:00am, followed by the first semi-final at 11:00am, the second semi-final at 12:00 noon, and the final match at 2:00pm.
The two Southern finalists will advance to the grand finale scheduled for September 29, 2024, in Abuja, where they will face off against their Northern counterparts for the ultimate championship title.
These top teams are set to battle it out, promising an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
Football fans are in for an exhilarating weekend as club action resumes across Europe.
With major leagues in full swing, Saturday promises a lineup of high-stakes matches that could shape the course of the season.
From England to Spain, Germany to Italy, and France, top clubs are set to battle for crucial points in their respective leagues.
Premier League Showdowns
In the Premier League, all eyes will be on London as West Ham United hosts Chelsea in an early kickoff at 12:30. Both teams are desperate for points as they seek to improve their standings in the competitive top-flight.
At 15:00, a flurry of matches will take place across England.
In the Midlands, Aston Villa takes on Wolves in a heated derby, while Fulham hosts a high-flying Newcastle United.
Leicester City will clash with Everton as both teams look to climb the table, and Liverpool faces Bournemouth at Anfield, where the Reds will hope to bounce back from a shock defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Southampton meets Ipswich Town in what could be a tightly contested game, and Tottenham Hotspur faces Brentford, with Spurs continuing their push under new management.
Rounding out the Premier League action, Crystal Palace will face Manchester United at 17:30, as both teams look to secure a much-needed victory to stabilize their seasons.
La Liga Battles
Spain’s La Liga promises an action-packed day, starting at 13:00 when Real Valladolid hosts Real Sociedad. At 15:15, Osasuna will take on Las Palmas, followed by Valencia versus Girona at 17:30.
The day’s headline fixture kicks off at 20:00, with Real Madrid hosting Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabéu as the Spanish giants aim to further assert their dominance in the league.
Bundesliga Clashes
In Germany, Bundesliga action kicks off at 14:30 with four matches taking place simultaneously.
Bochum faces Holstein Kiel, while FC Heidenheim squares off against Freiburg.
Union Berlin takes on Hoffenheim, and Werder Bremen will meet Bayern Munich, with the defending champions looking to continue their strong form. Later, at 17:30, Eintracht Frankfurt will go head-to-head with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the evening’s highlight game.
Serie A Action
Over in Italy, Serie A will see Venezia host Genoa at 14:00, followed by a major clash between Juventus and Napoli at 17:00. With both teams battling for crucial points in the title race, this match could prove decisive. The day wraps up with Lecce facing Parma at 19:45.
Ligue 1 Highlights
In France’s Ligue 1, Lille will kick off the day at 16:00 against Strasbourg. Rennes will meet Lens at 18:00, and the evening’s marquee fixture will see Paris Saint-Germain travel to Reims at 20:00. The defending champions are aiming to extend their strong form as they push for another league title.
With top clubs across Europe in action, this Saturday promises to deliver a thrilling day of football for fans worldwide.
The Ayomidiran Foundation, under the leadership of Hon Ayo Omidiran, has appointed four prominent women as ambassadors for its “Girls Play Sports” initiative, aimed at inspiring young girls to excel in sports.
The initiative has brought together Ayisat Yusuf, a former Super Falcons player and current sponsor of Ayisat Yusuf Football Club; Mary Onyali, a celebrated silver-winning Olympic sprinter; Onome Ebi, who represented Nigeria in five FIFA Women’s World Cups and captained the Super Falcons in several international competitions; and Olufunke Oshonaike, a six-time Olympic table tennis player who has won numerous medals for Nigeria.
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On the rationale for their appointment, Hon Omidiran asserted that ‘these accomplished athletes, known for their dedication and excellence, are role models for girls across Nigeria’.
The grand finale of the inaugural Girls Play Sports football tournament will take place in Abuja on September 29, 2024, where the ambassadors will participate in celebrating female athletic achievements and encouraging more girls to embrace sports.
The foundation also plans to expand the initiative to include sports like table tennis, basketball, and athletics in the future.
“We are honoured to have these sports legends on board,” said Hon Omidiran.
“Their success and passion for sports will inspire a new generation of female athletes, promoting empowerment through sports,” he added.
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