Sports
Lewandowski Scores First World Cup Goal As Poland Beat Saudi Arabia
Robert Lewandowski scored the first World Cup goal of his prolific career on Saturday when he netted in Poland’s 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia, bursting their bubble following the team’s giant-killing act against Argentina.
Barcelona forward Lewandowski made sure Poland took a big step towards the last 16 in Qatar when he rolled home in the 82nd minute after being gifted the ball by Abdulelah Al-Malki.
However, it was a battle for Czeslaw Michniewicz’s side, who were leading at that point thanks to Piotr Zielinski’s roofed finish and an incredible double save from Wojciech Szczesny after Salem Al-Dawsari’s penalty late in the first half.
Poland leapfrogged the Saudis into first place in Group C, with Lionel Messi’s Argentina facing Mexico later on Saturday.
Egged on by a vocal crowd, Herve Renard’s Saudi team came out with the bit between their teeth and the Poles frequently struggled to handle their aggressive press.
Poland were shown three early yellow cards.
Mohamed Kanno had the game’s first decent effort on goal, tipped over by Szczesny in the 13th minute.
Lewandowski initially found it hard to get into the game as he was immediately surrounded by a gang of defenders led by Ali Al-Bulayhi, who at one point looked to be heading out of the game after being accidentally studded by the Barca star.
Super Szczesny
Lewandowski played a key role in Poland’s opener against the run of play in the 39th minute, pulling back for Zielinski to finish after nearly clipping home his first World Cup goal.
Szczesny then stepped up to save his team minutes later after referee Wilton Sampaio awarded a soft penalty when Saleh Al-Shehri went down heavily under pressure from Krystian Bielik.
The Juventus goalkeeper did well to bat away Dawsari’s nervy spot-kick but the ball fell to Mohammed Al-Burayk, who was denied on the rebound by a sensational stop.
Szczesny was again Poland’s saviour nine minutes after the break when he charged off his line to keep out Dawsari following a chaotic passage of play that ended with the ball being ballooned over the bar.
Poland were again close to buckling under intense Saudi pressure but should have been further ahead midway in through the second half when Arkadiusz Milik and Lewandowski both struck the woodwork in the space of three minutes.
Malki then scuffed wide from the edge of the box and it was his mistake that allowed Lewandowski to seal the points.
Nothing looked on when Malki received a pass on the edge of his own area but he let the ball slip past him and right into Lewandowski’s feet, allowing him to roll in a simple finish and end his hoodoo.
(AFP)
Mohamed Salah has officially extended his stay at Liverpool, signing a new contract that will keep him at Anfield beyond the 2024-25 season.
The Egyptian forward, now 32, continues to shine for the Reds and remains central to the club’s ambitions going forward.
In another standout campaign, Salah has scored 32 goals in 45 matches across all competitions, including 27 in the Premier League, where he currently leads the goal-scoring charts.
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He’s also provided 22 assists, highlighting his all-round contribution to the team.
Speaking after putting pen to paper, Salah shared his enthusiasm for the future.
“Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.”
Since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, Salah has established himself as one of the club’s greatest-ever players.
With 243 goals in 394 appearances, he sits third on Liverpool’s all-time scoring list.
During his time at Anfield, he’s helped the team win seven major honours, including the Premier League and Champions League.
Reflecting on his journey so far, Salah added: “It’s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.”
His continued presence at the club is expected to be a huge boost for new manager Arne Slot, who is preparing for his first full season at the helm.
Salah’s leadership, experience, and consistent output will be vital as Liverpool chase more silverware.
Individually, Salah’s accolades include three Premier League Golden Boot awards, two PFA Players’ Player of the Year titles, and two FWA Footballer of the Year honours.
With a heartfelt message to the supporters, Salah said, “I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies.”
Southampton have parted ways with manager Ivan Juric following the club’s relegation from the Premier League, the club confirmed in a statement released Monday.
The decision comes just 24 hours after the Saints were officially condemned to the drop with a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
The loss cemented Southampton’s place at the bottom of the table, sealing their relegation with seven games still to play – a new Premier League record for the earliest demotion, surpassing Derby County (2008) and Huddersfield Town (2019), who both went down with six matches remaining.
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Juric, 49, was appointed in December to replace Russell Martin, inheriting a side already entrenched in relegation danger.
However, his tenure failed to inspire a turnaround, yielding just one league victory – away at Ipswich in February – in 17 matches. Southampton have lost 25 of their 31 Premier League fixtures this season, including seven of their last eight.
“We can confirm that we have today reached an agreement with our men’s first-team manager, Ivan Juric, to end his spell at the club,” Southampton said in a club statement.
“Ivan came to Southampton at a tough time and was tasked with trying to improve a squad in a difficult situation. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen performances progress the way we had hoped, but we would like to thank Ivan and his staff for their honesty and hard work as they fought against the odds to try and keep us up.”
Simon Rusk will take charge as interim manager for the remainder of the season, supported by former Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana.
With their return to the Championship now confirmed, the club emphasized the importance of providing clarity as they prepare for a crucial summer of rebuilding.
“We remain incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of our fans. Their continued dedication and passion, despite what has been a very tough season, is remarkable and is appreciated by everyone at the club,” the statement added.
“Despite the challenges that relegation will bring, our goal is to restore a sense of pride for them in their team and club once again.”
Southampton earned promotion to the Premier League last season through the Championship play-offs but have endured a torrid campaign in the top flight.
Abia State took its turn to play host to the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) torch tour in brief ceremonies at the Umuahia Township Stadium and at the Government House.
The state Commissioner for Youth and Sport, Hon Nwaobilor Ananaba Nwadinma received the torch at the Umuahia Township Stadium before leading Team Abia to the Government House where it was presented to the Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti.
On arrival at the Government House, Team Abia was treated to a sumptuous dinner with the governor.
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The team then proceeded to the governor’s yard, where the torch was lit and presented to the governor by the commissioner to the admiration of everyone who witnessed the lighting of the torch.
In his speech the governor charged Team Abia to go and conquer in Uyo and come back to receive a state reception.
Gov Otti expressed appreciation to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for initiating the sports festival, which he noted will go a long way to create unity, spot and harness untapped talents in the Niger Delta states.
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