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Nigerian Duo Pilot Leicester’s EPL Charge

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It would appear that former English Premier League (EPL) Champion, Leicester, who were relegated to the Championship last term detest a long stay in the second tier of English football.

 

The team retained the bulk of the players who helped them earn respect while life at the top flight of English football lasted.

 

Little wonder, their quest for regaining promotion is being led by the Nigerian duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho.

 

Between them, they have been zealously contributing to their team’s great start to the season.

 

On his part, Ndidi’s bright start to the season saw him win the Leicester City Goal of the Month award for September.

 

Perhaps, what tells the story of his form for the season better is that he was also nominated for the PFA Championship Fans’ Player of The Month award for the same month.

 

Playing in a more advanced No.8 role under Maresca has seen the Nigerian midfielder become more of a goal threat for the Foxes.

 

His new role has seen him weigh in with a–four-goal-contribution (three assists and a goal) in 12 league game for the season.

 

At this stage, only fellow countryman, Iheanacho, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jamie Vardy and Kasey McAteer have had more goal contributions than the former Genk midfielder, for the Foxes, this season.

 

For Iheanacho, he is Leicester’s joint leading scorer in the Championship with five goals from 13 games so far.

 

The 26-year-old has a shot accuracy of 61 percent and goal conversion rate of 33 percent.

 

From his blistering form of four goals in his last five games, it is obvious that the Foxes stands a chance in every game with him scoring.

 

Recall that the last time Leicester came up from the Championship, they won the EPL title within two years, beating Arsenal FC to the second spot.

 

While that dream looks an even bigger stretch this time around, Leicester and Maresca are showing there are reasons for the fans to be excited about the rest of this season and beyond, on the pitch.

 

Their exiting start to 2023/24 season has seen the Foxes currently top the Championship table with 36 points from 13 games, five points ahead of Ipswich Town who have played a games less.

 

The only blemished by one blot on the copy book for the Foxes is the 1-0 defeat to Hull City on September 2 despite controlling large periods of the match.

 

The Foxes are currently on a nine-game winning streak in the Championship after Enzo Maresca’s team recorded their 12th league win in 13 outings in midweek – a 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the King Power Stadium.

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AC Milan Pull Off Thrilling Injury-Time Comeback To Beat Parma 3-2

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AC Milan staged a remarkable comeback at the San Siro on Sunday, defeating Parma 3-2 in a thrilling Serie A encounter that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.

Trailing twice in the match, the Rossoneri produced two injury-time goals from Tijjani Reijnders and Samuel Chukwueze, sealing a historic win and further strengthening their position as title contenders.

Parma took the lead in the 24th minute, with Matteo Cancellieri finishing off a precise assist from Valeri to stun the home crowd.

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Milan struggled to break down Parma’s defense but found their equalizer in the 38th minute after a foul on Pavlović in the box resulted in a penalty.

Christian Pulisic stepped up and calmly converted, leveling the score at 1-1.

The visitors regained the lead in the 80th minute when Enrico Delprato capitalized on a swift counterattack to put Parma 2-1 ahead.

With time running out, it seemed as though Milan might fall short, but the team refused to back down.

In the 90+2 minute, Reijnders scored a vital equalizer, driving home a well-placed pass from Musah.

Just three minutes later, Chukwueze completed the turnaround, striking a clinical winner from Pavlović’s assist in the 90+5th minute, sending the San Siro into raptures.

“This match was a testament to the character of this team,” said AC Milan coach Conceição. “We kept pushing, kept believing, and in the end, we were rewarded.”

The victory not only moved AC Milan to 34 points, consolidating their spot among Serie A’s top teams, but also highlighted their potential as serious title contenders.

Reijnders, the league’s leading central midfield goalscorer, now has six goals this season.

Chukwueze’s decisive goal marked his first of the season, while Pulisic ended a nine-game goal drought with his successful penalty.

The match also featured a milestone for Tammy Abraham, who made his 100th Serie A appearance.

 

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Belgium Appoints Rudi Garcia As National Team Coach

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The Belgian Football Federation has named Frenchman Rudi Garcia as the new head coach of the national team, following the sacking of Domenico Tedesco after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign.

In a statement released on Friday, the federation confirmed the appointment of the Underworld former Napoli, Lyon, and Roma manager, who will be formally introduced to the press later in the day.

READ MORE: Nuri Sahin Fired As Borussia Dortmund Head Coach

Garcia’s task will be to rejuvenate the Red Devils after their early exit from the European Championship and underwhelming performances in the Nations League.

Belgium recently parted ways with Tedesco, who had been in charge since February 2023.

The Italian-German coach was brought in to rebuild the squad following the departure of the country’s celebrated “golden generation” under Roberto Martinez but failed to deliver the expected results.

The team now faces a critical relegation play-off against Ukraine in March, before beginning their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a trip to North Macedonia in June.

Garcia brings a wealth of experience, having coached top European clubs such as Marseille and Lyon.

He also made his mark at Lille between 2008 and 2013, leading the French side to a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in 2011.

However, his most recent role at Napoli in 2023 ended in disappointment after just five months.

 

 

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Nuri Sahin Fired As Borussia Dortmund Head Coach

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Borussia Dortmund have sacked head coach Nuri Sahin after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Bologna in Tuesday’s Champions League match, marking the club’s fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

The decision follows a string of poor performances that have left the club in 10th place in the Bundesliga, 20 points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich.

Sporting CEO Lars Ricken expressed that the club had “lost faith” in Sahin, explaining that the decision was painful but necessary.

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“We have unfortunately lost faith that we will achieve our sporting goals,” Ricken said. “We value Nuri Sahin and his work very much, we hoped for a long collaboration, but after the game in Bologna, this was unavoidable.”

Sahin, who had been promoted to head coach in the summer following his role as assistant to Edin Terzic during Dortmund’s surprise Champions League final run last season, acknowledged the disappointment.

“Unfortunately, I was not able to live up to Dortmund’s sporting ambitions at this point in time. I wish this special club all the best.”

The defeat against Bologna caps a difficult season for the club under Sahin’s stewardship.

Despite their strong showing in last season’s Champions League, where they lost to Real Madrid in the final, Dortmund have struggled in the Bundesliga and were eliminated from the German Cup by Wolfsburg.

Their away form, in particular, has been disastrous, with only four wins and nine losses in 15 matches away from the Westfalenstadion.

Dortmund’s leadership, which has historically favored former players in managerial roles, now faces the task of finding a suitable replacement for Sahin.

German media reports suggest potential successors could include Erik Ten Hag, the former Manchester United boss who has been spotted attending Dortmund games recently, or Roger Schmidt, formerly of Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen.

In the interim, U19 coach Mike Tullberg has been appointed to take charge of the first team, starting with Saturday’s home match against Werder Bremen.

The sacking of Sahin is the latest chapter in a turbulent managerial history for Dortmund since the departure of Jurgen Klopp in 2015, with the club having cycled through eight different head coaches in that time. Only Lucien Favre managed to stay longer than two years.

Sahin’s tenure as manager was a significant moment for Dortmund, as he was one of the club’s own, having come through the ranks and played over 270 games for the team, including being part of the squad that won the 2011 Bundesliga title.

However, his time at the helm of the senior team has proven to be short-lived as Dortmund now seek a new direction.

 

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