Sports
Rangers Target Perfect Start For Title Defense
. . . As El-Kanemi Hits Enugu For Season Opener
Reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Rangers International FC, claims to be fully set to kickoff it’s title defense as the 2024/2025 NPFL season rolls off with the visit of President Federation Cup champions, El-Kanemi Warriors FC of Maiduguri.
The coach Fidelis Ilechukwu tutored side would be hosting the season’s curtain raiser at ‘The Cathedral’, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, on Saturday, August 31, 2024.
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They are hoping that the fixture would be a replica of the title winning match for the Enugu side in the 2015/2016 season where the ‘Antelopes’ flew over the ‘Warriors’ by four un-replied goals in a packed stadium on October 2, 2016.
Having secured the services of some quality legs and hands to take the places of those that departed from the trophy-winning squad, coach Ilechukwu and his trusted lieutenants will be looking to ensure that the new season starts on a flying note even when a stiff resistance is expected from the Maiduguri side that recently gained promotion from the NNL and won the oldest club competition to pick a ticket to represent the country on the continent.
The arrival of such players as, Tekena Garando, Ekeson Okorie, Evans Ogbonda, Hillary Ekawu, Ernest Governor, Okafor Onyekachi, Bashir Usman, Lucky Abdullahi, Chikeluba Ofoedu, Effimi Nsi, Igwilo Chimobi, Williams Wonah, Oforkansi Michael, Ogbonna Anayor, Daniel Onyia, and a host of others to join forces with the reliable, Opubo Japhet, Ugwueze Chinemerem, Opara Austin, Onyebuchi Ifeanyi, Isaac Saviour, Ugochukwu Ejike, Agu Kenechukwu, Kenneth Igboke, Kazeem Ogunleye, Chiedozie Okorie, Stephen Ikenna, Odoh Joel, and many more, fans of Rangers are assured of a quality display when the encounter happens on Saturday.
Captain of the Coal City side, Ugwueze Chinemerem, in a chat, said that the team was prepared to kick start the new season on a high with the visit of their opponent from Maiduguri, stressing, “I expect a very tough customer in the form of El-Kanemi but with what we have been doing since our qualification for the second preliminary round of CAF Champions League, I see determination, passion and motivation to get a good result and set us on the right track for a successful title defense. We won the title with a young team and this season; we are campaigning with a much younger team that is highly motivated to repeat the feat of last season. Like I said earlier, it would be a tough encounter due largely to the fact that our opponent was recently eliminated from the continent and would come out to ruffle us but we are prepared for them and by God’s grace we shall celebrate at the end of the encounter.”
Shot-stopper and one of the deputy-captains of the squad, Opubo Japhet, who had two assists and twelve clean sheets last season, is optimistic of starting their title defense on a bright note against the ‘Invading Warriors’ from Maiduguri, stressing, “I will say a big thanks to God for the success of last season and for the start of the new season against El-Kanemi Warriors, I am very optimistic going into the match with the caliber of players in our squad. Surely, there are no more underdogs in the game of football hence we expect an open game but we are going for the maximum points at stake.”
The visitors under coach Aliu Zubairu are already in the Coal City as they arrived on Thursday and will have a feel of the playing turf of the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium on Friday for the only match day 1 fixture of the Nigeria Premier Football League 2024/2025 with the others taking place between 6-7, September, 2024.
Sports
AC Milan Pull Off Thrilling Injury-Time Comeback To Beat Parma 3-2
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.
Sports
Belgium Appoints Rudi Garcia As National Team Coach
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.
Sports
Nuri Sahin Fired As Borussia Dortmund Head Coach
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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September 1, 2024 at 6:00 pm
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