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Ruthless Atlético de Madrid edge Nigerian Super Eagles in LaLiga World Challenge match

Published

6 years ago

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Spanish LaLiga giants Atlético de Madrid have added to their Europa League triumph by defeating the Nigerian Super Eagles B team in a pulsating clash in Uyo. The match which ended 3-2, saw Fernando “El Nino” Torres get on the score sheet for the last time as an Atletico de Madrid player, to lift the inaugural GOtv Max Cup on Nigerian soil.

The match was played at an absolutely packed to the rafters Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, in Uyo, with fans travelling in from different cities across Nigeria to witness just how this historic match would unfold.

The Nigerian Super Eagles started the game brightly dominating possession and opening the scoring early on in the game through a brilliant curling effort from Kelechi Nwakali. However it didn’t take long for Atlético to hit back with an equaliser when Angel Correa finished off a sublime through ball from Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey barely 1 minute after the restart.

The first half ended 1 a piece, leaving the match perfectly poised for the introduction of iconic No. 9, Fernando “El Nino” Torres at half time. The Atlético de Madrid legend wasted no time in making his mark, scoring 10 minutes into the second half to give the LaLiga giants a 2-1 lead. The Nigerian Super Eagles remained ontop despite the score line, and pegged the LaLiga side back through a brilliant solo effort from Usman Mohammed in the latter stages of the match, setting up a fantastic finale.

Atlético de Madrid however, were not to be denied, as Borja Garces grabbed a late winner just 2 minutes from time, to leave the Nigerian Super Eagles dejected, and enable Atlético de Madrid be crowned winners of the maiden GOtv Max Cup.

Atlético de Madrid manager, Diego Simeone, during his post-match press conference said: “Our objective is to win every game. We came here with many youth players with little experience, but I am proud of the team as they stuck to the objective, which is to win every game regardless. The Nigerian players gave their all, they gave us a very good game and pushed us right to the end, but we are very happy with the win at the end of the day”

The match was attended by several dignitaries, including, President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Marcelino Cabanas Ansorena, Nigerian Super Eagles Head Coach, Gernot Rohr, and LaLiga ambassador, Mutiu Adepoju, just to name a few.

LaLiga Delegate in Nigeria, Javier del Rio, said after the match: “Once again LaLiga has demonstrated its absolute commitment to the development of football in Nigeria by bringing a Spanish powerhouse like Atlético de Madrid to play here against the national team.

“We are happy the match was a success and the fans were treated to an array of stars, as LaLiga is determined to fulfil its promise of bringing the best players in world from the best league in the world to play on Nigerian soil, for the very first time. Africa is a very important market for our brand, with Nigeria being at the hub”.

The match was part of the LaLigaWorld Project in which friendly matches involving LaLiga teams all over the World are organized.

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Robinho To Serve A 9 Year Jail Term Over Gang Rape

Published

1 month ago

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March 21, 2024

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Former Manchester City and Real Madrid striker Robinho will reportedly serve a nine-year jail sentence for gang rape – Imposed on him by an Italian court — in Brazil, judges in Brasilia has ruled.

The 40-year-old was found guilty in Italy in 2017 and according to Globo, Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (BSCJ), made the ruling on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

The former Premier League player, whose real name is Robson De Souza, was one of six men who were found guilty of a§§aulting an Albanian woman in an Italian nightclub in January 2013.

In January 2022, the Supreme Court in Rome dismissed his final appeal against the conviction, according to the report.

Robinho claims he is innocent and has been living in Brazil for the past seven years. It came after nine of the court’s 15 ministers had voted in favour of the decision to incarcerate the footballer in Brazil.

Globo also claims that the ex-footballer, who also spent time at AC Milan and Real Madrid, will now be arrested in Santos, where he currently resides.

Robinho, who was 28 and was playing for AC Milan at the time, admitted during his appeal to having ‘contact’ with the woman, but the Brazilian insisted it was consensual.

The Milan Court of Appeals found Robinho had ‘belittled’ and ‘br¥tally h¥miliated’ the victim as it upheld his original sentence in December 2020.

Intercepted phone calls between the Brazilian and those allegedly involved in the assault were used as key evidence in his initial conviction.

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Former Tennis Champion, Tania Okpala Returns To Tennis After Rehabilitation

Published

2 months ago

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March 1, 2024

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Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, has revealed that former tennis champion, Tania Okpala, has resumed playing on the courts.

This development follows Soludo’s assurance that she would undergo rehabilitation after a video surfaced online showing her in distress on the streets of Awka, pleading for assistance.

In an update on his social media handle on Thursday, Soludo expressed his satisfaction with Okpala’s return, stating, “Tania Okpala is back on the courts!

“A few months ago, social media was flooded with a viral video showing Ms. Tania in a distressing state on the streets of Awka. I am pleased to report that we have successfully restored Tania to her winning ways.”

Okpala, who hails from Anambra and has a Belarusian mother, represented Nigeria in the 1990s.

Here are pictures of her in the tennis court.

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AFCON: Victor Osimhen Now Cleared To Join The Other Super Eagles Ahead Of Tomorrow’s Game

Published

3 months ago

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February 6, 2024

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Good News has it that Victor Osimhen has finally joined the Super Eagles Nigeria team in Bouake, Ivory Coast.

He has been given the clear from the medical team on the abdominal discomfort issue. Earlier it was reported that the player could not join the rest of the team who flew to Ivory Coast ahead of Tomorrow’s football match against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.

He’s fully fit and ready to play in the Semifinals against South Africa tomorrow.

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