Sports

Arsenal five points clear with Odegaard double over Wolves

Published

4 years ago

November 13, 2022

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Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Wolves at the Molineux.

The Gunners have made rapid starts their trademark this term, but couldn’t find their rhytm early on against a Wolves side who got plenty of joy in behind their visitors full-backs.

Gabriel Jesus has found goals hard to come by in recent weeks and his first half performance will do very little to ease fears over the Brazilian’s finishing. He spurned a number of clear opportunities in the first period and the one time he did have the ball in the net he was greeted by the sight of the offside flag.

Gabriel Martinelli response to Brazil backlash highlights key trait Mikel Arteta loves
The Gunners can consider themselves fortunate to have not had a penalty awarded against them when William Saliba’s trip on Adama Traore evaded VAR punishment.

Martin Odegaard’s first goal from close range marked his fifth strike of the season and sparked pandemonium in the away end. Fabio Vieira deserves plenty of plaudits for his assist, while Jesus’ initial ball unlocked the penalty area.

Shortly after the Gunners skipper had his sixth of the campaign and second of the evening, rifling a low left-footed strike beyond Jose Sa. The goal could prove to be one of the most important of Arsenal’s season.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that managers have a big responsibility to control their behaviour on the sideline despite the intensity of the game.

A win at Wolves now sees the Gunners sit comfortable at the top of the Premier League table, boasting a five-point advantage over their nearest challengers Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s side were beaten 2-1 at home by Brentford at the Etihad which presented Arsenal with the chance to extend their lead while also guaranteeing that whatever happened at the Molineux, Arteta’s men would be top at Christmas.

Everyone associated with the Gunners would have felt the pressure with a five-point lead on the line, but by hook or by crook Arsenal delivered and can now enjoy the festive period with a healthy lead at the summit of the table.

Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival in the summer was greeted with plenty of excitement and while when he has played he has been excellent, injuries have curtailed the start of his Arsenal career.

Tasked with silencing the imposing physical presence of Adama Traore at times, many of the Gunners faithful would have expected Arteta to opt for the more natural defensive option of Kieran Tierney.

However, Arteta stuck to his guns and kept Zinchenko in the team for what he offers Arsenal going forward. The initial signs were not promising, with Wolves targeting the Ukrainian’s flank regularly in the opening exchanges.

Zinchenko’s best traits, such as his composure in possession and line-breaking passes were not on display but his inability to deal with big diagonal passes was.

Arteta even had the chance to use Tierney sooner than expected when Xhaka was hauled off, but chose to not move Zinchenko into midfield and have the Scotland international at left-back.

Arsenal parted ways with £35million to bring Vieira to the club from Porto in the summer, but injuries stalled his integration into the team.

Since being introduced into the fold, his only real standout performance came away at Brentford back in September. Each Europa League outing since then has been littered with missed chances and flashes of brilliance mixed with sloppy touches.

He came on inside the opening quarter of an hour to replace Xhaka and started slowly, but his assist for the game’s opening goal was a thing of beauty.

Vieira took a pass from Jesus in his stride, before delicately dinking the ball across the face of goal and putting it on a plate for Odegaard to guide home.

This standalone performance summed up his Arsenal career so far.

Sports

Lionel Messi retires from international football

Published

3 weeks ago

August 31, 2026

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Argentina football legend, Lionel Messi, has drawn the curtain on his international football with Argentina after an illustrious career with the South American nation.

The 39-year-old made a total of 207 appearances, announced his retirement on Monday.

He won the World Cup in 2022, and was a runner-up in 2026 and 2014. He also secured two Copa América titles.

Messi wrote in a statement, “It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.

“Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”

Messi, who made 207 appearances and reached three World Cup finals, is widely regarded by fans worldwide as the greatest footballer ever.

Sports

Tinubu orders comprehensive reform of Nigerian football after resignation of NFF board

Published

3 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football to ensure the national football team overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments.

“The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football,” he said.

Tinubu, according to a statement on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, made the decision to help the country “overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments”.

“Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system,” the president said.

The President noted that while other sports had recorded meaningful progress since the reset of the sports sector under the re-established National Sports Commission, football has continued to struggle because of structural weaknesses within the system.

He stressed that Nigerian football must begin to match the country’s exceptional talent, passion and resources with stronger institutions and sustained performance.

President Tinubu directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work with the NFF Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration and facilitate a broad, consultative reform process.

The process will include appropriate engagement with FIFA and CAF while safeguarding Nigeria’s obligations within the international football framework.

The President called on football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and work together to build a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.

Sports

Ibrahim Gusau confirms resignation as NFF president, Mohammed Sanusi steps down as general secretary

Published

3 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

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Ibrahim Gusau has confirmed his resignation as the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The former chairman officially announced his resignation at a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday.

He said: “After consultation with family, friends and stakeholders, I just want to tell you that I have decided to resign from my position.

“As Nigerians, nobody is greater than this country. We all love our country and its progress. And as people who have been in football and managing football, we need to look at ourselves and ask, ‘What next?’ so we made a lot of consultations.”

Gusau added that he also advised members of the NFF board to follow his footsteps. He clarified, however, that he cannot say whether they would heed his advice.

A few minutes after Gusau’s announcement, the NFF, on its X page, confirmed the resignation of Mohammed Sanusi as the federation’s general secretary.

The mass resignation comes a few weeks after the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition’s inception. The disappointment triggered backlash for the NFF board members.

According to rumours, the NFF leadership was pressured to step down after intervention from top brass of the Federal Government, from the National Sports Commission (NSC) to the presidency.

Gusau was elected NFF president in 2022, and his tenure was supposed to end next month, with an elective congress scheduled for September 27.

The fate of the congress is uncertain as reports claim that a normalisation committee will be set up to oversee the federation’s affairs until further notice.

Under Gusau’s leadership, the Super Eagles, like the Falcons, also failed to qualify for the men’s 2026 World Cup, despite Africa getting 10 slots for the first time. The failure also extended to age-grade football, with the men’s U-17 and U-20 teams missing out on World Cups.