Sport

La Liga Leaders Barcelona Lose 0-1 At Real Sociedad

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  La Liga leaders Barcelona fell to a 1-0 defeat at Real Sociedad on Sunday as they had a Robert Lewandowski goal controversially disallowed. Sheraldo Becker’s 33rd-minute goal consigned the Catalan giants to their second league defeat of the season, leaving Hansi Flick’s side six points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, having played an extra match. Lewandowski’s early disallowed strike led to furious debate over whether the Polish forward had been offside or not Barcelona were without teenage star Lamine Yamal after he suffered a blow to his ankle in the Champions League win at Red Star Belgrade midweek and badly missed his spark. The Catalans failed to score in a match for the first time this season across all competitions as Real Sociedad, eighth, held firm. Playmaker Dani Olmo started on the bench while defender Pau Cubarsi played in a mask after suffering a cut which needed stitches on his face in Serbia. Barcelona have struggled at Real Sociedad in the past and were given another uncomfortable night in the Basque country. Lewandowski thought he had fired Barcelona in front after 13 minutes when he reacted well to a blocked shot to fire home, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review. Referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez was told Lewandowski was offside, although the forward did not appear to be in front of Real Sociedad defender Nayef Aguerd. The semi-automated offside technology used in La Liga indicated the front of Lewandowski’s boot was off, but Spanish media furiously debated whether the technology had misinterpreted Aguerd’s heel as part of the veteran striker’s boot. With Barcelona’s strike chalked out, the hosts took control and tested visiting goalkeeper Inaki Pena several times. Takefusa Kubo’s low drive stung Pena’s fingers after a fine dribble inside from the right flank by the Japan international. Becker fired Real Sociedad ahead with a cool low finish after Luka Sucic nodded the ball into his path. Flick brought on Olmo for the ineffective Frenkie de Jong at half-time but Barcelona remained second best. Becker screwed a shot wide after Jules Kounde did just enough to put off the Real Sociedad winger, and Ander Barrenetxea also squeezed an effort wide from a tight angle after bursting into the area. Despite scoring 40 goals in their first 12 league matches Barcelona were unable to find the net or even create any significant danger in the final stages.  

Manchester United Officially Appoint Ruben Amorim As Erik Ten Hag’s Replacement

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  Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ruben Amorim as replacement for the recently sacked coach, Erik ten Hag. Amorim, 39, emerged as INEOS’ number-one target, with the club announcing their intention to activate his €10million (£8.4m) release clause on Monday. The Portuguese coach, who previously attracted interest from Liverpool and West Ham, also has a 30-day notice period in his Sporting contract but United have paid a further €1m to release him from that early. Amorim will now start work at Old Trafford during the international break and will take charge of the team for the first time against Ipswich Town on November 24. Ruud van Nistelrooy will remain in charge on an interim basis for United’s next three games. ‘Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Ruben Amorim as Head Coach of the men’s first team, subject to work visa requirements,’ a statement from the club read. He will join until June 2027 with a club option of an additional year, once he has fulfilled his obligations to his current club. He will join Manchester United on Monday 11 November. ‘Ruben is one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football. Highly decorated as both a player and coach, his titles include winning the Primeira Liga twice in Portugal with Sporting CP; the first of which was the club’s first title in 19 years. Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue to take charge of the team until Ruben joins.’ Amorim has enjoyed a remarkable managerial rise in recent years, progressing from third-tier side Casa Pia to the Portuguese top flight in just over a year. Joining Sporting in 2020, he delivered the club’s first league title in 19 years in his first full season and repeated the feat in 2023, finishing 10 points ahead of second-placed Benfica. This season, Sporting have won their first nine games and sit six points clear of Porto at the top of the table. His immediate task at Old Trafford will be to spark an uptick in performances after a dire start to the season led INEOS to pull the plug on Ten Hag’s tenure. The Dutchman appeared to be heading for the exit at the end of last season but was granted a stay of execution and a one-year contract extension after guiding the Red Devils to an unlikely FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. However, despite being backed handsomely in the summer with over £200million spent on new signings, Ten Hag’s failed to show signs of tangible improvements to start the season. Heavy early-season defeats to Liverpool and Tottenham coupled with a disappointing start to the Europa League eventually brought to an end the Dutchman’s spell at Old Trafford. Ten Hag’s former assistant, van Nistelrooy, took charge of the team on an interim basis for the first time against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. He will take charge of three further games – Chelsea in the Premier League, PAOK in the Europa League, and Leicester again in the league – before handing over the reins to Amorim. His long-term coaching future at Old Trafford is currently unclear, with Amorim also keen to bring over some of his backroom staff from Sporting as part of the deal.  

Manchester United Sack Manager Erik Ten Hag

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  “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager,” the club said in a statement on Monday. Manchester United have sacked manager Erik ten Hag following the club’s lacklustre start to the season, the fallen Premier League giants announced Monday. United dropped to a lowly 14th in the table after suffering their fourth defeat in nine league games at West Ham on Sunday and have won only one of their last eight games in all competitions. “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager,” said a club statement. “Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. “We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.” United added former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who returned to the club as Ten Hag’s assistant in July, would now serve as interim manager “whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.” Even before the West Ham loss, Dutch manager Ten Hag had presided over United’s worst start to an English top-flight campaign since the 1989/90 season. The 54-year-old’s position had been repeatedly called into question after United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe kept the former Ajax boss, on board following an internal review of his position at the end of last season after an eighth-place Premier League finish. Ten Hag was even rewarded with a one-year extension of his contract to June 2026 after a shock FA Cup final victory over rivals Manchester City in May. However, he failed to find the solutions to many of his side’s struggles from last season. Former Ajax boss Ten Hag, who joined United in May 2022, had fiercely defended his record in recent weeks after winning two trophies in his two full seasons in charge. United ended a six-year wait for silverware by beating Newcastle in the 2023 League Cup final. – FA Cup reprieve – The Red Devils also reached the FA Cup final and finished third in the Premier League in an encouraging debut season for Ten Hag. However, the wheels came off in his second season as injuries to key players, the lack of a meaningful impact from big money signings and Ten Hag’s failure to implement a clear style of play led to a number of embarrassing results. United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage after defeats by Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen, while Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham were among the other sides to win at Old Trafford in the 2023/2024 campaign. The implementation of a new sporting structure at United, spearheaded by co-owner Ratcliffe, saw widespread change over recent months off the field with the appointment of a new chief executive, sporting director and technical director. But Ten Hag’s surprise victory over Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City side at Wembley in the FA Cup final, saw him handed a stay of execution. Any hope United’s FA Cup glory could act as a launching pad to more regular success quickly unravelled in the opening weeks of the new season. Liverpool and Tottenham coasted to 3-0 wins at Old Trafford in September, while United failed to win either of their opening two Europa League matches against FC Twente and Porto. For all Ten Hag’s faults, he oversaw just a small period of United’s more general decline since legendary former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Since the Scot’s departute from the Old Trafford hot seat, five permanent managers have now been dismissed without United even posing a challenge for the Premier League title — a trophy they won 13 time under Ferguson. AFP

Libya Appeals CAF Ruling, Granting Nigeria Match Victory

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  The Libyan Football Federation has filed an appeal against the recent decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award Nigeria three points and three goals following a disrupted Africa Cup of Nations qualifier initially scheduled for October 15 in Benina, Libya. The verdict also imposed a $50,000 fine on Libya, citing breaches of CAF regulations in handling the Nigerian team’s arrival and conditions. According to reports from Libyan outlet alwasat.ly, Libya has enlisted Tunisian lawyer Ali Abbas to defend its appeal, which challenges the CAF decision as “unfair,” The Nigerian Football Federation’s complaint led to an investigation by CAF’s disciplinary committee after the Super Eagles endured a reported 20-hour ordeal involving a diverted flight, a lengthy wait at Labraq Airport—300 kilometers from the intended destination in Benghazi—and inadequate facilities, including a lack of food and water. Nigeria’s contingent was eventually forced to abandon the match and return home. CAF’s disciplinary committee, chaired by Ousmane Kane, ruled in favor of Nigeria, citing violations of Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. Libya was deemed to have lost the match by forfeit with a 3-0 score awarded to Nigeria. The ruling, if upheld, places Nigeria within reach of qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, while leaving Libya out of contention with only one point in Group D.    

Breaking: CAF Awards Nigeria Victory Over Libya, Imposes $50,000 Fine

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  The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Board has made a ruling regarding the Libya Football Federation. The Libya Football Federation was found guilty of violating Article 31 of the African Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. As a result of this ruling, the match between Libya and Nigeria (Match No. 87) in the CAF African Cup of Nations Qualifiers 2025, originally scheduled for October 15, 2024, in Benghazi, has been declared a forfeit loss for Libya. The forfeit loss will be recorded as a 3-0 victory for Nigeria. In addition to the forfeit loss, the Libya Football Federation has been ordered to pay a fine of $50,000. This fine must be paid within 60 days from the notification of the decision. All other motions or requests for relief have been dismissed. The CAF Disciplinary Board’s decision is final, concluding this matter.

Libyan Airport: A Young Man Come to Give Us WiFi and He Was Arrested – Super Eagles Media Officer

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  The Super Eagles, Nigeria’s national football team, recently faced a challenging and uncomfortable experience at a Libyan airport while en route to an important match. In an interview with TVC News on Tuesday, the team’s media officer, Promise Efoghe, detailed their distressing ordeal with Libyan authorities, which left the players stranded for over 13 hours without proper treatment. Upon their arrival, the team found their bags left unattended, adding to their frustrations. Efoghe reported that the airport environment was far from accommodating, with individuals smoking indoors despite it being designated as a no-smoking area. In an effort to lift spirits, Kelechi, one of the players, took it upon himself to act as a DJ, playing music to help pass the time. Initially, the team engaged in dancing and camaraderie, but as the hours dragged on, the atmosphere shifted from one of enjoyment to frustration and fatigue. The situation worsened when the team discovered there was no available WiFi, leaving them cut off from communication. A glimmer of hope arose when a young local man offered them WiFi access, but his good deed was abruptly interrupted when authorities arrested him. The treatment of the Super Eagles drew criticism even from some local Libyans, with one expressing shame over the incident and labeling it “very bad.” In an attempt to cope with their predicament, the team resorted to playing games and finding distractions while they awaited the resolution of their situation. However, the prolonged wait left a significant impact on the players, many of whom felt traumatized by the experience. Despite the challenges faced at the airport, the Super Eagles remain focused on their upcoming match, hoping that the difficulties encountered will not hinder their performance on the field. The incident has sparked discussions about the treatment of visiting teams and the need for improved hospitality in international sporting events.

N1m Up For Grabs As Oyo Govt Supports Inaugural Pool Champions League

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  Oyo State Government has thrown its weight behind the maiden edition of Pool Champions League, just as the winner of the tournament will be going home with a one million naira cash prize. While speaking as special guest at a press conference held at the Ibadan Recreation Club, Sabo Area, Ibadan on Tuesday, The Chairman, Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, Prince Adebowale Falana declared the state government’s support for the inaugural Pool Champions League scheduled to commence on October 30. Prince Adebowale said, “There is need to engage our youths in sports, especially in other sports aside football. “The focus should not only based on football, as the agency we are doing a lot in helping out youths to discover their talents, we’ve been supporting them with skills acquisition programmes, digital technology innovations, in entertainment and creative industry and we are still ready to do more. “Our doors are open to various stakeholders for partnership on programs that will open our youths to new ideas and an ideal ways of earning money.” Falana said. He urged the youths in the country to come out in great numbers to showcase their talents at the Pool Champions League tournament. Falana therefore pledged the agency’s moral and financial support to make the league a memorable one. The Convener of the maiden Oyo State Pool Champions League, Mr Oluwatosin Odita in his remarks, said the grand prize of one million Naira will be at stake for competitors. Noting that the five-day tournament would feature players from many parts of the country jostling for the grand prize, stressing that the tournament will hold from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 and feature 32 players. Oluwatosin promised that the five day sporting activities will be an hitch-free tournament. He said “The best 16 players would move from the opening round to the quarter-finals, before advancing to the semi-finals and final. “There are games each day of the week, from the preliminaries, quarter-finals and semi-finals, while all matches of the tournament will hold at the Black Nile Lounge in Bodija every day. “Then, the final will be at the Billionaires Section of Ibadan Recreation club,” he said. Odita said the real essence of the tournament was to have a community of players first and also identify them as pool players. He said the new talents would be merged with players from Lagos and then the sport’s umbrella body would partner with international bodies to export the players. “The tournament will create an academy for the younger ones and catch them young to master the technicality of the game. “Plans are ongoing to enroll the players on a coaching course in the UK governing body for pool annually. “The certificate can enable the players become coaches anywhere in the world in the future, thereby giving back to the people by training them,” Odita said. “The tournament’s overall winner will get N1 million and a trophy while the first runners-up will receive N500,000 and the second runners-up N300,000. This will go with the presentation of certificates and consolation prizes to all the participants of the tournament” Oluwatosin said. Chairman of Ibadan Recreation Club’s Billiards and Snooker Section, Mr Mbim Okutiyang, said the section was giving Nigerians the opportunity to play with standard tables recognised globally in snooker and pool. Mbim noted that the tournament would serve as an opportunity for people to know what IRC is all about and what it offers.

CAF Pulls Out Nigeria, Libya AFCON Qualifier Amidst Controversy

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  The Confederation of African Football has delisted the Group D second-leg fixture of the ongoing 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifier between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya. The game was earlier scheduled to take place in Libya by 8 pm after the first leg took place in Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday. The Super Eagles beat the Mediterranean Knights by a lone goal in the dying minute of the game. However, the return leg has been greeted with controversy after the Super Eagles players and officials narrated their over 14 hours ordeal at the Libya airport leading them to return home. Meanwhile, CAF said it had launched an investigation into the incident after the Libya Football Federation alleged sabotage and threatened legal action against Nigeria. The African football body further updated games that would be played on Tuesday without including the Libya versus Nigeria game on its X handle.

NIGERIA vs LIBYA: Libyan Football Federation President Resigns Amid Super Eagles Row

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  Abdelhakim Al-Shalmani, President of the Libyan Football Federation, has tendered his resignation. According to The Libya Observer, Al-Shalmani’s resignation was announced during a regular meeting of the Federation’s General Assembly on Sunday. “I do not want to be part of the failure in Libyan sports,” Al-Shalmani stated. While expressing gratitude to his colleagues, he forgave those in the sports sector. “I thank all members of the General Assembly, and I forgive everyone from all segments of the sports sector,” he added. The resignation comes at a time when the Super Eagles of Nigeria are accusing the Libyan football authority of “inhumane treatment” upon arrival in the country ahead of the second leg of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier. The team which was stranded at Al Abraq International Airport for over 16 hours without assistance from the Libyan Football Federation, is currently heading back to the West African country. Meanwhile, the Confederation OF African Football (CAF) has vowed to investigate the incident and take appropriate action. In a statement, it said, “CAF has been in contact with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after it had been informed that the Nigerian National Football Team (‘’Super Eagles’’) and their technical team were stranded in disturbing conditions for several hours at an airport that they were allegedly instructed to land by the Libyan authorities. “The matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation and appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations.”

JUST IN: NFF Withdraws Super Eagles From AFCON Qualifier After Libya Airport Nightmare

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  The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has withdrawn the Super Eagles from Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya. The decision follows a 12-hour ordeal at Al Abraq International Airport in Libya, where the team was stranded since arrival on Sunday afternoon. The chartered aircraft was diverted mid-flight to Al Abraq, a small airport typically reserved for hajj operations, leaving players and officials without assistance from the Libyan Football Federation. The NFF stated that the team remained at the airport for over 12 hours, unable to reach their hotel in Benghazi, three hours away. Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong condemned the treatment by Libyan authorities, describing the situation as “disgraceful” and accusing the hosts of playing “mind games.” The team is being flown back to Nigeria, effectively pulling them out of the fixture. Details later…

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