Sports

Enyimba Hit with N10m Fine, Rangers Penalized N5m for Oriental Derby Chaos

Published

9 months ago

June 11, 2024

The league’s management board has sanctioned Rangers International and Enyimba F.C following the disruption of the Nigeria Premier Football League Match Day 35 Oriental derby fixture held in Enugu on Sunday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.

The heavyweight clash, a potential title decider, was abandoned in the seventh minute of the eight minutes added time after the referee awarded a late penalty for Rangers, a decision that did not sit well with Enyimba players resulting in some of them getting physical with one of the assistant referees.

Rangers were not allowed to take the penalty as Enyimba players staged a walkout from the pitch before hundreds of fans stormed the pitch while some threw dangerous objects which subsequently forced the arguably biggest top flight game in more than a decade with more than 30,000 fans to be abandoned.

In the ‘summary jurisdiction notice’ sent to Enyimba on Monday, the Peoples’ Elephant were fined one million naira for failure to ensure proper conduct of the team, five million naira for disrupting a live broadcast, one million naira for throwing objects on the field and another one million naira for encroachment by their fans.

They were fined another two million naira for causing the disruption and discontinuation of the match, adding up to a total of 10 million naira in financial penalties.

In addition, Enyimba forfeited three points and three points in favour of Rangers for refusing to allow the penalty awarded to the hosts thereby disrupting the match and ending the game. They were also ordered to produce the erring players in addition to already-identified Eze Ekwutoziam, Chibuike Nwaiwu and Akanni Elijah for appropriate sanctions.

Meanwhile, only a five million naira fine was imposed on Rangers with one million naira being for the failure to implement crowd control measures, two million naira for over-ticketing, one million naira for failure to provide adequate security and another one million naira for allowing unauthorised persons gain access to restricted areas.

Rangers were also hit with an order to implement a more effective crowd control mechanism in subsequent home games.

The ruling put Rangers comfortably on top of the league table with 64 points, five points ahead of second-placed Enyimba with only three matches remaining before the end of the season. The Flying Antelopes only need four points from those games to win the league irrespective of the result of Enyimba’s remaining fixtures.

Both teams have 48 hours to either submit to the fines or appeal the verdicts before a disciplinary panel which could result in additional sanctions if their appeals fail or found to be frivolous.

Sports

Osimhen Hits Hat-Trick as Galatasaray Crush Antalyaspor

Published

5 hours ago

March 15, 2025

Samson Adeyanju

By Emmanuel Ogbodo

Victor Osimhen delivered a masterclass performance on Friday night, scoring a hat-trick as Galatasaray cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory over Antalyaspor at Rams Park.

The Nigerian forward opened the scoring in the 30th minute, finishing off a precise pass from Álvaro Morata.

Morata doubled the lead from the penalty spot just before halftime, and Osimhen struck again in stoppage time, capitalizing on an assist from B. Yılmaz. He sealed his hat-trick in the 52nd minute after a well-placed pass from Y. Akgün.

The emphatic win cements Galatasaray’s grip on the Turkish Süper Lig title race, extending their points tally to 71.

The league leaders remain unbeaten, boasting 22 wins and five draws, with a 10-point cushion over Fenerbahçe, who have played two games fewer.

Osimhen’s latest heroics take his league tally to 20 goals in 22 appearances, making him the league’s top scorer.

Since joining on loan from Napoli after the fourth match of the season, he has netted 26 goals and provided five assists across all competitions in 30 appearances.

The match also marked a milestone for head coach Okan Buruk, who celebrated his 100th game in charge. Before kickoff, he was honored with a commemorative plaque.

Galatasaray made several second-half substitutions, with Roland Sallai, Dries Mertens, and Mario Lemina replacing Yunus Akgün, Lucas Torreira, and Osimhen in the 68th minute.

Antalyaspor’s only real threat came in the 73rd minute when Van de Streek’s shot was denied by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

Galatasaray will now shift focus to their upcoming clash against Beşiktaş, looking to extend their unbeaten run and tighten their grip on the league title.

Sports

Champions League Quarter-Final Showdowns Set

Published

2 days ago

March 13, 2025

Samson Adeyanju

By Adenike Lawal

The UEFA Champions League quarter-final lineup is confirmed, with eight top teams set to battle for European supremacy following a thrilling Round of 16.

This year’s quarter-finals will feature two teams each from England, Spain, and Germany, along with one representative from France and Italy.

Arsenal and Aston Villa will fly the English flag, while Real Madrid and Barcelona represent Spain.

Germany’s hopes rest on Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund, with Paris Saint-Germain carrying France’s ambitions and Inter Milan standing as Italy’s lone contender.

The Round of 16 delivered high-intensity drama, with Real Madrid edging past Atletico Madrid in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Paris Saint-Germain also advanced via penalties after knocking out Liverpool.

Arsenal produced a stunning performance, crushing PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate, while Aston Villa, Inter Milan, and Borussia Dortmund secured their spots with dominant displays.

The quarter-finals will kick off on April 8, with Arsenal hosting Real Madrid and Bayern München facing Inter Milan.

The action continues on April 9 as Paris Saint-Germain take on Aston Villa, while Barcelona battle Borussia Dortmund.

The return legs are set for April 15 and 16, where the teams will fight for a place in the semi-finals.

With these matchups set to ignite in April, football fans can expect nothing short of drama, passion, and unforgettable moments in the race for Champions League glory.

Sports

Super Eagles Coach Chelle Names Final 23-Man Squad for World Cup Qualifiers

Published

4 days ago

March 11, 2025

Samson Adeyanju

By Njoku Chijioke

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has finalized his 23-man squad for Nigeria’s crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

The highly anticipated list, expected to be officially unveiled by 3:00 pm today, follows intense debate over Chelle’s earlier 39-man provisional selection.

Sources suggest some surprise inclusions as the team prepares for must-win matches.

Nigeria, currently fifth in their qualification group with just three points from four games, will face Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before hosting Zimbabwe in Uyo on March 25.

The squad will begin training in Kigali on Sunday.