Author: Tahir Ahmed

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Bologna sealed their place in the Italian Cup final for the first time in 50 years with a comfortable 2-1 win over Empoli on Thursday, completing a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory in the semi-finals and igniting dreams of long-awaited silverware. Vincenzo Italiano’s side, one of the most in-form teams in Italian football, made light work of their opponents and will now face AC Milan in the final on May 14 in Rome. With a 3-0 lead from the first leg, Bologna rotated heavily, making seven changes from the team that recently defeated Inter Milan in Serie…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Bayern Munich’s striker Harry Kane’s long wait for a major team honour could finally come to an end this weekend, as the club stands on the brink of reclaiming the Bundesliga crown. Should Bayern defeat sixth-placed Mainz at home on Saturday, and nearest challengers Bayer Leverkusen fail to beat Augsburg, the German title will be heading back to Munich — and into Kane’s hands for the first time. The Bavarians currently hold an eight-point lead at the top with four matches to play, meaning their grip on the title is firm. For Kane, the prospect of…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Atletico Madrid comfortably saw off city rivals Rayo Vallecano with a 3-0 victory in La Liga on Thursday, bouncing back from their shock defeat to Las Palmas last weekend. Meanwhile, Real Betis delivered a crushing 5-1 win over Real Valladolid, sealing the latter’s relegation back to the Segunda Division. Although Atletico’s title hopes are all but over, trailing league leaders Barcelona by 10 points with just five games to play, they produced a dominant performance in the Madrid derby. The hosts made a flying start at the Metropolitano, taking the lead within three minutes. Giuliano Simeone,…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Olympique de Marseille are already planning for the future as they look to return to the Champions League, despite the French team’s absence from European football this season. Currently sitting second in Ligue 1 with just four matches remaining, recent inconsistent form has prompted head coach Roberto De Zerbi to take drastic measures. Marseille had lost five of their last seven matches before hammering bottom-placed Montpellier 5-1 last weekend. However, with only four points separating them from the chasing pack, De Zerbi is leaving nothing to chance. In a bid to refocus and unite the squad…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Liverpool are on the verge of securing a record-equalling 20th English league title and could clinch it this Sunday with just a point at home to struggling Tottenham. Arne Slot’s side need only a draw at Anfield to move 13 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, who have just four matches left to play, making it mathematically impossible for them to catch up. Meanwhile, Chelsea and Newcastle will be hoping to strengthen their bids for Champions League qualification as several of their rivals, including Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa, are tied up with FA Cup…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, secured a 2-1 victory against Egypt in a friendly match in Cairo on Tuesday, boosting their preparations for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The tournament, hosted by Egypt, is set to run from 27 April to 18 May. Nigeria, seven-time champions, opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Kparobo Arierhi calmly finished a precise pass from Bidemi Amole. Egypt levelled the score in the 65th minute through Ahmed Kaabaka, but Nigeria restored their lead in the 83rd minute after Precious Benjamin converted a penalty, awarded…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Juventus are shifting their transfer focus to Atalanta’s Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman as reports intensify that Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has agreed personal terms with Manchester United, according to sources in Turkey and Nigeria. Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, is expected to be sold this summer, potentially for less than his €75m release clause. With the 27-year-old striker seemingly headed to the Premier League, Juventus are now targeting Lookman to bolster their attacking options, Italian outlet *Calciomercato.com* reports. Lookman, also 27, has emerged as a prime candidate following his impressive performances for Atalanta, where…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Pep Guardiola admitted his wild celebration of Matheus Nunes’s stoppage-time winner against Aston Villa felt strange because Manchester City don’t score as many late goals as their Premier League rivals. Nunes fired City to a crucial 2-1 victory over top-five rivals Villa in the fourth minute of stoppage-time at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. Guardiola responded to Nunes’s composed finish from an acute angle by launching into a frenzied fist-pumping dance of joy including a primal roar that underlined the significance of the result. City had been seconds away from a damaging result in the race…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Barcelona inched closer to the La Liga title with a 1-0 win over Mallorca on Tuesday which took them seven points clear of Real Madrid. Spain international Dani Olmo slotted home to help Barca turn up the heat on second-placed champions Madrid, who visit Getafe on Wednesday. Hansi Flick’s side, aiming for a potential quadruple, outplayed the visitors but could not extend their lead at the Olympic stadium as goalkeeper Leo Roman made save after save. With Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against rivals Real Madrid in mind, Flick rested several of his usual starters. The…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Paris Saint-Germain have etched their name into football history, setting a new record for the longest unbeaten away run in Europe’s top five leagues. The newly crowned Ligue 1 champions achieved the milestone during a 1-1 draw against Nantes. The match saw PSG take the lead through Vitinha’s 33rd-minute strike, only for Nantes’ Douglas to level the score with seven minutes remaining. The result extended PSG’s remarkable run to 39 consecutive away games without defeat, with 30 victories and nine draws. This surpasses the previous record set by AC Milan in 1993. Under manager Luis Enrique,…