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British heavyweight fighter, Tyson Fury has expressed his frustration over his split decision loss to Ukrainian fighter Oleksandr Usyk, implying that sympathy for Usyk’s war-torn country influenced the judges’ verdict.
The undefeated Ukrainian became the first undisputed world champion of the century after a closely contested fight against Fury in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
Usyk, donning his national colours, dedicated his historic win to the people of Ukraine in the aftermath of the judges’ announcement in Riyadh.
He had temporarily returned to Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February 2022 before resuming his boxing career.
Fury, visibly disappointed, suggested that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine may have swayed the judges.
“I believe I won that fight. He won a few rounds, but I won the majority of them,” Fury stated in the ring after the fight.
“We both put on a good fight. His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion.”
An unidentified middle-aged man has reportedly died while watching a football match in Lagos State.
Naija News understands that the unfortunate incident occurred on Thursday, May 16.
According to Punch, the deceased, who is said to be a regular customer of the open bar, walked in, sat down, and started to watch a football match until he fell asleep.
However, all efforts to wake the deceased when the match ended were abortive, as he was found motionless.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, saying it was reported to the Elere Police Division.
According to him, “The owner of a bar located along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway reported at Elere Division that at about 6:15 pm on Thursday, one of his male customers in his 50s, whose name and address are yet unknown, came into the open bar to sit and watch television.
“He was later observed to be sleeping on the chair and in an attempt to wake him up, it was discovered that he was lifeless. The scene was visited by detectives of the division, and the deceased was seen lifeless on the chair without any mark of violence.
The body has been removed to the Mainland General Hospital mortuary, Yaba, Lagos State for autopsy. Efforts to trace his family are in progress.”
Nigerian striker, Victor Boniface has flew his childhood coach who discovered his potential while starting his career as a juvenile in Akugre, Nigeria, to watch the Bundesliga champions' coronation, Newspremises reports.
Boniface finished an outstanding first season with the BayArena outfit with his 14th goal of the Bundesliga campaign as Leverkusen defeated Augsburg on the final day.
Despite winning the league in April, Bayer Leverkusen were presented with their medals and the trophy in a fully packed BayArena on Saturday, May 18, 2024.
In pictures shared on social media, Boniface who was encouraging his fans not to give up on their dreams posted photos of when he started football with his ex-coach and his crowning moment with the man known as Coach Perez holding the Bundesliga title.
Boniface has been a key figure at Leverkusen since joining the club from Belgian side, Union Saint-Gilloise, last summer, scoring 21 goals and delivering 10 assists across all competitions, per Transfermarkt.
The 23-year-old could end the season with an unprecedented treble as Leverkusen prepare to face Kaiserslautern in the DFB Pokal final and Atalanta in the Europa League.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso's men are now 51 games without a defeat.
Real Madrid defender, Jesus Vallejo has described as fake recent reports claiming that he and his partner María Delgado divorced after a 12-year relationship.
The Spaniard said he is still in the relationship and has no intention of dumping his wife.
He also shared pictures with his wife from his wedding at Catedral-basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza.
“News published by Aimara G. Gil in the AS Newspaper that Maria and I broke up is TOTALLY FAKE.
“Maria and I have been in a relationship for 12 years and have always been together and still together today,” he wrote on Instagram.
Vallejo joined Real Madrid in 2015 but has been loaned to several clubs for the majority of his ongoing tenure at the Spanish capital.
[DailyPost]
Pep Guardiola urged history-chasing Manchester City to seize their title “destiny” as the battle for Premier League supremacy reaches a thrilling climax on Sunday.
Guardiola’s all-conquering team go into the final day of the season with a two-point lead over second-placed Arsenal thanks to an eight-game winning streak.
City host West Ham knowing a win will seal an unprecedented fourth successive English title.
Arsenal have been near flawless themselves in 2024, with 15 wins and one draw, away to City, in 17 league matches.
Arsenal, who finished second last year, must beat Everton at the Emirates Stadium and hope City fail to win if they are to end their 20-year wait for the title.
Guardiola doesn’t expect a favour from Everton, who have nothing to play for, and will instead focus on ensuring his players finish the job themselves.
“The destiny is in our hands, but if you are thinking that Everton are going to do something, forget about it. I have seen Arsenal all season,” he said.
“We just focus on what we have to do against West Ham. There is not any contamination in my brain about anything other than what we have to do to beat West Ham.”
Not for the first time, City have been at their relentless best in the intense heat of the run-in.
Guardiola’s men have dropped just six points since mid-December, in draws against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.
As City close in on a sixth title in seven seasons under Guardiola, the competitiveness of the world’s most-watched league has been questioned.
But the Catalan coach has hit back at suggestions the Premier League has become boring and that City’s dominance is thanks purely to the financial muscle of their Abu Dhabi-based owners.
“It’s not boring, it’s difficult,” Guardiola said.
Arsenal have set a club record by winning 27 Premier League games this season, but that still might not be enough to dethrone City.
“We have to give ourselves the opportunity to live a beautiful day on Sunday, where the dream is still alive and is possible,” Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said.
“It’s football and once we are there we just have to live the moment.”
– Man Utd face Euro exile –
There will be an emotional farewell for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp at the end of his memorable nine-year reign, but the Reds will finish third regardless of their result against Wolves at Anfield.
“I spoke before about how hard it will be to say goodbye,” Klopp said.
“I love absolutely everything about this place, I do. I take memories with me, fantastic memories, I take relationships with me forever.”
Manchester United are at risk of missing out on European football altogether after a miserable season.
Erik ten Hag’s men sit eighth and must better Newcastle’s result at Brentford when they visit Brighton to avoid finishing outside the top seven for the first time since 1990.
Tottenham visit relegated Sheffield United knowing a point is enough to guarantee fifth spot, while in-form Chelsea would secure a top-six finish with a draw against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
The top six teams will all definitely qualify for Europe, while seventh could be enough as long as Manchester United do not shock City in next week’s FA Cup final.
At the bottom, Luton will be relegated if they fail to beat Fulham or if Nottingham Forest avoid defeat at Burnley.
Even if Luton win and Forest lose, the Hatters’ vastly inferior goal difference means they need a mathematical miracle to survive.
Fixtures
Sunday (all 4pm Nigerian time)
Arsenal v Everton, Brentford v Newcastle, Brighton v Manchester United, Burnley v Nottingham Forest, Chelsea v Bournemouth, Crystal Palace v Aston Villa, Liverpool v Wolves, Luton v Fulham, Manchester City v West Ham, Sheffield United v Tottenham
AFP
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team defeated their counterparts from Burkina Faso to advance to the fourth and final qualifying round for the 2024 FIFA U17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
The Flamingos powered to a well-deserved [6-0] win over their West African neighbours inside the National Stadium in Abuja to secure a [7-1] aggregate victory.
Harmony Chidi was Nigeria’s outstanding performer as the young forward netted an excellent hat-trick while Peace Effiong claimed a brace to inspire the Flamingos to another huge win.
It would be recalled that the two teams played out a [1-1] draw at the Stade 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali, last week.
However, the Flamingos were in no mood for niceties in Abuja on Saturday as the coach Bankole Olowookere took a two-goal lead into the halftime break.
Chidi gave Nigeria the lead in the 11th minute before Peace Effiong doubled the advantage just past the half-hour mark.
Nigeria extended the superiority after the interval with Chidi heading home her second of the match and the Flamingos’ third and Ramota Kareem’s brilliant effort compounded the woes for the visitors.
Chidi completed her hat-trick four minutes from time before Peace Effiong bagged her second of the encounter as the rampant Flamingos made light work of Burkina Faso.
The Flamingos’ [6-0] win equals Nigeria’s biggest win during the qualifiers and the country’s best result since beating Azerbaijan 11-0 at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in 2012.
Nigeria have now advanced to the final qualifying round of the 2024 Women’s World Cup, where Flamingos will face either Senegal or Liberia.
The Flamingos won a bronze medal at the 2022 edition of the U17 Women’s World Cup in India after beating Germany in the third-place match.
[Leadership]
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team has defeated their counterparts from Burkina Faso to advance to the fourth and final qualifying round for the 2024 FIFA U17 Women World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
The Flamingos powered to a well-deserved 6-0 win over their fellow West African side inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja to secure a 7-1 aggregate victory.
Harmony Chidi was Nigeria’s outstanding performer as the young forward netted an excellent hat-trick while Peace Effiong claimed a brace to inspire the Flamingos to another huge win.
It would be recalled that the two teams earlier played out a 1-1 draw at the Stade 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali, last week.
However, the Flamingos were in no mood for niceties in Abuja for the return leg match on Saturday as the Coach Bankole Olowookere-led side took a two-goal lead into the halftime break.
Chidi gave Nigeria the lead in the 11th minute before Peace Effiong doubled the advantage just past the half-hour mark.
Nigeria extended the superiority after the interval with Chidi heading home her second of the match and the Flamingos’ third and Ramota Kareem’s brilliant effort compounded the woes for the visitors.
Chidi completed her hat-trick four minutes from time before Peace Effiong bagged her second of the encounter as the rampant Flamingos made light work of Burkina Faso.
The Flamingos’ 6-0 win equals Nigeria’s biggest win during the qualifiers and the country’s best result since beating Azerbaijan 11-0 at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in 2012.
Nigeria have now advanced to the final qualifying round of the 2024 Women’s World Cup, where Flamingos will face either Senegal or Liberia.
The Flamingos won a bronze medal at the 2022 edition of the U17 Women’s World Cup in India after beating Germany in the third-place match.
Media
Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury to win historic undisputed heavyweight championship fight
Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury by split decision to unify the WBA, WBO, WBC and IBF world titles; Fury and Usyk were fighting at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad to decide the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in 25 years, the first of the four-belt era
By John Dennen in Riyadh
Sunday 19 May 2024 00:52, UK
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, the first since Lennox Lewis.
Momentum switched in an astonishing ninth round when Usyk seemingly had Fury out on his feet. The Ukrainian smashed a left hook into Fury's jaw. It shook him all the way through his 6ft 9in tall frame and had him rocking across the ring.
Usyk harried him with further crunching shots, smacking Fury into one set of ropes then another. Fury listed into the strands. He could barely stand and leaned into the rigging.
Tyson Fury made his way to the ring through a tunnel of flames to face Oleksandr Usyk
Referee Mark Nelson darted in then and administered a 10 count, apparently convinced that the ropes had kept Fury up. It could have been a fateful decision. The bell rang to end the round and save Fury from another onslaught.
At the start of the fight Fury had appeared dialled into the best form we've seen from him for some time.
Despite the importance of this fight, the historic nature of the occasion, Fury was showboating, early in the fight too. He shimmied his body when stood in a corner in the first round, slipping his head from side to side.
For a moment in the second round he hid his hands behind his back. But it was his long, flickering jab that was connecting, just directing Usyk's attention away from that right that Fury dug occasionally to the body.
He ended the second round with a cracking right uppercut through the middle that prompted a smile from Fury.
Usyk had shown no sign of being intimidated by his vast opponent. He'd sent a thumping left cross arching over to catch Fury's head in the opening rounds. Solid straight shots hit Fury's long body too.
Usyk tracked forward in the third round, as chants of his name rang out.
Fury stayed elusive in the fourth round, sliding along the ropes. But when Usyk had him in a corner, the Ukrainian unleashed his punches forcing Fury to weave away from them.
When Fury found space to work he could direct his attentions at the Ukrainian's body. But in the sixth round Fury truly sensed blood. A long right to the head hurt Usyk. He had to back away from Fury to recover himself and the crowd warmed to the Briton's efforts.
The undisputed heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk attracted stars from around the world including Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Joshua
Fury was in the ascendancy in the seventh round, going about his work with an expression of glee. Only right at the end of the round, when Usyk tagged him with his left cross did he sound a note of defiance to remind Fury he was up against no ordinary foe.
That prompted Fury to start the eighth round battering hooks round either side of Usyk's head. The Ukrainian gallantly pushed himself forward, but it was getting harder for him to find a way round Fury's long punches.
But when Usyk hurt Fury in the ninth it changed the complexion of the fight.
The Ukrainian sought to press home his advantage in the final round, his lead hook strafing Fury's jaw. But the Briton slugged back at him to keep Usyk off and take the fight the distance.
The decision was split,114-113 to Fury on one card but in Usyk's favour 115-112 and 114-113 on the other two.
Media
Manchester City’s Phil Foden has been named the Premier League’s 2023/2024 Player of the Season.
This announcement comes after the 23-year-old England midfielder was voted Footballer of the Year by the English Football Writers’ Association earlier this month, completing an awards double.
Foden has scored a career-best 17 Premier League goals this season, with one game remaining for champions City at home against Westham on Sunday.
Taking to X, #PhilFoden posted, “What a week! So honoured to receive these prestigious awards! Thank you to everyone who voted for me, to the City staff and coaches, my family and of course, my teammates.
“I’m delighted with the way I’ve played so far this season and it wouldn’t have been possible without those around me.”
“To win this award is an achievement that I am extremely proud of,” said Foden.
“The Premier League is acknowledged as the greatest league in the world, and it is a pleasure to have been nominated with so many other great players who have all enjoyed special seasons for their clubs.”
City will secure a record fourth successive English title if they win at home to West Ham on Sunday.
“Overall, I’ve been very happy with the way I have played this season and really pleased that I have been able to contribute with the goals and assists throughout the season,” Foden added.
“I’d like to thank all of the City staff, coaches and especially my teammates because without them this wouldn’t be possible. And I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for me as the award means a lot.”
EPL also shared images of the footballer hailing him on the feat.
It posted, “Winning awards. #PhilFoden has been doing it for years.”
[Punch]
Luis Palma scored a late winner as Scottish champions Celtic twice came from behind to round off their triumphant Premiership campaign with a 3-2 win at home to St Mirren on Saturday.
St Mirren captain Mark O’Hara twice gave the visitors the lead at Parkhead but goals from Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi meant Celtic were level come half-time.
The second half was a less incident-filled contest but when Palma turned in Anthony Ralston’s cross in the 86th minute, home fans were able to roar on Celtic ahead of the trophy presentation.
Palma’s goal led Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers to take off Joe Hart, with supporters giving the 37-year-old a rousing ovation in what was the former England goalkeeper’s final league game of his career.
Hart will now try to lift the seventh trophy of his three-year stint at Parkhead when Celtic face Glasgow arch-rivals Rangers in next week’s Scottish Cup final at Hampden.
Celtic kicked off having already secured their 54th Scottish league title with a 5-0 win at Kilmarnock on Wednesday that moved them to within one of Rangers’ record of 55.
But Celtic’s hopes of celebrating their 12th title in 13 years in front of their own fans suffered a setback in the seventh minute when they failed to clear a throw into the box and O’Hara lashed the ball low into the net.
O’Riley drew Celtic level in the 21st minute but six minutes later St Mirren were ahead again, O’Hara scoring from the penalty spot after Celtic defender Stephen Welsh bundled over Toyosi Olusanya inside the box.
Celtic, however, equalised again eight minutes before the break when Furuhashi turned in fellow Japanese star Reo Hatate’s cross at the near post.
Celtic ended the season eight points clear of second-placed Rangers after the Light Blues were held to a 3-3 draw by Hearts, who scored with the last kick of the match to ensure honours were even at Tynecastle.
The draw ended Hearts’ five-game losing streak against Rangers.
Lawrence Shankland gave Edinburgh club Hearts, already assured of third place, the lead in the first half only for Rangers to score three without reply after the break through Ross McCausland, Todd Cantwell and Fabio Silva.
But Dexter Lembikisa’s goal revived Hearts in the final 10 minutes and they drew level deep into stoppage time thanks to Kyosuke Tagawa’s superb volley.
Dundee and Kilmarnock drew 1-1 at Dens Park in Saturday’s other Premiership match.
Gary MacKay-Steven fired Killie in front in the 24th minute before Luke McGowan equalised for the hosts 13 minutes later.
Robbie Deas’s second yellow card, in the 84th minute, reduced Kilmarnock to 10 men and four minutes later McCowan missed a penalty.
With the Scottish Premiership split into a top and bottom six after 33 games, all the clubs in the lower half of the table will be involved when the league season concludes on Sunday, with already-relegated Livingston at home to Hibernian, Motherwell facing struggling St Johnstone and Ross County taking on Aberdeen.
AFP
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In April, it appeared any club between Manchester City, Arsenal or Liverpool could emerge champions.
But Jurgen Klopp’s men fell off, thanks to a run of poor results, ensuring the German will leave with just one Premier League title after nine years.
It is a real credit to the Reds that they managed to insert themselves in the conversation, as many observers expected City and the Gunners to slug it out again this season.
Arsenal have especially performed supremely well.
“I think they’ve been excellent,” Clinton McDubus, a top football analyst and podcaster, tells DAILY POST.
“Many had doubts whether they would sustain the level of 22/23, and they’ve proven now that this team is here to stay and be a contender year after year.
“More importantly, they didn’t collapse in the run-in like the previous year and bounced back from various setbacks.
“Very impressive season, perhaps even more impressive than last year. Looks like they’ve gone up a level.”
As it stands, Mikel Arteta is set to finish as a bridesmaid behind his former boss and mentor, Pep Guardiola, for the second consecutive year.
But a lot of observers feel Arsenal will win it in a year or two.
“No. The only thing definite is the level they’ve shown to this point.
“They’re a genuinely good side so expectations will certainly rise, and they will go into the season fully expected to be contenders, and with the accompanying pressure.
“Anything less than that will bring scrutiny or be interpreted as regression. Man City will still be coming in as favourites and the team to beat.
“Those are the only guarantees. Football is cruel like that.
“Because every season is unique in itself, past performance and even obvious growth cannot guarantee a team going from 2nd to 1st the next year. That’s football for you.
“Arsenal will definitely be an interesting team to observe next season though. It remains to be seen how they’ll react if they miss out on the title narrowly for a second year in a row.”
It was not straightforward for City.
Although they began the season in formidable fashion, they fell off just before Christmas, with draws against Chelsea and Liverpool, before losing to Aston Villa at Villa Park.
However, in typical fashion, they have steamrolled their way to the business end of the season.
“I think it’s been a weird one, by their standards,” Solace Chukwu, Site coordinator, AfrikFoot NG tells DAILY POST.
“A comedown was inevitable following a treble and the loss of Ilkay Gundogan.
However, without Kevin de Bruyne for much of the season, this has been a very functional version of Manchester City.
“There has been less subtlety and more of a reliance on physical and athletic domination to win matches.
“But winning is a self-perpetuating habit, and no team has won as much as Manchester City in the last 5-7 years.
“They’ve found a way, and are on the cusp of success despite not being a vintage version of themselves.”
Perhaps the darker stain on City’s potential title win is the 115 charges hanging over their head.
“Impossible to not have that at the back of the mind when evaluating City, although that applies to the entirety of the project as opposed to this particular season,” Chukwu added.
“The allegations against them relate directly to the expense they incurred laying the foundation for their dominance.
“And, by not cooperating, City are essentially delaying justice for as long as possible, while building their myth in the meantime.
“By the time justice finally arrives, it won’t matter as much in the public consciousness anymore.
“It’s a calculated, if unethical, gamble.”
President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has revealed details of the contract given to new Super Eagles coach Finidi George.
Recall that Finidi was appointed as coach of the Super Eagles on April 19, and was unveiled by the board of the NFF at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium on Monday in Abuja.
Gusau refuted claims making the rounds that the federation only committed the new Super Eagles head coach to a one-year deal.
“I don’t know where the one-year contract information emanated from, all I know is that, as far as our contract with Finidi is concerned, he is going to be in charge of the team till the end of 2026,” Gusau said on Soccer Africa, a popular TV show in South Africa.
“So I don’t think 2026 is going to be a one-year contract.
“The key thing is, in every contract, there must be some indices and some targets that you must put in place for somebody in other for him to get optimal performance.
“And the first target is to qualify the team for next year’s Nations Cup and to get to at least the semi finals of the Nations Cup, as well as qualify the team to the World Cup and to get us the target of playing in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
“So these are the main targets we put in place for him in the contract, and by the grace of God, we are working hard to see how we can achieve that,” he added.
Speaking further, Gusau also stated that the federation didn’t force George to choose his assistants.
During the unveiling, the NFF also introduced the assistants who will support George: Daniel Amokachi, Benjamin James, Olatunji Baruwa, Chima Onyeike, and Mehmet Ozturk.
“I am very happy when we unveiled Finidi to Nigeria. The NFF Technical Director put all the names on the list, and they chose the best they felt would work. All the names you saw as assistants to Finidi were chosen by him,” Gusau said.
The Super Eagles will host South Africa in their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, June 7th.
The three-time African champions will travel to face Benin at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan three days later.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson will miss Sunday’s concluding game of the Premier League season and next week’s FA Cup final, the club announced Thursday.
The Brazilian was forced off with a facial injury during City’s 2-0 win at Tottenham on Tuesday that left Pep Guardiola’s men on the brink of an unprecedented fourth successive English top-flight title.
Scans have confirmed Ederson suffered a small fracture to the right eye socket following a collision with Cristian Romero.
He will miss Sunday’s league game at home to West Ham and the FA Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley the following week.
[DailyTrust]
Norwich City have sacked boss David Wagner less than 24 hours after their crushing Championship play-off defeat by Leeds.
BBC Sport understands the Canaries have acted following Thursday’s 4-0 semi-final second-leg loss which left them facing a third successive season in the second tier.
Arsenal coach Carlos Cuesta is of interest as a replacement having worked with sporting director Ben Knapper when he was loans manager at the Gunners.
Wagner was on borrowed time after Knapper replaced Stuart Webber in November but managed to guide the Canaries to a sixth-placed finish.
An official club statement is expected later on Friday.
[TheNation]