Second-half goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane eased Liverpool into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig at the Puskas Arena on Wednesday.

The win saw the Reds completed a 4-0 aggregate victory over their German opponents.

Liverpool, leading 2-0 from the first-leg yet struggling in the Premier League after six straight home defeats, had several chances to extend their advantage in the first half but lacked sharpness in front of goal.

Both legs of the last-16 tie were played in the Hungarian capital due to Germany’s COVID-19 related travel restrictions.

While it was an unusual ‘home’ game for Liverpool, there was a more familiar look to the 2019 Champions League winners’ lineup with Brazilian Fabinho back in a midfield role.

Mane had an early chance but blasted over from a promising position but Leipzig knew one goal for them could set the nerves jangling for Juergen Klopp’s side.

Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker did well to smother a shot from Dani Olmo in the 11th minute while at the other end Diogo Jota saw a header tipped over the bar by Leipzig keeper Peter Gulacsi.

Gulacsi then did well again to keep out a Salah shot after the Egyptian had been set free by a long ball forward from Thiago Alcantara.

The Germans continued to ask questions though with Emil Forsberg shooting wide from inside the box in the 33rd minute but Liverpool should have had the lead before the break.

Gulacsi parried another Jota effort and then on the stroke of halftime the Portuguese forward wasted a great chance when the ball fell to him at the back post, after poor defending from Dayot Upamecano, but he fired into the side netting.

Liverpool finally broke through in the 70th minute when Jota fed Salah, who cut across the top of the penalty area before drilling into the bottom corner.

Four minutes later, Mane made it 2-0 on the night when he met a Divock Origi cross from the right with a first-time finish, steering the ball home with the outside of his foot.

“It is a big result for us,” said Salah.

“We came here after losing a few games in the Premier League.

The team is not in the best shape but we want to fight in the Champions League and also fight in the English Premier League and see what can happen.” (Reuters/NAN)

By Nicholas Obisike

Mr Davison Owumi, the General Manager (GM) of  Rangers International F.C says Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has approved and released funds for the settlement of match bonuses of the club’s players and officials.

Owumi, in a statement in Enugu on Wednesday,  said the gesture was  a motivation for the club’s good run in the ongoing Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

He said the governor’s show of strong support would motivate the team as they push to reclaim the trophy it won in 2016 after 32 years of wait.

“Our sports loving governor has never hidden his passion for Rangers International F. C.

“His approval and release of funds to clear all match bonuses has gone further to prove this well known fact, even as the COVID- 19 pandemic is causing incalculable pressure on the state’s economy.

“It is also to motivate the team toward emerging champions at the end of the season,” Owumi said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rangers is currently on the second position in the 20 team log with 24 points from 14 matches, scoring 15 goals and conceding 9 goals at the process.

Rangers will on Sunday, host Adamawa United in a match day 15. (NAN)

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland struck once in each half as they drew 2-2 with Sevilla in their Champions League last-16 second leg on Tuesday and advanced to the quarter-finals with a 5-4 aggregate win.

The Norwegian notched his 20th Champions League goal in 14 games — and 10th in the competition this season — with a controversial 54th-minute penalty.

This was after having tapped in a Marco Reus cutback against the run of play to give Dortmund the lead in the first half.

Sevilla, who made the quarter-finals in 2018 and enjoyed a strong first half, hit back with two goals from Youssef En-Nesyri, the first a 66th-minute penalty followed by a stoppage-time header to make it t 2-2.

The 20-year-old Haaland has now become the all-time top Norwegian scorer in the competition, with one more goal than current Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as Dortmund reached the last eight for the first time since 2017.

Haaland’s penalty, awarded following a lengthy VAR review for an earlier challenge after he had put the ball in the net, was initially saved before he retook it and scored. (Reuters/NAN)

By Olayinka Owolewa

Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin will on Thursday sign a three-year deal with sportswear manufacturers Umbro.

Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Ilorin, the Chairman of a 14-man Launching Committee, Lanre Alege, said the deal was worth about N22 million.

He said Umbro would provide 1,000 replica jerseys as part of the deal, while the company would also provide kits for the team’s players and officials.

“Umbro will provide both home and away jersies and other kits for the duration of the deal,” Alege said.

He explained that the deal which would be signed at the Kwara Stadium Complex in Ilorin was subject to a yearly renewal.

Earlier, the Consultant to the Committee and CEO of Kazolink Sports International, Tunde Kazeem, had applauded the impressive run of Kwara United in the ongoing Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).(NAN)

The CAF Emergency Committee rose from a meeting on Monday, March 8, 2021, in Rabat, Morocco, to cancel the 2021 Under-17 Total Africa Cup of Nations.

The Committee cited constraints faced by some of the participating member associations as well as the host country, including the fact that the coronavirus pandemic continues to present significant challenges for the organization of international sporting events.

“We took into account the cancellation by FIFA of the Under-17 World Cup for which the U-17 CAN would have been the qualifying event,” the Committee further noted:

For all these reasons, the Committee decided to cancel the 2021 edition of the Total U17 Africa Cup of Nations, originally scheduled for 13-31 of March, 2021. (PANA/NAN)

Kwara United FC of Ilorin kept its number one spot intact on the 20-team Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) table after drawing 1-1 away to Wikki Tourists of Bauchi on Sunday.

That was Kwara United’s fifth draw in the 14-week-old season to vault to 25 points.

The draw, their fifth in the season, also took Wikki Tourists from the 15th position last week to 13 on Sunday, leaving them on 17 points.

Enugu Rangers climbed to second spot on the tabled following a 1-1 draw away to Kano Pillars. Both teams are, however, level on points (24) but Rangers are ranked ahead of Kano Pillars, who are third on the table.

Enyimba of Aba are now fourth on the table although they have two matches in hand. Their match against third-from-bottom of the table, Ifeanyi Ubah, was postponed.

Here are other results –

Adamawa United, Yola 2-0 Dakkada, Uyo

Heartland, Owerri 2-2 Abia Warriors, Umuahia

Katsina United, Katsina 0-0 Sunshine Stars, Akure

Nasarawa United, Lafia 1-0 Lobi Stars, Makurdi

Plateau United, Jos 3-1 MFM, Lagos

Rivers United, Port Harcour 2-0 Jigawa Golden Stars, Dutse

The match between Warri Wolves of Warri and Akwa United of Uyo will be played later on Sunday.

The table at a glance –
# Team Name P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Kwara United 14 7 5 2 16 9 7 26
2 Enugu Rangers 14 7 3 4 15 10 5 24
3 Kano Pillars 14 7 3 4 15 10 5 24
4 Enyimba 12 7 3 2 13 9 4 24
5 Nasarawa United 14 7 2 5 15 12 3 23
6 Akwa United 13 6 4 3 16 9 7 22
7 Rivers United FC 13 7 1 5 15 10 5 22
8 Dakkada FC 14 6 2 6 16 20 -4 20
9 Plateau United 14 5 4 5 15 9 6 19
10 Lobi Stars 14 5 4 5 12 11 1 19
11 Heartland Owerri 14 5 3 6 19 22 -3 18
12 Abia Warriors 14 4 5 5 17 15 2 17
13 Wikki Tourist 14 4 5 5 11 10 1 17
14 Sunshine Stars 14 4 5 5 12 14 -2 17
15 MFM FC 14 4 5 5 10 12 -2 17
16 Jigawa Golden Stars 14 5 2 7 9 15 -6 17
17 Katsina United 14 4 3 7 9 18 -9 15
18 Ifeanyi Ubah United 13 3 4 6 9 12 -3 13
19 Warri Wolves FC 13 4 1 8 10 18 -8 13
20 Adamawa United 14 2 4 8 6 15 -9 10 (NAN)

Glasgow Rangers have been crowned Scottish Premiership champions for the first time since 2011, after Celtic were held to a goalless draw at Dundee United.

This success means manager Steven Gerrard has claimed the first major league title of his managerial career, with Rangers now holding an unassailable 20-point lead in the league table.

Rangers were consigned to Scotland’s fourth tier back in 2012 after financial collapse, but have rebuilt steadily —- and have now denied Celtic a record-breaking 10th consecutive top flight crown.

Rangers cruised past St Mirren 3-0 at Ibrox on Saturday, which brought the title in sight, and Celtic’s failure to find a winner at Tannadice gifted Rangers the silverware.

Former Liverpool and England midfielder Gerrard took the Rangers helm in 2018, and has now completed a remarkable end to Celtic’s prior dominance.

Rangers fans flouted lockdown rules at Ibrox to celebrate the 55th crown for the second day running.

“After a superb campaign so far, Gers’ win over St Mirren put them on the verge of glory, with results elsewhere today meaning they can mathematically no longer be caught, with incredibly six matches still to play,”read a Rangers statement.

“It’s title number 55 for the club – the most of any football club in the world – and the first in 10 years following one of the most arduous decades in the club’s history.”

It is former Liverpool and England captain Gerrard’s first trophy as a manager in his third season at Ibrox, and ends Celtic’s bid for an unprecedented 10th successive crown.

It is the earliest Scottish title win in chronological terms.

Rangers have dropped just eight points in an unbeaten Scottish Premiership campaign so far, with their victory on Saturday their 28th win in 32 matches.

They have scored 77 goals and conceded just nine —- only two of which have been at Ibrox.

The Glasgow club were in the bottom tier of Scottish football as recently as 2012 after their financial collapse, and returned to the top flight five years ago.

Rangers’ first game as champions will be the third Old Firm game of the campaign at Celtic Park on March 21. (dpa/NAN)

By Ijeoma Okigbo

Security operatives on Saturday foiled an attempted attack on officials handling the Week 5 game between Road Safety FC of Abuja and DMD FC of Maiduguri.

The group A2 Nigeria National League (NNL) match, played at the Area 3 football pitch, Abuja, witnessed few scoring chances from both sides as DMD FC succeeded in forcing the home team to a barren draw.

Towards the end of the game, curses and threats against the officials emanated from Road Safety’s bench alongside fans outside the pitch.

As the center referee, Jeremiah Akure, blew the final whistle, officers of the Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps made their way into the pitch to guard Akure and his colleagues from a few Road Safety players who attempted to attack them.

With the officials now safe, an unhappy Akande Onigbinde, coach of Road Safety FC, said the situation was borne out of frustration.

“The officiating was not good enough. Everybody (other teams) now think that Abuja is a place where you can come and do as you please.

“The referees are killing the game. It seems its all about money and power.

“When you take the pains to train hard, together with the funds the management is putting in, and you have someone destroying your effort, it is painful.

“I have spoken to the players to calm their nerves and we are looking forward to our next game,” Onigbinde said.

On his part, Balarabe Musa-Mohammed, coach of DMD FC, said the officiating was fair.

”The officiating was fair enough. We even thought that the centre referee was favouring the home side.

“We didn’t expect what we saw at the end of the game. The home team didn’t behave well,” he said.

Shehu Kagara, the match commissioner from Niger state, lauded the security operatives for their prompt response.

“The referee is a former Nigeria Professional Football League referee. The home team thought that they could win at all costs but this is impossible and they tried to torment the referee but all thanks to the security operatives available,” Kagara added.

DMD FC now has seven points from four matches while Road Safety has five points, also from four matches. (NAN)

The following are the results of Day 3 fixtures in the Group stage of the 2020/21 CAF Champions league, played on Friday and Saturday across the continent.

Group A
Al Ahly, Egypt 2-2 AS Vita Club, DR Congo
Al Merrikh, Sudan 0-0 Simba, Tanzania

Group B
Belouizdad, Algeria 1-1 Al Hilal Omdurman, Sudan
TP Mazembe, DR Congo 1-2 Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa

Group C
Wydad Casablanca, Morocco 2-0 Horoya, Guinea
Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa 2-0 Petro de Luanda, Angola

Group D
Espérance Sportive de Tunis 3-1 vs Zamalek, Egypt
Teungueth, Senegal 0-1 MC Alger, Algeria

Day 4 matches will be played on March 16.

In the group stage, each tie will be played on a home-and-away, round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage. (PANA/NAN)

By Isaiah Eka

Akwa United put up a convincing performance on Sunday to record a resounding 3-0 victory over visiting Rivers United of Port Harcourt in a 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) fixture.

The victory at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo in this Match Day 13 fixture took Akwa United FC to fifth place on the NPFL table.

A first half goal by striker Mfon Udoh and two second half goals by striker Charles Atshimene and midfielder Morice Chukwu saw the Promise Keepers continue their impressive home run.

They have now won five and drawn two of their seven home games, and also picked up one win and two draws away from home so far this season.

The victory over Rivers United moves Akwa United to 22 points from 13 games having scored 16 goals and let in nine.

Boboye made just one change to the starting line-up of the team which drew in Aba, with Udoh given the nod to start after recovering from illness while Ubong Essien started on the bench.

Six minutes before half-time, Ndifreke Effiong recieved a good pass and located Seth Mayi who took on three Rivers United defenders neatly before sending a low ball through to Udoh.

He fired a powerful left-footed shot beyond Theophilus Afelokhai into the bottom left corner of the post to put the home team in front with his third goal of the season.

Udoh had a golden opportunity to increase the tally and his team’s lead when he was served a wonderful pass but he hit it straight at the goalkeeper from inside the goal area.

Deep into first half stoppage time, Udoh saw his shot hit the side of the net, as they went into the break with a deserved lead.

Six minutes after the restart, Akwa United doubled their advantage through Atshimene who benefitted from Afelokhai’s error to score his third goal of the season.

The win is Akwa United’s sixth victory of the season and their fifth win at home in seven matches.

They will next face hosts Warri Wolves on Match Day 14 away. (NAN)