Premier League
Ikorodu City, Bayelsa Utd Win Away at Rivers Utd, Katsina
The ongoing Nigeria Premier Professional League (NPFL) has continued to throw up interesting results following away results recorded by two struggling teams, Ikorodu City and Bayelsa United against their respective opponents.
It was Bayelsa United’s lone goal win against former Champions, Rivers United tutored by Finidi George that was the biggest result of the day and ensured the host lost two matches consecutively after the 0-3 bashing in Lagos last week against host, Ikorodu City.
Early in the seventh minute ensured that Rivers United remained in the second position with 21 points from 11 matches.
Elsewhere, resurgent Ikorodu City continued their impressive run after a bad start with a 2-1 win away at Katsina United. After conceding an early goal via Moses Effiong in the 22nd minute, the Oga Boys bounced with an equaliser from Emmanuel Solomon on the dot of half-time.
With the match looking like a draw, the away side scored the winner late in the match when Solomon stood tall and scored the second goal that gave his side two consecutive wins.
The result lifted the Ikorodu City side away from the relegation zone and now occupies 12th position with 14 points.
Former champions, Enyimba of Aba and Remo Stars of Ikenne played a goalless draw in Aba.
The result did not alter their respective positions on the log as Remo Stars still led the rest at 22 points and Enyimba is in third position with 19 points.
Resurgence Heartland FC maintained their current form with a lone-goal win at home scored by Christian Molokwu in the 8th minute against Sunshine Stars of Akure.
Coach Emmanuel Amuneke’s side is now out of relegation water as they occupied the ninth position on the log with 15 points.
Kwara United won away at Nasarawa by a lone goal scored by Emmanuel Ogbole in the final minute of the first half.
The Afonja Warriors had to endure with a man down in the final quarter of the match following second yellow by Victor Adeoye in the 71st minute.
In Minna, Niger Tornadoes compounded the woes of Akwa United with another defeat by a lone goal scored in the 48th minute by Papa Daniel.
The result, lifted the winning side into fourth position on the log at 17 points while former champions, Akwa United are now rooted at the bottom of the table with just nine points.
Defending champions, Enugu Rangers secured a goalless outing against the host, Plateau United.
Rangers failed to take advantage of the host’s one-man down all through the second half after John Amah received a straight red and the result leaves the Red Antelopes in the sixth position at 16 points while Plateau United are in eighth position with 15 points.
In Ibadan, Shooting Stars walloped visiting El-Kanemi by three goals to nil. Samuel Ayanrinde opened the score in the 27th minute and Abubakar Ibrahim Aliyu doubled the lead for the host 10 minutes later and Adams Mustapha got the third goal in the 61st minute.
The win pushed the Oluyole Warriors out of relegation and now occupies 10th position with 15 points while El Kanemi has dropped to 7th position at 16 points.
On Saturday, Bendel Insurance had lost at home to Kano Pillars just as Lobi Stars 3-1 against Abia Warriors
NPFL WEEK 11 RESULTS
Enyimba 0-0 Remo Stars
Shooting Stars 3-0 El Kanemi
Katsina Utd 1-2 Ikorodu City
Heartland 1-0 Sunshine
Nasarawa 0-1 Kwara Utd
Tornadoes 1-0 Akwa Utd
Plateau Utd 0-0 Rangers
Rivers Utd 0-1 Bayelsa
Insurance 0-1 Pillars
Lobi Stars 3-1 Abia Warriors
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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