Ghana Premier League leaders Samartex aim to widen their lead at the top as they face Great Olympics in a crucial encounter on Saturday.
Coming off a defeat to Asante Kotoko last Sunday, Samartex are poised to intensify their defensive efforts, having conceded goals in their last three consecutive matches. The coach and players are expected to put in extra effort to shore up their defence and return to winning ways.
Meanwhile, Great Olympics enter the fixture following two consecutive draws against Nsoatreman and Bechem United.
The team have struggled defensively, conceding goals in their last five consecutive matches, adding psychological pressure as they aim to turn their fortunes around.
Samartex and Great Olympics have previously faced off three times since October 2022, with all matches ending in draws.
Their most recent encounter on November 20, 2023, concluded in a goalless draw.
Remarkably, neither Samartex nor Great Olympics have managed to score a goal in their three head-to-head matches, resulting in an almost identical record between the two teams in recent history.
Fulham played out a 1-1 draw at home against Crystal Palace with Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey staring for the hosts
Crystal Palace’s impressive run under Oliver Glasner faced a stern test as they travelled to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham, aiming to extend their winning streak to four matches.
The visitors asserted their dominance in the opening stages of the match, with Michael Olise proving to be a key figure. The Frenchman had an effort saved and delivered a tempting cross that Chris Richards failed to capitalise on.
However, Fulham gradually grew into the encounter and could have taken the lead before halftime when Issa Diop missed a headed opportunity.
Fulham managed to break the deadlock shortly after halftime. A cross from Timothy Castagne found Rodrigo Muniz, who powered a header past the Palace defence to give Fulham the lead.
Despite falling behind, Palace pushed for an equaliser but were almost caught out on the counter-attack, with Bobby DeCordova Reid missing a chance to extend Fulham’s lead.
As the match progressed, Palace piled on the pressure. Bernd Leno made a crucial save, and Fulham had to block another attempt from the dangerous Olise. However, Palace’s persistence paid off as Jeffrey Schlupp came off the bench to score an excellent goal, securing a deserved point for his side.
In the end, neither Alex Iwobi nor Calvin Bassey could break through the resilient Eagles defense as Fulham settled for a draw in the Premier League encounter.
Defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt have become the first club to reach five consecutive CAF Champions League finals after they beat Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 on Friday to set up a meeting with Esperance of Tunisia.
Al Ahly, who have won five of the last seven editions and a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Cairo and Esperance pulled off a surprise 1-0 win over South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria.
Al Ahly won 3-0 after a goalless draw in the first leg in Lubumbashi for a comfortable aggregate triumph while Esperance’s 20-year-old defender Raed Bouchniba hammered home a clinical shot in the 57th minute to earn the Tunisians a 1-0 away win and 2-0 aggregate victory.
The match was delayed by 70 minutes after a lightning strike in South Africa’s capital knocked out some of the floodlights amid a heavy thunderstorm.
Sundowns won the new African Football League this season and were one of the favourites for the Champions League but fell short of the final for an eighth season in a row.
Esperance’s 20-year-old goalkeeper Amanallah Memmich produced fine saves as the South African forwards fluffed their lines and the win also ensured a place for Esperance in next year’s Club World Cup in the U.S.
Al Ahly took until the 68th minute to break the deadlock against Mazembe when defender Mohamed Abdel-Moneim scored.
Wessam Abou Ali added a second in the 83rd minute, stretching out his leg to apply a clever finish and Akram Tawfiq confirmed their superiority with a stoppage-time third.
Esperance host the first leg of the final on May 18 with the return in Cairo seven days later.
Esperance won the last of their four Champions League titles in 2019 and have been runners-up four times.
Former Zamalek SC forward, Felix Aboagye, has cautioned Dreams FC to score an early goal in their CAF Confederation Cup fixture against the Egyptian side at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Sunday, April 28.
Dreams FC secured a draw at the Cairo International Stadium after the heroics of Solomon Agbasi proved vital to prevent Zamalek from scoring in the first leg.
Karim Zito’s side are far-advanced in the competition despite their inconsistent performance in the Ghana Premier League.
Ahead of the crucial second leg against Zamalek, Aboagye, who played for Zamalek during his career, has emphasized the need for the Ghanaian side to have an early edge over the Egyptians.
“Arab clubs, when they play away, are strategically strong. Zamalek is pushing hard to score an early goal,” said the former Ghana international in an interview with Joy Sports.
“Dreams FC in their last match played in Ghana, they conceded the first goal before coming back to win. Against Zamalek, they can’t afford that. They need to work very hard and score early to unsettle Zamalek.”
The match is slated to kick off at 16:00 GMT at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Mohamed Salah was benched as Liverpool dropped further points in the title race at West Ham United.
Liverpool‘s Premier League title aspirations suffered another setback on Saturday as they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United at the London Stadium.
In a surprising move, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp opted to bench star striker Mohamed Salah, a decision which raised eyebrows among the Liverpool faithful.
Klopp’s decision to leave Salah, the club’s top scorer, on the bench for the crucial encounter will undoubtedly be the subject of much debate in the coming days.
The Liverpool manager will be under pressure to explain his team selection, especially given both individuals were spotted having a heated argument and the Reds’ recent struggles to maintain their early-season form.
With Manchester City and Arsenal already ahead and with games in hand now, the pressure is firmly on Liverpool to rediscover their winning touch if they are to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League crown.
As the title race heats up, Klopp and his players will need to regroup and find a way to bounce back from this latest setback, with the team’s reliance on Salah’s goalscoring prowess now under the spotlight.
Ghana international Mohammed Kudus registered his fifth Premier League assist of the season in West Ham United’s game against Liverpool on Saturday.
The midfielder teed up Jarrod Bowen for his 20th goal of the season as the Hammers and the Reds played out a 2-2 draw at the London Stadium.
West Ham grabbed the lead in the 43rd minute when the Englishman headed into the net a cross from Kudus to open the scoring.
ut the visitors were much improved in the second half and Andy Robertson equalised when he scored from Luis Diaz’s low pass into the penalty area.
They were then rewarded for their pressure when Cody Gakpo’s effort from a corner ricocheted off Angelo Ogbonna, Tomas Soucek and Alphonse Areola before finding the back of the net.
It looked like they were on their way to bouncing back from back-to-back defeats in the league until Antonio’s thumping header put the Hammers back on level terms.
Liverpool sit third in the table with three games remaining, two points behind leaders Arsenal, who face Tottenham on Sunday, while Manchester City are second but have two games in hand.
With his contribution against Jurgen Klopp’s side, Kudus has now been directly involved in 12 league goals, scoring seven and setting up five.
Nigeria’s Boniface reveals motivation to improve after seeing Alonso’s impressive skills in training
Bayer Leverkusen have secured their first-ever Bundesliga title thanks in large part to the impressive work of manager Xabi Alonso.
At the heart of this success is Nigerian striker Victor Boniface, who has praised Alonso’s influence on the team.
Boniface, who has been a key player in Leverkusen’s title-winning campaign, revealed that Alonso’s skills on the training ground have been a source of inspiration for the players.
“Imagine you are training and your coach is doing better than you. Then you want to step up your game,” Boniface said according to a post by Bundesliga on Instagram.
The 23-year-old’s comments highlight the impact Alonso has had since taking over the reins at Leverkusen in October 2022.
The former Spanish international has overseen a remarkable turnaround, guiding the club from the lower reaches of the Bundesliga to the top of the table.
Boniface, who joined Leverkusen in 2023, has been an integral part of Alonso’s revolution. The Nigerian striker has scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in the Bundesliga this season, playing a crucial role in the club’s historic title triumph.
Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title is a remarkable achievement, and Boniface’s praise for Alonso’s influence highlights the importance of a strong, inspiring leader at the helm.
As the club prepares to return Champions League campaign, Boniface and his teammates will be hoping to continue their impressive form under Alonso’s guidance.
Future Olympian: Yusuf Mohammed, the Fastest Man In Jos, Plateau at MTN Champs
It was a sunny day in Jos, Plateau state and the second day of the ongoing MTN Champs tournament in J-town when Kwara born athlete, Yusuf Mohammed Kabir, competed and won the 100 meters race along with a gold medal in the Senior Men 100 meters category at the ongoing MTN Champs tournament.
While MTN Champs is all about discovering and nurturing Olympics athletes to represent Nigeria on the international stage, what makes Yusuf’s win a little different from the everyday one is the fact that he recently made the decision to compete in the 100m set, to perfect his speed for his original competing category, the 110m hurdles.
His first taste in 100m was at MTN Champs Asaba, Delta where he came last but like the famous saying, “na who give up, spoil matter’. According to Yusuf, his dream of competing in the All Africa Games and the Olympics kept him going and cemented his decision to compete in the Jos tournament.
Another angle that makes his win more interesting is that he had initially sustained injuries in his quad, groin, and another in his knee during previous games. The odds were really stacked against him at this point but in the spirit of sportsmanship and victory mirroring what MTN Champs is all about, Yusuf chose to compete and clinched himself the enviable title of being the fastest man in Plateau and a gold medal to boast of.
The MTN Champs train will be making a stop in Calabar, and we can’t wait to see our future Olympians in action again.
Kalaba has been discharged excactly two weeks after being admitted at the
Former Zambia captain Rainford Kalaba has been discharged from hospital after being critically injured in a road accident earlier this month.
The former midfielder was a passenger in a Mercedes-Benz that collided head-on with a truck in a distressing incident initially feared to have claimed his life.
“Mr.Rainford Kalaba has been discharged from the UTH-Adult where he was admitted after being involved in a road traffic accident two weeks ago,” University Teaching Hospital PR officer Nzeba Chanda said in a statement.
“Today (Friday 26th April) marks exactly 14 days from the time of his admission.He is going to recuperate at his family home.”
The football community has expressed widespread support for Kalaba, remembering his contributions to Zambian football as a dynamic midfielder and a dedicated team leader.
On Thursday 25th April, TP Mazembe president Moise Katumbi expressed heartfelt gratitude as he stood by the Kalaba’s bedside.
“I’ve come to see my son Rainford Kalaba. First of all, I thank the Lord who saved my son. I’m in Lusaka before leaving for Egypt,” Katumbi said as quoted on Sports News Africa.
“I can say that he is already 99% cured,” remarked Katumbi, acknowledging the miraculous recovery of Kalaba.
In addition to expressing his gratitude, Katumbi made a heartfelt promise to the player, highlighting Kalaba’s exemplary character both on and off the field.
“He was an exemplary player. Other players can take his example. We won a lot of trophies with him. He’s going to join the Mazembe technical staff.
“He’s like a son to me. I thank the Lord, the Zambian government, and the doctors. If it was anywhere else, we’d lose Kalaba,” stated Katumbi, emphasizing Kalaba’s significance to the club and his personal bond with the player.
Kalaba played a pivotal role in Zambia’s historic triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012, where they clinched their maiden title by defeating Ivory Coast in a thrilling final that culminated in a dramatic penalty shootout.
At the club level, Kalaba established himself as a cornerstone of Tout-Puissant Mazembe during a successful era for the club. His tenure coincided with Mazembe’s triumphs in prestigious competitions such as the African Champions League, where they asserted their dominance with two victories, as well as claiming two African Super Cups and an African Confederation Cup title.
Prior to his tenure with Mazembe, Kalaba honed his skills in his native Zambia, featuring prominently for Kitwe United and Zesco United.
His talent caught the attention of Portuguese club Braga, where he embarked on a new chapter in his career in 2008.
However, Kalaba’s stint at Braga was brief, with just one appearance for the club before he embarked on loan spells with Gil Vicente and Uniao de Leiria.
Subsequently, Kalaba made his move to DR Congo, where he found his stride and made a lasting impact with Tout-Puissant Mazembe.
