In a display of sportsmanship, Nigerian cyclist, Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye, received crucial support from the German cycling team during the Paris Olympics.
Ukpeseraye, representing Team Nigeria, found herself in a difficult situation when she had no bicycle to race with in the keirin and sprint events due to the short notice of her participation.
“Due to the short notice of me competing at the keirin & Sprint, #teamNigeria I had no bicycle to race with on the tracks,” Ukpeseraye said in a post via her X handle on Thursday.
However, the German team, Bund Deutscher Radfahrer, stepped in to assist the Nigerian athlete.
“In the spirit of sportsmanship, the German team @bunddeutscherradfahr came to my rescue by offering me a bicycle. Thank you,” Ukpeseraye added.
This gesture of goodwill from the German team exemplifies the nature of the Olympic spirit, where athletes from different nations come together to support one another, regardless of their competitive rivalries.
Chelsea are reportedly set to make a move for Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion, with Victor Osimhen’s acquisition in the air.
Atletico Madrid are close to finalizing a €75m deal with Manchester City for Julian Alvarez.
This deal could pave the way for Atletico to release Omorodion to Chelsea for around €40m.
However, Telegraph claims that despite securing Omorodion, Chelsea might still pursue Osimhen.
Victor Osimhen – Getty image
According to reports, they plan to shift Nicolas Jackson to the left wing, making space for Osimhen upfront.
However, Chelsea prefers a loan deal for Osimhen rather than a permanent move due to Napoli’s €100m asking price.
As part of the arrangement, Lukaku could join Napoli, reuniting with manager Antonio Conte.
Chelsea may need to cover Osimhen’s €10m annual salary to facilitate the loan deal as well.
However, the twist remains that if Paris Saint-Germain miss out on Alvarez, they might turn their attention to Osimhen, adding another complexity to the player’s transfer.
The French Champions are among list of clubs targeting Alvarez after the Argentine complained about playing time at Manchester City.
Paris Saint-Germain have officially announced that Dutch international Xavi Simons will spend another season on loan at RB Leipzig.
The 21-year-old midfielder, who was a key player for Leipzig last season, will continue his development in the Bundesliga.
Simons had expressed early in the summer transfer window his intention to leave PSG for the upcoming season, drawing interest from top European clubs, including Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
According to L’Équipe, Bayern Munich appeared to be leading the race to secure his services.
Xavi Simons – Getty image
However, Simons chose to return to Leipzig, where he enjoyed a successful loan spell last season.
Under the guidance of Marco Rose, Simons made 43 appearances across all competitions, contributing 8 goals and 15 assists.
Team Nigeria’s performance at the ongoing Paris Olympics continues to disappoint, with athletes bowing out of 10 events.
The only bright spot has been the women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, who secured their first-ever quarterfinal berth after a 79-70 victory over Canada in their final group B match on Sunday.
The Nigerian contingent’s struggles in Paris exposes the lingering issues with the country’s sports administration.
The exclusion of Favour Ofili, a national champion and medal hopeful, from the women’s 100m race has been a talking point.
Team Nigeria out of 10 events at Paris 2024 Olympics – Getty image
Currently, Team Nigeria’s chances of securing a medal look bleak, as confirmed the Leadership.
This is evident from the athletes’ early eliminations and administrative mishaps that have plagued the team.
In boxing, Nigerian champion Olaitan Olaore lost 5-0 to Kazakhstan’s Oralbay Aibek in his opening fight, ending Nigeria’s hopes in the sport.
The women’s table tennis singles category saw Offiong Edem and Fatimo Bello both losing 4-0, exiting the competition early.
Similarly, in the women’s 50m freestyle swimming, 16-year-old Adaku Nwandu finished second in her heat with a time of 26.62 seconds but failed to make the final as her time was not among the 16 fastest.
In athletics, Godbless finished sixth in her heat of the women’s 100m with a time of 11.33 seconds, while Rosemary Chukwuma came eighth in the second women’s 100m semifinal, both failing to advance further.
With these setbacks, Team Nigeria faces a tough challenge ahead as they aim to salvage their campaign in Paris.
France’s Under-23 team advanced to the Olympic final with a 3-1 win over Egypt, keeping their gold medal hopes alive.
Thierry Henry’s side had the first major opportunity when Truffert broke through the Egyptian defense but was thwarted by the goalkeeper.
The second half of the game saw a dramatic turn. Lacazette missed a clear chance, which Egypt capitalized on as Saber scored a powerful goal to take the lead.
France responded towards the end of the game, with Olise skillfully dribbling his way through the Egyptians defense and set up Mateta, who scored to level the match.
Olise emerged the game changer for France – Getty image
Although VAR checked for a potential penalty after Egypt’s Fayed handled the ball, but no penalty was awarded, sending the match into extra time.
With Egypt reduced to ten men, Mateta headed in his second goal from an Olise cross.
Olise then sealed the victory with a composed finish, ensuring France’s place in the final.
France will now face Spain in the final, after a 2-1 win over Morocco.
The stage is set for the final hurdle before the group stages, as the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League play-off round draw took place on Monday, August 5, at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
The draw, held at 12:00 CET, determined the matchups that will be played on August 20/21 and 27/28, where teams will vie for a coveted spot in the prestigious tournament’s main event.
PUNCH Online retrieved this from a release obtained from the UCL website on Monday night.
It was titled, “UEFA Champions League play-off round draw.”
Here is the full list of the draws:
Young Boys Bern (SUI) vs. Galatasaray (TUR)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) vs. Qarabag (AZE) or Ludogorets (BUL)
Midtjylland (DEN) or Ferencvaros (HUN) vs. Slovan Bratislava (SVK) or APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Jagiellonia Bialystok (POL) or Bodo/Glimt (NOR) vs. Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
Malmo (SWE) or PAOK (GRE) vs. Sparta Prague (CZE) or Steaua Bucharest (ROU)
Lille (FRA) or Fenerbahce (TUR) vs Slavia Prague (CZE) or Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) or Rangers (SCO) vs. RB Salzburg (AUT) or Twente (NED)
PUNCH Online reports that the UEFA Champions League play-off round draw follows specific procedures to ensure fairness. Teams play home and away matches in a knockout system.
An equal number of seeded and unseeded clubs are paired based on club coefficient rankings. Restrictions prevent certain teams from being drawn against each other.
In the Champions Path, 10 teams were split into five seeded and five unseeded categories. In the league path, four teams were divided into two seeded and two unseeded groups.
The draw determines matchups and home teams for the first legs, with the schedule and kick-off times managed by UEFA.
Five clubs in the Premier League the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to score against during his time in the league.
Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the highest goal scorer of all time, has continued to dominate the football landscape even at the age of 38.
Despite his illustrious career in the Premier League, Ronaldo has not scored against all clubs. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of five clubs Cristiano has never scored against in the English league.
Which premier league clubs have Ronaldo not scored against?
Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo
Leicester City
Has Ronaldo ever scored against Leicester City?
Cristiano Ronaldo has competed against Leicester City in three matches but has not yet managed to score against them.
During the 2003-04 season, he first encountered the Foxes, and Manchester United secured a narrow 1-0 win at Old Trafford, thanks to a goal from Gary Neville.
Upon his return to Manchester United, Ronaldo faced Leicester two more times but was unable to score in either game.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves)
Did Cristiano Ronaldo ever play against Wolves?
Cristiano Ronaldo has played three matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) but has yet to score or provide an assist against the Premier League side.
During the 2003-04 Premier League season, Ronaldo faced Wolves twice, failing to make a significant impact in both encounters.
Upon his return to Manchester United in the 2021-22 season, he faced Wolves again, but his struggles continued as Wolves secured a surprising 1-0 victory at Old Trafford.
Leeds United
Has Ronaldo ever scored against Leeds United?
The Red Devils and Leeds have engaged in intense clashes over the years. Despite this, Ronaldo has never succeeded in scoring against them.
Although he has played against Leeds twice at Elland Road and emerged victorious on both occasions, he has never found the net. Additionally, he received bookings in both of his encounters with them.
Sheffield United
When did Ronaldo play against Sheffield United?
Ronaldo appeared in the two matches against Sheffield United during the 2006/2007 season, but he did not manage to score in either the home or away game.
Crystal Palace
How many times did Ronaldo play against Crystal Palace?
The first time Ronaldo faced Crystal Palace was in 2004/2005 he only played 34 minutes in that match, which ended in a goalless draw.
Upon his comeback to the team, he had the opportunity to play against Palace once more. However, even though he played the entire 90 minutes of United’s home game against Palace in 2021-22, he was unable to score despite taking five shots.
Full medal table for the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris which officially commenced on Friday, July 26, 2024.
Following the official commencement of the Olympic Games in Paris on Friday, July 26, 2024, competitions have officially commenced with contenders already securing medals in different sports of the tournament so far.
Who won the first gold medal at the Olympics 2024?
The Republic of China received the first gold medal at the Olympics 2024 in Paris. China is the only country to be awarded a gold medal in the tournament so far. The country received a total of 2 gold medals 1 for the shooting competition and the other for the diving competition at the Olympic Games 2024.
The supporters of Chelsea Football Club will soon find out who their team will face in the qualifying round of the Europa Conference League as they look to book qualification for the competition.
Chelsea’s disappointing performance in the early part of the league last season (2023/24) saw them finish in sixth position behind Tottenham Hotspur in fifth place. The position was good enough to see the Blues play in the Europa League, but Manchester United’s victory over their noisy neighbours, Manchester City saw drop to the third tier of European football ( Europa Conference League).
Which team will Chelsea face in the Conference League?
Chelsea could face any of the following 38 teams in a two-legged game, a victory for the two-time UEFA Champions League winner will see them seal a place in the draw which will take place later in September.
Whoever wins between:
Zrinjski Mostar or Botev Plovdiv
Maribor or Vojvodina
Hajduk Split or Ružomberok
Osijek or Zira
Spartak Trnava or Wisła Kraków
Ararat-Armenia or Puskás Akadémia
Kilmarnock or Tromsø
St Mirren or Brann
St. Gallen or Śląsk Wrocław
Drita or Auda
BK Häcken or Paide Linnameeskond
Pafos or CSKA 1948 Sofia
Paks or Mornar Bar
Sabah or St Patrick’s Athletic
Whoever loses between:
Servette or Braga
Lugano or Partizan Beograd
Panathinaikos or Ajax
Kryvbas or Viktoria Plzeň
Elfsborg or Rijeka
When will the Conference League Play-offs take place?
The Europa Conference League draw will take place on Monday, August 5, 2024.
Chelsea supporters will hope that they can become the first team in history to win all European club competitions.
3 key reasons why a loan move to Chelsea for Victor Osimhen in the summer 2024 transfer window could be a bad idea.
Following reports on Chelsea and Napoli re-opening talks for a potential move for Victor Osimhen to the Premier League on a loan deal in the summer transfer window, mixed reactions as to whether this would be a good move for Victor Osimhen have continued to surface amidst initial speculations of the move.
We have also analyzed the deal from the standpoint of Victor Osimhen being arguably one of the biggest football stars in Africa and we have seen more negatives than positives if he eventually considers the move.
Is Victor Osimhen’s future loan deal to Chelsea a bad idea?
From our perspective, a loan deal for Victor Osimhen to Chelsea is likely to be a bad move for the Nigerian international given what he represents and how he’s perceived at the moment.
Victor Osimhen
Why is this a bad move for Victor Osimhen?
Here are 3 key reasons as to why this is poised to be a bad move for the Nigerian international if he considers joining Chelsea on loan for a year.
