Sports

Ronaldo! All Hail Mr. Consistency

Published

6 years ago

August 25, 2018

Eric

By Timothy Edaki

Call him a goal scoring machine and you have not erred from the truth. Refer to him as a football god and you have just put it mildly. Arguably the best football currently, Cristina Ronaldo is one player to envy. Everything about this 33 year old Portuguese star is totally on point. On pitch, his tactical and mouth-watering dribbles, his sleek passes and crosses, and of course his signature shots that sends goalkeepers diving but always too late to stop the ball from its predestined course for the back of the net.

One must congratulate the man for his consistency in the Balloon d’Or nomination list. Since his first entry in 2011, Ronaldo has shown that he is a force to be reckoned with. Having won it five times, the new Juventus signing would be looking to succeed his rival, Lionel Messi with his sixth win s3ei they both have five apiece.

As much as we wish Ronaldo well, one must not forget that there are other gladiators in the list. The young but striking Mbappe. The dazzling Modric and of course one of Africa’s shining stars, Salah.

Who would take home the crown?

As Salah Makes Balloon d’Or List…

… Messi Losses Out

Tongues are wagging, social media is buzzing and faces are lit with questions. Everyone is wondering why the world’s supposed G. O. A. T, Lionel Messi has failed to make the shortlist for the 2018 Balloon D’or. Interestingly, there’s a new entrant to the list, Egypt’s starman and Liverpool playmaker, Mohammed Sallah. The question however is: Was Salah a better player than Messi in the previous year? What criterias were uses to determine those who made the list and those who didn’t? How effective was Salah in the games he played?

One must however not forget to congratulate the latest signing into Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo for his consistency in making the list since 2011. A brilliant player, the Portuguese star is making incredible feats in the footballing world.

While most Messi fans are of the opinion that Salah doesn’t deserve to be on the list, it is pertinent to expose and explain the reason why the Balloon D’or committee decide to favor a Salah over a Messi.

First, there is the need for a new face at the awards and while one might argue that this reason isn’t solid enough because Ronaldo who has been a nominee for the award for such a long time made the list. It is however obvious that Ronaldo had a better and more intresting season than Messi, winning the UEFA Champions League, bagging the highest goal scorer award in the tournament and having his country go ahead of Messi’s Argentina before finally crashing out.

Salah made the list because he had the highest number of goals in the English premier league, a feat Messi tied with Ronaldo. Salah was instrumental in the Jurgen Klopp’s side meteoric rise to the UEFA Champions League final. Barcelona had crashed out after a stunning 3-0 defeat by Roma in the Round of 16.

Again, Salah made the list because it was necessary to include a player from the English Premier League following reports that the awards had been biased against players from the league.

Moreover, as earlier hinted, Argentina failed to make an interesting mark in the 2018 World Cup, barely managing to lead his team to the Round of 16 before losing to France.

A Salah or a Messi? The Ballon D’Or committee has chosen and we can only keep our hands crossed to see who finally takes home the award. Cristiano Ronaldo? Mohammed Salah? Kylian Mbappe? Lukas Modric? The world is waiting!

Sports

Man United Engage van Nistelrooy on Interim Basis As Ten Hag Gets the Boot

Published

4 weeks ago

October 28, 2024

Eric

Manchester United have announced the termination of Erik ten Hag’s contract after two-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford, with Ruud van Nistelrooy set to take interim charge.

The Dutchman was dismissed following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham, which left United sitting 14th in the Premier League table.

A club statement said: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.

“Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.

“Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”

Sports

Botched Game: CAF Punishes Libya, Awards Three Points, Three Goals to Nigeria

Published

4 weeks ago

October 26, 2024

Eric

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded three points, and three goals to Nigeria for the missed Libya game.

The development comes after the CAF president, Patrice Motsepe, said a thorough probe was ongoing following the recent controversy surrounding Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya.

Motsepe had maintained that the continental body would not tolerate any lack of sportsmanship and unfair treatment in African football.

However, in the latest development on Saturday, a statement signed by CAF’s Chairperson of CAF Disciplinary Board, Ousmane Kane said the decision to award Nigeria the points was taken after findings by the disciplinary committee it set up to look into the matter, found Libya guilty of the inhumane treatment meted out to the Nigerian senior men’s football team.

The 5-man disciplinary committee consist of; Mr. Ousmane Kane (Senegal) Chairperson, Ms. Njeri Onyango (Kenya) Vice-Chairperson, Mr. Felix Golbassia (Tchad) Member, Mr. Patrick Shale (Lesotho) Member, and Mr. Norman Arendse (South Africa) Member.

CAF said the disciplinary board decided that; “The Libya Football Federation is found to have breached Article 31 of the African, Cup of Nations Regulations as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code, and that the match No.87 Libya v. Nigeria of the CAF African Cup of Nations Qualifiers 2025 (scheduled to be played on 15 October 2024 in Benghazi) is declared lost by forfeit by Libya (by a score of 3-0).”

Following the conclusion of the board’s findings, CAF also ordered the Libya Football Federation to pay a fine of USD 50,000 within 60 days of notification of the present decision.

The players and officials were stranded for hours at a Libyan airport and denied access to food and the internet as they prepared to honour their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier with the Mediterranean Knights.

It took diplomatic efforts and social media callouts for the team to be cleared to finally leave Libya.

With the CAF decision, Nigeria is now poised to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with two matches to spare.

The Eagles are now on 10 points from four matches, four points better than second-placed Benin Republic, while Rwanda have five points. Bottom-placed Libya have only one point and are out of the running for qualification.

Victory or draw against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Abidjan on Thursday, 14th November (a Matchday 5 encounter) will land the Super Eagles a ticket to the finals in Morocco, December 2025/January 2026.

Sports

LFF Denies Foul Play Against Super Eagles, Blames Logistic Challenges for Delay

Published

1 month ago

October 14, 2024

Eric

The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has addressed the circumstances behind the extended delay at Al Abraq International Airport, where the Super Eagles of Nigeria were held hostage for over 15 hours, and attributed the situation to routine air traffic and logistical challenges rather than deliberate foul play.

In a statement on Monday via X, the LFF sought to clarify the events, emphasising that the diversion of the Nigerian team’s flight was not intended as a hostile act.

“We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation,” the LFF said.

Meanwhile, in the most recent development, Super Eagles players and officials have been reportedly set to depart from Libya.

This was disclosed by a sports enthusiast, identified as Pooja Media, via his X handle on Monday, according to The Punch report.

He wrote, “Super Eagles players and all officials are boarding to fly out of Libya to Nigeria. Thank God.”

Confirming this, a player, Bruno Onyemaechi, wrote, “Me and Libya, I don wash my hands commot. Nothing concerns me and una again. Thank God I’m going back.”

The team, held at an abandoned airport for over 15 hours, has resolved not to play the match, citing safety concerns.

Nigeria Football Federation director of communications, Ademola Olajire, confirmed that the team would fly back home.

“Players have resolved not to play the match any longer as NFF officials are making plans to fly the team back home,” Olajire stated.