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FIFA President Tells Countries to Name Stadium After Pele As World Bids Football Icon Goodbye

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Pele was buried in his final resting place Tuesday as millions of fans in Brazil and around the world mourned the sports legend.

Newly inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva paid his respects at Vila Belmiro, the stadium where Pelé played for most of his career.

Pele was being laid to rest in the city where he grew up, became famous, and helped make into a global capital of his sport. Mass was held at the Vila Belmiro stadium before the black casket was driven through the streets of the city of Santos in a firetruck.

It was taken into the cemetery as bands played the Santos team’s official song, and a Catholic hymn. Before the golden-wrapped casket arrived, attendees sang samba songs that Pelé had liked.

Stars absent

“Where’s Ronaldo Nazario? Where’s Kaka, where’s Neymar?” asked Claudionor Alves, 67, who works at a bakery next to the stadium. “Do they think they will be remembered like Pele will? These guys didn’t want to stop their vacations, that’s the problem.”

Another notable absentee was Jair Bolsonaro, whose term as president ended Dec. 31. A day before, he departed capital Brasilia on a flight to Florida, shirking the ceremonial duty of passing the presidential sash to Lula. Bolsonaro is staying in a condominium complex outside Orlando and has been filmed speaking to neighbours.

Among those at the stadium was Pelé’s best friend Manoel Maria, also a former Santos player.

“If I had all the wealth in the world I would never be able to repay what this man did for me and my family,” Maria said. “He was as great a man as he was as a player; the best of all time. His legacy will outlive us all. And that can be seen in this long line with people of all ages here.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino told journalists that every country should name a stadium after Pele. “I am here with a lot of emotion, sadness, but also with a smile because he gave us so many smiles,” Infantino said. “As FIFA, we will pay a tribute to the ‘King’ and we ask the whole world to observe a minute of silence.”

Another fan and friend in line was Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes. “It is a very sad moment, but we are now seeing the real meaning of this legendary player to our country,” Mendes told journalists. “My office has shirts signed by Pele, a picture of him as a goalkeeper, also signed by him. DVDs, photos, a big collection of him.”

Geovana Sarmento, 17, waited in the three-hour line to view his body as it lay in repose. She came with her father, who was wearing a Brazil shirt with Pelé’s name.

“I am not a Santos fan, neither is my father. But this guy invented Brazil’s national team. He made Santos stronger, he made it big, how could you not respect him? He is one of the greatest people ever, we needed to honor him,” she said.

Caio Zalke, 35, an engineer, wore a Brazil shirt as he waited in line. “Pele is the most important Brazilian of all time. He made the sport important for Brazil and he made Brazil important for the world,” he said.

In the 1960s and 70s, Pele was perhaps the world’s most famous athlete. He met presidents and queens, and in Nigeria a civil war was put on hold to watch him play. Many Brazilians credit him with putting the country on the world stage for the first time.

Rows of shirts with Pele’s number 10 were placed behind one of the goals, waving in the city’s summer winds. A section of the stands was filling up with bouquets of flowers placed by mourners and sent by clubs and star players – Neymar and Ronaldo among them – from around the world as loudspeakers played a song named “Eu sou Pelé” (“I am Pele”) that was recorded by the Brazilian himself.

The crowd was mostly local, although some came from far away. Many mourners were too young ever to have seen Pelé play. The mood was light, as people filtered out of the stadium to local bars, wearing Santos FC and Brazil shirts.

Claudio Carrança, 32, a salesman, said, “I never saw him play, but loving Pele is a tradition that goes from father to son in Santos. I learned his history, saw his goals, and I see how Santos FC is important because he is important. I know some Santos fans have children supporting other teams. But that’s just because they never saw Pele in action. If they had, they would feel this gratitude I feel now.”

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UCL Quarter Final: Arsenal Draw Bayern, Madrid to Play Man City

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Arsenal have been drawn against FC Bayern Munich while Real Madrid will face defending champions Man City in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

The draws are as follows:

Q4: Paris Saint Germain vs FC Barcelona

Q3: Real Madrid vs Manchester City

Q2: Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

Q1: Arsenal vs Bayern Munich

Here’s the

Winners of Q2 vs Winners of Q4

Winners of Q1 vs Winners of Q3

The eight teams that get past the round of 16 will compete in the draw, with all eight teams likely to face each other as there is no seeding for the draw.

Teams from the same country and teams that played against each other in the competition’s group stage will be allowed to meet in the draw going forward. The host team will draw the first ball, while the visiting team will draw the second.

The semifinal and final routes will also be determined here, as has been the tradition since the 2018–2019 campaign. Thus, the eight qualified teams will be aware of the path required to get to the final.

The quarter-finals will be played on April 9 and 10 for the first leg, while the conclusions will come one week later, on the 16th and 17th of the same month.

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Anthony Joshua Secures Second Round Knockout Against Ngannou

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Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua halted Francis Ngannou’s nascent climb to crossover stardom Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, defeating the mixed martial arts star via second-round knockout.

Joshua (28-3, 25 knockouts) made quick work of Ngannou, ending the fight with a massive right overhand that knocked the Cameroonian out cold. Ngannou (0-2, 17-3 in MMA) was fighting in his second professional boxing match after claiming the UFC heavyweight crown in 2021.

“It is what it is,” Joshua said on the DAZN broadcast after the match. “When I saw the fight between Francis and Tyson Fury, I realized he could fight. And I wanted a piece of that. He’s an inspiration. He’s a great champion and this result doesn’t take anything away from his capabilities.”

Ngannou’s October bout against Fury, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, went decidedly different. The 37-year-old MMA star entered that match as a substantial underdog but dropped a stunned Fury with a left hook in the third round. After 10 frames, Fury escaped with a controversial split decision victory on the scorecards.

Ngannou had said boxing was his first love before he discovered MMA. But that showing in his professional boxing debut sparked excitement.

Ahead of Friday’s fight, Joshua said he would not underestimate Ngannou as some believed Fury had. His coach, Ben Davison, said Ngannou carried a “false sense of confidence” into the match.

He landed a powerful right jab to drop Ngannou late in the first round. Joshua connected with the right hand to drop him again in the second round. Seconds after Ngannou returned to his feet, Joshua delivered a crushing right overhand that flattened his opponent on the canvas. Ngannou was given oxygen by the ringside doctors and regained consciousness.

“I told him he shouldn’t leave boxing,” Joshua said of Ngannou. “He can do well. He’s fought two of the best.”

For Ngannou, a decisive defeat potentially bruises his chances of a rematch against Fury, who is scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 for the undisputed heavyweight title. After leaving the UFC for the rival Professional Fighters League last year, Ngannou is scheduled to return to the cage to face Renan Ferreira in what will be his PFL debut and his first MMA bout since January 2022.
Usyk defeated Joshua in 2021 to capture his title belts, then repeated the feat in 2022 to retain them. Promoter Eddie Hearn has said the winner of Friday’s match will face the winner of the May 18 fight, opening the door for a potential blockbuster fight between Joshua and Fury, which Hearn has failed to secure in the past.

“My team will shape my future,” Joshua said. “I’m just here to fight. I will go back to my cage and lock myself away and I will come back when it’s time to fight.”

Source: WashingtonPost

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Eguavoen Takes Over Super Eagles As Paseiro Resigns

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Follwing the resignation of Jose Paseiro as Coach of the Super Eagles, former Nigerian coach and captain, Augustine Eguavoen, is reportedly set to be appointed as interim coach.

Nigeria’s national team job became vacant after February 29, 2024, when Peseiro’s contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officially expired.

The Portuguese tactician took over 18 months ago and led the Super Eagles to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) in the Ivory Coast.

He was, however, unable to end the country’s 10-year trophy drought as Nigeria lost 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast in the final.

Afrik Foot reports that Eguavoen is in line to be appointed as the interim coach of the Super Eagles.

The 58-year-old has prior experience in managing the national team, having acted as its technical director from 2020 to 2021.

He has also served as caretaker coach of the Super Eagles in two different spells – first in 2010 and again from 2021 to 2022.

During his second spell as caretaker boss, Eguavoen guided Nigeria to a round of 16 finish at AFCON 2021 but could not lead them to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup after the Super Eagles were beaten by rivals Ghana in the playoffs.

Though the Portuguese born tactician had an option to renew the contract, he chose to resign from the job.

afrik.foot.com

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