Sports

Roma keeps rolling with a 4-1 win over Monza

Published

2 years ago

As is often the case this time of year, Roma’s attention is diverted between the opponent on the pitch and those on the table. Fortunately, most of the Giallorossi’s table-watching will occur tomorrow when Bologna and Atalanta square off at high noon Eastern time in a fixture that has enormous implications for Roma’s Champions League pursuit. But if the cards fall right, Roma can leapfrog Atalanta into fifth place.

Meanwhile, AC Milan did Roma a huge favor by dispatching an eight-man Lazio side yesterday, so the early portends were kind to Daniele De Rossi’s side. However, before he could fret about Sunday’s results, DDR had to get through today’s fixture, an away tilt against a surprisingly plucky Monza side, who, thanks to back-to-back wins, has climbed into 11th place after 26 rounds of play.

To combat their upstart hosts, De Rossi left nothing to chance, rolling out his heavy hitters for today’s critical match, starting Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku, and Stephan El Shaarawy at the tip of a 4-3-3, with Leandro Paredes, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante in midfield, and Angeliño, Rasmus Kristensen, Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka in defense.

Despite the good tidings, the match got off to an inauspicious start for Roma, as Ndicka took a boot to the face in the 1st minute from Ivan Djuric. After shoving a wad of gauze up his nose, the newly crowned AFCON champion was good to go.

Roma’s first look at goal saw Bryan Cristante fire a glancing header toward the far right post, narrowly missing an early goal but nevertheless putting Monza keeper Michele DiGregorio under early pressure. The Giallorossi’s second attempt saw Lukaku and Pellegrini work a give-and-go at the edge of the box, with Pellegrini lashing onto Lukaku’s return pass, but DiGregorio read it well, making a stretched save.

The first lucky break of the evening fell in Roma’s favor in the 16th minute when Juric’s snapped shot in the area struck the right upright, sparing the capital club an early setback. With the pitch quickly tilted in the other direction, Roma appeared to seize the lead when Cristante tapped home a square ball from Dybala, only to see his goal disallowed by VAR for an offside call. Dybala was a hair’s breadth past the last defender when Angeliño played the initial ball in a three-touch sequence that led to Cristante’s would-be goal.

After struggling to break through the Monza backline for the ensuing 10 minutes, Pellegrini continued his impressive form under De Rossi when he scored a lovely left-footed goal shortly before halftime.

Lorenzo Pellegrini: 38th Minute (Monza 0, Roma 1)

First, top marks to Lukaku for somehow getting a leg to the initial entry pass and keeping it alive for Pellegrini, but after that, this was all capitano. After displaying some impressive close control amongst a thicket of players, Pellegrini did well to evade the first defender before dropping a lovely left-footer in the far post to put the Giallorossi up.

But they weren’t done yet…

VAR may have thwarted Dybala’s initial assist, but the replay gods had no say here, as La Joya played a simple square ball into the box for Lukaku, who converted with ease, notching his 10th league goal of the season. Excellent job by Dybala to carve out space here, but the real genius was the pass, which caught Lukaku perfectly in stride for a gimme goal.

Thanks to a spate of early injuries, the first half wrapped up with six added minutes, and while Roma came close to stealing a third goal, De Rossi’s men entered the dressing room with a well-earned two-goal lead.

Second Half
In a perfect world, Roma would have begun the second half baying at the moon while they sought a third goal, but Monza took the early initiative, pulling Mile Svilar off his line multiple times in the first five minutes. While they didn’t come close to scoring, it was enough to remind Roma that this match was far from over.

With the clock just shy of the hour mark, De Rossi made a pair of changes, bringing Edoardo Bove and Chris Smalling into the mix in favor of Pellegrini and Angeliño, respectively, giving Roma an ultra-defensive look for the final 30 minutes. While it wasn’t the most exciting turn of events, given how much sharper Monza looked at the outset of the second half, it was the right call by De Rossi.

However, as he’s often done the past two seasons, Dybala put Roma over the top, arching another beautiful free-kick into the back of the net.

Leandro Paredes offered a nice bluff while Monza was arranging their wall, but there was never any doubt that this was Dybala’s attempt. And with a simple swing of his left leg, Dybala put this match to bed, scoring his fourth goal this week and seventh in his last five league matches.

Despite being down three goals, Monza continued to come at the Giallorossi, peppering the Roma backline with six shots in the first 25 minutes of the half, stretching the backline at the edges and nearly catching Svilar out of position a few times.

Sports

FULL LIST: What Will Happen If Jonathan Wins In 2027

Published

3 days ago

David Moore, News Editor

As ex-President Goodluck Jonathan enters the race for the 2027 election, the political atmosphere is increasingly charged with speculation regarding the possibility of Jonathan winning the race.

Should Jonathan eventually win the election, Nigerian citizens could experience another change of government in many sectors. Click link to continue reading.

Sports

EXPOSED: Osimhen fakes injury for Nigeria – Asamoah Gyan

Published

4 days ago

David Moore, News Editor

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is facing fresh controversy after a Ghanaian player accused him of faking an injury to minimize his playing time with the Nigerian national team.

Asamoah Gyan, a former Ghanaian striker, made this accusation after Osimhen missed Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against South Africa on Tuesday. Click link to continue reading.

Osimhen had previously returned to Galatasaray following a leg injury sustained during the Super Eagles’ 1-0 victory over Rwanda in a World Cup qualifier last weekend.

Consequently, the 26-year-old did not participate in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Bafana Bafana on Tuesday evening at the Free State Stadium.

Galatasaray later issued a statement asserting that Osimhen had suffered an ankle ligament injury.

However, Gyan is skeptical about the legitimacy of the injury.

He said, “I know these tricks. Someone might have said to Osimhen, ‘Look, we invested a lot of money in you. The Champions League is coming up. We’re not keen on you going to Africa, but go there, play a little, then get injured and act like it’s serious. The next day, you’ll be back in Türkiye.’” Gyan was quoted by habersarikirmizias saying.

Sports

Oborevwori urges NSC to curb age cheating as 9th NYG ends in Asaba

Published

1 week ago

David Moore, News Editor

Oborevwori urges NSC to curb age cheating as 9th NYG ends in Asaba

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has charged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to urgently address the growing problem of age cheating at editions of the National Youth Games (NYG) to safeguard its credibility and ensure fairness.

Oborevwori made the call on Saturday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, during the closing ceremony of the 9th edition of the Games, which he described as a festival of unity, discipline and excellence.

“What began days ago with great excitement has now come to a glorious conclusion. Today, we celebrate not only the medal winners but also the triumph of sportsmanship and national pride that this festival of youth has demonstrated,” the governor said.

He commended the athletes for their resilience, stressing that whether they won medals or not, they had inspired the nation through their courage and determination.

While praising Team Delta for sustaining its tradition of sporting excellence, he said the Games also provided a platform for discovering new talents from across the country.

The governor, however, lamented that the continued practice of states fielding over-aged athletes undermined the vision of the games.

He urged the NSC to urgently introduce stricter measures to restore integrity and ensure the event remains a true nursery of young talents.

Oborevwori expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the NSC, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), coaches, officials, and volunteers for their roles in ensuring a smooth and successful outing.

He also thanked the visitors for making Asaba their home during the period the Games lasted, assuring them of Delta’s readiness to host the 10th edition of the Games in 2026, in line with the agreement that gave the state hosting rights for four consecutive editions.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Delta State, I congratulate every participant and wish you safe travels back to your various destinations,” he concluded.

In his remarks, Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, represented by Chief Amaka Asiofu, Director of Grassroots Sports and General Coordinator of the Games, described the Asaba edition as “an incredible experience, marked by fair competition, determination, exciting adventures, and inspirational sportsmanship.”

He praised the Delta State Government for its robust sports development system, noting that the Games had once again provided Nigeria with a fresh pool of athletes who would eventually replace aging national players across various sports.

He assured that the Commission would continue to implement policies to nurture the talents while promoting a sports economic ecosystem that will add value to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Dikko also expressed profound gratitude to Governor Oborevwori, the Federal Government, participating states, sponsors, and stakeholders for their contributions to the success of the Games, while lauding President Tinubu for his unwavering support for sports development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

In his own remarks, Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Mr Onoriode Oborevwori, said the Games had showcased not only the competitive spirit of Nigerian athletes, but also the values of friendship, resilience, and cooperation.

He thanked the NSC, organizers, and stakeholders for their commitment and called for continued collaboration to drive development and excellence in sports.

Meanwhile, in the final medal table, Lagos State emerged overall winners for the first time, with a total of 110 medals comprising 52 gold, 32 silver, and 26 bronze. Delta State finished second with 114 medals (37 gold, 38 silver, and 39 bronze), while Edo State came third with 79 medals (33 gold, 18 silver, and 28 bronze).

Overall, 33 states won medals at the Games, with a combined total of 802 medals, comprising 246 gold, 236 silver, and 320 bronze.

Sports

Why I dumped Nigeria for Turkey – Favour Ofili breaks silence, mentions AFN, NOC in hard decision

Published

2 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

Why I dumped Nigeria for Turkey - Favour Ofili breaks silence, mentions AFN, NOC in hard decision

Favour Ofili, a talented track and field athlete known for her impressive performances in the 100m, 150m, and 200m sprints, announced on Monday that she has officially changed her nationality from Nigeria to Turkey.

The 22-year-old athlete made her announcement through a thoughtful post on her X handle, expressing the significance of this pivotal moment in her career.

Speculation about Ofili’s switch had been circulating since July when it became clear that she was considering a move to the European country, a decision driven by her ongoing struggles with the Nigerian athletics authorities.

A particularly distressing episode occurred during her attempt to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she was unable to participate due to Nigerian Olympic authorities failing to inform her about the essential drug-testing requirements needed for eligibility.

Compounding her frustrations, another administrative error from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria thwarted her aspirations of representing her country in the 100m event at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics; they failed to submit her name by the required deadline.

In her heartfelt series of tweets, Ofili revealed that her journey had been marred by a pattern of negligence and miscommunication, leading her to make the difficult but decisive choice to switch her allegiance in hopes of a brighter and more supportive athletic future in Turkey.

“Wrapping up my 2025 season has been a whirlwind of new experiences and big decisions. Racing back-to-back across amazing cities and learning from the best has been incredible,” she wrote.

“As some of you have heard, I’m also starting a new chapter representing Turkey.

“I am proud to have represented Nigeria for many years in a highly successful way! Having won SIX gold medals, TWO silver medals and TWO bronze medals in championship meets and a 200 meter Olympic finalist while experiencing the biggest disappointment from AFN and NOC towards me. Negligence towards me in Olympic (Tokyo/Paris). I have made this decision.”

The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medalist also said financial incentive was not behind her decision to switch allegiance to Turkey.

“While that means sitting out this year’s championship in Tokyo, this change comes from the heart, not from financial motives. I’m truly grateful to have discovered a new home in Turkey,” she added.

Ofili joins the list of high-profile former Nigerian athletes Gloria Alozie and Francis Obikwelu who abandoned Nigerian colours for Spain and Portugal respectively in the 2000s.

Sports

‘He Needs Spiritual War’ – Fresh Prophecy On Victor Boniface Revealed

Published

2 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

In a significant turn of events, Victor Boniface, the talented 24-year-old striker for the Super Eagles, has been left in limbo after his highly anticipated transfer to the esteemed Italian club AC Milan fell through at the last moment.

The aspiring forward had returned to training with high hopes, only to face disappointment when the Serie A giants officially withdrew their interest due to unexpected complications that arose during his medical examinations.

The failed deal has left Boniface visibly upset, as many had regarded this transfer as a pivotal moment in his burgeoning career....Click link for details

Sports

Donel Deal: Liverpool sign Alexander Isak for £130m British-record transfer

Published

2 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

Liverpool have reached agreement on a British-record deal to sign striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, according to ESPN.

Premier League champions say they have had a £125 million ($170m) bid accepted to sign the Sweden international, though Newcastle sources state the deal is worth £130m. Click to continue reading