Author: Opalim Lifted

Brighton came from behind to beat Chelsea and reach the fifth round of the FA Cup. The Blues took a fortunate lead early on when Cole Palmer’s volleyed cross from the left was fumbled into his own net by Bart Verbruggen. But Albion came back and Georginio Rutter headed in from Joel Veltman’s cross. And they took the lead when Rutter picked out Kaoru Mitoma, who dinked the ball over Robert Sanchez. Chelsea felt the goal should have been disallowed, as the ball struck Tariq Lamptey’s arm in the build-up, though there are no video assistant referees in the FA…

Everton’s last FA Cup game at Goodison Park ended in disappointment as they gifted Bournemouth victory and a passage into the fifth round. The Toffees have hosted matches at this famous venue since 1892, but defeat meant their next home fixture in this competition will come at their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, where the Toffees are scheduled to move for the start of next season. The five-time winners were the architects of their own downfall for the two goals they conceded, with defender James Tarkowski suffering a nightmare as his errors contributed to both Bournemouth’s first-half strikes. The Blues…

Portuguese international, Cristiano Ronaldo, received a unique birthday tribute in New York City as fans gathered at the Times Square to perform his iconic “Siu” celebration. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner turned 40 on February 5, just days after scoring his 922nd and 923rd career goals in Al-Nassr’s 4-0 victory over Al Wasl. Ronaldo’s famous celebration, first seen in 2013 with Real Madrid, remains a global fan favorite. “I started to say ‘si,’ it’s like ‘yes,’ when I was in Real Madrid,” he explained via FourFourTwo. Ronaldo’s birthday also followed a headline-making interview with El Chiringuito, in which he criticized…

Leyton Orient midfielder Jamie Donley entered FA Cup folklore with the outrageous shot that led to the League One side taking a shock lead in their fourth-round match with Man City. Man City eventually turned the tie on its head in the second half, equalising when Rico Lewis’ shot deflected in off new signing Abdoukodir Khusanov before Kevin de Bruyne finished from close range 12 minutes from time. But all that was a bit of an irrelevance. Nothing was more memorable than the home side’s goal. Twenty-year-old Donley, a dual England and Northern Ireland youth international, hit a shot from…

The Federal Ministry of Interior, has launched the contactless passport renewal system for Nigerians in European countries. This development came after the contactless passport system was implemented in Canada. According to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, this is to ensure that Nigerians in Europe get access to government services with ease regardless of their distance away from the country. He added that this would eliminate hurdles associated with passport renewal by allowing Nigerians to renew their passports without visiting the Nigerian embassy in their country of residence or travelling to Nigeria for that purpose. “As with the case in…

The Labour Party (LP) has expressed deep shock and condemnation over the assassination of Hon. Justice Azuka, a lawmaker representing Onitsha 1 North Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly. Justice Azuka was reportedly abducted on December 24, 2024, while returning home along Ugwunaobankpa Road in Inland Town, Onitsha. His decomposing body was later discovered near the 2nd Niger Bridge. In a statement signed by Obiora Ifoh, the party’s spokesman, the killing was described as another tragic indicator of the deteriorating security situation in Anambra under the administration of Governor Charles Soludo. “Anambra has fully assumed the state of…

State parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) have condemned President Donald Trump’s sanctions against the institution. Trump accused the world’s first permanent international war crimes court of taking “illegitimate and baseless actions” against the US and its ally, Israel. In response, he imposed financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families who assisted the international war crimes court in investigating American citizens. The international war crimes court recently issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The ICC said it found reasonable grounds to believe…

Harry Maguire scored a controversial stoppage-time winner as FA Cup holders Man United fought back from a goal down to beat Leicester City and advance to the fifth round. With extra time and potential penalties looming, Bruno Fernandes sent a free-kick into the box and Maguire headed home. The defender appeared to be offside, but with the video assistant referee (VAR) not used at this stage of the competition, it was not picked up by the officials and the goal stood. It was some much-needed joy for Man United fans, who had seen their side beaten at home in five…

Akin Rotimi, spokesperson of the house of representatives, says the proposals for the creation of 31 states in Nigeria are not the resolution of parliament. Speaking at plenary on Thursday, Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the house and chairman of the constitution review committee, said the lower legislative chamber has received proposals for the creation of 31 new states. Kalu said proposals for state creation should be re-submitted in strict adherence to section 8 of the 1999 constitution no later than March 5. The aforementioned section stipulates the requirements for the creation of a new state. ‘Kalu was misrepresented’ In…

Kanye West, the US rapper, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, autism can be diagnosed at any age. In an interview on ‘The Download’, Kanye West revealed that he was previously misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder but decided to get re-evaluated after his wife, Bianca, doubted the diagnosis. The rapper said the diagnosis has helped him understand himself better and why he fixates on certain things even when advised otherwise.…