Author: Opalim Lifted

Arsenal kicked off their first Champions League campaign in six years with a resounding victory over PSV Eindhoven at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners won their first Group B encounter with a stunning first-half performance that saw them storm into a 3-0 lead on a rainy night in north London. Bukayo Saka scored after eight minutes, pouncing on a rebound after PSV keeper Walter Benitez could only deflect Martin Odegaard’s into the path of the England winger. Saka was involved again 12 minutes later when Arsenal doubled their lead, neatly placing the ball into Leandro Trossard’s pass for a beautiful low…

Jude Bellingham scored an injury-time tap-in as Real Madrid left it late to beat Champions League debutants Union Berlin at the Santiago Bernabeu. Bellingham’s strike was his sixth goal in six matches for Madrid since joining Los Blancos this summer. Federico Valverde’s 94th-minute strike deflected into the path of the England midfielder, who tapped into an empty net. Union, in their first Champions League match, were unable to respond with just one minute remaining. Carlo Ancelotti chose to play Jude Bellingham in a more advanced number 10 role, and the former Borussia Dortmund and Birmingham City star once again excelled.…

An airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) component of Operation Hakin Kai, a military operation against Boko Haram and other groups in north-eastern Nigeria, has killed eight terrorists. In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 20, by NAF’s spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the terrorists were killed when NAF aircraft on an armed reconnaissance mission took out a gun truck at Baranga village in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State. Edward said: “The opportunity strike, which presented itself unexpectedly, occurred when two armed terrorists on a motorcycle along an active track were trailed. “After sighting the aircraft, the…

Globacom Ambassador and athletics champion, Tobi Amusan, has received accolades from the telecommunications company for winning the women’s 100-meter hurdles in the Diamond League championship in Oregon, United States. The celebrated athlete won the race on Sunday evening in a time of 12.33 seconds to claim her third consecutive Diamond League title. Amusan had won her first Diamond League trophy in 2021 in 12.42 seconds and successfully defended the title in 2022 after recording 12.29 seconds in Zurich, Switzerland. Glo, in a press statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos, lauded Amusan for the outstanding achievement, adding that her victory, despite…

Napoli manager Rudi Garcia hopes Victor Osimhen will regain his scoring form in their UEFA Champions League clash against SC Braga on Wednesday. Victor has failed to register a goal in his last two appearances for the Partenopei. Napoli will kick off their campaign in this season’s Champions League with an away clash against Braga at the Estadio de Braga. Garcia is optimistic that the Nigerian will score against the Portuguese side. “Osimhen started well with two goals in three games, and we hope he can get back on target tomorrow (today),” the gaffer said, according to Football Italia. Osimhen…

A medical doctor at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, died during a Sunday church service after performing a 72-hour surgery without a break at the neurosurgery unit. The Association of Resident Doctors made the announcement in a letter to LUTH’s chief medical director dated September 19. The doctors accused their senior colleagues of abusing them, assigning them gruelling call hours with no breaks, and failing to provide adequate food and lodging. The letter titled ‘An Appeal By The House Officers Of LUTH’ stated, “We, the house officers, are in deep grief over the loss of our colleague, a co-house…

Air Peace has announced the commencement of direct flights from Lagos and Kano to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on October 31, 2023. The airline disclosed this during an engagement session with travel agents last week in Kano State. The airline said the flight route, which will be between Lagos-Abuja and Kano-Jeddah, will operate three days every week. Speaking at the parley, the chief operating officer of Air Peace, Oluwatoyin Olajide, stressed that the connectivity would be direct using the luxury Boeing 777. Olajide, who was represented by the ground operations manager, Air Peace, Ayodeji Adeyemi, applauded the travel agents and restated…

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi claimed it would be impossible to replicate their run to the Champions League final last season as the club prepares for its opening game of the season against Real Sociedad on Wednesday. Last season, Inter lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the final of Europe’s best club competition in Istanbul, thanks to a second-half strike from Rodri. “Last season’s run to the final was a great journey; this year it starts against a strong team,” Inzaghi said to reporters on Tuesday. “We’ll play it like we did last year, knowing it’ll be difficult to replicate…

A fresh crisis is brewing within the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), as the board has resolved to look into the Federation’s finances, income, and expenditures from the start of 2023. This was one of the resolutions reached at its executive board meeting, held virtually on Saturday, September 16, 2023, and presided over by its first vice president, Tafida Gadzama. This will be the first time in over two decades that the executive board of the federation will probe its own activities to ensure transparency and accountability. The board appointed a five-member committee led by the first vice president, Tafida…

Real Madrid never consider themselves favourites to win the Champions League despite their rich history in the competition, manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday as he singled out holders Manchester City to retain the title following their first ever success in the competition last season. Madrid, who won a record-extending 14th European Cup in 2022 but lost to City in the semifinals last season, opened their Group C campaign at home to Union Berlin on Wednesday. They will also face Serie A champions Napoli and Portuguese side Braga in the group stage. “City are favourites because they have a squad…