Sports
…NWFL Insists On Super Six
The board of the NigeriaWomen Football League, headed by Aisha Falode, has insisted on the staging of the NWFL Premiership Super Six to determine the league champion and the country’s two representatives for the inaugural CAF Women Champions League, as agreed by the NWFL and the NWFL Premiership Club Owners on April 5, 2021, in a virtual meeting attended by all the clubs’ representatives.
The Chairperson of the NWFL, Aisha Falode, said yesterday morning that, some of the Premiership Club Owners that held another meeting on Saturday, April 10, 2021, on a concluded matter, cannot arm-twist the NWFL to accept the decisions taken in another meeting, which contained some decisions which in all ramifications are capable of putting the women’s league into disrepute.
Falode noted; “ The April 5 decision to play a Super Six has been sealed and date communicated to the Secretariat of the Confederation of African Football in official correspondence. CAF has accepted this plan and format and has given us April 26, a day after the conclusion of the Super Six in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state, to submit the names of the two Nigerian club representatives for the CAF Women Champions League.
“There is no going back on this as the stage is set for the Super Six competition and the relegation battles.
“Whatever happened to some of the clubs after the April 5 decisions that were widely applauded, I don’t know, but the fact remains, there’s no going back on the Super Six.
“After the conclusion of Week 13 matches which signalled the end of the first round of the 2020/2021 season, the top six teams celebrated their qualifications and plans have started immediately to prepare for the Super Six. Some of the states like the Ondo State Government, owners of one of the qualifying teams, Sunshine Queens, came out with an official statement congratulating Sunshine. Same with other states and private owners.
“It was however strange to see another set of people gather to attempt to pour cold water on the enterprise of the NWFL hard-earned successes over the years. We know some of the club’s representatives succumbed to external forces who don’t want the progress of the women’s league in Nigeria, but we won’t allow them to scuttle the progress made so far by the NWFL, as it was hard-earned due to hard work.”
Falode added that; “The April 5 decision for a Super Six was a patriotic one by the clubs after a vote of 10 to 1 and three undecided. This would see the league end on April 25, and the country’s two representatives presented well on time for the WAFU qualifiers for the CAF Women Champions League, in May.
“Some of the decisions in the communique sent out yesterday by those who sent it were not progressive. Asking that a past winner of the league is picked as Nigeria’s representative to the CAF Women Champions League, will be unfair to the current league leaders after 13 weeks of the league. It’s only logical and fair to engage the top six clubs in a Super Six challenge to get the two of Nigeria’s representatives.
“The same with Bottom Eight battle against relegation. The bottom teams that believed they are too good to be relegated have up to seven matches to prove themselves worthy of staying in the Premiership if they are good enough for the top flight. This is more befitting than saying no team should be relegated.
“We know those pushing some of the clubs to make frivolous requests, but we won’t allow them to distract us, as we insist on the NWFL Super Six, there is no going back.
Sports
Galaxy Win Sixth MLS Title
LA Galaxy won a record-extending sixth MLS Cup title as they beat New York Red Bulls to delight a home crowd at Dignity Health Sports Park.
The MLS Cup is the showpiece match at the end of the US season, pitching the champions of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference finals together.
This was the first MLS Cup between two sides from the largest cities in the United States, Los Angeles and New York, and it produced a hectic opening with all three goals scored in the first half-hour.
Red Bulls were the lowest seed to ever reach the final after finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, and their underdog status initially showed as Galaxy dominated the 29th MLS Cup early on.
Galaxy led after nine minutes when Joseph Paintsil squeezed his shot under goalkeeper Carlos Coronel, and it was 2-0 soon after as Dejan Joveljic ran through the Red Bulls defence and finished with the outside of his boot.
Both men celebrated by holding up the shirt of team-mate Riqui Puig, the former Barcelona player who ruptured his ACL in the Western Conference Final which Galaxy won to reach this championship game.
Galaxy threatened to overwhelm their opponents as Sean Nealis headed a free-kick against his own crossbar.
But Red Bulls centre-back Nealis pulled his team back into the game after 28 minutes when he chested down and volleyed in from 15 yards when Galaxy players failed to clear a corner.
Both sides hit the woodwork in the second half: Galaxy right-back Miki Yamane struck the outside of the post, before Emil Forsberg curled an effort off the upright for Red Bulls.
But Galaxy, who had home advantage because of their better record in the regular season, held on to win their first MLS Cup since 2014.
Red Bulls remain without an MLS Cup title in their history after losing on what was their second appearance in the championship game.
Sports
Bayern Extend Bundesliga Lead To Six Points
Bayern Munich continued their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season with a 4-2 win against Heidenheim.
A double from Jamal Musiala and goals from Dayot Upamecano and Leon Goretzka saw Bayern extend their lead at the top of the table to six points as closest challengers Eintracht Frankfurt were held to a 2-2 draw by Augsburg.
Vincent Kompany was without the injured Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer, Mathys Tel and Serge Gnabry, with Musiala starting on the bench.
Leroy Sane spurned two excellent early chances from close range before Upamecano headed the hosts in front from a Joshua Kimmich corner.
Bayern enjoyed 86% possession and completed 10 times as many passes (503) as the visitors (51) in the first half, yet Alphonso Davies hit the post with the only other clear chance created.
To their credit, Heidenheim didn’t wilt and drew level when Mathias Honsak rounded stand-in Bayern goalkeeper Daniel Peretz after Upamecano under-hit a backpass.
Kompany immediately introduced Musiala from the bench and was rewarded five minutes later when the 21-year-old drove into the box and beat Kevin Muller with a low strike.
Bayern looked to have secured the three points when Goretzka’s shot deflected past Muller, but the visitors halved the deficit almost immediately through a Niklas Dorsch tap-in.
Any nerves soon dissipated when Musiala ran half the length of the pitch unchallenged to slot home the fourth and final goal.
Bayern will face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League tomorrow before returning to domestic duty away against Mainz on Saturday.
Sports
La Liga: Barca Stumble Again
Robert Lewandowski continued his superb start to the season but could not prevent Barcelona dropping points in a 2-2 draw with Real Betis.
Lewandowski scored his 16th goal of the league campaign before Ferran Torres cancelled out Giovani Lo Celso’s penalty – but Assane Diao snatched a point for Betis with a late equaliser.
Real Betis could have easily scored twice in the opening three minutes but Raphina cleared Diego Llorente’s header off the goalline before Abde Ezzalzouli – formerly of Barcelona – saw his one-on-one effort saved by Inaki Pena.
Lamine Yamal wasted a good chance to break the deadlock from close range but team-mate Lewandowski made no such mistake.
The Poland international converted Jules Kounde’s cross from close range to finish a fine team move and score for the 23rd time in 21 games in all competitions.
Betis emerged from half-time with renewed energy but spurned three more clear chances.
Sergi Altimira and Lo Celso sent headers wide of Pena’s post before the Barcelona goalkeeper was called upon to tip Chimy Avila’s snap-shot wide.
Betis finally got their just reward when Lo Celso converted from the penalty spot after Barca substitute Frenkie de Jong felled Vitor Roque – on-loan from the Catalans – as he raced into the area.
Barca pushed for a winner and found it when substitute Torres beat the offside trap to latch on to Yamal’s reverse pass and finish past Fran Vieites.
It looked like Barca would see out the win, but in the fourth minute of injury-time 19-year-old substitute Diao swept home to rescue a point for the hosts.
The draw sees Barca surrender control in the title race. Flick’s side are five points ahead of closest challengers Real Madrid but Los Blancos have played two games fewer.
Barca will be in Champions League action against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday (20:00 GMT kick-off) before facing Leganes in La Liga on Sunday, 15 December.
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