Sports
Ronaldo Atones For Astonishing Miss With First La liga Goal
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first LaLiga goal of the season to atone for an astonishing earlier miss and earn Real Madrid a hard-fought 2-1 win at Getafe.
Having missed the start of the season through suspension, Ronaldo had not found the net in his first three league appearances and his duck looked set to continue in a largely frustrating contest against their neighbours.
Zinedine Zidane’s side took the lead when Karim Benzema capped off a counter-attack with a fine first-half finish.
But Getafe surprisingly levelled against the run of play 11 minutes into the second half as Jorge Molina continued his excellent run of form against Madrid.
Ronaldo was then presented with a golden chance to seal the points, only to somehow shoot wide from a yard out.
It looked as if that profligacy would prove costly, but the Portugal forward made amends by latching onto Isco’s wonderful lofted ball over the top and lashing a half-volley beyond Vicente Guaita.
The win cuts the gap to leaders Barcelona to four points, though Luis Enrique’s men could extend that back to seven with victory at Atletico Madrid later on Saturday.
Ronaldo almost opened the scoring in stunning fashion as he saw his half-volley kept out by a diving save from Guaita down to his right.
Getafe reduced Madrid to efforts from long-range for much of the first half, Ronaldo seeing a strike from the edge of the area comfortably saved by Guaita.
Benzema, who teed Ronaldo up for his earlier chance, then fired over the bar after a clever flick from his strike partner, but Getafe did not heed that warning as the Frenchman put Madrid ahead in the 39th minute.
The hosts wastefully gave the ball away from a free-kick and Madrid rapidly launched a counter-attack with the aid of a deflected pass into the path of Benzema, who fired into the bottom-left corner.
Madrid quickly set out to double their lead upon the restart and Getafe were very fortunate not to concede during a passage of play in which Ronaldo and Lucas Vazquez each could have scored before Marcelo saw an effort tipped over by Guaita.
But Zidane’s men were pegged back just three minutes later in contentious fashion. Faycal Fajr got down the right and his low cross was turned home by Molina, though replays indicated the veteran striker was offside.
Ronaldo failed to hit the target with a free-kick before then inexplicably spurning an opportunity to settle the contest from point-blank range after a free-kick diverted into his path in the 73rd minute.
Theo Hernandez had the ball in the net but was correctly flagged for offside and Mauro Arambarri was unable to test Kiko Casilla, playing in place of the injured Keylor Navas, with an ambitious effort.
Getafe hearts were broken in the 85th minute, though, as Ronaldo returned to his usual form with a reminder of his finishing prowess to secure maximum points.
Victor Osimhen has been named the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, cementing his status as one of the world’s top players.
Osimhen surpassed competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah for the prestigious award.
The Super Eagles forward concluded a remarkable year in the imperial Moroccan city of Marakesh, ending Nigeria’s 24-year wait for Africa’s top individual prize, last won by legendary Kanu Nwankwo in 1999.
During the event, Osimhen expressed gratitude, acknowledging the impact of Nigerian legend Emmanuel Amuneke, who coached him at the U-17 level, and the support from fans and fellow players.
“It’s a dream come true for me. I want to thank everyone who has seen me through life’s journey, in achieving my dreams and goals. I appreciate Nigerians and Africa for their unwavering support and encouragement,” he said.
Osimhen recognised the influence of Emmanuel Adebayo, Solomon Kalu, and other African legends, expressing gratitude to his role model, Didier Drogba.
The award reflects Osimhen’s outstanding performances with Napoli, where he played a pivotal role in their Serie A title run, scoring 26 league goals and becoming the first African to win the top scorer award, breaking George Weah’s record in the Italian top-flight.”
Lionel Messi, the renowned Argentine football icon, clinched the coveted 2023 Ballon d’Or, setting a new record for the 2022 World Cup champion.
In a glamorous event held in Paris, Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, received the prestigious award on Monday night. This achievement is widely seen as a well-deserved recognition for his pivotal role in guiding the Abiscelete to World Cup victory in the previous year.
Aged 36, Messi succeeded Karim Benzema as the recipient of this award, which acknowledges his exceptional performances during the last season when he inspired Argentina to triumph at the World Cup.
His remarkable displays in Qatar, where he led his nation to a historic victory, enabled him to surpass strong competition, notably from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Haaland secured the second spot in the final voting, with Mbappe finishing third and Kevin De Bruyne taking fourth place.
Messi, a former Barcelona superstar, left an indelible mark at the World Cup, scoring seven crucial goals. His exceptional performance led to him being named the tournament’s best player, especially after Argentina’s victory over France in the final.
While Messi’s World Cup heroics were undeniable, his final season with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was relatively lackluster. Subsequently, he made a move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
His former PSG teammate, Mbappe, made a strong case for the Ballon d’Or with his outstanding World Cup performance, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the final for France.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland had a remarkable season, scoring an incredible 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City. This stellar performance played a pivotal role in helping Pep Guardiola’s team secure a historic treble in the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Both Haaland and De Bruyne were nominated for the Ballon d’Or from their exceptional contributions to the success of Manchester City.
Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba’s ‘B’ sample has confirmed the presence of testosterone, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday.
The 30-year-old former Manchester United player, a World Cup winner in 2018, faces a ban of up to four years.
The original test by the Italian anti-doping agency (Nado) showed the presence of testosterone metabolites.
On Friday, Pogba learned that the analysis of his B sample, carried out on the previous day, had produced the same result.
The player’s entourage declined to comment.
Under the World Anti-Doping Code, Pogba is liable to a four-year suspension, which could be halved if he proves that he was not at fault.
The ban could even be limited to a few months if the use of the substance took place “out of competition and is not related to his level of performance”.
Pogba’s representatives said last month that the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.
Testosterone promotes muscle development.
Contacted by AFP, Nado was unable to confirm this information “due to a decision by the Italian privacy authority”.
Pogba has seven days to submit his defence to Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal, which will investigate his case and request a sanction, a process that could take several weeks.
In addition to the proceedings of the Italian sports justice system, a judicial investigation will be opened by the Turin public prosecutor’s office, as doping is a criminal offence in Italy.
Since the announcement of his positive test, Pogba has been unable to train with Juventus, the club to which he returned in July 2022 after six seasons with United.
The announcement came shortly before Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri’s press conference on the eve of the Turin derby against Torino, at which he simply said he was “sorry for Paul”.
Contacted by AFP, the club, which has also suspended payment of his estimated annual salary of 8 million euros (8.4 million dollars), did not respond.
Pogba started the season attempting to bounce back from string of injuries last season and from summer surgery.
His sample was reportedly taken at his club’s opening match of the Serie A season, a win at Udinese on August 20, during which he was an unused substitute.
After the first sample tested positive on September 11, Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said she was “awaiting the second sample and cannot have an opinion before the results”.
“What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” she added.
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