Sports
Crystal Palace 2 Everton 2: Niasse Equaliser Boosts Unsworth’s Case
Crystal Palace missed the chance to pick up three precious points as the Premier League’s bottom club were twice pegged back by Everton in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.
All the goals came in the first half of a clash between two clubs stuck at the wrong end of the table, with David Unsworth’s hopes of getting the Everton job on a full-time basis boosted by a battling display on the road.
James McArthur popped up at the right time to score the first after a mere 51 seconds, only for Leighton Baines to convert a controversial penalty inside six minutes and make it 1-1.
After Wilfried Zaha tapped Palace back ahead, Roy Hodgson’s side presented Everton with a second equaliser, Oumar Niasse scoring against the club he so nearly joined before the last transfer deadline.
The visitors improved in the second half but they were indebted to Palace substitute Christian Benteke for fluffing a glorious late chance to claim maximum points.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek was passed fit to start for the hosts and the midfielder – who came off in the first half of England’s 0-0 midweek draw with Brazil with a back problem – was influential in Palace’s opener.
The on-loan Chelsea player cut easily inside international team-mate Michael Keane and although his curling effort was kept out by Jordan Pickford, McArthur reacted quickly to volley in the rebound.
The home fans weren’t celebrating for long, however, as Niasse’s theatrical fall when feeling contact from Scott Dann’s outstretched arm convinced referee Anthony Taylor to point to the spot.
Leighton Baines slammed the ball home to draw Everton level with his 20th Premier League penalty, moving him just two behind manager Unsworth’s record for a defender in the history of the competition.
Still, Palace responded well to the disappointment of conceding a dubious equaliser.
They produced the best move of the opening half to re-take the lead, Zaha on hand to provide the finish into an empty net after Joel Ward’s low cross had zipped off the sodden surface to evade the diving Pickford.
Yet their hard work was undone by carelessness at the other end in first-half stoppage time, Speroni’s unnecessary pass putting Dann in trouble. Idrissa Gueye robbed possession from the ponderous centre-back and teed up Niasse for his fifth of the campaign.
Speroni went some way to making amends for his part in the avoidable equaliser with a reactionary save after the break from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, one of two changes made by a clearly unimpressed Unsworth during the half-time interval.
The introduction of Calvert-Lewin and Tom Davies gave Everton some much-needed energy, albeit the latter was a little enthusiastic with a heavy tackle on Loftus-Cheek that resulted in a booking.
Hodgson utilised his bench to send on the fit-again Benteke for the final 15 minutes, with the striker given a brief cameo after missing 10 games through injury.
However, the Belgium international’s lack of recent action came back to bite Palace when he was played clean through by Zaha, his scuffed shot failing to even trouble Pickford as it bobbled wide of the target.
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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