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.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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