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  • Al-Ahly win 43rd Egyptian League title with 5 games to go

    Al-Ahly win 43rd Egyptian League title with 5 games to go

    African Champions Al-Ahly secured a record-extending 43rd Egyptian League title, without playing on Monday, as their closest rivals Pyramids were beaten 2-1 by Ceramica Cleopatra.

    Al-Ahly, who won a record extending 11th title in African Champions League last month, have now clinched five titles since last October with coach Marcel Koller enjoying his first season in Egypt.

    The Cairo giants have now 75 points from 29 games, with five matches to play, eight points ahead of Pyramids, who have two remaining games.

    Pyramids opened the score with a Karim Hafez free kick, before conceding near the end of each half through forward Salah Mohsen who is on loan from Al-Ahly.

    Reports say Mohsen would return to his parent club next season.

    Former Austria coach Koller started his tenure with winning in October the Egyptian Super Cup, which was postponed from last season due to a busy schedule.

    He later clinched a record-extending 38th Egypt Cup title in April, before winning one more Super Cup in May.

    Al-Ahly are expected to celebrate the new title next Thursday when they confront arch-rivals Zamelek, the title holders for the last two seasons.

  • ‘We saved the club financially’ – Laporta celebrates La Liga title

    ‘We saved the club financially’ – Laporta celebrates La Liga title

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta was left delighted after their La Liga title triumph.

    Barca are champions after victory at Espanyol on Sunday.

    Laporta said: “It’s a historic evening, it’s a historic championship.

    “Winning with four matchdays to go… We’re champions. We controlled the match from the first moment, we deserve the win and the championship.

    “It’s a joyful Sunday. We saved the club financially and gave Barcelona joy back. We want this to be the first major title of a wonderful era.”

  • Rio Ferdinand tips Arsenal to win Premier League title

    Rio Ferdinand tips Arsenal to win Premier League title

    Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, has said that Arsenal looks like a serious contender for this season’s title.

    The Gunners beat Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

    Gabriel Magalhaes was right on time to turn in Bukayo Saka’s corner kick in the second half of the encounter to secure three maximum points for visiting team.

    In his post match analysis the former Manchester United said he’s seeing a new Arsenal

    “Are this team the real deal? There’s something there, togetherness, you can smell it in this team. The way they celebrate. There’s an authority of how Arsenal are playing under this man Mikel Arteta.

    “How many times did we look at each other when a phase of play happened and it was all because of the way that Arsenal were making them moves on the pitch. A real top performance. These types of games are hard and they made it look as easy as you can make it.”

  • Perfect 10 for Bayern Munich as next Bundesliga title sealed

    Perfect 10 for Bayern Munich as next Bundesliga title sealed

    Bayern Munich on Saturday won a record-extending 10th consecutive Bundesliga title with a 3-1 home victory over second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

    They thus became the first side in a major league to do so.

    Juventus previously managed nine Serie A championships in succession but Bayern Munich are the first to have a decade of undisputed dominance in a leading division.

    Bayern Munich have now won 32 German championships with 31 coming in the Bundesliga era from the 1963/1964 season.

    A brilliant Serge Gnabry goal opened the scoring after 15 minutes, while Robert Lewandowski doubled the lead before the break.

    In the second half, Borussia Dortmund cut the deficit through Emre Can’s penalty kick.

    But in spite of goalscoring chances they could not find the equaliser needed to extend the title race, before Jamal Musiala ended matters six minutes from time.

    Bayern Munich lead the table by 12 points with just three games remaining to give coach Julian Nagelsmann his first major honour in his debut season in Munich.

    But while the personnel has changed in Munich over the last decade, the outcome of Bayern Munich winning the Bundesliga —— often with room to spare —- has remained constant.

    Bayern Munich have not been at their best this season, as witnessed by their early exit from the German Cup and disappointing quarter-final loss in the UEFA Champions League.

    But in over 31 games of the 34 match Bundesliga season they have remained untouchable.

    “It was important for us in the end to finish it sensibly after the elimination against Villarreal”, Nagelsmann said, adding he remained “very ambitious” for the future.

    Nagelsmann was showered in beer by his players, who danced on the pitch in front of their fans in the 75,000 sold-out crowd.

    “The consistency of the club is exceedingly impressive,” said German federation president Bernd Neuendorf, who highlighted that it was the first title since 2019 celebrated in a full stadium due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Borussia Dortmund fought bravely, with Can’s 52nd minute penalty kick after Joshua Kimmich fouled Marco Reus.

    They made the game tense and only a save from Manuel Neuer and block from Lucas Hernandez prevented Marco Reus levelling.

    Star striker Erling Haaland also went close, firing over the bar from an awkward height.

    But that was in stark contrast to the first half Bayern Munich dominated and it was too little too late.

    A corner-kick broke the deadlock when Leon Goretzka headed to Gnabry, who controlled with his thigh and volleyed into the top corner from the edge of the box.

    Gnabry had another goal disallowed for offside before Lewandowski notched his 33rd of the season from Thomas Müller’s pass after a careless Borussia Dortmund giveaway.

    And when Musiala forced home after goalkeeper Marwin Hitz saved his initial shot, Bayern Munich could start their celebrations early.

    Müller also reached the personal milestone of a record 11th Bundesliga title with this victory.

    “We definitely wanted it today (Saturday),” Müller said. “We could play out the frustration from the soul —- everything is wonderful now.”

    It summed up Borussia Dortmund’s title challenge this year —- of being good in places but not consistent enough in the whole contest to cause damage.

    Meanwhile, results from matches elsewhere in the competition however did confirm qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

    Bayer Leverkusen boosted their own hopes of reaching the elite continental competition by going third with a 4-1 win at Greuther Fürth, which relegated the bottom-placed hosts.

    RB Leipzig failed to repeat their midweek German Cup semi-final success over Union Berlin as late goals condemned them to a shock 2-1 defeat in falling to fourth.

    Freiburg, who meet RB Leipzig in the German Cup final next month, fought back from two goals down but were held 3-3 by Borussia Mönchengladbach’s injury-time equaliser.

    They stay fifth, two points behind RB Leipzig in the final qualifying berth to the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League.

    Cologne beat Arminia Bielefeld 3-1 to stay on the heels of Union Berlin above them in sixth, while Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim drew 2-2.

  • Manchester City, Liverpool raring to go in final sprint towards EPL title

    Manchester City, Liverpool raring to go in final sprint towards EPL title

    The English Premier League (EPL) returns this weekend for a final sprint to the title, with champions Manchester City looking to overtake Liverpool at the top.

    Liverpool, two points clear having played one game more, host third-placed Tottenham on Sunday.

    Manchester City visit Fulham early Saturday, giving them a chance to add to the pressure on a Liverpool side trying to win the title for the first time since 1990.

    Pep Guardiola’s men have not lost to Fulham in any competition since 2008 and were last beaten at Craven Cottage in 2005.

    The international break has allowed Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones and Benjamin Mendy to return to training and each could be involved this weekend.

    Fulham, second-bottom and 13 points from safety, look certain to be relegated but midfielder Tom Cairney believes there is still plenty to play for this season.

    “There’s a better vibe around the training ground and among the fans (after Scott Parker took over as interim manager),” Cairney said.

    “It’s looking unlikely we’re going to stay up. But there’s a bigger picture. We’ve just got to build now. It’s not the season we dreamed of having but these things happen.

    “We’ve got to start rebuilding. We lost a bit of what we had last season. It’s mad how fast things can change.”

    Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp this week urged his side to take advantage of the “wonderful base” as they try to win the title.

    And Klopp, like Guardiola, should be boosted by the return to training of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Gomez.

    Oxlade-Chamberlain has been out for almost a year after knee surgery, while Gomez missed the last three months.

    Liverpool midfielder James Milner, who won the Premier League title twice with Manchester City, believes strength in depth is likely to be key in the last two months of the season.

    “I think it’s important that we have everyone available,” he told Liverpool’s website. “That’s why you need a squad when you have these sorts of injuries and stuff.

    “Ox has obviously been out a long time and was playing fantastically well before he got injured. The same applies to Joe. He’s been brilliant when he’s played this season and formed a great partnership with Virgil (van Dijk).

    “It’s important with the (number of) games you’ve got and the intensity of the run-in that we have the squad and everyone’s going to have a big impact on the end of the season, even if they’re not out on the field — just in training keeping that intensity and pushing people for their starting places.”

    Tottenham are third but, with just four points between themselves and Chelsea in sixth, the remaining Champions League places are likely to go right down to the season’s last game.

    Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino will check on the fitness of Eric Dier after the midfielder pulled out of the England squad against Montenegro on Monday with a thigh problem.

    Fourth-placed Arsenal have to wait until Monday to face Newcastle United, allowing Manchester United the chance to leapfrog them if they can win at home to Watford on Saturday.

    That match will be the first in permanent charge for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the caretaker manager signed a three-year contract on Thursday.

    Chelsea are away to third-bottom Cardiff City on Sunday.

    Bottom side Huddersfield, 16 points adrift of safety, are away to Crystal Palace while fourth-bottom Burnley host Wolves.

    Southampton, above Burnley only on goal difference, travel to Brighton, while Leicester meet Bournemouth and West Ham face Everton in the weekend’s other matches.

  • Real Madrid win first La Liga title since 2012

    Real Madrid win first La Liga title since 2012

    Real Madrid won first La Liga title since 2012 thanks to a final-day 2-0 victory at Malaga on Sunday and in spite of FC Barcelona’s 4-2 win over Eibar.

    Cristiano Ronaldo scored early in the game to settle the nerves, latching onto Isco’s through ball to step around Carlos Kameni and tap into an empty net.

    Karim Benzema then added their second goal after the break after Kameni had parried Sergio Ramos’ shot.

    Real, who had only needed a draw to win the title, now face Juventus in the Champions League final aiming to complete a double

    FC Barcelona, who had won the past two titles, came from 2-0 down to beat Eibar 4-2 at the Nou Camp.

    But they had also needed Real to slip up if they were going to retain the trophy.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Real Madrid finished with 93 points, while FC Barcelona ended with 90 points to stay second.

    The result means Zinedine Zidane, in his first full season as Real boss, has recorded another first.

    He is the first manager to lead Madrid to the Spanish league title since Jose Mourinho did five years ago.

    If Real beat Juventus in Cardiff, they will become the first team to successfully defend the Champions League.

    Zidane had won the tournament six months into the job last summer.

    NAN

  • Iyaloja sues Olubadan, others for title stripping

    The Iyaloja of Ibadan, Chief Labake Lawal, has sued the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, the Olubadan-in-Council and the new Iyaloja, Chief Iswat Ameringun, for stripping her of her title.

    Lawal was stripped of her title in March and Chief Ameringun installed as the Iyaloja.

    She filed the suit at an Oyo State High Court.

    In the suit by her counsel, Akinjide Sadiq and others, Lawal is seeking a declaration that appointment and installation of the third defendant as Iyaloja of Ibadan land by the first and second defendants on March 20 is illegal.

    She said the appointment and installation was not only wrong, but also violates her rights to natural justice.

    She prayed the court to declare her opponent’s appointment null and void and of no legal effect.