Category: Sports

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NPFL: Kwara United slams post-match violence after Rivers United clash

Kwara United F.C. has distanced itself from the crowd disturbance that followed its Nigeria Premier Football League Gameweek 22 fixture against Rivers United F.C. in Ilorin, describing the development as deeply troubling.

The rescheduled encounter, played at the Rashidi Yekini Main Bowl of the George Agbazika Innih Stadium, ended in a 1–1 stalemate.

However, the result was overshadowed by chaos that reportedly broke out moments after the referee signalled full time.

In a statement released on Wednesday and sighted by The PUNCH in Ilorin, the club expressed strong displeasure over the incident, particularly reports that Chief Okey Kpalukwu, the Chairman of Chairmen in the Nigeria Premier Football League, was targeted during the unrest.

The management said it viewed the development with “serious concern and regret,” stressing that the conduct of those involved was inconsistent with the ethos of the club.

“We are deeply disturbed by the events that occurred after the match and unequivocally denounce every act of violence recorded,” the statement read.

Kwara United maintained that discipline, fairness and respect for officials and opponents remain fundamental principles that must guide football engagements.

“Respect for match officials, administrators, visiting teams and fellow supporters is non-negotiable. Football must be played and enjoyed in the spirit of sportsmanship,” the club added.

While acknowledging the passion of its fan base, the management insisted that the actions of a few individuals should not define the broader supporter community known for peaceful conduct.

“The behaviour exhibited by certain persons does not reflect the identity or values of our loyal supporters,” it stated.

The club extended apologies to Chief Kpalukwu, the Rivers United delegation, match officials, security agencies and spectators who may have been affected by the disturbance.

“We sincerely apologise to all parties impacted by the incident and regret the discomfort and harm it may have caused,” the statement noted.

Kwara United further pledged to collaborate with security agencies and league authorities to ensure that those responsible are identified and sanctioned in line with existing regulations.

“We will cooperate fully with relevant authorities to investigate the matter and ensure accountability,” the club assured.

It also appealed for calm among supporters, announcing plans to intensify fan education and engagement initiatives aimed at promoting responsible behaviour at match venues.

“We call on our fans to remain composed and united as we strengthen sensitisation and re-orientation programmes to foster a safe and welcoming football environment,” it said.

Reaffirming its dedication to fair play, the club emphasised its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Nigeria Premier Football League and maintaining Ilorin as a secure host city for topflight matches.

Incidents of crowd violence have remained a recurring concern in the domestic league.

Earlier this season, supporters of Kano Pillars F.C. reportedly attacked players and officials of Shooting Stars Sports Club after a tense encounter at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

The match, which also ended in a draw, degenerated into chaos as irate fans invaded the pitch, prompting security intervention.

The Nigeria Premier Football League subsequently imposed sanctions on the host club as part of efforts to deter further acts of hooliganism and restore order at match centres across the country. (Punch)

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All 2026 World Cup matches sold out, says FIFA president Infantino

All 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be “sold out,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday, even though tickets are still available ahead of the tournament’s June 11 kickoff.

“The demand is there. Every match is sold out,” Infantino told CNBC.

Infantino, in an interview from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, said that there had been 508 million ticket requests in four weeks for some seven million available tickets.

He said requests during the main sales phase in January came from more than 200 countries.

“(We’ve) never see anything like that — incredible,” said Infantino, adding that football’s global governing body has kept “some tickets back” for the last-minute sales phase that will begin in April and run until the end of the World Cup on July 19.

Infantino addressed the issue of ticket prices, described as “exorbitant” by supporters associations and which have already reached record levels on resale sites.

“I think it is because it’s in America, Canada and Mexico,” he said. “Everybody wants to be part of something special.

“Ticket prices have been fixed but you have, in the US in particular, something called dynamic prices, meaning the prices will go up or down.

“You are able as well to resell your tickets on official platforms, secondary markets, so the prices as well will go up.

“That’s part of the market we are in.”

Infantino estimated that the first 48-team World Cup would bring FIFA some $11 billion or more in revenue, adding that “every dollar” will be reinvested in football in FIFA’s 211 member countries.

He put the World Cup’s impact on the US economy at around $30 billion “in terms of tourism, catering, security investments and so on.”

Infantino estimated that in addition to seven million spectators, the World cup would also attract 20 to 30 million tourists and create “185,000 full-time jobs”.

“It’s a big impact,” he said. “I hope this impact will not just be limited to the World Cup but for the future as well.” (Punch)

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Racists are cowards, says Vinicius Jr

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has stated that “racists are, above all, cowards” after alleging he was subjected to racial abuse during a Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The group-stage tie in the UEFA Champions League was halted for approximately 10 minutes after Vinicius reported the alleged incident to French referee Francois Letexier.

The Brazil international and several of his team-mates briefly left the field during the stoppage.

As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, European football’s governing body, UEFA, has opened an investigation into the allegations.

Vinicius, who has previously been the target of racist abuse during his career in Spain, addressed the incident in a post on social media shortly after the match. “Racists are, above all, cowards,” he wrote.

Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, who could face a minimum 10-match ban from European competition if found guilty, has denied directing any racist abuse at Vinicius.

In a statement posted on Wednesday, Benfica said they “fully support” Prestianni and described the situation as a “defamation campaign” against the player. The club also released video footage of the alleged incident, arguing that, given the distance involved, Real Madrid players “could not have heard what they claim to have heard.”

“[Prestianni’s] conduct in the service of the club has always been guided by respect for opponents, institutions, and the principles that define Benfica’s identity,” the club said.

Fabrizio Romano on his X handle on Wednesday said TNT Sports, quoted Kylian Mbappe as saying, “I believe Gianluca Prestianni shouldn’t come to the Bernabéu, the best stadium in the world. “He doesn’t deserve it; he shouldn’t play.”

Benfica manager Jose Mourinho said in his post-match interview that he had been told different things by Vinicius and Prestianni regarding the incident.

Mourinho, who managed Real for 178 games between 2010 and 2013, said Vinicius had been disrespectful in his goal celebration and pointed to their legendary striker Eusebio as proof that Benfica is not a racist club.

“The club reaffirms, clearly and unequivocally, its historical and unwavering commitment to defending the values of equality, respect, and inclusion, which are in line with the core values of its foundation and have Eusebio as their greatest symbol,” Benfica said.

Mourinho’s and Benfica’s comments have been criticised by several people, including anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out.

Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari said both the club and manager had “failed”.

“It’s a natural inclination to want to believe your player, but the reality is they didn’t hear it,” Bhandari told BBC Sport.

“There are only two people who are in that conversation, and two people who could have heard what was said.

“I think the better reaction from a club with Benfica’s fantastic stature would be to say we’re going to cooperate with the investigation.

“This is quite typical after these kinds of discriminatory events. The discrimination is one thing, the gaslighting is another.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident and commended Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol.

“There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society – we need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account,” he added.

“I will always continue to reiterate: No to racism, no to any form of discrimination!” (Punch)

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Arsenal routs Wigan 4-0 on no-surprise Sunday as Premier League teams advance to 5th round

Arsenal enjoyed a 4-0 rout of Wigan as five Premier League teams avoided upsets to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Third-tier struggler Wigan was overwhelmed against the Premier League leader in front of a 60,000 crowd at Emirates Stadium, with all the goals coming in the first half.

Forwards Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus were on the scoresheet along with Jack Hunt’s own-goal as he tried to cut out a cross from Bukayo Saka.

Big-money summer signing Eberechi Eze set up two goals for Arsenal, which won the last of its record 14 FA Cups in 2020. Wigan won the FA Cup for the first and only time in 2013, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final, but was relegated from the Premier League in the same season.

Premier League teams Fulham, Leeds, Sunderland and Wolverhampton joined the Gunners in the last 16.

Fulham rallied to win 2-1 at second-tier Stoke, with Harrison Reed slotting in a late winner after intercepting Stoke goalkeeper Tommy Simkin’s misjudged pass. Brazilian winger Kevin equalized for Fulham early in the second half after South Korean midfielder Bae Jun-ho’s early goal for Stoke.

Midfielder Habib Diarra’s penalty earned Sunderland a 1-0 win at second-tier struggler Oxford, and midfielder Santiago Bueno’s goal gave Wolves a 1-0 victory at fourth-tier Grimsby at a soggy and rain-soaked Blundell Park.

Leeds needed penalty kicks to win at second-tier Birmingham after a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes and extra time.

German forward Lukas Nmecha put Leeds ahead early in the second half after being set up by Noah Okafor, but Patrick Roberts equalized in the 89th minute with a powerful shot. (JapanToday)

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EPL: Arsenal blow two-goal lead as 20th place Wolves rally 2-2 late draw

Arsenal saw a two-goal lead slip away in a dramatic 2‑2 draw at Molineux Stadium after dominating much of the match.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring early — ending a personal 15‑game goal drought — and Piero Hincapié doubled Arsenal’s lead, but Wolves fought back through a superb Hugo Bueno strike and a late own goal resulting from a mix‑up in the Arsenal defence to level the score.

The result means Arsenal drop crucial points in the title race and hand Manchester City a possible lifeline for the Premier League lead.

The night also brought a worry for Arsenal fans, as Saka had to be substituted due to a hip injury after his early goal — adding to fitness concerns during this pivotal part of the season.

The end of the game saw heated moments, including post‑match tensions between players from both sides.

Wolves, bottom of the league, will be buoyed by the fightback and the draw against the league leaders.

PUNCH Online reports that the Gunners will play Tottenham on Sunday, February 22, 2026 in a North London derby.

As obtained in a post-match report on the Arsenal website, four players have scored their first-ever Premier League goal against us this season, three of whom have done so for Wolves: Tolu Arokodare in December, and both Hugo Bueno and Tom Edozie tonight (also Brian Brobbey for Sunderland in November).

Edozie was the seventh player to score on his Premier League debut against the side starting the day top of the table, and first since Antony for Manchester United against Arsenal in September 2022.

This was the first time in Premier League history that a side starting the day bottom of the table avoided defeat to the side starting the day top despite trailing by 2+ goals.

Wolves avoided defeat in a Premier League home game in which they trailed by 2+ goals for the first time since beating Manchester City 3-2 in December 2019, ending a 31-game losing run on home soil from two down.

Bukayo Saka scored his first goal in all competitions since December against Brentford – ending a run of 15 appearances for Arsenal without scoring, his longest goal drought for the club. (Punch)

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Arsenal make Saka best-paid player with new deal

England winger Bukayo Saka has signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal until 2031.

Sources have told BBC Sport that the agreement will make Saka the club’s best-paid player on wages in excess of £300,000 a week.

Talks over a new deal have been ongoing for nearly a year, with Saka verbally agreeing to commit his future to the club in January.

Saka signed his previous deal, which was due to expire in 2027, in 2023 but his renewal means the 24-year-old has committed his peak years to the Gunners.

The news comes as a major boost for the Gunners, as they battle on four fronts to win silverware for the first time since 2020.

The agreement is the latest example of Arsenal tying down their key players to long-term contracts as they look to keep their title-chasing squad together.

William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly all signed new long-term contracts in the summer.

Saka has scored seven goals in 33 appearances for the Gunners this term.

He made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in 2018 after coming through Arsenal’s academy and has gone on to make 217 Premier League appearances, scoring 57 goals.

Saka is 116 Premier League appearances behind Ray Parlour’s record 333 for the Gunners and will have been a professional at the club for 13 years when his new deal expires in 2031.

Saka has scored 14 goals in 48 appearances for England and is expected to be part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup which begins in June.

Arsenal are four points clear at the top of the Premier League and they will face Manchester City in the EFL Cup final in March.

The Gunners are also through to the the knockout stages of the Champions League, as well as the fifth round of the FA Cup. (BBC)

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Pedro Neto hat-trick powers Chelsea into FA Cup fifth round and joined by Wrexham

Pedro Neto scored a hat-trick, including directly from a corner kick, as Chelsea beat Hull City 4-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday.

Also, Wrexham reached the fifth round for the first time in 29 years after beating Ipswich 1-0 in an all-Championship matchup.

Hull and Chelsea had met eight times before in the FA Cup and Chelsea progressed every time. Host Hull never looked like halting that arresting run as the Premier League side took control from the off.

Pedro Neto’s drilled shot from just outside the box gave Chelsea the lead going into halftime, and his low corner squeaked through a throng of bodies straight into the goal six minutes into the second period.

Young Brazilian Estêvão made it 3-0 minutes later when he side-footed home from 12 meters out, and Pedro Neto finished a nicely worked fourth.

“Pedro Neto is an incredible player,” Liam Delap, who recorded three assists, told TNT Sports. “He is playing in a position he is not even used to but he showed his quality.

Wrexham will discover in Monday’s draw who it meets next for a place in the quarterfinals.

A first-half goal from Josh Windass separated Wrexham from Ipswich, which didn’t get a shot on target.

Both teams are in contention for promotion to the Premier League; Ipswich was in third place and hoping for an immediate return to the league it left last summer. Wrexham was seven points behind in sixth and bidding for a fourth consecutive promotion that would take it into the top tier for the first time in its 158-year history.

“We started both halves well but we weren’t able to get the goal,” Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna told BBC Wales. “Second half we tried everything … but we just couldn’t get back into the game. (JapanToday)

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Scotland stuns England 31-20 at Murrayfield and snaps a 12-test winning streak

England’s 12-test winning streak was shattered by Scotland pulling out an astonishingly one-sided 31-20 victory at Murrayfield in the Six Nations on Saturday.

England was favored to win at Murrayfield for the first time since 2020, having developed a mighty bench and become well-drilled and confident during its longest winning run in nine years.

But English set-piece dominance was undone by sloppy handling in Scotland’s 22, under pressure from having to play catchup after a scintillating Scottish start.

Conducted by a masterly Finn Russell, Scotland blasted off to 17-0 after 14 minutes, its speed and slickness twisting an overburdened England into knots.

“I thought that was some of the best rugby we’ve every played,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend told ITV. “It’s all you want as a coach. I thought that was one of Finn Russell’s best games for Scotland and the work rate of our forwards was superb.”

England winger Henry Arundell received a 20-minute red card but his first yellow card was the most damaging. Scotland, emotionally up for the match against its oldest rival and out to redeem for a woeful loss to Italy last weekend, exploited Arundell’s absence in the fast start.

It was too much for England to overcome. By the time of Arundell’s second yellow card right on halftime, leading to the automatic red, Scotland was still up by 14. In his second absence, Scotland out-scored England only 7-3 though it was a second try for center Huw Jones and Scotland’s bonus-point fourth and last try.

“We are bitterly disappointed at that first 20 minutes, the lead Scotland got ahead of us and playing for such a long period with 14 men,” England coach Steve Borthwick told the BBC.

“The way Scotland can move the ball to the edges without our winger it exposed us there and it gave us too much to do.”

Scotland and Townsend, on the occasion of his 100th test, were under fire all week after Italy humbled them 18-15 in Rome.

A sixth win (plus the epic draw in 2019) against England in nine matchups, all under Townsend, will quieten the growing clamor for him to resign, at least until Scotland’s final position in the championship becomes clear.

“There has been a lot of talk about Gregor Townsend but his players really showed up today, they really performed and really played for Gregor today,” Borthwick said. “They don’t play like that in every single game.”

Beating England has given Townsend’s Scotland a best placing of only third, leading supporters to believe the victories, while celebrated, have been used by the team to gloss over poor campaigns.

Townsend didn’t deny it: “We’ve given them something to shout about for the next 12 months.”

Against Italy, Scotland made no line breaks. Against England, it made 10 in the first half alone.

Arundell was coming off a hat trick against Wales but after he was sin-binned early for not releasing, Russell’s one-handed flick on with Tom Roebuck in his face set up the opening try for Jones.

A Russell line break was followed by captain Sione Tuipulotu’s huge pass to unmarked flanker Jamie Ritchie to stroll over.

Arundell returned from the sin-bin to score thanks to George Ford, who added a conversion and penalty, and England looked to be finding a foothold.

But Russell then switched the attack, stepped two defenders and chipped ahead. England prop Ellis Genge made a mess of grabbing the ball and Scotland scrumhalf Ben White took the gift over the tryline.

Right on halftime, Arundell took out leaping opposite Kyle Steyn and his second yellow card became a 20-minute red.

Ford started the second half with a penalty; he was perfect off the tee. But his drop goal attempt was charged down by Matt Fagerson, who collected the ball and let Jones race to the posts at the other end. It made Jones Scotland’s top try-scorer in Six Nations history since 2000 (18), and the leading try-scorer against England (8) in the same period.

Russell went five for five in goalkicking, a year after his late missed conversion cost Scotland a fifth straight win over England.

England was consoled by a late converted try to No. 8 Ben Earl. (JapanToday)

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Newcastle ousts 10-man Villa from FA Cup; Man City beat Beckham’s Salford

Newcastle beat 10-man Aston Villa 3-1 thanks to a double from Sandro Tonali to reach the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday as Marc Guehi scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2-0 victory over fourth-tier Salford.

Both Villa and Newcastle have failed to win the competition since the 1950s and another opportunity for Unai Emery’s men to end a 30-year wait for silverware vanished after a first half red card for goalkeeper Marco Bizot.

Tammy Abraham had fired the home side in front with his first goal since returning to Villa last month.

But the game swung in the Magpies’ favour when Bizot charged off his line to wipe out Jacob Murphy and deny a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Newcastle’s fightback saved the officials from an embarrassing moment becoming more controversial when Lucas Digne’s handball, that was clearly inside the box, was given as a free-kick instead of a penalty.

With VAR not in operation at this stage of the competition, the decision could not be reviewed.

But Newcastle levelled from the resulting free-kick anyway as Tonali’s strike deflected past the helpless Emi Martinez.

Tonali has been linked with a move to Arsenal come the end of the season and the Italian showed why he is in-demand with a blistering strike from outside the box to turn the tie around.

Nick Woltemade then netted his first goal in 15 games to take Newcastle, who last lifted the trophy in 1955, into the last 16.

Owned by Manchester United legends David Beckham and Gary Neville, Salford were playing in the fourth round for the first time in their history.

The League Two side were humbled 8-0 when they faced City in the third round last season, but pushed Pep Guardiola’s men far closer on Saturday.

“They defended really well, so tight and we didn’t attack the spaces the way we should. The game was flat until we scored the second goal,” Guardiola said.

City took an early lead through Alfie Dorrington’s own goal, but there were only nine minutes left when England defender Guehi delivered the decisive blow with his maiden goal since signing from Crystal Palace in January.

Third-tier Mansfield produced the upset of the day by winning 2-1 at Premier League Burnley to reach the fifth round for the first time since 1975.

Burnley went into the game bolstered by their first league win since October over Crystal Palace in midweek, but boss Scott Parker made nine changes and the gamble backfired.

Burnley took the lead through Josh Laurent’s 21st-minute goal, but Nigel Clough’s team, who sit in mid-table in League One, staged an impressive fightback in the second half.

Rhys Oates headed in the equaliser in the 53rd minute and Louis Reed capped a fine individual performance with a brilliant free-kick 10 minutes from full-time.

Ten-man West Ham edged through as the in-form Crysencio Summerville clinched a 1-0 win at League One Burton after extra-time.

Freddie Potts was sent off soon after Summerville’s strike in the first period of extra-time, but the Premier League strugglers held on to survive a gruelling fourth round clash.

After eliminating Manchester United in round three, Brighton are aiming to deliver another upset when they visit Liverpool later at Anfield. (JapanToday)

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Seahawks ride their ‘Dark Side’ defense to Super Bowl title, pounding Patriots 29-13

Defense won this championship.

Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled Drake Maye, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl.

Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner, Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards and Jason Myers set a Super Bowl record by making all five of his field-goal tries.

Walker became the first running back to win the Super Bowl MVP award since Terrell Davis 28 years ago.

Uchenna Nwosu punctuated a punishing defensive performance by snagging Maye’s pass in the air after Witherspoon hit his arm and ran it back 45 yards for a pick-6.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling, bro,” Witherspoon said. “You talk about a group of guys who battle every day, who believe in each other and believe in their coach, you can’t describe this group no better. It’s just a one-of-a-kind feeling. I was just so happy to battle with these guys. We went through a lot, but we believed. All of you all doubters out there who said all that other stuff, you all don’t know what’s going on in this building. We’re one of one over here.”

Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense helped Darnold become the first quarterback in the 2018 draft class to win a Super Bowl, ahead of Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald hold the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

“To do this with this team, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Darnold said. “So proud of our guys, our defense. I mean, I can’t say enough great things about our defense, our special teams.”

Labeled a bust, dumped by two teams and considered expendable by two others, Darnold proved his doubters wrong while helping the Seahawks go 17-3.

After leading the NFL with 20 turnovers in the regular season, Darnold didn’t have any in three playoff games. He wasn’t particularly sharp against a solid Patriots defense but protected the ball and made enough plays, finishing 19 of 38 for 202 yards.

“I know we won the Super Bowl, but we could have been a little bit better on offense, but I don’t care about that right now,” Darnold said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, man. I’m just so happy for the guys in the locker room and the coaches that put in so much effort throughout the whole season.”

The Seahawks sacked Maye six times, including two apiece by Hall and Murphy. Hall’s strip-sack late in the third quarter set up a short field and Darnold connected with Barner on 16-yard scoring toss to make it 19-0.

Julian Love’s interception set up another field goal that made it 22-7 with 5:35 left.

The Patriots (17-4) punted on the first eight drives, excluding a kneel-down to end the first half.

“We had a really good year, one that I’m proud of,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “But this game wasn’t a reflection of that. We were outcoached and outplayed.”

Down 19-0, Maye and the Patriots’ offense finally got going. He hit Mack Hollins over the middle in traffic for 24 yards and then lofted a perfect 35-yard TD pass to Hollins down the left side to cut the deficit to 19-7.

Tom Brady once led Bill Belichick’s Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, when New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit against Atlanta for a 34-28 overtime victory. (JapanToday)