Sport
PSG Bundle Barcelona Out of Champions League
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have kicked 10-man Barcelona out of the Champions League as they qualified for the semi-final after winning 4-1 at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona had won the first leg 3-2 in Paris, but PSG won 6-4 on aggregate to qualify for the semi-finals.
Kylian Mbappe grabbed a brace in the encounter to see PSG through.
A Superb work from Lamine Yamal squared the ball to Raphinha, who beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a brilliant shot into the bottom right corner to give Barcelona a 12th minute lead.
In the 29th minute, Ronald Araujo made an ugly tackle on his opponent and was sent off by the referee leaving the homers with 10 men to play the entire duration.
PSG capitalised on their advantage and equalised in the 40th minute. A former Barcelona player, Ousmane Dembele equalised for the visitors.
Bradley Barcola played the ball to Dembele, who showed great determination to get to the ball before a couple of defenders and from inside the box he shot into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-1.
PSG made it 1-2 in the 54th minute from a fantastic finish by Vitinha from just outside the box. He wasted little time in getting away a bullet of a shot that flew past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner of the net.
Mbappe added another goal for PSG from the penalty spot in the 61st minute. He put the ball into the top left corner past the outstretched arm of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
A minute to duration time, PSG made it 1-4. Mbappe fired the rebound into the bottom right corner after the ball broke to him in the box.
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has addressed the circumstances behind the extended delay at Al Abraq International Airport, where the Super Eagles of Nigeria were held hostage for over 15 hours, and attributed the situation to routine air traffic and logistical challenges rather than deliberate foul play.
In a statement on Monday via X, the LFF sought to clarify the events, emphasising that the diversion of the Nigerian team’s flight was not intended as a hostile act.
“We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation,” the LFF said.
Meanwhile, in the most recent development, Super Eagles players and officials have been reportedly set to depart from Libya.
This was disclosed by a sports enthusiast, identified as Pooja Media, via his X handle on Monday, according to The Punch report.
He wrote, “Super Eagles players and all officials are boarding to fly out of Libya to Nigeria. Thank God.”
Confirming this, a player, Bruno Onyemaechi, wrote, “Me and Libya, I don wash my hands commot. Nothing concerns me and una again. Thank God I’m going back.”
The team, held at an abandoned airport for over 15 hours, has resolved not to play the match, citing safety concerns.
Nigeria Football Federation director of communications, Ademola Olajire, confirmed that the team would fly back home.
“Players have resolved not to play the match any longer as NFF officials are making plans to fly the team back home,” Olajire stated.
The Nigeria Football Federation has announced the appointment of a German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, as the new Super Eagles coach, with immediate effect.
Labbadia’s appointment was disclosed in an early morning tweet on Tuesday via the NFF’s X handle, tweeting as #thenff.
The statement read, “The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has reached an agreement with German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team, Super Eagles.”
“The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development sub-committee to appoint Mr Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles,” according to the federation’s General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi.
Labbadia becomes the 37th Head Coach of the Super Eagles after the resignation of former coach, Finidi George.
World Record holder, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, failed to reach 100m Hurdles final at the Paris Olympics on Friday.
Amusan came third in the first semi-final, in a time of 12.55 (.548) seconds and had to wait to see the results of the two other semi-finals to see if she would squeezed through, but the third semi-final spoilt her wait as the two athletes who came third and fourth bettered her performance.
Amusan started late and she paid the price for that, a miss out in the final of the 100m Hurdles.
The first semi-final was won by Grace Stark of the United States of America (USA) in a time of 12.39 seconds, while Devynne Charlton of Bahrain came second in a time of 12.50 seconds, while Amusan andPia Skrzyszowska of Poland came third in a time of 12.55 (.548).
The World Record holder was Nigeria’s only medal hope as Team Nigeria members crashed out in other contests.
With her flop, Nigeria may be without a medal at the Paris Olympics, which ends in two days.
