Other Leagues
Balogun, Aribo suffer defeat with Rangers as Celtic move closer to season’s tittle
Five days after a lacklustre outing in Super Eagles of Nigeria’s World Cup 2022 ouster at MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja to Ghana Black Stars, the duo of Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo were on the losing side at home as FC Rangers lost 1-2 to eternal rivals, Celtic at the Ibrox Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The duo just like last Tuesday in Abuja played all through 90 minutes and gave their eternal rivals, the chance to move closer to reclaiming the Scottish Premier tittle which Rangers won in grand style last season without losing any match.
In the performance rating after the match, Nigerian strongman was given, 4/10 because of his weak header before Carter- Vickers’ goal and was adjudged to with sloppy passes all through the match while his compatriot, Aribo got average pass mark.
In the match proper, a frantic opening ten minutes saw Rangers rock a flimsy-looking Celtic backline before the visitors responded.
Aaron Ramsey netted his second league goal in as many games, coolly finishing off Ryan Kent’s cross for the opener. However, Celtic responded with their first major attack of the game as Tom Rogic tucked in from close range after Allan McGregor palmed Reo Hatate’s shot into his path.
The game settled after its chaotic opening, with the next chance presenting itself to goalscorer Rogic. However, the Australian could only curl high and wide when promisingly positioned.
Goalkeeper McGregor was needed to keep the scores level, sprawling at the feet of Daizen Maeda before Connor Goldson and Calvin Bassey combined to deny Rogic a tap-in. Maeda wanted a penalty soon after following a similar interaction with McGregor, though nothing was given.
Celtic had made the better chances in the first half and took the lead as the opening 45 minutes came to an end when Cameron Carter-Vickers slammed in a loose ball from a set-piece.
A broken bottle and shards of glass at Joe Hart’s side of the pitch delayed the start of the second half.
Rangers struggled to carve out clear openings, with Kemar Roofe hardly making his presence felt as the replacement for the injured Alfredo Morelos up front. They wanted a penalty for a handball shout against Carter-Vickers, but it was rejected.
Celtic were largely penned in during the final throws as Rangers piled forward looking for an equaliser, but the Bhoys again went close on the counter attack as substitute Liel Abada brought a magnificent save from McGregor. The hosts continued to push to make it 2-2, but late half-chances for Roofe and Sakala proved fruitless.
The victory takes Celtic six points clear of Rangers at the top of the Premiership as Ange Postecoglou targets a first title win in Scotland.
A goal scored under soccer’s experimental “daylight” offside rule was allowed for the first time in a professional match on Saturday, with Pacific FC forward Alejandro Diaz on target in a 2-2 draw with Halifax Wanderers in the Canadian Premier League.
The strike would have been ruled out under the standard International Football Association Board Laws of the Game, but stood under the CPL’s ongoing trial conducted in cooperation with FIFA.
The Canadian league is testing the rule this season as part of efforts to reduce marginal offside decisions and encourage attacking play.
Under the system, an attacker is only deemed offside if there is clear “daylight” between them and the second-last defender, rather than being penalised for narrowly being ahead.
The concept, long advocated by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in his role as FIFA’s head of global football development, is being assessed in Canada as a potential change to the offside law.
Diaz’s goal marked the first in-game application of the interpretation, which resulted directly in a goal, offering a glimpse of how the rule could alter attacking patterns and defensive positioning.
The CPL, which launched the trial earlier this month, has provided FIFA with a professional testing ground for the proposal as soccer’s world governing body evaluates whether to expand its use more broadly.
Reuters
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Al-Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy was handed a four-match ban after striking a referee on the head following a 1-1 draw with Ceramica Cleopatra, the Egyptian Pro League said on Thursday.
The Egypt international, who was on the bench for Tuesday’s game, was incensed after Al-Ahly’s appeal for a penalty following a handball in stoppage time was denied.
“He handed a four‑match ban and fined 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($942) for assaulting the referee by pushing or pulling (use of the hand without violence),” the league said in a statement.
The ban means El-Shenawy, who is expected to be Egypt’s starting goalkeeper at the World Cup in North America, will be sidelined until the final week of the league play-offs.
Al-Ahly are third on 41 points, five points behind leaders Zamalek.
-Reuters
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Galatasaray have strengthened their squad with another Napoli player, announcing on Friday that Dutch winger Noa Lang has joined the Turkish champions on loan for the remainder of the season, linking up with former Napoli player, Victor Osimhen in Istanbul.
The Super Lig giants confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Napoli for the temporary transfer of the 15-cap Netherlands international, with the deal including a non-mandatory purchase option that Galatasaray may activate at the end of the season.
Under the terms of the agreement, Galatasaray will pay €2 million as a loan fee to Napoli, while Lang will earn a seasonal salary of €1.75 million, according to a statement released by the club.
Lang joined Napoli last year from PSV Eindhoven but struggled to fully establish himself in Italy. He featured in 27 matches across all competitions, scoring once during his time with the Serie A side.
His arrival adds attacking depth to Galatasaray and further strengthens the Napoli connection at the club, with Osimhen already a central figure in their squad as they continue to push for domestic success and progress in European competition.
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