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Olatunji boosts Sparta Praha title defence, scores winner in league game
Nigerian striker Victor Olatunji delivered another match-winning performance for Sparta Prague, coming off the bench to score the decisive goal in their 2-1 victory over Sigma Olomouc in a Czech Liga clash on Saturday.
Olatunji’s goal, which came in the 87th minute, took his tally to seven goals for the season in the Czech Republic’s topflight league.
The victory lifted Sparta Prague to second place in the league, 10 points behind leaders Slavia Prague, who have a game in hand.
Sparta Prague had taken the lead in the 25th minute through Jan Kuchta, who converted a close-range effort from a corner.
However, Sigma Olomouc responded 12 minutes later, with Filip Zorvan finishing off a brilliant team move to bring the score level at 1-1.
With the match hanging in the balance, Sparta Prague head coach Tomas Janotka called on Olatunji to replace Albion Rrahmani in the 61st minute.
The Nigerian forward had an early chance, but his first effort flew wide of the target.
However, Olatunji made no mistake in the 87th minute. He latched onto a long pass from Jaroslav Zeleny, before coolly slotting the ball past Sigma Olomouc’s goalkeeper Jan Koutny to seal the win for Sparta Prague.
Olatunji’s performance earned him a rating of 7.5 from Flashscore and he was named the player of the match for his crucial contribution.
The win moved Sparta Prague up to second place in the Chance Liga, with their eyes now on reducing the gap between them and leaders Slavia Prague. Sparta will have a chance to do just that when they face Slavia in a highly anticipated Prague derby on March 8.
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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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