All posts by 234Radio

FIRST 11: Yamal’s Promise To Win UCL For Barca, Nigeria’s U-20 AFCON Show + Top Sports Stories This Week

By in News, sport-news

It is another rollercoaster week. Depending on the teams and games, for some, the past seven days were the most eventful. But for others, perhaps, Arsenal fans, the last few days were heartbreaking as the club went trophyless for yet another season – the fifth in a row since Mikel Arteta took over! 

On FIRST 11 – the recap of some of the most talked about issues in sports over the past seven days – the action-packed Champions League semi-final games, the U-20 AFCON games, the diplomatic ruffle between Nigeria and China over the World Relays, and many more will be on the menu!

Inter, PSG Set for UCL Fireworks

PSG’s players celebrate their victory at the end of the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, on May 7, 2025. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

The road to Munich is now clearer! The boys have been separated from the men. After months of mouth-watering games and battles on the pitch, only two teams are left in this season’s UEFA Champions League: Inter Milan and PSG.

Inter Milan’s Italian midfielder #16 Davide Frattesi (R) celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal with teammates during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match between Inter Milan and FC Barcelona at the San Siro stadium in Milan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

To get to this point, Inter Milan saw off Barcelona in one of the games that would go down as a classic in the UEFA Champions League. While aiming to get to their second final in the competition, Arsenal slumped against PSG, losing in France to add to Mikel Arteta’s misery.

On May 31, PSG and Inter will now battle to find out the winner of this season’s competition.

An All-English Europa League Final

Manchester United’s English midfielder #07 Mason Mount (R) celebrates with Manchester United’s English defender #41 Harry Amass (L) after scoring Manchester United’s fourth goal during the UEFA Europa League semi final second leg football match between Manchester United and Athletic Club Bilbao at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, north west England, on May 8, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

Although no English team made the final of the Champions League, Premier League fans will take solace in the Europa League, the second-tier club football competition where Manchester United and Tottenham face off on May 21.

Both sides, enduring a torrid form on the domestic scene, will be hoping to land the trophy to salvage a miserable season that has seen them out of European places. The winner of the competition will get an automatic slot for next season’s Champions League.

Meanwhile, Chelsea also booked a place in the Conference League final and will play Real Betis on May 28.

Nigeria’s World Relays Dreams Scuttled

FILE: Tobi Amusan reacts after failing to reach the 100m Hurdles final at the Paris Olympics in France.

In athletics, Nigeria withdrew from the World Relays following visa issuance delays by Chinese authorities. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) says visas for the country’s contingent came “far too late for meaningful participation” in the competition, a move which dampens the diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the Asian country. Nigeria’s 18-person team – including hurdle star Tobi Amusan – was to participate in the men’s, women’s, and mixed 4x100m, and mixed 4x400m.

Flying Eagles Soar To Quarters

The tracks may not have given Nigerians something to cheer about, but the football pitch is bringing joy to millions of football fans. That’s because the Flying Eagles are now in the last eight of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after battling to a 2-2 draw against Kenya in their last group match. With five points to boot, the Flying Eagles square off against West African rivals and defending champions Senegal in the quarter-final of the event. That game is on Monday. Other matches in the last eight are: Ghana vs Egypt; Morocco vs Sierra Leone, and South Africa vs DR Congo.

Nnadozie’s Heroics Push Paris FC to Glory

In the meantime, the Super Falcons’ pair of safe hands, Chiamaka Nnadozie, was the heroine late Saturday as her club Paris FC clinched the 2025 Coupe de France Féminine, the side’s first major trophy in nearly two decades. The Nigerian saved two decisive penalties in the shoot-out after the game ended barren, earning her accolades from footballers, pundits, and fans alike.

The French club last won that crown in 2005 and only celebrated a silverware when they scooped the 2006 Division 1 Féminine title.

The Drought is Over! Kane Has A Title!

Talking about trophies and silverware may be new to England captain Harry Kane. But that narrative changed for good on Sunday when Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga, earning Kane his first-ever major career silverware.

The forward, who joined the German side last season after years with Tottenham Hotspur, where he never won a trophy despite his impressive goal-scoring record, had a great first term with the Bavarians. He, however, did not crown that display with a title as Bayern lost the league, Champions League and DFB-Pokal.

Alonso to Leave Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen’s Spanish head coach Xabi Alonso celebrates after the German first division Bundesliga football match Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Werder Bremen in Leverkusen, western Germany, on April 14, 2024. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP)

Leverkusen, who won the Bundesliga in Kane’s first season in Germany, will now be without their title-winning coach, Xabi Alonso, next campaign. This is because the Spaniard has a bigger fish to fry: he will be Real Madrid’s manager!

The 43-year-old has already agreed to join Real and will link up with the Spanish giants after the Club World Cup, replacing Carlo Ancelotti, with a compensation payment of around 12 million euros ($13.5 million) to be paid to Leverkusen. Taking over in October 2022, Alonso guided Leverkusen to an unbeaten league and cup double in 2023-24, the first Bundesliga title in the club’s history.

Ronaldo’s Son Stepping into Father’s Shoes

(FILES) Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (C-L), accompanied by his partner Georgina Rodriguez (C-R) and his son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr (L), greets the crowd at the Mrsool Park Stadium in the Saudi capital Riyadh on January 3, 2023, upon his presentation as an Al-Nassr player. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP)

From Spain and Germany to Portugal, the country that has called up Cristiano dos Santos, the eldest son of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, to their Under-15 squad.

This is a first time call for the 14-year-old, who, like his father, plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and also had spells with Ronaldo’s former clubs Manchester United and Juventus.

The Selecao Under-15s will face Japan, Greece, and England at the Vlatko Markovic youth tournament in Croatia between May 13-18.

Yamal Promises UCL Crown After Agonising Defeat

Barcelona’s Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal (R) shoots the ball past Inter Milan’s Brazilian defender #30 Carlos Augusto during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match between Inter Milan and FC Barcelona at the San Siro stadium in Milan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

Moving back to club football! While Barcelona have crashed out of the Champions League, one of their players is not giving up hope of bringing the trophy to the Nou Camp! Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation, is promising Barcelona fans of better days ahead despite an agonising defeat to Inter Milan at the San Siro.

The Spaniard says he and his teammates will continue to put in the fight until the UEFA Champions League returns to the Blaugrana, who last won the trophy in 2015 under Luis Enrique, now coach at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Swiatek’s Rome Title Defence Ends Early

Poland’s Iga Swiatek (R) reacts with the US Danielle Collins at the end of their women’s singles match at the WTA Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy on May 10, 2025. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP)

Finally, in tennis, Iga Swiatek was dumped out of the Italian Open on Saturday after the reigning Rome champion suffered a shock 6-1, 7-5 defeat at the hands of Danielle Collins, as Jannik Sinner prepares for his return to action from a contested doping ban.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Ancelotti coy on future as Alonso link grows

By in News, World News

Carlo Ancelotti says Xabi Alonso has “all the doors open” for a move to a big club, with speculation building that the former Real Madrid midfielder is set to replace the Italian coach at the helm of the Spanish powerhouse.

Ancelotti gave his routine pre-game news conference on Saturday, a day after Alonso announced he was leaving Bayer Leverkusen.

He praised the work of Alonso, who has been widely linked to an eventual move back to Madrid after leading the German club to the Bundesliga title last season.

“I read that Xabi is leaving Bayer Leverkusen, where he did a fantastic job,” Ancelotti said before Sunday’s trip to Barcelona. “He has all the doors open because he has shown that he is one of the best coaches in the world.”

Xabi Alonso confirmed in a news conference on Friday that he would leave Leverkusen at the end of the season [Marius Becker/Picture Alliance via Getty Images]

Ancelotti again refused to speak about his future, especially before a decisive Clasico in LaLiga. Madrid trail Barcelona by four points and need to win to keep alive their chances of winning a trophy this campaign.

But he did speak movingly about what Madrid means — and will mean — for the most successful manager in European football.

For Ancelotti, his relationship with the club he has spent six seasons at in two stints is an everlasting “honeymoon”.

“The honeymoon with this club never ends, it continues forever,” he said. “I think that Real Madrid, like Milan before, are the teams that stay with me, given the time I have spent here. At the beginning, there is passion, and when that fades, other feelings emerge, a sense of tender care. My honeymoon with Real Madrid will last for as long as I live.”

The 65-year-old coach is under contract through the next campaign but is widely expected to leave after an underwhelming season in which the team played worse despite adding Kylian Mbappe to its squad.

Brazil have been courting Ancelotti for over a year, and it appears talks are still ongoing with the veteran manager.

Real Madrid must play ‘complete’ game at Barcelona

With only four games remaining of the LaLiga season, only a win will realistically keep Real’s hopes of retaining the title, and for Ancelotti, they will need to get everything right to have a chance on Sunday.

“In this type of game, you have to do things well. Barcelona are used to keeping the opponent in their own area, but no team is perfect,” he said.

“It’s a game where there’s a lot at stake, and to win, you have to manage everything well, defend well, attack well. We have to play a complete game.”

With so much at stake against their great rivals, Ancelotti will have little trouble getting his players fired up.

“It’s not difficult to motivate the players because it’s the type of match for which the players already come out motivated and with a lot of confidence,” he said.

“Playing with Barcelona is special. It will be the last ‘El Clasico’ of the season because Barca are not in the Club World Cup.”

Barcelona focused despite Champions League woe

Barcelona’s players have discussed last week’s Champions League elimination and are ready to put their disappointment behind them against rivals Real Madrid, manager Hansi Flick said in his news conference on Saturday.

Barca suffered a 4-3 Champions League semifinal defeat by Inter Milan on Tuesday.

A home win on Sunday would move Flick’s side one victory away from their 28th Spanish league title.

“We’re doing well. After the defeat in Milan, everyone knows it’s not easy … but we’re doing things right. We’ve talked about what we want to do in these two weeks,” Flick told reporters.

“There are four more games to go. El Clasico is important, we have to show how well we can play. We have to show confidence. The players are doing very well … We’ve been talking about what they are thinking, what they are feeling.

“We had to talk about it as a group. Everyone knows that in a Clasico, you have to give 100 percent. You have to be active, intense, dominant. Real Madrid is a very good team, and we need the fans.”

El Clasico – the low down

Translated as “The Classic” in English, El Clasico is the name given to any football match between rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The special matchup between these football sides was born out of a more-than-a-century-old political-historical dimension between an increasingly distinct Catalan national identity, with FC Barcelona representing Catalonia, pitched against the centralised power structures of Spain’s capital city, Madrid, and by extension, its most famous football club, Real Madrid.

The first match between the two Spanish mega clubs was played on May 13, 1902.

In total, 260 matches have been played. Real Madrid lead in head-to-head results with 105 wins to Barcelona’s 103, with 52 draws.

Last five LaLiga matches

Barcelona: W-W-W-W-D (most recent fixture first)

May 3, 2025 – Real Valladolid 1-2 Barcelona
April 22, 2025 – Barcelona 1-0 Mallorca
April 19, 2025 – Barcelona 4-3 Celta Vigo
April 12, 2025 – Leganes 0-1 Barcelona
April 5, 2025 – Barcelona 1-1 Real Betis

Real Madrid: W-W-W-W-L (most recent fixture first)

Britain’s Got Talent star Loren Allred’s sweet admission ahead of emotional return

By in Entertainment News, News

EXCLUSIVE: Loren Allred, the sensational voice behind the global hit Never Enough from The Greatest Showman, is opening up about her time on the show ahead of her return tonight

Former BGT star Loren Allred is opening up about how the show has helped her

Loren Allred, the sensational voice behind the global hit Never Enough from The Greatest Showman, is making an emotional return to the Britain’s Got Talent stage tonight for the live semi-final – and she says it still feels “surreal.”

The American singer, who stunned audiences in 2022 with her powerhouse vocals, credits the ITV talent show for helping her step out of the shadows and into the spotlight. “Britain’s Got Talent was a real turning point in my career,” Loren tells The Mirror. “I’d spent years behind the scenes in the music industry – singing guide vocals, doing studio work, lending my voice to other projects. But I hadn’t really stepped forward as me. BGT gave me that opportunity.”

Loren Allred
Loren is making an emotional return to the show tonight

Loren, 36, had long been known in the industry as the voice behind Never Enough, even though she didn’t appear on screen in The Greatest Showman. While the song became a global phenomenon, her face remained largely unknown – until she wowed the BGT judges and audience with a show-stopping live rendition of the very song she originally recorded.

“The show allowed me to tell my story and connect with people as a person, not just a voice,” she says. “The support I received was incredible, and it opened so many doors I never imagined.”

Now, she’s back for a special performance in the semi-final, and it’s an emotional moment. “There’s this beautiful mix of nostalgia and excitement. It’s such a warm, full-circle feeling to be back.”

Article continues below

Loren also says she’s looking forward to seeing the judging panel again – especially Simon Cowell, who has been one of her biggest champions. “Simon was so supportive during my time on the show. We’ve crossed paths since, and he’s always been incredibly encouraging. He really helped me build the confidence to step forward as an artist in my own right.”

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly with Loren Allred
Loren opened up about her time on the show in 2022

Reflecting on Simon’s evolution on the show, she adds, “I think he’s definitely mellowed in recent years. He still has that sharp instinct and high standard, but there’s a softer, more reflective side to him now. You can see how genuinely invested he is in people’s stories, not just their performances. It’s really heartwarming.”

She also had a message for this year’s semi-finalists: “Be fearless in your vulnerability. Don’t try to fit a mould – just show up as your authentic self. That’s where the magic happens.”

Loren remains close friends with fellow performers Sydnie Christmas and Jasmine Rice. “Sydnie and I bonded instantly – our duet of Over the Rainbow always brings us to tears. And Jasmine is just phenomenal. Every time I see her perform, I’m inspired all over again.”

As Loren Allred returns to the BGT stage, she’s living proof that sometimes, all it takes is one moment – and one stage – to change everything.

Article continues below

Flick Wants ‘Dominant’ Barca In Vital Liga Clasico Vs Real Madrid

By in News, sport-news

Hansi Flick called on his Barcelona players to brush off their Champions League semi-final elimination and bounce back strongly against Real Madrid on Sunday in a vital La Liga Clasico.

Barca lead the Spanish top flight by four points ahead of rivals and defending champions Real Madrid with four matches remaining.

The Catalans were ousted in Europe on Tuesday by Inter Milan, ending dreams of a potential quadruple.

“We spoke about what they (the players) are thinking, what they are feeling, it’s important in a group that we speak about that,” Flick told a news conference Saturday.

“Everyone knows that in a Clasico you have to be on your highest level, that’s what we have to do.

“We want to be active, we want to see the team (play) with intensity on the pitch, dominant as normal, and we know it’s a really fantastic team from Real (against us).”

READ ALSO: Maresca Ready For Chelsea’s ‘Huge’ Newcastle Test

Barcelona’s Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Turkish midfielder #15 Arda Guler vie for the ball during their Spanish Cup, Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) final football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at La Cartuja stadium in Seville on April 26, 2025. (Photo by Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP)

Barcelona have beaten Real Madrid in all three Clasicos played this season, beginning with a 4-0 win in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu in October.

The Catalans then thrashed Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January and edged them 3-2 in extra time in the Copa del Rey final in April.

Even if Barcelona lost, they would still be top of the table by a point, but Flick said his team was out to defeat Los Blancos again.

“We always go into the match to win the match, doesn’t matter about the table,” he added.

“(We’ll) focus on this match, give everything to get three points…

“The Clasico is important for our fans, everyone, for Barca, for the players, for me, my coaching staff, it’s great to play against them and compete against them.”

Barcelona were handed a boost as Alejandro Balde and Marc Casado were passed fit to play on Saturday after injury.

Midfielder Casado has been missing for almost two months after a knee ligament injury, while Balde missed the last month with a hamstring problem.

Robert Lewandowski returned from injury to play as a substitute against Inter on Tuesday.

Flick said all three players were more likely to be on the bench on Sunday than to be selected as starters.

“After this match, we have three more matches,” noted the coach.

GB’s Tarling wins first Grand Tour stage at Giro

By in News, Sports News
Getty Images
Jack Skelton
BBC Sport senior journalist
  • 8 Comments

Britain’s Josh Tarling claimed his first Grand Tour stage win with victory in the time trial on stage two of the Giro d’Italia.

Ineos Grenadiers rider Tarling, 21, beat Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic by one second over the 13.7km course in Albania’s capital city Tirana.

Roglic did just enough to take the leader’s pink jersey off stage-one winner Mads Pedersen and now leads the Dane by one second in the general classification.

Australia’s Jay Vine finished third on the stage, three seconds back on Tarling.

Time trial specialist Tarling completed the course in 16 minutes seven seconds then faced an agonising wait for 58 riders, including other stage favourites and overall contenders, to finish.

“I can’t believe it, I’m so happy,” said Tarling.

“The wait was not nice, I don’t want to do it again, it was a long day for 13km.”

Tarling is now the youngest winner of a time trial in Giro history and has a chance for another time trial victory on stage 10 on 20 May.

Britain’s Ethan Hayter finished ninth on the stage, 14 seconds back on Tarling.

Though he missed out on the stage win, 2023 Giro champion Roglic, 35, gained time over his rivals for the title.

Spain’s Juan Ayuso is now 16 seconds down on Roglic, with Italy’s Antonio Tiberi nine seconds further back.

British twins Simon and Adam Yates, Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz and Colombia’s Egan Bernal are all over 30 seconds down on Roglic but there is plenty of climbing to come in the three-week stage race.

Pedersen went out last and almost held on to the leader’s jersey, missing out by two seconds as he finished seventh, 11 seconds back on Roglic.

A hilly 160km route on Sunday’s stage three, starting and finishing in Vlore, marks the end of the race in Albania before it moves to Italy following Monday’s rest day.

Stage two results

General classification after stage two

Related topics

  • Cycling