Category sport-news

Newcastle won their first Champions League game 4-0 away at Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday thanks to Anthony Gordon’s two penalties.

On a comfortable night for Eddie Howe’s men, Nick Woltemade slotted in Sandro Tonali’s shot to give Newcastle the lead in Brussels before Gordon converted twice from the spot.

Newcastle successfully bounced back from a stinging Premier League defeat suffered by Arsenal on Sunday and from Barcelona’s opening European defeat two weeks prior.

Woltemade and Anthony Elanga, Newcastle’s most expensive summer signings, made their first appearance together with Gordon as they prepared to move past the club’s agonizing transfer from Liverpool to Newcastle.

With a touch on Tonali’s volley to wrong-foot home goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen, Woltemade scored his third goal since joining the Stuttgart club for a club-record $69 million ($92 million) fee to give Newcastle the lead on 17 minutes.

READ MORE: Kane Shines Once More In Pafos Win, Jackson Opens Bayern Account

At Anderlecht’s stadium, Union’s temporary home as their own does not adhere to UEFA standards. Shortly before half-time, Elanga scored a penalty after he was clattered by Fedde Leysen, and Gordon tucks it away to double Newcastle’s lead.

Before Union enjoyed their best season, Elanga, a Swedish international, immediately tested Scherpen. Moments after Anan Khalaili steered just wide for the Belgian champions, Nick Pope made a good save from Adem Zorgane and Ousseynou Niang.

After a VAR review of a handball by Kamiel Van de Perre, Newcastle were given a second penalty, and Gordon delivered a second-half clinical spot kick just in time.

One of the most entertaining and well-known players on the ATP tour, French tennis player Gael Monfils, announced on Wednesday that he will retire at the end of the year.

The former world number six, 39, has played on the ATP tour since making his Open de Moselle debut in October 2004.

He said on social media that he would like to let everyone know that the year ahead will be his final year as a professional tennis player.

I’m very happy that I chose to retire at the end of the 2026 tennis season, despite the fact that this sport means the world to me.

Read more about Alcaraz defeats Fritz for the eighth season title in Tokyo.

Monfils has won 13 ATP titles throughout his distinguished career, but he has never won a Masters 1000 title, having lost three finals at the Paris Indoors in 2009 and 2010, and at Monte Carlo in 2016.

He is currently ranked 53 in the world, making two Grand Slam semi-finals: at Roland Garros in 2008 and at the US Open in 2016.

He claimed that while I did well, I never won a Grand Slam in my career.

“Believe me when I tell you, I don’t regret anything,” I yell.

And he continued, “I’ve had the opportunity to play alongside some of the greatest names in the history of our sport: (Roger) Federer, (Rafael) Nadal), Novak Djokovic, and (Andy) Murray.

His imminent retirement follows Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, and Gilles Simon, three other Frenchmen of his generation, who he described as “my three musketeers and best friends for life.”

Monfils was not a member of the team in 2017 when France defeated Belgium to win the title, but he participated in the 2010 and 2014 Davis Cup finals, which France lost to Serbia and Federer’s Switzerland, respectively.

Monfils, who was born in Paris on September 1, 1986, is renowned for his athleticism and court slam.

Segun Odegbami, a former Nigerian international, believes that the 2026 World Cup will give Africa a voice on the global stage.

In a speech on the “Role of Sports in Global Geo-Politics,” Odegbami asserted that sports had the power to neutralize the geopolitical games of the superpowers and win Africa the support needed for negotiations in a new world order.

Read more about South Africa holding Nigeria to a 1-1 draw as the team’s hopes for the World Cup are held.

“To ensure that Africa will have a voice at the 2026 World Cup, it is very important for the Super Eagles to qualify.” So, over to you, Victor Osimhen, Lookman Ademola, Troost William-Ekong, Tolu Arokodare, Simon Moses, Ola Aina, Tobi Amusan, Anthony Joshua, Ese Brume, and the others, the former football player said.

According to him, African athletes have established themselves as a leader in international competitions by putting money into the over $2 trillion global sports economy. &nbsp,

Therefore, he urged African countries to speak out against injustice and equality in global sports.

“Africa must also emerge as a unique superpower,” Odegbami remarked.

Will anyone ever question what sports have to do with geopolitics if that were to happen? or whether the country’s economic gains won’t have an impact on the fish market’s local prices.

If necessary, Africa, led by Nigeria, must be prepared to revisit the resolute geopolitical alliance of 1976 and declare that we must all celebrate the liberties and equality of all people at the World Cup.

In this envisioned new world order, he continued, “The continent must rise with one voice and in one accord to confront such injustice at the table of civilisations.”

Odegbami retired from international football in 1981 after making 47 appearances between 1976 and 1981.

The winger, known as “Mathematical,” was well-known for his brilliant play and precise crosses.

Nigeria’s hopes for a 2026 World Cup were thwarted by the Super Eagles’ failure to secure maximum points on September 9, 2025 against South Africa in Bloemfontein.

Following a sanction against Bafana Bafana for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho, Nigeria is now four points ahead of Benin Republic and three points ahead of South Africa with two remaining matches to play.

The South Africans, who had previously led Group C, were awarded three points and three goals.

READ MORE: FIFA Sanctions South Africa For Fielding Ineligible Player In World Cup Qualifier

In the action from FIFA, Rwanda leads the group with 14 points, while Bafana Bafana is second with 14 points and second behind Benin Republic.

With seven straight victories, Liverpool threatened to sweep them all before them, but subsequent defeats highlight pressing issues that Arne Slot must address.

The Reds made the trip to Galatasaray on Tuesday, looking to recover from their 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace over the weekend, which ended their perfect Premier League record.

Despite dominating possession and having 16 shots in Istanbul, a Victor Osimhen penalty gave the home side the lead, but Liverpool were unable to respond.

Slot should not be alarmed because Liverpool still leads the Premier League by two points and won their first match in the Champions League division.

Osimhen On Target As Liverpool Fight To Lose In The Champions League At Galatasaray

However, a number of dramatic late winners have come under scrutiny for unconvincing performances since Slot’s first managerial position in charge of the club since Jurgen Klopp’s replacement, an expensive rebuild of the squad, which won the Premier League last year.

As Liverpool attempted to develop from a strength-based foundation, the club uncharacteristically spent close to £450 million ($606 million) on new signings.

Florian Wirtz hasn’t yet scored or even contributed to a goal in the Premier League or Champions League since joining Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million.

Alexander Isak, a record-breaking signing for the club after a drawn-out transfer from Newcastle, is still not fully fit.

Hugo Ekitike has scored three Premier League goals for Liverpool so far, but he was not with them when they lost to Crystal Palace after receiving a red card in their League Cup win against Southampton. He is arguably the only newcomer to do so.

Wirtz, who has earned praise as one of the most promising players in world football, has been the main subject of attention at Anfield.

However, former England captain Wayne Rooney has questioned where the German fits into, claiming on his BBC show that his actions “damage the balance of Liverpool and how they play.”

Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, says Wirtz needs to be let out of the firing line because he believes the team’s balance is wrong.

He told CBS Sports, “He’s just not at the races at all.” He has plenty of time to play for Liverpool because he is a young boy entering a new league.

However, I believe he needs to leave the team right away, and Liverpool needs to return to where they were last season, and proceed accordingly.

“Because it’s a mess right now. Not the losses, but the victories are not the losses. This has been happening since day one.

Mohamed Salah’s form has declined in addition to the attack’s issues, compounding the issues from his stellar season so far. The Egyptian was eliminated from Turkey’s starting lineup.

defensive issues

Ibrahima Konate, a French centre-back, has received harsh criticism for his performance against Palace, making Liverpool look vulnerable in defense.

After missing out on signing Palace’s Marc Guehi on the transfer deadline day, the club has few options in central defense with Virgil van Dijk as captain.

Giovanni Leoni, 18, who has been signed as an Italian defender, suffered a knee injury last week that will keep him out for a year, giving Slot an additional headache, while Joe Gomez has been a distant player thus far.

After years of excellent service from Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool are now accustomed to a new pair of full-backs.

Jeremie Frimpong has been replaced by Alexander-Arnold at right-back by Slot, and Milos Kerkez has been preferred over Andy Robertson, who is a veteran left-back.

The Dutch manager criticized Frimpong&nbsp for his positioning in the late Selhurst Park defeat, and he played as a winger in Turkey.

Alisson Becker, a renowned goalkeeper, will miss Saturday’s difficult trip to Chelsea due to an injury sustained in Istanbul while Ekitike is recovering from a limp.

It would be absurd to suggest Liverpool are in crisis after such a brief blip, according to Van Dijk, and Van Dijk said “there shouldn’t be panic.”

Slot’s first significant challenge on the pitch since arriving at Anfield is undoubtedly one to consider.

As a result of Victor Osimhen’s 16th-minute penalty, Liverpool suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday.

The English champions were punished for their most recent performance in Istanbul, where they only suffered back-to-back defeats under Arne Slot for the second time.

A series of late winners have maskred an unconvincing start since a summertime transformation of the squad that won the Premier League title last year, but Liverpool were defeated for the first time this season at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

In response, Slot made four changes, starting with Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah, for which he was replaced for a salary of £125 million ($168 million).

Only Alisson Becker could have prevented a humiliating half-time score, according to the Dutchman, who was critical of Liverpool’s first-half performance at Palace.

In yet another disjointed display, Slot, despite using a variety of star names, did little to provide a response.

“For me, this was a different performance because you lose and football is about winning,” Slot said.

Also available:  Champions League: Chelsea Beat Benfica On Mourinho’s Return

“We were frequently on the right side of the score last year, even though the margins were very small.”

The margins were extremely low again today, but on the wrong side for the second time in a row.

Galatasaray’s Champions League opener was a 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, the Turkish champions capitalized on Liverpool’s defensive weaknesses to become a much stronger force on their own soil.

Slot’s choice to play Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back was unsuccessful.

When he didn’t succeed in beating Alisson in a one-on-one fight with the Brazilian, Baris Alper Yilmaz warned the visitors of the danger down Galatasaray’s left.

Alisson injured

Liverpool should have already taken the lead before they lost.

Ugurcan Cakir denied Hugo Ekitike’s rounding of the goalkeeper, and Ismail Jakobs blocked Cody Gakpo’s follow-up effort off the line.

After Galatasaray quickly broke upfield, Yilmaz was given a soft penalty for a stumbling Szoboszlai arm into the Turkish international.

Alisson had previously saved a Champions League penalty, but this time Alisson converted the spot kick.

After Cakir put a header past Florian Wirtz, who has struggled to deliver on his £100 million price tag, and Ibrahima Konate’s cross was just off the mark just before half-time, Ibrahima Konate headed home from the corner.

The Reds’ defensive woes began at the start of the season, and Konate nearly nearly scored his side a second goal early in the second half due to his poor form.

Alisson saved his teammate’s blushes with another save from Osimhen, but at a cost because the Liverpool number one injured while running off his line and was forced to take Giorgi Mamardashvili’s place.

Salah and Isak were introduced by Slot at the hour’s mark, but Liverpool remained a potent attacking force.

Clement Turpin, a French referee, initially criticized Konate for a foul, but overturned his decision following a VAR review.

Galatasaray were inches away from the game’s second goal when Lucas Torreira headed a wide shot in stoppage time.

In a 5-1 victory over Pafos on Tuesday, Harry Kane added a brace to his impressive scoring spree, and Nicolas Jackson added his first Bayern Munich goal.

Michael Olise and Kane had the upper hand in the starting lineup, but Kane and Olise created several chances that left.

With only 14 minutes left, Kane was quick to get on the scoresheet after surpassing the previous record for the fastest man to score 100 goals in a top-five league on Friday. He had already done so in 104 games.

Six minutes later, Raphael Guerreiro joined the action before Jackson added a third for the visitors at the end of the 31st minute.

Jackson had his first goal since joining Chelsea on a season-long loan in the summer.

With 34 minutes left, Kane hammered in the ball past the Pafos defense with a dribbling that he didn’t know. Kane scored the goal for Bayern for his 17th consecutive goal this season.

Also available:  Champions League: Chelsea Beat Benfica On Mourinho’s Return

Mislav Orsic’s dipping rocket, the club’s first ever Champions League goal, was just before half-time for Pafos, who needed a stunning performance to win it.

Bayern’s Olise scored a goal with 21 minutes left, knocking in from a tight angle after Jackson had already shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Bayern striking the woodwork three times was a positive reflection of the Cypriot side’s night.