Author: Opalim Lifted

Empoli beat Juventus 4-2 on penalties to advance to their first ever Coppa Italia semi-finals on Wednesday after a resilient performance helped them to hold the defending champions to a 1-1 draw in regular time. Dusan Vlahovic missed Juventus first attempt from the spot, sending his effort way over the bar before Empoli keeper Devis Vasquez denied Kenan Yildiz and Empoli defender Luca Marianucci sealed the win for the visitors. Youssef Maleh gave Empoli a shock lead after 24 minutes, scoring with a powerful strike from outside the box, before Khephren Thuram levelled for the struggling hosts after the hour…

Erling Haaland scored on his return to action as Man City held on for victory against Tottenham Hotspur to improve their hopes of a top-four finish. Man City started strongly and went ahead in the 12th minute when Haaland met Jeremy Doku’s low cross with a first-time side-footed finish into the bottom corner, having been left unmarked. Savinho should have doubled Man City’s lead when the lively Doku found him unmarked at the back post, but the Brazilian’s shot into the ground bounced over Guglielmo Vicario’s goal. It took the hosts 45 minutes to test City goalkeeper Ederson, who tipped…

The book launch of former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, was less a literary event and more of a congregation of Nigeria’s seasoned architects of corruption; an assembly of Nigeria’s political and economic demons of destruction. Past and present power brokers gathered under one roof, a parade of those who have gorged on the flesh of the Nigerian state and those still feasting on its dwindling resources. It was a living tableau of Nigeria’s persistent problems, yesterday’s oppressors, today’s gatekeepers, and tomorrow’s obstacles, all in celebratory unison. Babangida’s “A Journey in Service” is his ruthless attempt to distort history, disguising his…

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of Abubakar Lawal, a Nigerian professional footballer in Uganda. Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, confirmed the sudden passing of Lawal on Tuesday in a statement in Abuja. Tuggar, in the statement issued by Kimiebi Ebienfa, Acting Spokesperson for the Ministry, described Lawal’s death as a great loss to Nigeria. “In this moment of grief, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, teammates, and the entire Nigerian football community during this difficult time,” Tuggar said. Lawal, a former Nigerian Under-20 international footballer, was playing…

Didier Drogba, a former Chelsea striker, has defended Jose Mourinho, his former boss, amid allegations of racism in Turkey. On Monday, Galatasaray alleged that Mourinho made “racist statements” following the team’s goalless draw with Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig. In the press conference after the match,  Fenerbahce’s manager, had said the staff and players on Galatasaray’s bench were “jumping like monkeys” in reaction to a penalty call that was not given. Galatasaray accused the Portuguese of “persistently” using “derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people” since he took over at Fenerbahce. The club described the manager’s statement as “unequivocally…

Turkish football club Galatasaray has accused Jose Mourinho of making “racist statements,” saying it will initiate criminal proceedings against the Fenerbahce manager over his comments following the teams’ 0-0 draw in the Super Lig. While it was unclear which statements Galatasaray was referring to, Mourinho said the home side’s bench had been “jumping like monkeys” and that the match would have been a disaster if a Turkish referee had been in charge. Known for his love and preference for African players in his ranks, with the signing of former Chelsea stars like Didier Drogba, Mikel Obi, Salomon Kalou, and other…

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has slashed its ex-depot price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, to N825. Esan Sunday, head of media relations and branding communications at Dangote Group, announced the reduction in a statement on Wednesday. The development comes more than three weeks after the refinery reduced petrol price from N950 per litre to N890. The new price means that the refinery has significantly cut the ex-depot price by N125 from N950 per litre in January. “This recent price reduction will also ensure that Nigerians pay between N860 and N865 per litre for petrol at the pump…

A man in Shanghai was defrauded of nearly $28,000 after falling victim to a long-distance “relationship” with an AI-generated girlfriend, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday. The scammers used generative artificial intelligence software to create realistic video and still images of a young woman, who they presented as the fictional “Ms. Jiao”, the state broadcaster CCTV reported. The victim, identified as Mr. Liu, transferred nearly 200,000 yuan (nearly $28,000) to what he believed was his online lover’s bank account. The scammers used the fake images to persuade him that his “girlfriend” needed financial help to open a business and cover…

Forty-six people were killed when a Sudanese military transport plane crashed into a residential neighbourhood on the outskirts of Khartoum, the regional government said Wednesday. The Antonov aircraft went down on Tuesday night near Wadi Seidna air base, one of the army’s largest military hubs in Omdurman, northwest of the capital. The army, which has been at war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, said the plane crashed during takeoff, killing and injuring both military personnel and civilians. “After a final tally, the number of martyrs reached 46, with 10 injured,” the Khartoum regional government’s media…

Five-time men’s singles champion Quadri Aruna showcased a flawless performance on the opening day of the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, advancing to the knockout stage of the prestigious tournament with easy wins against Tunisia’s Myshaal Sabhi and Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou. Quadri Aruna dominated his preliminary matches, securing convincing 3-0 victories in both matches. Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo also secured his spot in the knockout round. Meanwhile, Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu stunned the Tunisian fans with a 3-1 victory over local favourite Wassim Essid. In a surprising turn of events, Egypt’s third seed Mohamed El-Beiali suffered a 3-0 defeat against Madagascar’s…