SPORTS

Salah the star African performer in Europe

Published

6 years ago

February 5, 2018

Mohamed Salah was the star African performer in Europe at the weekend, netting twice to close within one goal of Harry Kane in the English Premier League leading scorer race.

The Egypt sharpshooter and 2017 African Footballer of the Year twice gave Liverpool the lead in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, whose second equaliser came from Kane.

Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — third behind Salah and Senegalese Sadio Mane in the Footballer of the Year poll — scored on his debut as Arsenal triumphed 5-1 against Everton.

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

The Egypt winger struck twice, including a stoppage-time goal, but Liverpool were denied as Tottenham rescued a 2-2 draw at Anfield. Salah punished a mistake from defender Eric Dier to put Liverpool ahead with a cool finish in the third minute. He restored Liverpool’s lead with a superb solo effort — his 21st league goal this term.

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Arsenal)

He marked his Arsenal debut with a goal in the Gunners’ 5-1 demolition of Everton at the Emirates Stadium. Aubameyang joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund for a club record £56 million (about $79.1 million/63.5 million euros) last week and didn’t waste time making a good impression on his new fans. He capped a lively performance by scoring Arsenal’s fourth goal with a cool finish late in the first half, although replays showed he was fortunate not to be flagged offside.

WILFRIED BONY (Swansea City)

The Ivory Coast striker has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a serious injury in a 1-1 draw at Leicester. Former Manchester City star Bony tore a cruciate ligament in his knee after coming on as a second-half substitute.

AHMED HEGAZI (West Bromwich Albion)

The Egypt defender scored his first goal since August, but it wasn’t enough to boost his side’s hopes of avoiding relegation as they lost 3-2 at home to Southampton. Hegazi put Albion in front with a fourth-minute header from Chris Brunt’s cross.

VICTOR WANYAMA (Tottenham Hotspur)

Wanyama set up a dramatic finish at Anfield with an incredible 25-yard piledriver into the top corner for Tottenham’s first equaliser 10 minutes from time. The Kenyan had been on the pitch only a minute before smashing home his first goal of an injury-plagued season.

RIYAD MAHREZ (Leicester City)

Algerian Mahrez was again absent from the Leicester squad in a 1-1 draw against Swansea after his displeasure at the Foxes’ refusal to let him move to runaway league leaders Manchester City last week.

MOHAMED DIAME (Newcastle United)

Senegalese midfielder Diame headed home his second goal of the season to earn Newcastle a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace to lie just a point above the relegation zone.

SPAIN

EMMANUEL BOATENG (Levante)

The 21-year-old Ghanaian marked only his fourth La Liga start with his first goal in the Spanish top flight against floundering champions Real Madrid. Boateng latched onto a loose ball to coolly slot in Levante’s first equaliser of a 2-2 draw and cap an enterprising individual display.

ITALY

KALIDOU KOULIBALY (Napoli)

Bottom club Benevento were awarded a penalty for Senegalese defender Koulibaly’s clumsy tackle only for it to be revoked by VAR (video assistant referee) due to an earlier offside position. Napoli won 2-0 to stay top of the Serie A table.

AFRIYIE ACQUAH/MBAYE NIANG/JOEL OBI (Torino)

Ghanaian Acquah equalised and was sent off as Torino settled for a 1-1 draw against European qualification rivals Sampdoria. Acquah levelled in the 25th minute before being red-carded for a second bookable offence after 75 minutes. Senegalese Niang missed a chance to pull Torino ahead three minutes after Acquah’s goal, but his lob was off target. He was substituted to his obvious displeasure and Nigerian Obi went off injured.

GERMANY

SALOMON KALOU (Hertha Berlin)

Once again, the Ivory Coast veteran rescued a point for Hertha when he headed home a second-half equaliser for his eighth Bundesliga goal of the season in a 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim. It was the fourth time this season that Kalou, 32, pulled Berlin level after also netting in draws against Bayern Munich, Freiburg and Augsburg.

FRANCE

KEITA BALDE (Monaco)

The Senegal international endured a night of contrasting emotions as Monaco came from two goals down to beat Lyon 3-2. Balde used his strength to hold off a series of defenders and drill in a low strike to cut the deficit on 31 minutes that helped spark his side’s recovery. But his role in the fightback ended prematurely as he was sent off for a second yellow card shortly before half-time for a wild challenge on Ferland Mendy, having been booked minutes earlier for kicking the ball away in frustration.

SPORTS

Tobi Amusan: Here’s What The Nigerian Track Queen Loves About Jamaica

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2024

Reporter

Tobi Amusan: things the track queen loves about Jamaica | Fab.ng

Nigerian track star Tobi Amusan, who holds the world record in the 100-metre hurdles, recently competed at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational. After the competition, she spoke about her admiration for Jamaica, the home country of her coach.

Tobi Amusan’s performance was a major highlight of the event.

Even with a less-than-perfect start, she managed to pull ahead and win the women’s 100-metre hurdles in a world-leading time of 12.40 seconds. This impressive feat even surpassed the reigning world champion, Danielle Williams, who is from Jamaica.

Tobi Amusan with a massive win in the women’s 100m hurdles at the 2024 Jamaica Athletics Invitational.

She finished with a time of 12.40s (World Lead) to become the fastest woman in the world this year over the 100 meters Hurdles.

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— African Hub (@AfricanHub_) May 13, 2024

Interestingly, Amusan’s victory suggests she might be nearing the top form she displayed when she set the world record two years ago.

“We have work to do and looking at the way I executed today, it could be better but I’m just thankful,” said Amusan in a post-race interview with Sportsmaxtv.

Reporters were curious if Amusan’s win felt like a comeback after her disqualification for a false start at the Suzhou Diamond League.

The former world champion downplayed the idea of needing redemption. Instead, she explained that the disqualification was simply another learning experience that would help her improve.

“I won’t call it a redemption, there’s always a lesson from every race, you don’t want to lose. It’s just was like a confidence booster for me. I didn’t get points, I didn’t get the time, and I didn’t get the win but knowing that I crossed the finish line first, mentally I knew that I was in my space.”

Tobi Amusan added to her praise for Jamaica, mentioning that she’s ready to have a Jamaican passport.

“This is home. My coach is Jamaican, my coach’s husband, my friend, Danielle is Jamaican, give me my passport.”

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OPINION

Why Super Eagles’ Victor Osimhen Is The Best Fit For Chelsea

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2024

Adaeze Okechi

Why super eagles' Victor Osimhen is best fit for Chelsea | Fab.ng

Chelsea is reportedly interested in Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. The football team is flying high, and a big reason for that is their young attacker, Cole Palmer. The 21-year-old former Manchester City player just put in another impressive performance.

He scored his 22nd goal of the Premier League season in a 1-2 win over Brighton. He’s also chipped in with 10 assists, a number that could be even higher if his teammates finished their chances more consistently.

The biggest culprit here seems to be Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson. While he’s had a decent first season with 14 league goals (17 in all competitions), his finishing has been a weakness. Jackson has missed a whopping 24 big chances this season, the third-worst mark in the league. Only Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland have been more wasteful.

This lack of a reliable scorer might be why Chelsea is reportedly interested in Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.

The Nigerian striker has announced he’ll be leaving Napoli at the end of the season. Both Chelsea and PSG are in the running for his signature.

PSG needs a replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who’s leaving after seven seasons. Chelsea, on the other hand, wants a proven goal scorer who can guarantee at least 20 goals a season. The pressure has been on Cole Palmer to carry the goal-scoring load, even leading fans to call Chelsea “Cole Palmer FC.”

Napoli is asking a hefty price for Osimhen, likely exceeding £100 million. However, big-spending Chelsea, who’ve splashed over £1 billion since Todd Boehley took over, can likely afford it.

If Chelsea manages to land Victor Osimhen, the league’s leading scorer from last season with 26 goals, Stamford Bridge could be in for a treat. A partnership between Osimhen and Palmer could be a nightmare for defenders and help Chelsea challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title and return to European glory. But will they be able to pull it off? Only time will tell.

For more sports updates, check here.

MOVIES

Sha’Carri Richardson & Noah Lyles To Star In New Netflix “Sprint” Docuseries On The World’s Fastest Humans

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2024

Reporter

Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles in 'Sprint' docuseries | fab.ng

Get ready for a new docuseries from Netflix called “Sprint”! This show dives headfirst into the lives of the world’s fastest humans, Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson. They are the elite sprinters who dedicate their lives to pushing the limits of speed.

Season 1 premieres in July, just in time to fuel your excitement for the Paris Olympics. It features exclusive behind-the-scenes access to world champions, Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson, both reigning champions in the 100 metres. You’ll see their intense training, pre-race nerves, and the raw emotions of victory and defeat during the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

But “Sprint” isn’t just about these two superstars.

Season 1 also spotlights the incredible Shericka Jackson, the current queen of the 200-metre dash. This is just a glimpse of the phenomenal athletes viewers can expect to see.

Here’s the exciting part: Season 2 takes things a step further thanks to a partnership between Netflix and the International Olympic Committee. This allows the cameras to follow these top sprinters not just in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics but also at the Games themselves! Imagine the electrifying drama of witnessing these athletes battle it out on the world’s biggest stage.

And the talent pool is truly global! “Sprint” promises to showcase not just American runners, but also stars from Jamaica, the UK, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Italy.

With this diverse group of athletes, viewers can expect to be inspired by stories of dedication, perseverance, and the pursuit of ultimate speed from all corners of the world.

Mark your calendars for “Sprint” on Netflix. This docuseries promises to be a thrilling and unforgettable journey into the world of elite sprinting.

Check out more updates here.