Author: Timi-Zacchaeus Oluwaferanmi

Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert etched his name in Premier League history by scoring a hat-trick of penalties in a thrilling 4-2 victory over Wolves at Molineux, a feat not achieved in English top-flight football since 1957. Kluivert’s clinical display came in a dramatic match where Evanilson won all three spot-kicks, the first player in Premier League history to do so. The result sent Wolves into the relegation zone and intensified scrutiny on manager Gary O’Neil, whose side was booed off the pitch. The game began with controversy as Evanilson was fouled by Toti Gomes after an apparent handball. VAR upheld the…

Victor Torp’s dramatic late penalty salvaged a 2-2 draw for Frank Lampard in his first game as Coventry City manager against Cardiff City at the CBS Arena. Yakou Meite gave Cardiff the lead just four minutes in, heading home Alex Robertson’s corner, but Coventry responded almost immediately. Ephron Mason-Clark volleyed in Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s precise pass to equalize in the seventh minute, marking an electrifying start to Lampard’s tenure. The visitors regained the lead early in the second half when Robertson unleashed a stunning 25-yard drive that swerved past Brad Collins. Coventry struggled to create clear opportunities as Cardiff sought to…

La Liga leaders Barcelona suffered a surprising 2-1 home defeat to Las Palmas on Saturday, casting a shadow over their 125th anniversary celebrations. Former Barca striker Sandro Ramirez opened the scoring for the visitors with a low strike that silenced the Camp Nou crowd. Although captain Raphinha leveled with a brilliant low drive, Wolves loanee Fabio Silva sealed the upset, converting Javi Munoz’s exquisite pass to restore Las Palmas’ lead. Despite dominating with 26 shots—their season-high in La Liga—Barcelona failed to convert their chances, with Jasper Cillessen pulling off key saves to deny Raphinha, Ferran Torres, and Pablo Torre. Adding…

Nottingham Forest secured a much-needed 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town at the City Ground, with Chris Wood’s penalty in the 49th minute sealing the three points. The goal, Wood’s ninth of the Premier League season, equalled Bryan Roy’s club record of 24 Premier League goals. Ipswich started the game confidently but were unable to break down Forest’s defence. Omari Hutchinson came closest for the visitors in the first half, forcing a fine save from Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. Despite the positive start, Ipswich failed to capitalize on their early momentum. In the second half, a clumsy challenge by Sam Szmodics…

The stage is set for an all-Brazilian showdown in Buenos Aires as Atlético Mineiro and Botafogo clash in the Copa Libertadores final at River Plate’s historic Monumental Stadium. The match, kicking off at 20:00 GMT, marks the sixth consecutive time a Brazilian club will lift South America’s most coveted trophy. A Tale of Two Clubs For Atlético Mineiro, this is a chance to recapture the glory of their 2013 Libertadores triumph. The Belo Horizonte giants, known for their passionate black-and-white-clad fans, have struggled in recent weeks, going 10 games without a win. Despite their dip in form, Atlético boasts a…

Manchester’s Dakota Ditcheva became the first British woman to secure an MMA world title, stopping Taila Santos in the second round to claim the PFL flyweight crown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 26-year-old delivered a clinical performance, ending the bout with a series of devastating body shots to remain unbeaten in 14 professional fights, with 13 finishes. The victory also earned her a $1m (£785,000) prize. “I just beat the best girl out there. The world is mine,” Ditcheva declared after her win, celebrating with her mother, former kickboxing world champion Lisa Howarth. In contrast, fellow Mancunian Brendan Loughnane missed…

Leicester City’s interim manager, Ben Dawson, has confirmed that the club has addressed players’ “unacceptable” behavior during a recent Christmas party in Copenhagen. The incident came to light just days after the Foxes’ 2-1 defeat to Chelsea and the subsequent sacking of manager Steve Cooper. Videos circulating online, though unverified by BBC Sport, allegedly show players celebrating in a nightclub alongside a sign reading, “Enzo, I miss you,” referencing former Leicester boss Enzo Maresca. Dawson, who will oversee Leicester’s Premier League clash with Brentford this weekend, revealed that the club swiftly dealt with the matter internally. “Message Delivered, Focus Forward”Speaking…

FIFA has formally evaluated Saudi Arabia’s unopposed bid to host the 2034 FIFA Men’s World Cup, with the Gulf nation receiving an unprecedented score of 4.2 out of 5, the highest in the governing body’s history. While FIFA’s report lauds Saudi Arabia’s potential to use the tournament as a “catalyst for reforms,” critics have slammed the decision, highlighting the kingdom’s contentious human rights record and environmental concerns. A Platform for Reform or Greenwashing? The bid evaluation frames the tournament as a medium human rights risk but emphasizes the opportunity for positive change under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy. FIFA’s report…

Simona Halep, the two-time Grand Slam champion, has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the handling of doping cases in tennis, following Iga Swiatek’s recent one-month suspension. The controversy centers around the differing treatment of doping violations by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which Halep believes unfairly targets her while offering more lenient treatment to others. On Thursday, the ITIA announced that Swiatek, the world number two, had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a banned heart medication, after providing an out-of-competition sample in August 2024. Despite the violation, the ITIA accepted that Swiatek’s contamination was unintentional, resulting from a regulated melatonin…

England’s Lucy Bronze, Lauren Hemp and Keira Walsh are among the nominees for the women’s player of the year at the 2024 Fifa Best Awards. Lioness Mary Earps, who has won the women’s goalkeeper of the year in the past two editions, is shortlisted again. England and Arsenal winger Beth Mead is nominated for the inaugural Marta Award, which has been introduced to honour the best goal in women’s football. Mead has been shortlisted for her second goal against West Ham in November 2023. Brazil great Marta, after whom the award has been named, is also among the nominees. Emma…