IN UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez has a penalty dramatically ruled out in the shootout as Real Madrid edged out their city rivals to reach the quarter-finals.

Real Madrid will face Arsenal in the last eight, having kept alive their hopes of winning a record-extending 16th Champions League trophy.

Neither side could find a winning goal before the end of extra time after Conor Gallagher’s strike, just twenty-seven seconds into the game had levelled the tie on aggregate after Real’s two-one first-leg win.

That meant penalties were needed to determine the outcome and, after the first three had been converted, with Antonio Rudiger then stepped up to convert the penalty to send Real through.

===============================

Arsenal has completed a resounding nine-three aggregate victory over PSV Eindhoven to move into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The Gunners will now face Real Madrid in a mouthwatering last-eight encounter, where they will likely have to find their top gear again after cruising past their Dutch opponents.

Leading seven-one from the first leg in the Netherlands, the Gunners took the opportunity to make wholesale changes to their starting XI.

Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice scored a goal each for Arsenal, while PSV Eindhoven’s two goals were scored by Ivan Perisic and Couhaib Driouech.

===============================

Aston Villa has completed a comfortable passage into a Champions League quarter-final with Paris Saint-Germain after cruising to victory against Club Brugge at Villa Park.

Unai Emery’s side were in prime position as they protected a three-one advantage from the first leg in Belgium, putting the tie out of the reach of the visitors following the half-time introduction of on-loan talisman Marco Asensio.

Marco Asensio scored a brace as Ian Maatsen netted the Aston Villa’s third goal.

It means Emery and Asensio will both face their former club, conquerors of Liverpool at the last-16 stage, in the last eight of the Champions League.

===============================

Borussia Dortmund came from behind to beat Lille and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Emre Can and Maximilian Beier scored a goal each for Borussia Dortmund, while Lille’s only goal was scored by Jonathan David.

Niko Kovac’s Dortmund side will now face La Liga giants Barcelona next month.

===============================

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says he has no idea whether he will stay at Anfield beyond the current season.

The Netherlands international is one of three high-profile players, along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold who are out of contract in June.

Talks between Liverpool and Van Dijk have been ongoing for some time and the 33-year-old defender has previously indicated he was keen to extend his stay.

However, in the wake of Liverpool’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties he acknowledged there remains some uncertainty over his future.

Liverpool is fifteen points clear at the top of the Premier League, will play in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday against Newcastle, and had been challenging in Europe until their last-16 shootout defeat to PSG.

=================================

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim says it is up to him and his players to change Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s opinion on the team.

Ratcliffe said some players in United’s squad were not good enough and overpaid, though he did not specify which players.

Amorim, who Ratcliffe described as an outstanding young manager, said he has a good relationship with the United board.

Ahead of his team’s Europa League match against Real Sociedad, Amorim stated that he has always felt the support of the board, particularly from Sir Jim.

===============================

Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada is confident the club will have funds available for transfers this summer, even if the team fails to secure European qualification by winning the Europa League.

Berrada said there was no doubt that qualifying for the Champions League would boost the team’s revenue and increase their capacity to invest in the squad.

==============================

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has heaped praise on Red Devils star, Amad Diallo’s impressive performance for the team.

Rooney stated that Amad has been a fantastic player based on the goals he scored this season.

===============================

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has confirmed the team’s defender, Kevin Danso would not be available for Thursday’s game at home to AZ Alkmaar.

Postecoglou said he would be assessed before confirming how long he would be out for.

He added that Wales defender Ben Davies would return while the rest of the squad that featured against Bournemouth at the weekend would be available for selection.

This means key defenders Christian Romero and Micky van de Ven would be considered for selection.

==========================

Crystal Palace has opened talks with manager Oliver Glasner about extending his contract at the club.

Talks are understood to be at an early stage, with the Austrian’s current deal running until the end of next season.

Glasner recently celebrated his first anniversary in charge of Palace, who are currently 11th in the Premier League and have reached this season’s FA Cup quarter-finals, where they will face Fulham on 29th March, and the last eight of the Carabao Cup.

===========================

Chelsea women midfielder Erin Cuthbert has signed a new contract through to the summer of 2027.

The 26-year-old joined from Glasgow City in 2017, with only captain Millie Bright being at Chelsea for a longer period from the current squad.

She has two hundred and fifty-six appearances and won twelve major honours with the Blues, including seven Women’s Super League titles.

=============================

IN NIGERIA

Technical director of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Augustine Eguavoen has denied imposing players on Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle.

Eguavoen has been accused of influencing the choice of players for the upcoming fixtures.

He insisted that the head coach was fully in charge of the team.

==============================

Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen says the team is determined to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Osimhen stated that playing in the World Cup is a dream for every footballer.

He said the players experienced a major disappointment in 2022 and stressed that they cannot allow it to happen again, not to themselves, their country, or their generation.

Nigeria will confront group C leaders Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, 21st March before taking on Zimbabwe’s Warriors at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Tuesday, 25th March.

================================

Remo Stars goalkeeper Kayode Bankole is thrilled with his maiden invitation to the Super Eagles.

Bankole took to social media to celebrate his invitation.

==============================

Zimbabwe head coach Michael Nees has named a twenty-three-man squad for his side’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Benin Republic and Nigeria.

The Warriors will be without captain Marvelous Nakamba, who is sidelined by injury.

Nees’ side will host the Cheetahs of Benin Republic at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban on Thursday, 20th March.

Zimbabwe will be up against the Super Eagles five days later at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

==================================

Former Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick, has failed in his bid for re-election into the FIFA Council, missing out by just one vote.

At the Confederation of African Football General Assembly in Cairo on Wednesday, Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi secured the last available seat with twenty-nine votes, edging out Pinnick, who managed twenty-eight.

Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa topped the election with forty-nine votes, while Egypt’s Hani Rida and Niger’s Djibrilla Hamidou each polled thirty-five votes.

Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Waberi also secured their places with twenty-nine votes apiece.

The outcome marks a setback for Pinnick, who had served on FIFA’s highest decision-making body since 2021 and was hoping to extend his tenure.

================================

Nigerian international Tolu Arokodare, who plays for KRC Genk, says improving his professionalism is a key focus for him.

Arokodare acknowledged that his openness and eagerness to please everyone have sometimes worked to his disadvantage.

Arokodare has been in fantastic form for the team this season.

The 24-year-old has scored eighteen goals in the Belgian Pro League this term.

===========================

Former Nigerian international Efe Sodje has urged Nottingham Forest not to block Super Eagles defender Ola Aina if Manchester City expresses interest in signing him.

Sodje stated that the Nigerian international would be a first choice at Manchester City since the team was in the rebuilding process.

Aina has been enjoying the best of his football at Nottingham Forest, with the team sitting in third place in the Premier League table this season.

============================

Also, Black Stars of Ghana and Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has named Super Eagles star Ola Aina as one of the three toughest defenders he has faced in the English Premier League this season.

Semenyo named Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Tottenham Hotspur left-back Destiny Udogie as the other two defenders who are difficult to play against.

===========================

Bayer Leverkusen has declared its intention to offload the Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface this summer.

The Nigerian international, whose goals played a key role in the team’s title-winning 2024 season, appears to be out of favor with manager Xabi Alonso.

During the January transfer window, Boniface was on the verge of joining Al-Nassr for seventy million euros, only for the Saudi Arabian club to make a U-turn and sign Jhon Duran instead.

Since then, Boniface has been benched, and despite scoring two goals shortly after his failed move, he has struggled to deliver when given the chance.

===========================

The President of the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation, Ademola Are, has promised to continue to work hard to develop the game of rugby in Nigeria and West Africa.

He said his priority was the interest of Nigeria’s rugby players.

Are, who was elected as the 1st Vice President of the West Africa Rugby Union in a historic election in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, promised that his position would help promote internal programs and foster inter-country competitions.

Nigerian table tennis star Quadri Aruna has crashed out of the WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 after suffering a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to world number two Wang Chuqin of China in their round of 32 clash on Wednesday.

The Nigerian, currently ranked 19th in the world, was overwhelmed by his Chinese opponent who dominated proceedings at the Infinity Arena in Huaxi, winning in straight games 11-6, 13-11, 11-7 to advance to the next round of the $800,000 prize money tournament.

Despite a spirited effort in the second game where Aruna pushed the match to a deuce, the home favourite’s clinical performance proved too much for the African challenger, who managed just 24 points throughout the entire contest compared to Wang’s 35.

Organisers of the Governor’s Para-Swimming Classics have unveiled plans for 40 para-swimmers to benefit from a five-day scientific training and analysis programme which will inspire Nigerian para-swimmers to greater heights.

This was disclosed by the convener and vice president of the para-swimming federation, Bose Kafo, ahead of the programme scheduled for March 17 to 22 at the National Stadium, Lagos.

Kafo stated that the training was organised to help train swimmers scientifically to give their best while representing the country in major tourneys.

==============================

OTHER LEAGUES

Rangers interim manager Barry Ferguson says the team must stand tall against a hurting Fenerbahce at an expectant Ibrox to make sure of Europa League progress.

The Scottish Premiership side hold a three-one lead after a terrific display against Jose Mourinho’s side in Istanbul but have lost three in a row at home to domestic opposition.

Also, Rangers star Cyriel Dessers believed the team will need its fans to do something special against Fenerbahce.

Despite the team’s handsome first leg advantage, Dessers warned that the club can not afford to take its feet off the pedal.

The winners will go on to a quarter-final showdown with either Roma or Athletic Bilbao.

===============================

Wales has included uncapped teenager Kai Andrews in their injury-hit squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia.

The 18-year-old midfielder’s unexpected inclusion comes as captain Aaron Ramsey misses out again after sustaining another hamstring injury on Tuesday, prompting a recall for Tom Lawrence.

Andrews, who has represented Wales Under-nineteen, is on loan at Motherwell from Coventry City.

Wales begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign at home against Kazakhstan on Saturday, 22nd March before travelling to North Macedonia three days later.

==============================

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill says it is nice to have Ronan Hale available after the forward’s international transfer from the Republic of Ireland.

Belfast-born Hale, who represented the Republic of Ireland at under-nineteen and under-twenty-one level, received clearance to play for Northern Ireland in January.

The 26-year-old scored twelve goals in all competitions for Scottish side Ross County since his summer switch from Cliftonville in the Irish Premiership.

Northern Ireland host Switzerland on 21st March and face Sweden in Stockholm four days later in friendly matches, which will serve as preparation for the start of World Cup qualifying in September.

================================

Former Brazil striker Ronaldo has withdrawn his candidacy to be the next president of his country’s football federation.

Ronaldo, who scored sixty-two goals for his nation as they reached three successive World Cup finals between 1994 and 2002, winning twice, had been due to stand against incumbent Ednaldo Rodrigues in 2026.

Less than three months after announcing his candidacy at the next election, the 48-year-old has withdrawn from the race.

==============================

OTHER SPORTS

In Boxing, Britain’s Daniel Dubois is in talks to fight Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title.

IBF champion Dubois withdrew from his title defence against Joseph Parker on 22nd February with illness, but will not look to reschedule that fight.

Instead, attention has turned to facing Usyk, who holds all the other major world titles at heavyweight.

Team Dubois are hopeful the fight can take place in the UK, with Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk said that Wembley Stadium was one of the options.

=============================

McLaren Formula 1 boss Zak Brown has guided Lando Norris’ career since 2015, and believed he was a future world champion “pretty much right away.

McLaren ended last season as constructors’ champions and, barring unexpected surprises, Norris has the chance to build his flirtation with a title challenge against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen last year into a full-on onslaught in 2025.

Brown is far from the only one who has long felt Norris was destined for the very top.

Stephanie Carlin, who worked with Norris throughout the junior categories and is now McLaren’s F1 business operations director, also always believed he would make it.

====================================

In Rugby, Marcus Smith has returned to England’s starting XV at full-back and Tommy Freeman moves to outside centre for the Six Nations finale against Wales at the Principality Stadium.

Smith is reinstated at fifteen after missing out on a starting berth in England’s comfortable win over Italy and Freeman, who has made all 19 of his Test appearances on the wing, steps into midfield to replace the injured Ollie Lawrence for Saturday’s trip to Cardiff.

In a reshuffle to the backline, Elliot Daly moves to the wing, while Tom Roebuck replaces Ollie Sleightholme on the other.

Head coach Steve Borthwick makes two changes in the forwards as Ben Curry partners his twin Tom on the flank, with Ben Earl switching back to number eight, while Luke Cowan-Dickie will start at hooker.

England remain in contention to win the title and face a Wales side in search of their first Test win since October 2023.

=================================

In Golf, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy says he does not expect Tiger Woods to play again this year after the 15-time major winner’s latest injury setback.

On Tuesday 49-year-old Woods had surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon.

The American has played a reduced schedule since suffering serious leg injuries in a car crash in 2021, and has not played in a PGA Tour event since The Open in July.

===================================

TODAY’S FIXTURE

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE- ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Athletic Club vs Roma

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Ajax

Lazio vs Viktoria Plzeň

Manchester United vs Real Sociedad

Rangers vs Fenerbahçe

Tottenham Hotspur vs AZ

=================================

IN UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Chelsea vs København

Fiorentina vs Panathinaikos

Vitória Guimarães vs Real Betis

=================================
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, other make it happen…words from Michael Jordan.