IN UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
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Liverpool has delivered a scintillating performance to put four goals past Galatasaray and set up a Champions League quarter-final against reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Trailing one-nil after defeat in Istanbul last week, Arne Slot’s side levelled the tie on aggregate when Dominik Szoboszlai converted a well-worked set-piece.
Hugo Ekitike, Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch scored a goal each for Liverpool.
The result means two English sides will be in the last eight of the Champions League, with Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham all eliminated.
Arsenal will take on Sporting in one of the other quarter-finals.
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Tottenham Hotspur have secured a deserved win, their first under Igor Tudor – against Atletico Madrid but failed in their attempt to overturn a three-goal deficit as they went out of the Champions League in the last-16 stage.
Spurs were left with too much to do after a calamitous five-two first-leg defeat in Madrid, one of four in five matches since Tudor replaced Thomas Frank as manager.
Xavi Simons scored a brace and Randal Kolo Muani netted a goal for Tottenham, while Atletico Madrid’s two goals were scored by Julian Alvarez and David Hancko.
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England international, Harry Kane has reached a half-century of Champions League goals as Bayern Munich beat Atalanta four-one to progress to the quarter-finals.
The England captain started the game on forty-eight but a first-half penalty and a brilliant second-half strike moved him on to fifty.
Kane reached the landmark in sixty-six games, the same number it took Lionel Messi and twenty-five fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland holds the record for reaching fifty the quickest, having got there in forty-nine games.
Lennart Karl and Luis Diaz scored a goal each for Bayern Munich, while Atalanta’s only goal was scored by Lazar Samardzic.
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The duo of Barcelona stars Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski each scored twice as the team dumped Newcastle United out of the Champions League.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe had hoped his players would grow rather than shrink in the Nou Camp cauldron, in the second leg of this last-16 tie.
Marc Bernal, Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez scored a goal each for Barcelona to make it seven-two win over Newcastle, while Newcastle’s two goals were scored by Anthony Elanga.
Barcelona will now meet Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.
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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has advised his players to show more consistency in their game if they are to win the Europa League.
Ollie Watkins’ 61st-minute first strike last Thursday ensured Unai Emery’s side took a one-nil lead back to Villa Park, putting them in a strong position to progress to the quarter-finals.
The Spanish tactician stated that he wanted his team to improve their consistency at Villa Park.
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Chelsea midfielder, Enzo Fernandez says he did not know whether he would be at the club next season following the Blues’ Champions League exit to Paris St-Germain.
He joined Chelsea for what was a British record transfer fee of one hundred and seven million pounds in January 2023 and has played more than one hundred and fifty games for the club.
Fernandez, who has made forty-five appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this season, scoring twelve goals and making six assists, was replaced after sixty minutes at Stamford Bridge.
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Former Chelsea senior executive Christian Purslow believes the Premier League has been way too generous in its punishment of the club for making secret payments relating to transfers.
Purslow said he was shocked to see the scale of activity, and had never encountered any evidence of transfer-related payments during his career.
Chelsea were fined ten million pounds and handed a suspended transfer ban after admitting making forty-seven point five million pounds in undisclosed payments to unregistered agents and third-parties between 2011 and 2018.
The fine is the largest ever imposed by the Premier League but the club avoided any sporting sanctions, such as a points deduction.
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Manchester City are set to be without two of their centre-backs for Sunday’s League Cup final against Arsenal, with Josko Gvardiol still injured and a long way off a return, and Marc Guehi ineligible to feature in the competition for City.
The good news for City is that Rico Lewis returned to the bench after a five-game absence with an ankle injury, though he may not be sufficiently match sharp for a cup final.
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Fulham is closing in on a twenty-eight point five million pounds deal for PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi, who has arrived in London for a medical.
The 23-year-old was the subject of a similar bid in January, but the Dutch top-flight club opted to keep him until the summer as they were unable to find a suitable replacement.
Fulham have now returned to finalise a move for the United States international, who is expected to sign a contract until 2031 at Craven Cottage.
Pepi would join the Cottagers in the summer, with striker Raul Jimenez out of contract at the end of the season.
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Chelsea women teenage midfielder Lexi Potter scored her first goal in her first Women’s Super League start to help the newly-crowned Women’s League Cup champions defeat Brighton two-one at Kingsmeadow.
Alyssa Thompson’s early opener for the reigning English champions was cancelled out by Carla Camacho before the 19-year-old academy graduate struck the winning goal for the home side before the interval.
Potter, who became the youngest female player in England to sign a professional football contract in 2023 when she was 17, was a late substitute in Sunday’s two-nil win against Manchester United in the cup final.
With five games remaining, Chelsea are seven points behind leaders Manchester City with thirty-six points while Brighton remain eighth on seventeen points.
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West Bromwich Albion have reduced their annual losses by almost half, to help strengthen the club’s aim of complying with the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules.
In its latest financial report, West Bromwich Albion Group Limited, the part of the club that must comply with the regulations posted an operating loss of seventeen million pounds for the twelve months up to the end of June 2025, down from thirty-one million pounds the previous year.
Under rules, Championship clubs are permitted to lose a maximum of thirty-nine million pounds over a rolling three-year period.
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IN NIGERIA
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Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has listed twenty-three players for his team’s upcoming international friendlies against Iran and Jordan.
Chelle picked team captain Wilfred Ndidi, Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi and Atletico Madrid winger Ademola Lookman in the squad.
He also called Italy-based goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, defender Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, midfielder Frank Onyeka, and forwards Simon Moses, Samuel Chukwueze, Akor Adams and Paul Onuachu.
Scotland-based defender Emmanuel Fernandez is called up for the first time, as are Germany-based forward Philip Otele and KRC Genk of Belgium’s Collins Yira Sor, a former junior international.
The Super Eagles will take on Iran in Antalya, Turkey on Friday, 27th March, and then Jordan on Tuesday, 31st March.
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Scottish Premiership giants Rangers have celebrated Emmanuel Fernandez’s maiden invitation to the Super Eagles.
The centre-back was named in Nigeria’s squad for the upcoming friendlies against Iran and Jordan by head coach, Éric Chelle on Wednesday.
Philip Otele, and Yira Collins Sor are the other new invitees in the 23-man squad.
Rangers hailed Fernandez’s invitation on their official X account.
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Remo Stars technical adviser Usman Abd’Allah is expecting a difficult duel against Kwara United.
The Sky Blue Stars will welcome Kwara United to Ikenne for a Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, matchday 31 encounter on Sunday.
Remo Stars boosted their survival hopes with a hard-earned two-one victory over Nasarawa United last weekend.
Kwara United are also fighting to escape relegation.
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Former Nigerian international, Mutiu Adepoju has faulted the Confederation of African Football’s decision to strip Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations crown.
Adepoju stated that the decision was not good for the image of African football.
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The Senegalese government has called for an independent international investigation into suspected corruption at African football’s governing body after it stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco.
Senegal beat Morocco one-nil in January’s final but the Confederation of African Football, CAF, overturned the result because Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest when hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.
Following an appeal by the Moroccan FA, Caf ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, with the result being recorded as three-nil in favour of Morocco.
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The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football has acknowledged CAF’s Appeal Board ruling following the disputed AFCON 2025 final.
The federation said its appeal was aimed at ensuring proper application of competition rules, not disputing the sporting merit of any team.
It also commended all participating nations, describing the tournament as significant for African football development.
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Former Cameroon head coach Claude Le Roy has alleged that there was a lot of manipulation to decide that Morocco are champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The French tactician made this known after CAF’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal forfeited the final against Morocco, awarding the match to the North African nation with a three-nil scoreline.
Le Roy expressed frustration that it feels like Morocco could get away with anything, accusing the federation of having too much influence.
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D’Tigress star Victoria Macaulay has been named to the All-Star Team of the 2025 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
Macaulay starred for Rena Wakama’s side in France, delivering a series of standout performances.
D’Tigress recorded two wins, and three defeats in five matches at the competition.
France led the All-Star Team selections with two players, including MVP Janelle Salaun and Marine Johannes.
Germany’s Frieda Bühner and Korea’s Leesuel Kang also made the All-Star Team.
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The National Coach of Team Nigeria Wrestling, Akuh Purity, says the team will continue to make the country proud in international competitions.
Akuh said this in an interview with Journalists, noting that the wrestlers remained committed to giving their best and winning medals at global events.
He said the feat underscores Nigeria’s growing influence in the sport on the international stage.
The coach said the performance of the four wrestlers highlighted the increasing impact of Nigerian athletes in collegiate wrestling in the United States.
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Nigeria women’s national basketball team lost 81-73 to Germany women’s national basketball team in a group phase game at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in France.
Nigeria showed resilience, briefly taking the lead in the second quarter, but struggled to sustain momentum against a disciplined German side.
The turning point came late in the third quarter after Nigeria led 49-46, before Germany responded with a decisive scoring run.
Leonie Fiebich sparked the comeback, combining with Nyara Sabally to shift control of the game.
The Coordinator of the 7th Bademosi Boys Cricket Championships, Okon Ukpong, says all South-West states will participate in the tournament.
Ukpong said in Ibadan that the championship would hold from 7th to 11th April at the Liberty Stadium.
The annual competition is designed to promote grassroots cricket development in the region.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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Five members of Iran’s national women’s football team who dropped their bids for Australian asylum have returned to the country with the rest of the squad.
The team were pictured in their tracksuits as they crossed into Iran from Turkey on Wednesday, having flown back via Malaysia and Oman.
A number of the players had initially sought humanitarian visas to stay in Australia after concerns they would face repercussions for staying silent during Iran’s national anthem at their opening Asian Cup match.
Human rights activists have said they might have been pressured to reverse their decisions through threats against their families.
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Venezuela has declared a national holiday on Wednesday following its first World Baseball Classic title, capped by a 3-2 ?victory over the United States at Miami’s LoanDepot Park.
The government of acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared Wednesday a national holiday, with the exception of essential service workers.
The Ministry of Education said in a statement that it had also suspended classes in celebration of the historic win.
An art student Yolanda Pantoja added the victory is a source of national pride that will last forever.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Basketball; The San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns have different goals for the season’s final stretch as they square off on Thursday in a late-season Western Conference game.
San Antonio (51-18) is second in the conference entering Wednesday’s play, three games behind front-running Oklahoma City and 7 ?1/2 games clear of the third place Los Angeles Lakers with 13 games to play.
The Suns (39-30), meanwhile, ?head into Thursday’s clash in seventh place, holding onto the top spot in the play-in tournament while three games in back of sixth-place Minnesota for a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.
In Boxing; Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing have announced a new multi-year deal, confirming Sky as the UK and Irish broadcaster for all Zuffa Boxing events.
Zuffa 5, which will be topped by the junior lightweight battle between Andreas Cortes and Eridson Garcia in Las Vegas, marks the first show that Sky will broadcast as part of the deal on 5th April.
On top of their American output, Zuffa Boxing’s Dana White, who bought the UFC in 2001 and then transformed MMA, will stage at least five shows per year in the UK, with the first card being targeted for May.
In Tennis, World number one Aryna Sabalenka says criticism of her late withdrawal from the Dubai Championships last month is ridiculous and that she may not play at the tournament again.
Belarusian Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, world number two at the time, pulled out of the WTA 1000 event on 13th February, two days before it started.
Tournament director Salah Tahlak said last month that Sabalenka and Poland’s Swiatek should be docked ranking points.
Sabalenka won the Indian Wells title on Sunday, her first tournament since losing the final of the Australian Open in January.
Players have regularly voiced concerns about the congested tennis calendar, which stretches across eleven months of the year for the top players.
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In Rugby, Argentina is pressing forward with a bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup, which would take the event to South America for the first time.
Argentina hopes to involve Brazil, Chile and Uruguay in the staging of the tournament.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin is visiting Argentina on a fact-finding mission before formal applications for the tournament are submitted in the latter half of 2026.
Japan and Spain have recently confirmed their intention of bidding for the tournament, while Italy have previously expressed an interest and a joint Middle East bid, incorporating Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, has also been rumoured.
France and Australia, hosts for 2023 and 2027, have both put on the tournament on more than one occasion.
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In Cycling, Tom Pidcock has launched a late attack to win the Milano-Torino race on the 150th anniversary of the first edition of the world’s oldest classic.
The Pinarello-Q36.5 rider was making his debut in the Italian one-day race and went clear during the final six hundred metres to win its 106th edition.
It was Pidcock’s first win in a one-day race since the Amstel Gold Race in 2024 and his second victory of the season having claimed a stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia last month.
Wednesday’s win also keeps the Briton in good form heading into another Italian classic on Saturday, the Milan-San Remo.
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In Golf, Bolton is bidding to become the first English host of golf’s Ryder Cup in more than thirty years.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has announced a funding package, with a focus on infrastructure around a new golf course, to support the bid to host the event in 2035, including a new seventy million pounds M61-M6 link road.
Burnham said the bid was not pie in the sky, and there had been promising conversations with organisers about bringing the tournament to a bespoke, world-class course at Hulton Park.
Southport’s Tommy Fleetwood, professional golfer and Ryder Cup winner, said it would be incredible to bring the biggest sporting event in the world to the north-west of England.
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TODAY’S FIXTURES
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IN UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE – ROUND OF SIXTEEN
Freiburg vs Genk
Midtjylland vs Nottingham Forest
Olympique Lyonnais vs Celta Vigo
Aston Villa vs Lille
Porto vs Stuttgart
Real Betis vs Panathinaikos
Roma vs Bologna
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IN UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE – ROUND OF SIXTEEN
AEK Larnaca vs Crystal Palace
Raków Czestochowa vs Fiorentina
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Lech Poznan
Sparta Prague vs AZ
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
We must be willing to get rid of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us…words from Joseph Campbell.
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