The game is set for February 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, meaning the Buccaneers will be the first team to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium.
The Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 38-24 in the AFC championship Sunday. It’ll be the Chiefs’ fourth trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history.
“The best thing about this team is we believe in each other,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “I trust my guys over anybody and we’re going to go out there and be who we are.”
As quarterbacks, Mahomes and the Buccaneers’ Tom Brady have each won one of the last two Super Bowls, respectively. Mahomes and the Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year against the San Francisco 49ers. Brady, who was throwing for the New England Patriots at the time, defeated the Los Angeles Rams in 2019.
Earlier Sunday, the Bucs beat the Green Bay Packers 31-26 in the NFC championship, earning them their second trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history. The first was in 2003 against the Oakland Raiders.
“Guys came through. Everyone stepped up to the challenge,” Tom Brady said in a post-game interview. “Football’s the ultimate team sport and everybody plays a role. I’m just so proud of this whole team.”
Brady also made history Sunday. At 43 years old, he will be the oldest player to play in the Super Bowl.
This will be Brady’s 10th trip to the big game. With the Patriots — where Brady played for 20 years before signing with the Bucs last March — Brady went to the Super Bowl nine times, leading the team to six wins, the most for any player in NFL history.
Should Brady win the big game in two weeks, he’ll join Peyton Manning as one of two quarterbacks in NFL history to win Super Bowls on two different teams, according to the Buccaneers’ website.
Liverpool’s 68-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League came to an end as Ashley Barnes fired in a late winner from the penalty spot to secure a famous victory for Burnley.
Barnes was tripped in the box by goalkeeper Alisson with seven minutes remaining and converted the spot-kick as Burnley won at Anfield for the first time since 1974.
Liverpool’s last league loss on their own ground came nearly four years ago, against Crystal Palace in April 2017, and they are now six points behind leaders Manchester United at the midway point in the campaign.
Divock Origi was given his first start of the season and should have scored when he ran free on goal after pouncing on Ben Mee’s error but struck the crossbar.
The hosts pushed to find the net in the second half but ran out of ideas, Nick Pope making a stunning save to deny Mohamed Salah and fellow substitute Roberto Firmino flicking an effort wide.
Burnley’s shock win lifts them up to 16th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone.
Jurgen Klopp said before the game he was “not worried” by his side’s poor run, but the latest setback means this has now turned into a real problem for the Liverpool manager.
After 19 games, Liverpool are out of form and out of confidence, failing to find the net in their last 440 minutes of top-flight action and awaiting their first league victory of 2021.
They looked to be hitting their stride on 19 December when they took apart Crystal Palace 7-0, but have not won in the league since and scored just a solitary league goal in that time, against relegation strugglers West Brom.
Their drop-off from the same stage last season is extraordinary – after 19 games last term the Reds were 13 points clear at the top with 55 points, but they have 21 fewer points now.
Aside from Pope’s save to thwart Salah and stops from Origi and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool did not look a side who were threatening to find the net.
They had 72% possession but much of it was slow and ponderous, and although they had spaces out wide and put 30 crosses into the box, the resolute Burnley defenders headed and hacked clear every ball that came in.
Lionel Messi was shown the first red card of his Barcelona career as they lost to Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Messi, in his 753rd appearance for Barca, swung at Asier Villalibre in the final seconds of extra time – an incident spotted by the VAR.
Barca led twice through Antoine Griezmann but Oscar de Marcos and Villalibre, in the final minute, scored as Athletic replied each time.
Inaki Williams scored a fine winner.
The game in Seville was set to be remembered as an entertaining encounter and for Athletic’s second trophy since 1985, until the late drama.
Messi lashed out at goalscorer Villalibre off the ball in the 120th minute. The referee missed the clash at the time before viewing it on the VAR screen and dismissing Messi.
The 33-year-old had only been sent off twice before, both for Argentina – on his international debut against Hungary in 2005 and in the 2019 Copa America third-place play-off against Chile.
He could now be banned for at least four domestic games, with Super Cup suspensions carrying over to league and cup matches.
Barcelona were seconds away from winning the Super Cup for a 14th time – in what would have been a first trophy under Ronald Koeman’s reign. It would also have been an eighth Super Cup for Messi, in what could be his final season at Barca with his contract coming to an end this summer.
Griezmann put them ahead after Messi’s shot was blocked before De Marcos scored from Williams’ cross moments later.
Athletic’s Raul Garcia had a header disallowed by the VAR and then Griezmann converted from Jordi Alba’s cross.
But in the final minute substitute Villalibre volleyed home to force extra time. Williams’ excellent winner soon after the restart came as he got the ball on the edge of the box and curled into the top corner.
Athletic, who beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the semi-finals, have beaten Real and Barca in consecutive games for the first time since 1960.
The defeat comes just as Barca – who needed penalties to beat Real Sociedad in the semis – and their captain were finding form. It was a first defeat in 10 games for the Catalan side, while it ends Messi’s run of four goals in two games and six in five.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is considering a move to bring former manager Avram Grant back to Stamford Bridge to work with current Blues boss Frank Lampard.
The Russian billionaire believes Grant’s experience could provide invaluable support to manager Lampard and his staff.
Chelsea have won only one of their last six Premier League matches and have dropped to ninth in the table.
Grant believes his strengths lie as a team manager rather than behind the scenes, so potentially the 65-year-old’s return to Stamford Bridge could be on a short-term basis.
Recently on social media, Grant backed Lampard, and urged Abramovich to give him time to prove his doubters wrong.
About the current situation, I can say only this. You need to be strong when things are not going well, when things are going well everyone is a genius and knows what to do,” Grant said in an Instagram post.
“But in the situation like this when things aren’t going well you need to be strong, look for solutions and show a lot about your character
“What I can say to Frank and the others at the club is be patient, and more than this do whatever is necessary to do, that’s for sure. Two things: never lose it even when things are going well, don’t lose your fighting spirit at the highest level.
“And second, don’t lose what you have here [points at head] – you need to think right and look for solutions. If you do that, then everything will be OK because the quality is there and there is a potential like there was [at Chelsea] in my time.”
In 2018, the former Portsmouth and West Ham boss had a spell as manager of Indian Super League team NorthEast United.
Prior to that, Grant managed Ghana, leading them to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, losing to Ivory Coast on penalties.
Grant guided Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008 and Lampard scored 20 goals during 40 appearances in all competitions for the Blues during that season.
Frank Lampard says the arrival of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in 2003 made his career as a player but does not think his personal relationship with the club should influence the Russian’s decisions.
Former midfielder Lampard enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Stamford Bridge during the first decade of Abramovich’s reign before he returned to the club as head coach in 2019.
“I have to sit here and say that when the owner came to Chelsea all those years ago, it made my career,” Lampard said.
“Maybe I would have gone elsewhere or whatever might have happened in my personal career, but fortunately I was at a club that had an owner who was brought in and absolutely changed the face of it and changed my life.
Arsenal have completed the signing of Omar Rekik from Hertha Berlin.
The 19-year-old will join the Gunners’ Under 23s side after penning a professional contract with the club.
Bild reports Arsenal have agreed to pay Hertha around £540,000 to land the centre-back, who had periods in the youth academies of Feyenoord, PSV, Manchester City and Marseille before joining the German side.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed on Thursday that the defender’s arrival was all but complete, telling reporters at a press conference: “He’s a young talent that we’ve been following for a while that we believe has a really bright future.”
The Tunisia Under 21 international is yet to make his senior debut, having played regularly in the fourth-tier of German football with Hertha Berlin II this season, but he was an unused substitute in three Bundesliga matches last season.
“It feels great to be here after a long time of hard work. It feels great. I moved in three weeks ago and I’ve been in quarantine, so I can’t wait to get started,” Rekik told Arsenal’s website.
“The warmth of the people and the interest that they showed in me, and of course, when a club like Arsenal is interested, I don’t think anyone needs to think twice.
“I’m a winner. I always want to win, and that’s with everything, not only football, ever since I was a kid. My style of play? I’m a central defender and I like to play with the ball, I like to play out from the back, and I think this is also the structure of the club. It fits perfectly.”
Rekik says Arsenal’s playing style played a key role in his choosing to continue his career in north London.
“With Mikel Arteta, if you watch the games, he’s not a coach who thinks quickly to play a long ball. Of course, when needed, you have to do it, but I think the style of play fits,” he added.
“As a young player, you need to play somewhere where they’re not afraid to give you a chance and you can see a lot of youth players have broken through here, and I want to be the next one.”
Rekik, who is the north London side’s first signing of the January transfer window, was linked with a move to the English capital in the summer transfer window, but a move did not materialise.
Diallo scored four minutes into his 13-minute Atalanta debut as a substitute against Udinese in October 2019 (becoming the first player born in 2002 to score in Serie A), but only played another 11 minutes across two games that season. Then, despite United’s attention, he had to wait almost a year for his next senior minutes: a 13-minute cameo against Hellas Verona on Nov. 28 before a promising 22-minute appearance off the bench in the Champions League against FC Midtjylland on Dec. 1, in which he showed some delicate touches, fine runs and had two good shots saved late on.
Indeed, Diallo’s ability on the ball has seen him likened to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, and he’s excelled even when playing two age groups above his own throughout his youth career. However, it’s still a massive fee for such an untested player who might not even feature in the Premier League this season. You also have to wonder why the teenager has been used so sparingly (especially in an outrageously fixture-congested year) by Atalanta — even as an impact sub — given his obvious talent, profile and credentials.
With only another 35 minutes under his belt since they agreed the deal, it’s a gamble for United, who have been burned before with the likes of Bebe. But sources told ESPN’s Rob Dawson that Diallo will be considered a first-team signing, along with 18-year-old Facundo Pellistri who was signed from Uruguayan side Penarol at the same time.
As Diallo arrives in Manchester after receiving his UK work permit, here’s a look at why the Old Trafford hierarchy thought the Ivory Coast-born winger was worth the risk.
What kind of player is he?
Diallo is far from unknown on the scouting circuit, having been on the radar of Europe’s leading clubs for quite some time due to his performances at youth level — where he often stands out against older opponents — and his more recent displays in the Italian “Primavera” (U19) league.
His stats in the Primavera over the past two years are impressive — 12 goals and nine assists in 39 games — while he also notched one goal and three assists across six games in the UEFA Youth League in 2019-20.
A top scout at one such club granted ESPN access to their entire file on Diallo, which dates back to 2019 and is based on his appearances in youth tournaments and the U19 league. In the club’s internal system, Diallo is rated as a potential 7.5 player (out of a maximum 10), which equates to “a prospective regular at a Champions League-level club” — just for reference, a peak Messi was apparently a 9.0 according to their system (clearly nobody can be perfect!)
Some snippets from the report, which was compiled using input from different members of the club’s scouting staff, reveal interesting details about his characteristics as a player.
“Physical profile: can seem lightweight, but deals well with contact. Able to stay on his feet even when facing strong challenges. Low point of gravity, good balance. Impressive change of direction with and without the ball. Impressive body control and coordination. Very quick on short spaces, loses some power and speed over longer distances. More continuous than most players of his age, impact persists throughout the game.”
Diallo is also applauded for his “capability to see all areas of the pitch” and he is “able to distribute the ball well beyond short-medium distances; executes good switches of play.” His defensive work-rate is also highlighted as a positive: “His willingness to track runs, defend and align with the team’s defensive structure is surprisingly good.”
What position does he play?
Diallo moved from central midfield early in his career. Diallo is now a tactically aware inverted winger — ideal for a 4-3-3 formation — with skills more akin to the modern wide playmaker than an out-and-out winger limited to a change of pace and the ability to take on opponents. The report reads:
“Characteristic inverted winger who likes to cut in on his left foot from the right. Prefers to take up positions relatively deep in order to participate in build-up rather than go directly for a goal or the conclusive phase, but is also effective closer to the goal and penalty area. Less effective on the left, but can roam with success in central positions.”
Is his style similar to that of any current players?
The Messi comparisons come from Diallo’s great balance, quick feet, excellent technical skills, mesmerising dribbles and ability to see and execute the ideal pass — not to mention his fine left foot.
He possesses a maturity and confidence beyond his 18 years that allows him to exploit his considerable skills — but not just for the sake of it, only when there’s something to be gained — and gives him a real team ethic with plenty of willingness to track back and work hard to play his part in defending.
One professional scout with deep insight into the Italian youth scene says that Diallo’s undoubted potential still needs to translate to first-team level.
“I have seen Diallo many times and he’s an interesting talent, but I have to admit that the deal, especially at the figures involved, was a great surprise to me,” he told ESPN under the condition of anonymity. “Yes, he’s excelled at youth level and yes, even with those from age groups above, but in my view he’s not comparable to players like [Barcelona’s] Ansu Fati, [Real Madrid‘s] Vinicius Jr., Reinier or Rodrygo, who I all tracked at youth level. And for the money involved in this deal you expect a potential world star. I just don’t see Amad Diallo having the same potential of those I mentioned.”
What’s next?
The next steps for Diallo are going to be crucial in enabling him to optimise his talent. Will he be immediately integrated in the first-team squad — much like Pellistri (who, incidentally, occupies the same wide right attacking slot) — and be defined as a first-teamer but almost exclusively play with the reserves? Or will he be sent out on loan to get more experience?
With Diallo reportedly working hard on improving his English he’d no doubt prefer to stay in Manchester, yet the increasingly common route of loaning up-and-coming players abroad to countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium or even Germany might be another possibility. As the holder of an Italian passport, that is certainly an easy option.
What Manchester United decide to do with him next is of utmost importance, because their success stories of signing late teenage prospects with immediate first-team aspirations from abroad are few and far between. They have taken a gamble by spending big money on an unproven 18-year-old, but as their transfer policy continues to target younger players, how Diallo settles at Old Trafford could play a big part in their future.
Robert Lewandowski became the third player in Bundesliga history to score 250 goals as Bayern Munich ended Wolfsburg’s unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season in a come-from-behind win at the Allianz Arena.
denied a close-range effort at goal by Jerome Roussillon. The record champions remained on top in terms of possession throughout the first half, but trailed for much of it after Maximillian Philipp met Kevin Mbabu’s cross on the volley to give Wolfsburg a sixth-minute lead. Thomas Müller flicked a near-post header off target with Bayern’s first meaningful response, before Wout Weghorst had a thunderous breakaway goal ruled out for offside. Wolfsburg put bodies on the line to repel quick-fire chances for Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry, but continued to threaten on the counter with another Philipp volley sailing narrowly wide off David Alaba’s left thigh. Sane ballooned over from 18 yards, before Lewandowski met Kingsley Coman’s inch-perfect cross to head Bayern level in added time.
After restoring parity with the final effort on goal of the first half, Bayern forged ahead with the first attempt of the second. Jerome Boateng picked off a Wolfsburg attack and immediately sent Lewandowski in on goal. The Bundesliga’s record foreign scorer put Maxence Lacroix on his back, before slamming in at Koen Casteels’ near post. Gnabry was presented with a glorious opening to extend the home side’s lead moments later, but failed to make the desired connection with Coman’s back-post cross. Wolfsburg contained Bayern for the remainder, but only threatened a way back in the closing stages. Had it not been for Manuel Neuer, they might have succeeded. The Bayern captain twice thwarted substitute Bartosz Bialek to keep his side within a point of leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who they face in their final league encounter of 2020 at the weekend.
Match stats
Only Gerd Müller and Klaus Fischer had broken the 250-goal barrier, before Lewandowski came along. The Pole has 177 goals in 201 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern.
Boateng produced his first assist of the season.
Lewandowski has scored 23 goals in 20 Bundesliga appearances against Wolfsburg. Unsurprisingly, they are his favourite opponent.
Bayern have scored at least once in each of their last 42 competitive matches.
Philipp scored his first Bundesliga goal in over two years.
Josip Brekalo made his 100th competitive appearance for Wolfsburg.
Leverkusen – Bayern’s opponents on Matchday 13 – are the Bundesliga’s only remaining unbeaten team this season.
In a report on Business Day dated June 5 2020, sports betting has an estimated 60 million Nigerians actively involved with over 50 betting sites operating in the country, it reads that sports betting is experiencing a massive surge in Nigeria and is consequently having a huge impact on the economy.
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Towards hosting a successful year 2023 Confederation of African Football (CAN/ CAF) competition, Ivory Coast has commenced preparation for the building of a world class Olympic village.
Towards this end, the Ivory Coast government has signed an agreement with a Dutch support body, International Service Group (ISG) to build a world class village to ensure quality Africa’s football fiesta in the country.
ISG is a Dutch organization which is committed to building infrastructure and supporting any public and private organizations in Africa.
The construction of the village is fixed at 2.05billion Euros.
The signing of the agreement to commence the construction of the village took place in the capital of Ivory coast, Abidjan in December 2019.
The commercial Director of ISG, Mr Mike Tuinstra signed the agreement with Ivory coast minister of sports, Hon. Paulin Claude Danho in the presence of the ISG team who were present in the country for the finalization and signing of the project.
The minister of sports in the country commended ISG for the gesture and assured that the construction of the Olympic village will enhance quality tournament for all the participating countries.
The international Service Group is an EPS+F service provider that finances Africa infrastructure projects in the public and private sector through an all inclusive EPC+F model with its partners who are mainly large construction companies, top banks and Insurance companies.
ISG works with an international management and experienced team in office and on location to create jobs and reduce poverty throughout Africa with a win-win approach.
Mr Mike Tuinstra is responsible for the funding and execution of the project in the portfolio of ISG.
The management of Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club have commended First Bank of Nigeria Limited for their support of the prestigious African Patrons Cup; a polo tournament which holds annually at the Club in Kaduna.
The commendation came at the closing ceremony of the 2019 edition of the competition which featured notable polo teams drawn from across the country.
The Bank was lauded for its contribution to the development of Polo at the club. A statement by the club’s management stated “We will like to recognise the sterling efforts of our esteemed sponsors FirstBank, the African Patrons Cup Polo Tournament will never be the same without your support.”
“We sincerely hope that this association will be maintained and that you will continue to support us in our future endeavours”, the statement concluded.
The Africa Patrons Cup Polo Tournament is an annual event put together by Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club to create awareness about the prevalence of Breast Cancer among women in the society.
The weeklong competition which had the participation of over 10-teams saw YY Kangimi defeat Keffi Pony’s by 12-goals to 4-goals for the prestigious Patrons trophy.
Only recently, FirstBank sponsored the prestigious Georgian Cup of Kaduna Polo Tournament for the 100th year, possibly the longest-running sports sponsorship in the world and a Guinness Book of Records potential.
Idowu Thompson, Group Head, Private Banking, First Bank of Nigeria Limited (middle) with some players at the 2019 Fifth Chukker Polo championship held in Kaduna.
