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Nigeria Premier League

WWC: Spain thrash Switzerland to reach World Cup last eight

Aitana Bonmati netted two well-crafted goals as Spain thrashed Switzerland 5-1 at the Women’s World Cup on Saturday to clinch a quarter-final berth for the first time in their history.

Switzerland kept three clean sheets to top Group A, but it took a mere five minutes for midfielder Bonmati to breach their defence for the first goal for La Roja.

Additional goals from her, Alba Redondo, Laia Codina and Jenni Hermoso completed the rout to the delight of the crowd of 43,217 – a record for a soccer game in New Zealand, women or men.

Bonmati, Redondo and Hermoso all now have three goals in the tournament.

Codina’s 45th-minute effort was a moment of redemption for the defender, who had earlier scored a calamitous own goal with a pass back from 40 yards that sailed past shocked keeper Cata Coll.

The match saw 43,217 spectators inside the Eden Park Outer Oval in Auckland, in what was a record attendance for a women’s or men’s game in New Zealand
Spain finished second in Group C, beating Costa Rica and Zambia by a combined 8-0 before being run ragged in a surprise 4-0 loss to Japan on Monday.

Coach Jorge Vilda made five changes to his team from that loss for Saturday, including dropping goalkeeper Maria Rodriguez in favour of Coll.

The Spaniards will now play the winner of Sunday’s round of 16 game between the Netherlands and South Africa.

The 20th-ranked Swiss matched their best World Cup finish. They also bowed out in the round of 16 in their only other World Cup appearance in 2015.

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Nigeria Premier League

Kano Pillars Chairman praises players despite loss to Remo Stars

Kano Pillars

Kano Pillars chairman Alhaji Ali Muhammad Umar has commended his team despite their 2-1 defeat to Remo Stars in Ikenne on Sunday.

Speaking to the club’s media, Umar expressed pride in the players’ performance and praised their dominance throughout the match.

“I must commend the players and the technical crew for the way they approached the game. From the first whistle to the end of regulation time, they played with passion and dominated the match,” Umar stated.

He acknowledged the unpredictable nature of football, attributing the loss to bad luck.

“Sometimes, football can be cruel, and we were just unlucky not to secure all three points. We must build on this performance. The season is still ongoing, and I believe with more effort, we will achieve our objectives,” he added.

Kano Pillars are set to face rivals Katsina United in a rescheduled matchday 20 encounter at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Wednesday.

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Nigeria Premier League

Brown Ideye Set to Return for Enyimba After Injury Layoff

Brown Ideye

Former Super Eagles forward, Brown Ideye, is set to make his return for Enyimba in their upcoming league game following a brief injury layoff.

The 36-year-old striker has missed Enyimba’s last two league matches due to a minor injury. Enyimba’s media officer, David Orji, confirmed that Ideye has resumed personal training in preparation for his return to action.

“Ideye is back in training after sustaining a minor injury and should be fully fit soon,” Orji stated.

Ideye has made four league appearances for Enyimba, scoring once. Enyimba will host league leaders Remo Stars in a week 24 fixture in Aba on Sunday, as they aim to improve their standing from the eighth position in the league table, where they currently have 31 points.

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Nigeria Premier League

Mangut Blames Pitch Condition for Plateau United’s Draw Against Niger Tornadoes

Plateau United

Plateau United’s technical adviser, Mbwas Mangut, has pointed to the poor condition of the playing surface at Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna as a factor in his team’s 1-1 draw with Niger Tornadoes.

In a post-match interview, Mangut acknowledged the impact of the pitch on his team’s performance, though he expressed satisfaction with the result.

“We are happy with the one point; we came with the mindset to see if we can get the maximum points,” he said.

“You could see the condition of the ground; it didn’t allow us to express ourselves the way we used to play.”

Mangut reassured fans, saying, “With what we are doing, every fan should be patient. I believe that at the end of the day, this team will definitely be where they belong. There are so many factors that will take us to that level, and we are working on that.”

With the draw, Plateau United moved up to 15th position on the table.

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