Nigeria Premier League

Alcaraz retains no. 1 spot over Djokovic in latest ATP rankings

Carlos Alcaraz will remain the world’s top player ahead of Novak Djokovic by the slightest of margins , at least for the next three weeks in the latest ATP Rankings.

Alcaraz and Djokovic served up an instant classic in episode No. 4 of their intriguing rivalry last Sunday. Djokovic saved a championship en route to winning his third Cincinnati Masters in a final for the record books. However, he fell just short in his quest to reclaim the No. 1 ranking by a meager 20 points.

Alcaraz did the bare minimum he was required to by virtue of reaching the Cincinnati final. The Spanish young gun was guaranteed to hold onto top spot for the next three weeks including the 2023 US Open where he will be the top seed with 9,815 points.

Djokovic is 20 points behind in second place with 9,795 garnering a maximum of 1,000 ranking points for winning a record-extending 39th Masters title. It’s quite an astonishing turn of events considering how one point could have completely changed the course of the rankings permutations.

Had Alcaraz converted his championship point in the second-set tiebreak, he would have established an 820-point lead over Djokovic. The Serbian star will now be the red-hot favorite to take back the No. 1 ranking in New York where he doesn’t defend any points and will only need to win his first-round match.

There is movement in the world’s Top 10. Danish Next Gen star Holger Rune moves to a new career-high mark of No. 4. Alcaraz and Rune are the first two 20-year-olds to be ranked in the world’s Top 4 simultaneously since 1992. Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas falls to 7th spot after losing 510 points for his failure to defend his runner-up points from 2022.

Alexander Zverev inches closer to re-entering the Top 10 after his semifinal finish in Ohio, making up five spots and rising to No. 12. Croatia’s Borna Coric was the defending champion in Cincinnati, but his second-round exit last week means that he represents the biggest drop in the world’s Top 30, cascading to 29th.

Australia will have four men in the world’s Top 50. Outside Alex de Minaur, there are new career highs for Alexei Popyrin (40th) and Max Purcell (47th) who both reached the Cincinnati quarterfinals, while Jordan Thompson rejoins the Top 50.

Nigeria Premier League

Rangers’ Coach Rues Defeat At El-Kanemi, Says My Boys Lost Concentration When It Mattered

Rangers International FC’s coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, attributed his team’s 2-1 defeat to El-Kanemi Warriors FC in Maiduguri on Wednesday to lapses in concentration within his defence.

The NPFL matchday 21 clash saw El-Kanemi secured the win at the El-Kanemi Stadium, Maiduguri.

Ilechukwu, who also serves as an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team, acknowledged his players’ overall performance but highlighted two critical moments of defensive inattentiveness that allowed El-Kanemi to score.

He expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and focusing on future achievements.

He described the current situation as a temporary setback and reassured fans that Rangers would soon return to winning form while urging his players to remain confident as they prepare for their next game against the high-scoring Ikorodu City.

El-Kanemi’s goals came from Nasiru Salihu, who scored in the 18th and 73rd minutes. Isaac Saviour scored the lone goal for Rangers in the 63rd minute.

Despite Rangers’ efforts to equalize, including the introduction of former World Cup star Michael Uchebo, El-Kanemi’s goalkeeper, Abine George, made crucial saves in extra time to secure the victory.

The win moved El-Kanemi Warriors into 4th place on the league table, while Rangers dropped to 6th.

Rangers will face Ikorodu City, who are currently 5th with the same number of points, at home on Monday, February 3, 2025, at 4:00 pm at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.

Nigeria Premier League

Ogunmodede reflects on Emo Stars’ win over Abia Warriors

Emo Stars technical adviser Daniel Ogunmodede admitted his side was fortunate to secure a 3-2 victory over Abia Warriors in Ikenne on Wednesday.

Abia Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the first half, with goals from Ayodele Eziekel and Anthony Ijoma. However, Emo Stars responded with three goals from Olamilekan Adebayo, Jabbar Malik, and Franck Mawuena to clinch the win.

Ogunmodede acknowledged that his team had underestimated their opponents but managed to turn things around. “The game was tense and shocking in the first half on our home ground. Not every time you will be lucky against a great team we played against,” he said in the post-match interview.

“We underestimated the qualities of our opponent, and we were punished for it. But luckily, we identified the problem and readjusted to get the victory.”

Emo Stars will now aim to build on this win as they continue their campaign

Nigeria Premier League

Kano Pillars eye maximum points in midweek showdown with Ikorodu City

Kano Pillars are determined to secure all three points in their upcoming fixture against Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The Sai Masu Gida will face Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos on Wednesday.

Usman Abdallah’s side is upbeat and focused ahead of the match, with the players in high spirits.

“Done and dusted with the shake-ups ahead of our NPFL25 Matchday 21 clash against Ikorodu City this Wednesday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos,” Kano Pillars wrote on X.

“The boys are in high spirits and determined to secure maximum points as we aim to continue our impressive run this season.”

Kano Pillars currently sit in eighth place on the league table with 28 points.