Dominic Solanke’s brace helped Tottenham Hotspur edge a rip-roaring League Cup quarter-final game with Manchester United by a 4-3 win.

The win ensures that Tottenham are still in hunt of a first trophy since 2008.

Spurs were in cruise control when Solanke rifled home his second in the 54th minute to add to his first-half opener and Dejan Kulusevski’s effort 46 seconds into the second half.

Tottenham’s back-up goalkeeper Fraser Forster pressed the self-destruct button, though, as his two errors set up a nervy finale.

First Manchester United substitute Joshua Zirkzee tapped in after Forster’s pass out from the back had been intercepted before Amad Diallo blocked his clearance to make it 3-2 with 20 minutes left.

Ange Postecoglou’s men were teetering on the brink of collapse at this point, but captain Son Heung Min scored directly from a corner with two minutes left despite protestations from keeper Altay Bayindir.

It ensured Jonny Evans’ stoppage-time header was a mere consolation as Spurs march on towards the semi-finals.

The loss left Ruben Amorim to pick the bones out of the third defeat of his short tenure. (dpa/NAN)

Nasarawa United Football Club of Lafia on Saturday defeated Lobi Stars of Makurdi 1-0 in a pulsating North Central derby.

The matchday 16 fixture of the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premiere Football League (NPFL) was played at the Lafia Township Stadium, Nasarawa State capital.

The Makurdi side had adopted the Lafia Township Stadium as their home ground for the 2024/2025 NPFL season.

The only goal of the match was scored by Qamar Adegoke in the 12th minute of  the match to give all three points to the Lafia side.

Adegoke’s goal, who joined the Lafia team recently, was his second in four matches.

The Nasarawa attacker capitalised on a defensive error by the opponent’s backline and hit the back of the net to give Nasarawa United the advantage.

In a post-match interview, Kabir Dogo, Technical Adviser of Nasarawa United, hailed his players for taking all three points.

He explained that his team had improved by scoring five goals in their last three matches and expressed optimism that they would do better in subsequent games.

“We had a problem in the area of goal scoring in the past, but this has changed in our last three games,” he said.

With the win, Nasarawa United climbed to 14th on the NPFL table, while Lobi Stars remain on 17th position. (NAN)

The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) is organising a two-day National Coaching Seminar, with the theme: “Leadership and Management Skills”.

The event will take place from Dec. 17 to Dec. 18, at the Additional Sports and Entertainment (ASEP) Pro Limited, in Mowe, Ogun State.

The seminar will enhance the capabilities of Nigerian table tennis coaches, with a particular emphasis on female coaches, aligning with the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) Initiative.

A statement issued by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, on Tuesday, said that the seminar was part of the one-week sports and leadership boot camp titled “Awaken the Giant, She Can 4.

“This seminar will also represent the third stage of the 2024 “My Gender, My Strength” programme, which has table tennis star Abosede Akinsete, as a beneficiary.

“NTTF President,Tikon Ishaku, Vice President, Adesoji Tayo, and other board members are dedicated to initiatives that support the development of coaches.

“Wahid Enitan-Oshodi, ITTF Executive Vice President, and President of ITTF-Africa, reaffirms his commitment to empowering women in sports, in line with the GEDI Initiative.

He explained that the seminar would feature people, who would speak on leadership and management skills, to enhance the abilities of coaches to identify and develop talents, as well as encourage the development of high-performance table tennis players capable of competing globally. (NAN)