SPORTS
Wolves Goalkeeper Awake, Talking After Head Injury in Defeat to Liverpool
Rui Patricio was awake and talking after being knocked out in Wolves’ 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, club manager Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed.
The goalkeeper needed 14 minutes of treatment on the pitch following an accidental collision with team-mate Conor Coady late on.
He was carried off on a stretcher in worrying scenes which brought back distressing memories for Wolves.
Striker Raul Jimenez suffered a fractured skull in a clash of heads with David Luiz at Arsenal in November and is yet to return.
Diogo Jota scored a first-half winner on his return to Molineux, but Nuno was able to reveal the positive news on Patricio.
He said: “He is OK, he is awake, he is conscious. He’s speaking and remembers what happened. He is in good hands, and he is being assessed by the doctors.
“You have to take the right precautions, but he is OK. It was a collision with the knee of Coady, a big knock to his head but he is OK.
“We have to wait (before knowing whether he will miss games) and the following hours are important. He is going to be with the doctors and we have to wait for what’s happening.
“These situations can happen, even in a normal situation of the game.
“We played a good game, we competed well. We should do better with the final touch and final passes, but there was a good attitude and we fought until the end. They competed and gave everything they had.”
Wolves were undone by former striker Jota who scored his first goal since November following a knee injury.
He settled the match in first-half stoppage time when he finished a fine move from 16 yards [14 metres] after Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane combined.
Liverpool had lost six of their previous seven top-flight outings, but victory at mid-table Wolves lifted them to sixth in the Premier League.
However, they are still five points behind Chelsea as they chase a top-four spot.
Coady headed Wolves’ best chance over the bar and Salah had a goal disallowed for offside with four minutes remaining before Coady caught Patricio with his knee as the pair tried to stop the striker.
The goalkeeper needed oxygen and lengthy treatment before being replaced by concussion substitute John Ruddy.
“It was an awful situation. In these moments, everything loses importance immediately,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
On his team, he added: “Diogo has had an impact since he has been back and it makes it more special he was able to score. It was a perfect moment to score, a second before the half-time whistle.
“The rest of the game was a lot of defending but I’m completely fine with that. It’s what I wanted to see, that we understand the situation. It’s not about being Liverpool on a gala night.
“I’m really happy about the performance. I couldn’t be more happier with the dirty three points.
“We had very good moments where we should have done better. Defensively the whole game was really good, but I didn’t like the start, we weren’t active enough.”(dpa/NAN)
SPORTS
NPFL: Nasarawa Utd pip Lobi Stars 1-0 in North Central Derby
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)
SPORTS
NTTF Hosts National Coaching Seminar
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.
0,” proudly supported by NTTF.“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)
SPORTS
Rivers United Return to NPFL Top Spot after Remo Stars’ Defeat by Katsina United
Rivers United Football Club of Port Harcourt on Sunday returned to the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) summit as strong rivals Remo Stars FC faltered on Match Day 13.
Report says that Rivers United beat visiting Abia Warriors of Umuahia 1-0 after an Ndifreke Effiong 58th minute goal from the penalty kick spot.
Effiong’s goal in the match at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium helped them to move to 25 points from 13 matches, after seven wins, four draws and two losses.
Former leaders Remo Stars dropped to second with 23 points from 13 matches after seven wins, two draws and four losses, following a 0-2 loss to hosts Katsina United.
Plateau United of Jos beat visiting Nasarawa United of Lafia 2-0 to bolster their position.
Shooting Stars Sports Club also struggled to a 1-0 win over visiting Bayelsa United of Yenago.
A 15th minute goal by Anthony Okachi at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan gave them the win.
El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri had on Saturday beaten Akwa United of Uyo 1-0 to move into third place on the table with 22 points from 13 games.
Enyimba International of Aba remained in fourth place with 20 points from 12 matches, with their week 13 game against Sunshine Stars of Akure on hold.
Rangers International of Enugu are in fifth place with 20 points also, after a goalless draw with hosts Heartland FC ain Owerri on Saturday.
Bendel Insurance of Benin had also beaten Kwara United of Ilorin 3-1, while Lobi Stars of Makurdi drew 2-2 with visiting Kano Pillars in Lafia.
NAN reports that the league will enter Match Day 14 on Wednesday.(NAN)