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Injured Romelu Lukaku A Big Doubt Ahead Of Belgium’s Clash Against England

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6 years ago

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Belgium are concerned on the extent of an ankle ligament injury Romelu Lukaku sustained in their win over Tunisia this evening and are set to make major changes for their final group game against England.

Romelu Lukaku was praised for both his finishing and his co-ordination during Belgium’s win over Tunisia today as he scored a twice as they thrashed the African side 5-2 in an encounter sends them to the knock-out.

It has now surfaced that Belgium’s star forward could miss the team’s final group game against England, which will see the two teams battle for first place if England beat Panama on Sunday.

Lukaku was forced off in the 59th minute having scored twice in a 5-2 victory which has guaranteed Belgium’s place in the last 16. Roberto Martínez said Eden Hazard and Dries Mertens were also hurt, picking up calf and ankle injuries respectively.

Belgium’s manger said Lukaku had damaged an “external ankle ligament”. Martínez added: (“It was a knock that he had late in the first half and he tried to play through it and he couldn’t. He’s going to be assessed and then we’ll find out a bit more in 48 hours.”)
Romelu Lukaku’s goals made him tally with Cristiano Ronaldo as joint leading scorers with four goals.

Michy Batshuayi, who replace him when Eden Hazard left on 68 minutes, looked sharp and got himself on the scoresheet to take the tally to 5 after the brace from both Lukaku and Hazard. He would have scored more but was misfiring in front of goal with many missed chances.

The Belgium Coach will try to rotate his squad for Thursday’s game in Kaliningrad against England. When quizzed whether he would change the team against England he said: (“The answer is very clear. If we could have seven days to prepare the game and then have seven days for the next game I would say carry on with the same starting XI. The reality now is that we are qualified and in a tournament like the World Cup you are only as good as the 23 players in your squad).

Romelu Lukaku who has scored 23 goals out of 20 appearances will try to get fit enough to face England.

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EPL to adopt semi-automated offside technology next season

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3 days ago

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April 13, 2024 12:19 pm

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The English Premier League (EPL) says semi-automated offside technology will be used in matches from next season.

The league announced the decision in a statement on its website on Thursday.

The decision was made after a unanimous agreement by all the clubs at a Premier League Shareholders’ meeting.

The technology will be ready for use from the 2024/25 season after the autumn international breaks.

“The new system will be used for the first time in the Premier League next season, and it is anticipated the technology will be ready to be introduced after one of the autumn international breaks,” the statement reads.

“The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking, and will produce high-quality broadcast graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters.”

The first usage of the semi-automated offside technology in top-level football was at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The offside rule has been subjected to change in recent years, with the video assistant referee (VAR) technology also deployed to assist the on-field officials in checking for offside calls leading to a goal.

The EPL further updated its offside rule in the summer of 2023 to include that “a player who is clearly offside should not become onside on every occasion when an opponent moves and touches the ball.”

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Nigerian chess master, Tunde Onakoya sets to break Guinness World Record

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3 days ago

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April 13, 2024 12:17 pm

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Nigerian chess master, Tunde Onakoya has revealed plans to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.

Onakoya who made the plan known on his X account on Friday said that he is “doing this for the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education.”

He added that the attempt will hold on April 17th at the New York City’s Times Square and he is to play chess for 58 hours without a single defeat.

He wrote, “On the 17th of April 2024, I will attempt to break the Guiness World record for the longest Chess marathon in the heart of Times Square New York City for 58 hours without losing a game. Doing this for the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education.”

Onakoya disclosed that the attempt will start at 10am and would be available for all to stream on YouTube.

He appealed to Nigerians residing in New York, urging them to come forward and provide their enthusiastic support as he strives to establish a new world record.

Tunde Onakoya is renowned for his philanthropic efforts, notably utilizing chess as a tool to offer opportunities for young people residing in the marginalized areas, often referred to as ‘slums,’ within the country.

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NFF reappoints Manu Garba as Golden Eaglets head coach

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3 days ago

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April 13, 2024 8:09 am

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reappointed Manu Garba as the head coach of the Golden Eaglets.

The federation announced the appointment in a statement on Friday.

Garba held the same position in 2013 when he led the Golden Eaglets to win the FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

His world-conquering squad included Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Musa Mohammed, Chidiebere Nwakali and Dele Alampasu.

After a brief stint handling the men’s U-20 squad, Garba was reappointed to the Golden Eaglet role in 2018.

His second spell bore little success as his team crashed out in the Round of 16 of the 2019 U-17 World Cup in Brazil.

Garba’s latest stint with the team will commence with the preparation for next month’s WAFU B U-17 Championship, taking place in Ghana.

He will be hoping to put together a team that will surpass Nigeria’s performance at the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where the country crashed out in the quarter-final and failed to qualify for the age-grade World Cup.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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