Ofili finished with an impressive 21.96 seconds to break Okagbare’s 22.04 seconds record that was set in 2018.

ne of Nigeria’s most talented and widely tipped to step into the shoes of Blessing Okagbare as the country’s next queen of the tracks, Favour Ofili is already living up to the challenge.

Ofili, on Friday, broke Okagbare’s 200m National record with a stunning performance at the just-concluded Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Florida.

She finished with an impressive 21.96 seconds to break Okagbare’s 22.04 seconds record that was set in 2018.

Okagbare is presently serving out a 10-year ban for doping-related issues with almost no chance of a return to the tracks and at just 19 years, Ofili has shown great promise and many see her as the next world-beater from Nigeria.

She represented Nigeria at the 2019 IAAF World Championships when she was only 16, and that made her the youngest athlete to compete at the World Championships that year.

She was also at the African Games in Morocco the same year where she won a silver medal in the 400 metres.

Though she made it to Tokyo Olympics, she was denied a chance to participate as she was one of the 10 athletes that were barred for not meeting the out-of-competition testing required.

Ofili, a Louisiana State University undergraduate also broke Dawn Sowell’s school record of 22.04 seconds.

She is just the second African woman to go under 22 seconds in the half-lap event and her winning time is also a world leader for 2022 (the fastest in the event so far this year).

The only African woman to run faster than Ofili is the 2020 Olympic silver medalist Christine Mboma of Namibia, who has a personal-best time of 21.78s.

Victory in Port Harcourt will see Rivers United extend their unbeaten run to 12 games, the highest in the NPFL this season

The NPFL matchday 23 fixtures will kick-off, as usual, this weekend with matches spilling into Monday just as on the last matchday.

Last week saw entertaining encounters in various centres despite a low goals count. Some teams could dominate their opponents while some sloppy performances continued to surface.

While the attention will be on the Garden City where Enyimba will hope to slow down table-toppers Rivers United, there are other interesting fixtures on this matchday.

Top four picks

Rivers vs Enyimba

Rivers United will seek to continue its unbeaten streak when they play Enyimba at Port Harcourt. They have gone 11 games unbeaten and will extend it to 12 if they don’t suffer a home loss to Enyimba.

The two sides have met 23 times in the last 12 seasons, with Enyimba having more wins from the encounters. The People’s Elephant have 10 victories compared to Rivers’ seven wins.

Enyimba have only won once at Port Harcourt in their last 12 seasons. That only victory was in 2015 when Enyimba defeated Rivers 2-1.

Rivers United also recorded its first away victory over Enyimba in the last 12 years this season on matchday three of the NPFL season.

The current form of Stanley Eguma’s men suggests they may claim a double over Enyimba this season, as they boast an 11-match unbeaten streak and a home record of 10 wins and a draw.

Enyimba have lost seven games on the road this season and their form over the last five games does not portray a team to hold out against a rampaging Rivers United.

Rivers need all three points to maintain their four-point gap at the top of the table while Enyimba need points to get into a position to nick a continental slot for next season.

Positions: Rivers United: 1st position, 49 points; Enyimba: 7th, 32 points

Players to watch

Rivers United: Rafiu Ishaq Kayode, Chijioke Akuneto, and Nyima Nwagua
Enyimba: Austin Oladapo, Victor Mbaoma, and Abiodun Adeleke

Plateau vs MFM

Fidelis Ilechukwu’s Plateau United will face off against his former side, MFM at the New Jos Stadium on Sunday needing all three points to stay in touch with NPFL leaders Rivers United.

The first time they met in the league this season, MFM defeated the Peace Boys one-nil at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

They have only met nine times in the last six years. During those meetings, Plateau United won four games while MFM recorded three victories.

Plateau United have lost no point at home this season with 11 victories from 11 matches, the highest any team has achieved.

The rejuvenated Olukoya Boys have picked a few points on the road in their last five games and will fancy their chances in Jos.

But Ilechukwu is seeking to close the gap on Rivers United and will surely set aside emotions as he fights all three points in Jos.

Positions: Plateau United; 2nd, 45 points; MFM: 18th, 23 points
Players to watch
Plateau United: Izuchukwu Chimezie, Sunday Anthony, and Jesse Akila
MFM: Badejo Oluwaseun, Micah Ojodomo, and Oladayo Alabi

Enugu Rangers vs Sunshine

Enugu Rangers have yet to play at their traditional home ground of Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium this season. They have spent some time at Nnewi before moving to Awka.

Just like Rangers, Sunshine Stars have also stayed away from the Akure township stadium to play at Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu Ode.Advertisements

The game on Saturday is an away for both sides. Both sides have played 23 times in the last 12 years, of which Rangers picked 10 victories while Sunshine Stars managed seven wins, while they shared the points on six occasions.

The current performances of both teams portend a cracker in Awka. In their last five games, both teams have won three and lost twice in the NPFL.

Positions: Rangers: 3rd, 37 points; Sunshine Stars, 6th, 32points
Players to watch
Rangers: Agu Kenechukwu, Martins Ossy, and Chidibere Nwobodo
Sunshine Stars: Leonard Ugochukwu, Ikenna Cooper, and Samson Olasupo

Shooting Stars vs Lobi Stars

Shooting Stars will seek to impress their over one thousand fans with a victory over relegation battlers, Lobi Stars at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba on Saturday.

Both teams have quite some similarities with yo-yo performances in their last five games.ⓘ

Both teams have played 13 times in which Shooting Stars won just five of the contest compared to Lobi Stars, who can boast of six victories with two draws.

Agoye and his boys will fight and hope for a victory to avoid another uprising from their fans.
Positions: Shooting Stars; 12th, 27 points; Lobi Stars; 17th, 23 points
Players to watch
Shooting Stars: Ezeh Chidera, Uko Aniete, and Ghali Falke
Lobi Stars: Godfrey Ayagwa and Endurance  Ebedebiri

Fixtures

Saturday – 4 pm
Dakkada v Heartland
Nasarawa United v Remo Stars
Gombe United v Akwa United
Wikki Tourists v Kwara United
Kano Pillars v Katsina United
Enugu Rangers v Sunshine Stars
Abia Warriors v Niger Tornadoes
Shooting Stars v Lobi Stars
Sunday – 4 pm
Plateau United v MFM
Monday – 4 pm
Rivers United v Enyimba

Former world number five Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has announced he will retire from tennis after this year’s French Open.

The 36-year-old has won 18 ATP singles titles and reached the 2008 Australian Open final, losing to Novak Djokovic.

The Frenchman said it “took me a long time to make this decision”.

“A few weeks ago I decided I was going to stop at Roland Garros this year,” Tsonga added in a video posted on social media.

“My body is telling me ‘you can’t go any further than what I give you’.”

Tsonga turned professional in 2004 and reached his only Grand Slam final four years later, losing in four sets to Djokovic in Melbourne as the Serb claimed the first of his 20 major titles.

The Frenchman made it to the semi-finals twice at both the French Open and Wimbledon and finished runner-up to Roger Federer at the ATP Finals in 2011.

Tsonga won Olympic silver in the men’s doubles alongside Michael Llodra at London 2012 and was part of France’s Davis Cup triumph in 2017.

He also clinched two Masters titles, in Paris in 2008 and Toronto in 2014, beating Federer in the final to win the latter.

However, he has struggled with injuries in recent years, which has seen him slip to 220th in the rankings.

Tsonga won just one match at tour level in 2021 and ended his season prematurely following a first-round loss to Mikael Ymer at Wimbledon.

“I decided that I had to stop at a moment that I chose, a moment when I was able to go on the court,” he said.

“I have always set myself high goals to try to get what I can. For me, this will be the opportunity to do it one last time.”

The French Open takes place between 22 May and 5 June.

Kim Clijsters has announced her retirement from tennis for the third time.

The Belgian, who first retired in 2007 to start a family, returned in 2009 and won three more Grand Slams before her second retirement in 2012.

She returned to Tennis in2019 but only played five matches as her return coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Clijsters won 41 WTA titles and spent 20 weeks as world number one in her two previous spells.

She won two doubles Grand Slam titles and the US Open in 2005 before having her first child, returning to the sport to win two more US open titles as well as the Australian Open in 2011.

The 38-year-old retired again in 2012 and had two more children before her return to the tour in 2019

Her last official match was in October last year, when she lost to Katerina Siniakova in the first round at Indian Wells.

Clijsters posted on social media to say retirement would enable her to focus more on family life.

Hundreds of Manchester United fans joined a protest march against the Glazer family’s ownership of the Old Trafford club on Saturday.

The march, which appeared to be completed peacefully, took place before United’s 3-2 home win against Norwich

Organisers also wanted fans to stay outside the ground for the first 17 minutes to protest at the 17 year ownership of the Glazers.

And at kick-off there were many empty seats in the ground.

“We respect the right of fans to voice their opinions peacefully and we will continue to listen to them, with the aim of working together to get the club back to where we all want it to be: competing for trophies,” a Manchester United spokesperson said.

Around two dozen fans gathered outside Carrington to protest against the Glazers on Friday.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick said fans had a “right to express their opinion”, and that he understood their “disappointment” with the club’s seventh-place position.

United had won only three of their past 12 matches in all competitions before playing Norwich – losing 1-0 at Everton last Saturday – and are guaranteed to fall short of last season’s final tally of 74 points.https:

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his second hat-trick in three Premier League games to boost Manchester United’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League at the expense of relegation-threatened Norwich at Old Trafford.

Knowing victory would take them within three points of the top four, Ronaldo appeared to have put United in control when he scored twice in the opening 32 minutes.

However, appalling defending from the hosts either side of the interval allowed Norwich to equalise through Kieran Dowell and Teemu Pukki and for a while Dean Smith’s side looked the more likely winners.

But after Ralf Rangnick had abandoned his bold tactic of playing without a recognised ball-winner in midfield and replaced Paul Pogba with Juan Mata, Ronaldo drove a free-kick home off the inside of a post 14 minutes from time to secure victory.

The 37-year-old is now on 15 Premier League goals for the season, trailing only Mohamed Salah and Son Hueng-min in the standings. He has also moved on to 99 career Premier League goals.

United can move level on points with fourth-placed Spurs if they win at Liverpool on Tuesday.

For Norwich the outcome was a major blow to their faint hopes of avoiding the drop. The Canaries are now seven points behind fourth-bottom Everton, having played two games more and with only six matches to do something about it

Ronaldo the hero again

It is a question without an answer, but it keeps being posed nevertheless: is Ronaldo the cause of United’s problems or the solution?

On this occasion, he was certainly the latter.

Not that he had to do much for his first goal. Ben Gibson was dispossessed in his own penalty area as Norwich tried to move the ball forward from a goal-kick, allowing Anthony Elanga to find Ronaldo who applied the first-time finish.

Ronaldo’s second was one of the towering headers he has produced so often down the years, climbing highest to reach Alex Telles’ corner and power past Tim Krul.

The winner was typical of the man. With the pressure on and all eyes trained on him, Ronaldo puffed his chest out after Elanga had been fouled on the edge of the area, ran up and belted his shot into the net off the inside of a post.

It was a quite sensational effort and brought a crowd simmering with discontent to their feet.

Norwich expose poor defending

The celebrations at the final whistle must have felt like a dagger to the heart for Norwich boss Smith.

They also masked some pretty shocking defending from the hosts, the type of stuff seen all too often down the years and which has left many of the club’s fans in such a state of fury – some even missed the start of the game as part of a pre-match protest.

Norwich’s opener was a case in point.

Pukki was on his own when he took possession on the right-hand side of the area, then picked out Dowell, who was also totally unmarked as he put the ball past David de Gea from six yards.

Pukki was then similarly alone seven minutes after the re-start as he pulled the visitors level.

Milton Rashica had a shot turned round the post at full stretch by De Gea and Sam Byram headed over at the far post. At that point, Smith must have thought a famous win was on the cards.

Ronaldo had other ideas. Norwich’s fight for survival continues. But the odds against them being successful are growing.

Player of the match

Cristiano Ronaldo

Liverpool survived a late scare to remain on course for an historic quadruple as they reached the FA Cup final with victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

If last Sunday’s Premier League meeting between the clubs was a classic, this semi-final was effectively decided in a one-sided first 45 minutes, in which a mixture of ruthless finishing and Manchester City mistakes saw Liverpool take a 3-0 lead.

A reshuffled City side were unable to recover as Liverpool, having won the Carabao Cup, are now in the FA Cup final too – as well as the last four of the Champions League, while sitting second in the Premier League.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who was unable to start Kevin de Bruyne and had Kyle Walker out injured, preferred Zack Steffen to Ederson in goal, a move that back-fired spectacularly.

Ibrahima Konate had already headed Liverpool in front after nine minutes when Steffen, trying to repeat the feats of Ederson in the league game between these two clubs, miscontrolled in his six-yard area, allowing Sadio Mane to pounce.

Mane beat Steffen with a crisp volley at the end of a superb Liverpool build-up to put Jurgen Klopp’s side in complete command at the break but Jack Grealish pulled one back early in the second half and keeper Alisson twice saved crucially from Gabriel Jesus as this semi-final sprang to life.

Bernardo Silva pulled another back for City at the start of a tense period of stoppage time but Liverpool survived to face either Chelsea or Crystal Palace, who meet at Wembley on Sunday, in the final on 14 May.

Liverpool on course for history

City 2-3 Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp ‘over the moon’ with ‘incredible’ Reds

Liverpool’s win keeps them in contention to make history – as no team in English football has won the league title, the two main domestic cup competitions and become champions of Europe in the same season.

This was a win built on the foundation of a first half in which their intensity and ruthlessness proved too much for City, whose revamped side looked off the pace and unable to cope with the power of Klopp’s side.

Konate’s power in the air saw him score his third header in his past three starts and Mane’s alertness was never going to allow Steffen to get away with his hesitation as he attempted to keep possession in the six-yard area.

Ederson had the calmness and expertise to escape almost on his goal-line as Diogo Jota bore down on him during last Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Etihad Stadium but Steffen showed no such expertise or composure, and paid a heavy price as he was caught.

Mane led the Liverpool charge while Thiago was imperious in midfield, his clever pass allowing Mane to volley past Steffen at his near post in the closing moments of the first half for what eventually proved to be the winner.

Klopp was elated with his team’s performance at the conclusion, although he will have concerns about how they allowed City back into the game through Grealish’s goal, conceded two clear chances to Jesus then had to survive the anxiety of four minutes of stoppage time after Silva struck.

In the final reckoning, however, Liverpool deserved to reach the final and will present a formidable barrier to either Chelsea or Crystal Palace once the winner of the second semi-final is decided.

Man City too late to the party

City 2-3 Liverpool: City performed with a lot of pride – Guardiola

This was not a good day for Manchester City.

It started with a section of their support chanting through the minute’s silence to commemorate the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, with City issuing a formal apology to Liverpool after the match had started.

In the football context, Guardiola and City were left to regret injuries, a team selection that did not work out and a horribly laboured first 45 minutes that left them with too much to do, despite the brief hope offered by Silva’s second goal.

City missed the invention of De Bruyne, only fit enough for the bench after suffering an injury in the stormy Champions Leaque quarter-final against Atletico Madrid, and the experience of defender Walker, who was ruled out completely.

And Guardiola’s loyalty to Steffen as his FA Cup keeper was not rewarded as the American made that crucial error that allowed Liverpool to build on their fast start.

Guardiola will be disappointed but this is a quality side who will now refocus and set sights on the Premier League, where they lead Liverpool by one point, and the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.

He will hope to have De Bruyne and Walker back fully fit soon because, despite this loss, there is still so much at stake for Guardiola and Manchester City as they remain in a position to achieve stellar things this season.

Player of the match

Sadio Mané