In a week that featured the Champions League, the kick-off of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and the Madrid Open, sports fans across the world experienced the intriguing, shocking, and even heartbreaking.
The past seven days also saw the setting of new records by teams and individuals. First 11, the recap of major stories in sports, will review some of the biggest headlines in sports for the week!
Flying Eagles Soar To Victory
This week’s edition begins on a cheerful note for the teeming millions of fans in Nigeria as the Flying Eagles started their U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign with a slim win over Tunisia on Thursday night. Auwal Ibrahim struck in the first half of the Group B game, marked by physical battles, drama, and near misses. The win gives Nigeria three points in the group that includes Kenya and Morocco.
Nigeria’s next match will be on Sunday against Morocco.
UCL: Inter and Barca Produce Masterclass, Arsenal Stumble At Home
Meanwhile, it was all fireworks when the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League games were played midweek. On the first night, Arsenal were stunned 0-1 by visitors Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), leaving the Gunners with all to fight for in the return leg in France next week.
The following day, Barcelona and Inter Milan produced one of the classic matches that would be talked about for years. The Italian side raced to a 2-0 lead in just under 21 minutes during the encounter. But Barcelona leveled things up. Denzel Dumfries gave Inter the edge in the 63rd minute, but the Spanish team rallied to equalise two minutes later to end the tie 3-3.
Barcelona play on Tuesday, while Arsenal will do battle on Wednesday.
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Man United’s Glimmer Of Hope
In the meantime, Manchester United took a massive step to qualifying for the final of the Europa League after trouncing Athletic Club 0-3 away from home. The English side, who are languishing in 14th in the league table, have had a horrid time on the home front, but a Europa League crown offers them hopes of salvaging that. They will qualify for the Champions League if they win the competition. In the other game, Tottenham cruised to a 3-1 victory over Bodo/Glimt, increasing the likelihood of an all-English final in Europe’s second-tier football tournament.
Liverpool Crowned English Champions
Tottenham’s victory came a few days after Liverpool thrashed them to win a record-equalling 20th Premier League crown. The Reds smashed the North London side 5-1 in front of a jubilant home crowd on Sunday to hand Arne Slot the league title in his first season with the Merseyside outfit.
Remo Stars Dazzle To NPFL Crown
On the home front, it was all smiles for Remo Stars after the Ogun-based side won a historic Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) crown. The club sealed their first domestic title after a 1-0 win over Niger Tornadoes in Ikenne, Ogun State on Sunday evening. The Sky Blue Stars, with that feat, became the first club from the South-West region of the country to win the domestic league, 25 years after defunct Julius Berger achieved that milestone.
Following Remo Stars’ title win, Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen gifted the team N10m. The money will be shared among players and the coaching crew. The NPFL victory opened a floodgate of congratulatory messages from across the country, including from President Bola Tinubu. In a statement by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said Remo Stars wrote their names in the history books.
London Marathon Record Sign Up
Moving away from football, organisers of the London Marathon said over 1.1 million people have signed up for next year’s event, after a record-breaking edition of the race took place last weekend.
The number of applications for the 2026 race’s ballot shattered last year’s world record of 840,300 entries for the 2025 London Marathon. Applications for the 2026 race are nearly double the total for the 2024 London Marathon, organisers said after the ballot closed on Friday.
Russell Set Hurdles Record
Still on the tracks, Olympic champion Masai Russell scorched to victory with the second fastest 100m hurdles time in history at the Grand Slam Track meeting in Miami on Saturday, clocking a world-leading 12.17sec.
The 24-year-old American star finished just ahead of compatriot Tia Jones, who was second, 12.19 sec — the third fastest time in history. Russell and Jones, who benefited from a strong following wind which was just on the legal threshold of +2.0 m/s, only narrowly missed out on Tobi Amusan’s world record of 12.12 sec set at the World Championships in Eugene in 2022.
F1 Extends Deal
Moving on from athletics, Formula One has agreed a 10-year extension with Miami Grand Prix organizers, ensuring the race will continue until 2041.
South Florida Motorsports, a subsidiary of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, are hosting their fourth grand prix this weekend at the track that surrounds the team’s Hard Rock Stadium. The current deal was due to expire in 2031, but Formula One president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali said they were keen to lock down the event for the long term.
Draper, Ruud Clash in Madrid Open Final
In tennis, Britain’s Jack Draper ousted Italian Lorenzo Musetti to set up a Madrid Open title showdown with Norwegian Casper Ruud, who overcame a rib issue to book his final ticket. Ruud squeezed into the 25th tour-level final of his career with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Argentine Francisco Cerundolo after a medical timeout because of chest and back discomfort. Ruud was followed into the final by Draper, who battled to a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Monte Carlo runner-up Musetti. The final will be played on Sunday.
England Bans Transgender Women
Back to football, where the English FA has said transgender women will no longer play in women’s football from June 1. England’s Football Association said this following a major shift in its stance. The FA said it had updated its policy following last month’s UK Supreme Court ruling regarding the Equality Act. The Scottish Football Association also said it would implement a similar ban from the start of its 2025/26 season. These new rule changes will apply to all women’s football at amateur and professional levels in both countries.
Finally, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed the relegation of a Kenyan club, Muhoroni Youth, after the world governing body FIFA found the second-tier team guilty of match manipulation. It is the latest scandal to hit the sport in the East African country, long plagued by match-fixing.
In a decision published on Friday, FIFA found Muhoroni Youth “guilty of activities related to the manipulation of football matches and competitions”.
That’s all for this week’s edition of First 11! Remember to visit Channels Television’s sports page for the latest in football, basketball, and other games!
