BEB Weekend Sports: News!

Balotelli scores third goal in four games in Marseille win


Mario Balotelli scored for the third time in four games for Marseille to help them to a Ligue 1 win over Amiens.

Ex-Manchester City and Liverpool striker Balotelli, 28, joined Marseille on a free transfer after being released from his Nice contract in January.

Florian Thauvin scored Marseille's opener after 19 minutes following good work from Maxime Lopez.
Balotelli added a second six minutes later with a fine turn and shot from Lucas Ocampos' pass.

The Italian, who did not score in 10 games at Nice in 2018-19 before joining Rudi Garcia's Marseille side, had the ball in the net again in the 70th minute but the goal was ruled out after a video assistant referee decision showed he was offside.

Jordan Amavi nearly added a third goal for Marseille but his strike hit the crossbar.

The victory took Marseille from sixth to fourth, although they could drop back down the table later on Saturday with fifth-placed Saint Etienne facing leaders Paris St-Germain and Montpellier in sixth facing a Lille side who are second.

CAF to introduce VAR at 2019 AFCON


The Confederation of African Football, CAF yesterday in Niamey, Niger Republic officially approved the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament set to take place in Egypt from June 19 to July 21, 2019.

This will be the first time in the history of the AFCON that VAR will be used.

The Video Assistant Referee became famous during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

VAR was also used during the finals of the 2018 Total CAF Champions League between Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia.
It was also applied at the 2018 Total CAF Confederation Cup.

Joshua announced long-awaited US debut against Miller


Anthony Joshua will fight in the US for the first time when he defends his IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles against Jarrell Miller on 1 June.

Joshua, 29, will take on Miller at Madison Square Garden in the undefeated American's home city of New York.

Miller, with 23 wins and a draw, has never fought for a world title.
The 30-year-old will almost certainly be the heaviest opponent Joshua has faced as a professional having weighed 22st 7lbs in his last contest.

That is almost five stone heavier than what Joshua weighed in at ahead of his victory over Alexander Povetkin in September.

Miller - nicknamed 'Big Baby' - won 20 of his fights by knockout but Joshua represents a huge step-up in class.
Joshua said: "I am heading to the Big Apple and I plan to embrace the culture and leave with an appetite for more. 
"It has been an honour and a blessing to fight at some of the best venues in the world and at home in the UK, not least Wembley Stadium, but the time has come to head across the Atlantic and defend my heavyweight titles in the USA. 
"I am looking forward to taking on another challenge with a good boxer and a brilliant talker. It will be an exciting fight. I will leave nothing to chance and plan on dismantling Miller in style to make my mark."

Ethiopian Tefera breaks world indoor 1500m record


Ethiopia’s Samuel Tefera upstaged compatriot Yomif Kejelcha to break the long-standing world indoor 1500m record at the IAAF World Indoor Tour meeting in Birmingham, UK on Saturday.

Kejelcha, who last week came within 0.01 of the world indoor mile record, had announced his intentions to break the 1500m mark ahead of his race in Birmingham.

According to a report by the IAAF website, the pacemakers hit their required target times, taking Kejelcha through 800m in 1:52.70 and 2:49.28 at 1200m.

But Tefera, the world indoor champion at the distance, was tucked right behind Kejelcha and looked ominously comfortable with the pace.

The clock ticked through 3:03 as the bell sounded for the final lap and Tefera made his move, kicking past Kejelcha to take the lead.

Tefera charged towards the line and stopped the clock at 3:31.04, taking 0.14 off the previous record set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1997.

This will now await the usual ratification procedures by the IAAF.

from Bola Esho's Blog

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