08/09/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | SEPT 8, 2025

30

Ronaldo and Felix shine …as poignant Portugal cruise after thrashing Armenia 5-0

C RISTIANO RONALDO helped an emo tional Portugal enjoy a perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign yester day. Portugal, playing for the first time since the death of their Liverpool forward Diogo Jota along with his brother Andre Silva in a car accident, took an impressive first step to the finals next year sweeping aside Armenia 5-0 in Yerevan. Both teams observed one minute’s silence before kick-off at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican

take all three points until Adam Idah’s equaliser in the third minute of added time for the hosts. The Serbs sit second in the mini-league on seven points after edging Latvia 1-0 in Riga. Yesterday’s action concluded with Marcel Sabitzer’s 54th-minute penalty earning Austria a 1 0 home win over Cyprus, and Bosnia-Hercegovina routing San Marino 6-0 in Group H. In total, 16 European nations will qualify for the World Cup. The 12 group winners qualify directly, the four remaining berths are determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up for the expanded 48-team finals. – AFP

in memory of Jota’s goal celebration. Lazio leftback Nuno Tavares believed Ronaldo’s 21st-minute goal held special significance as 21 was the shirt number worn by Jota when playing for his country. “We’re all very happy because it shows he’s (Jota) with us, that he was there, and that moment, Ronaldo’s goal, was made possible. He’ll always be with us, as was clear today,” said the defender. Ronaldo said on social media it was the “first step taken” in his quest to appear at a sixth World Cup. Portugal’s next opponents on Wednesday (2.45am Malaysian time) are Hungary, who despite playing the last 30 minutes a man down secured a 2-2 draw in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland. Hungary were on their way to

Stadium in tribute to Jota and his brother who were killed in a crash in northern Spain on July 3, 11 days after Jota had married Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children. Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo was in sparkling form, Portugal’s irrepressible 40-year-old talisman scoring in either half, the second a sizzling shot from distance, to take his record international tally to 140 goals, over two decades after his first. A brace from Joao Felix, Ronaldo’s new teammate at Saudi side Al Nassr, and a contribution from another Saudi-based player Joao Cancelo lifted Roberto Martinez’s Nations League winners top of Group F. Cancelo marked his goal by pointing to the skies with both hands

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Draw Date: 07/09/25 (Sun)

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Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo scores their second goal against Armenia. – REUTERSPIC

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conceded to Barnabas Varga inside two minutes and then Roland Sallai 13 minutes later. Evan Ferguson’s first goal for club or country since March gave them hope and Sallai’s 52nd-minute dismissal for a crude challenge on Dara O’Shea boosted it further. But it was not until the third minute of stoppage time that 24-year-old Idah rose to power home Ryan Manning’s cross and raise the roof at the Aviva. He said: “It’s a bit of a strange one, mixed emotions. It’s obviously great to score for Ireland and to get such an important goal, but at the same time, I want to win the game regardless if I score or someone else. “We just want to win the game. It’s a bit of a strange one.” Idah said: “The first half was a poor first half. To go 2-0 down quite early on was tough. “We looked to come back in the second half and turn it around, and I think the most disappointing part is we had all the chances and couldn’t put it to bed. “I know we got the draw, but I think we’ve got a home game with the crowd behind you, they’re down to 10 – man, you’ve got to take advantage.” – The Independent Tolu Arokodare was the match winner in the 51st minute, when the second half substitute scrambled home a loose ball. Rwanda goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari pulled off several big saves to deny Nigeria a bigger victory. As expected, Nigeria applied the early pressure on Rwanda in a game they had to win to keep alive whatever hopes they have to qualify for next year’s World Cup. – AFP

ADAM IDAH is hoping he has persuaded Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson he has a major role to play in World Cup qualification after coming off the bench to avert an early disaster. Ireland were within minutes of launching their Group F campaign with a damaging 2-1 home defeat by 10-man Hungary yesterday when substitute Idah headed them level to snatch a point. Idah, who endured a difficult conclusion to his time at Celtic before making a summer move to Swansea, said: “I want to play as many games as I can. “If I can’t, that’s what I’ve got to do. I’ve got to come on and make a difference and prove to the manager why I should be playing the games. If he doesn’t start me, then I’ve got to keep coming on and trying to do that. “It’s a team game. We want to win as many games as possible. We want to go to the World Cup. However I can help, I’m happy to do so.” Ireland’s hopes of opening their account with victory over a side ranked 22 places above them by Fifa looked forlorn when they

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Nigeria keep World Cup hopes alive NIGERIA scraped past Rwanda 1-0 to stay in contention for qualification to the 2026 World Cup yesterday.

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It was the first home win by Nigeria in the qualifying series and it moved them up to third in Group C with 10 points from seven matches. The Super Eagles next play group leaders South Africa, who have 16 points from seven matches, on Tuesday. Premier League side Wolves’new signing

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