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Sport

Euro 2020 qualifiers: Hazard brothers shine as Belgium thump Russia 4-1

Hazard

St Petersburg (Russia), Nov. 16, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Belgium secured top spot in Euro 2020 qualifying Group I and stretched their perfect record to nine wins after a sparkling 4-1 win in Russia on Saturday.

Two goals from Eden Hazard and one by his brother Thorgan inspired them to victory against home side Russia.

With one round of games remaining, Belgium have a maximum 27 points and second-placed Russia 21, both sides having booked their places at next year’s 24-nation tournament.

Although there was only pride to play for, the game got off to a pacy start and Thorgan Hazard fired the visitors ahead with a superb 19th-minute goal.

Eden Hazard made it 2-0 in the 33rd with another fine effort, volleying a low drive past Russia’s Brazilian-born goalkeeper Guilherme after striker Romelu Lukaku headed a lofted pass into his captain’s stride.

The livewire forward doubled his tally shortly before halftime from a brilliant move, with midfielder Kevin De Bruyne squaring the ball unselfishly for Hazard to stroke into an empty net from 12 metres.

Only poor finishing by Lukaku and two good saves by Guilherme denied the Belgians a bigger lead in the opening hour as Russia failed to create anything in front of a partisan home crowd.

Ruthless Belgium struck again in the 72nd minute as Lukaku made amends for his early miss, rifling a scorcher inside the near post from 16 metres with Guilherme clutching nothing but thin air.

Georgi Dzhikiya finally gave the subdued home fans something to cheer about when he swept home a close-range rebound in the 79th.

It was however scant consolation for a crushing defeat by last year’s World Cup semi-finalists. (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/JPE/SH

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Edited by Joseph Edeh/Sadiya Hamza

Sport

Hazard can leave Chelsea if he wants, says Sarri

Hazard

London, Jan. 30, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has said Eden Hazard is free to leave the club if he wants to but the Italian hopes the forward stays at Stamford Bridge.

Hazard has been linked with a move to Spanish side Real Madrid in recent months.

The Belgium international further fuelled the speculation when he said in October 2018 that it was his dream to play for the reigning European champions.

Chelsea are looking to renew his contract, which expires next season, and the west London side risk losing him for free in the close season in 2020 if he does not extend his current deal.

“Eden is 28. If he wants to go, I think he has to go,” Sarri told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League clash at Bournemouth.

“Of course, I hope the opposite, I hope he wants to stay here. He has the potential to be the best player in Europe at the moment.”

Hazard has 10 goals and 10 assists in the league this season, often playing up front in a ‘false nine’ role to lead the attack.

But Sarri might play him on the wing again after the arrival of Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain.

“It’s my job to improve him and put him in a position to do his best,” Sarri added. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Maharazu Ahmed

 

Sport

Belgium squad handed hero’s welcome on World Cup return

Welcome

Brussels, July 15, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) – Belgium’s soccer team received a hero’s welcome in Brussels on Sunday, after achieving their best-ever World Cup result in Russia.

Belgium beat Panama, Tunisia and England in the opening round, staged a dramatic comeback against Japan in the last-16 and fought past Brazil in the quarter-finals.

Their dreams of World Cup glory, however, were shattered by France in the semi-finals, but another win against England on Saturday sealed third place.

Belgium, who bettered their fourth-place finish in 1986, were greeted by tens of thousands of enthusiastic flag waving fans.

Some climbed street signs and traffic lights to catch a glimpse of the players who rode in on open-top buses along the streets of central Brussels.

The team then headed to the city’s picturesque Grand Place square.

After being treated to some fries, Belgium’s national delicacy, at Brussels town hall, the team moved to the balcony overlooking the sun-drenched renaissance square.

There, a crowd of thousands had been waiting since the early morning, clad in the country’s tricolour flags.

“When we were in Russia, we received many messages that you believed this team would make history.

“I hope we made you proud. We showed the world that we are Belgium,” Belgium manager Roberto Martinez told the crowd.

Some of Belgium’s key players will now have difficult decisions to make about where they play their club football next season.

Playmaker Eden Hazard, currently at Chelsea, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid and burnished his already lofty reputation with several strong performances in Russia.

After scoring the second goal in Belgium’s 2-0 win over England on Saturday, Hazard said he was considering leaving Chelsea.

In what could be another blow for the Stamford Bridge club, keeper Thibaut Courtois is also reported to be on Real’s radar.

“Wherever I go, Hazard has to come.

“We won’t let each other go no more. Oh well, we shall see. Holidays first, then I’ll think about it with my people,” Courtois told Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws.

Midfielder Nacer Chadli could also be set to leave West Bromwich Albion, who were relegated from the Premier League last season.

By scoring 16 goals in seven games, Belgium also forced an electronics retailer to refund the purchase price of flat screen televisions for thousands of customers.

The retailer had launched a promotion before the World Cup promising to pay out if Belgium scored more than 15 goals. (Reuters/NAN)

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Sport

Martinez plays down Hazard injury scare ahead of World Cup

Martinez plays down Hazard injury scare ahead of World Cup

 

Hazard

By KayodeAdebiyi

Moscow, June 12, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Coach Roberto Martinez says there is “nothing to worry about” regarding playmaker Eden Hazard’s fitness after the Belgium skipper limped out of their final World Cup warm-up match against Costa Rica.

Hazard was substituted with a dead leg in the 70th minute of Belgium’s 4-1 win in Brussels on Monday but Martinez expects the player to be fit for the start of their campaign in Russia.

“Eden is okay, he had a little trouble, but it’s nothing to worry about,” the manager told reporters. “I really enjoyed his performance. He was sharp and strong, he was majestic.

“At the end, he just came off because he had a little bit of a dead leg, a little bit of a knock on his leg,“he said.

Belgium is heading into the tournament on a 19-match unbeaten run and will face Panama in their Group G opener on Monday. Tunisia and England are the other teams in the pool. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Joseph Edeh/Maharazu Ahmed

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Sport

Chelsea hit 4 past West Brom

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Chelsea
Abuja, Nov. 18, 2017 (Reuters/NAN) Antonio Conte celebrated his 50th English Premier League game as manager by watching his Chelsea side hammer West Bromwich Albion 4-0 at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

The result made it four straight league defeats for the Baggies, in spite of starting well and having an early goal ruled out for offside.

But once Alvaro Morata drilled home the rebound from an Eden Hazard shot to give the Blues the lead in the 17th minute, they never looked back.

Morata turned provider six minutes later, his slick backheel putting Eden Hazard on to round Foster and make it 2-0.

An unmarked Marcos Alonso deftly volleyed home a Cesc Fabregas free kick to make it 3-0 before halftime.

Hazard drifted in from the left to hammer home his second in the 62nd minute to cap a dominant Chelsea performance.

The result heaped the pressure on West Brom manager Tony Pulis, who has not seen his side win since a 1-0 victory at Burnley in August.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)