It was a crazy week in sports. From the unthinkable to the bizarre, the past seven days did not lack any action on and off the sporting arenas. 

Arsenal’s masterclass against Real Madrid, the clash between Andre Onana and Nemanja Matic, and Nigeria’s quest to host the Commonwealth Games all featured in a thrilling week of sporting activities. 

First 11 – the recap of the juiciest sports headlines for the week – captures these stories and others.

A Real Madrid Comeback? 

Before the first kick, it was unthinkable. Perennial European champions were up against an Arsenal team that have never won the Champions League. The script, for many, was already written – Real Madrid will defeat the Gunners. It was only a matter of how many goals the Galaticos would score in North London. But after 75 minutes, the score board read differently: Arsenal 3- Real Madrid 0!

It only took Declan Rice’s free-kick masterclass and a cool finish from Mikel Merino to send the Emirates crowd into raptures in a night that would go down in the Gunners’ folklore. Arsenal doing the unthinkable by defeating the reigning European champions gives them one leg into the semi-final of the competition. 

Despite the deficit, Real Madrid believe a miracle will happen in the return fixture at the Santiago Benabeu, referencing past comebacks. That reverse game on Wednesday will define many things about an Arsenal side yearning for their first Champions League crown. The big question is: can Real Madrid pull off a remontada – comeback? 

Europa League: Man United Held

Moving to the Europa League, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs endured a torrid night on Thursday, with the English sides drawing their games. Coach Reuben Amorim’s Man United were pegged 2-2 by the French side Lyon on the same night Spurs fought back to a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt in a quarter-final clash. 

Other matches saw Rangers of Scotland draw with Athletic Bilbao, with Bodo/Glimt storming to a 2-0 win over Italian outfit Lazio. The return leg of these quarter-final fixtures will be played next week.

Chelsea also took a massive step towards the Conference League semi-final after a comfortable 3-0 win over Legia Warsaw.

Nigeria’s Commonwealth Games Bid

In the meantime, Nigeria plans to host the Commonwealth Games. The Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) said it has met the March 28, 2025 deadline for expression of interest to bid for the Games. Nigeria can only commence a formal bid with the backing of the country’s government. Nigeria lost a bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games to Glasgow. The country last hosted a major multi-sport event — the African Games — in 2003 in Abuja.

Christian Chukwu Takes A Bow

The confirmation of this bidding interest came in the same week that the Super Eagles lost one of its legends, Christian Chukwu.

A true legend has taken his final bow. a symbol of excellence, leadership, and unwavering passion for the game.

Your legacy will live forever in the hearts of Rangers International FC of Enugu and Nigerian football.
Rest in Power, Chairman.#NeverSayDie pic.twitter.com/QX9q6RPtfc

— Rangers International FC (@Rangers_Intl) April 12, 2025

The former Enugu Rangers strongman died in the early hours of Saturday at the age of 74, throwing the country’s football family into mourning. Chukwu, who was known as Chairman, captained Nigeria to their first AFCON crown in 1980 and also coached the team to a bronze medal finish in the 2004 edition of that same tournament. Tributes have continued to pour for the late legend since the announcement of his death who will be sorely missed. 

Nigeria, Ghana Rekindle Rivalry in Unity Cup 

As the country mourns one of its football icons, the upcoming Unity Cup in the UK presents a perfect opportunity to honour Chukwu’s legacy.

The Super Eagles are set to rekindle their highly anticipated tie against Ghana when the invitational competition is held in May. Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago are the two other sides to feature in the tournament scheduled to take place between May 27th and 30th, 2025. The Unity Cup was last held in 2004. 

Niger Delta Sports Festival

Still on the homefront, the Niger Delta Sports Festival concluded with Bayelsa emerging winners of the maiden competition held in Akwa Ibom. 

Bayelsa clinched 86 medals comprising 42 gold, 29 silver, and 15 bronze to beat eight other states. The state went home with N50m as a prize for winning the competition. Delta State came second in the inaugural Niger Delta Sports Festival.

3SC Fined, Fans Banned

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has frowned at the conduct of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), slamming them with a N5m fine for an incident after their league tie with Ikorodu City.

Ikorodu City’s bus was damaged in the ensuing fiasco, prompting the NPFL hammer to land on the Ibadan-based outfit. Their fans were also banned from attending 3SC’s games indefinitely.

South African Sides Dominate CAF Champions League

On the continental scene, club competitions intensified both in the CAF Champions and Confederation Cup. After the quarter-final games, the semi-finals will see Mamelodi Sundowns face Ah Ahly while MC Algers take on Orlando Pirates. The first and second legs of the ties will be between April 18-19th and 25-26th, respectively. 

In the second-tier club competition, the Confederation Cup, the semi-finals will be played as follows: RS Berkane vs CS Constantine and Simba vs Stellenbosch. The first leg is on April 20, while the reverse fixture takes place on April 27th. 

Monte Carlo Masters Enters Next Gear

In the courts, Davidovich Fokina cruised into the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters with a dominant victory over Alexei Popyrin. World number 42 Davidovich Fokina, who was runner-up at the tournament in 2022 to Stefanos Tsitsipas, swatted aside Australia’s Popyrin 6-3, 6-2 in the last eight.

Italian Lorenzo Musetti beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Friday to knock out the holder and reach the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters. Musetti, 23, fought back after losing the first set against the three-time tournament winner to tee up a last-four tie with Australian Alex de Minaur.

Carlos Alcaraz battled back from a set down to beat French rising star Arthur Fils in a gripping Monte Carlo Masters quarter-final on Friday. The four-time Grand Slam champion, targeting his first Masters title since winning in Indian Wells last year, saved three breakpoints in the 11th game of the second set en route to a dramatic 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory. He will face unseeded fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Saturday for a place in the final.

Salah Extends Contract

Going back to the English Premier League, there is good news for Liverpool fans as Mohamed Salah ended months of speculation over his future by signing a new two-year contract with league leaders. Salah could have left the club for free at the end of the season had he not extended his stay at Anfield. The 32-year-old has scored 243 goals in 394 appearances for the Reds since joining from Roma in 2017, making him the club’s third-highest goalscorer of all time.

Southamptom Relegated

Lastly, Southampton became the first team to be relegated in the Premier League this season, with about seven matches to go after a shambolic season. 

And that wraps it up on this week’s edition of First 11! Enjoy the games!