Share

Red-hot Kane seals Spurs win

Paris - Harry Kane headed Tottenham into the Europa League last 32, the red-hot England striker's ninth goal in six matches earning Spurs a 1-0 win at Azerbaijani champions Qarabag on Thursday.

Kane's decisive second half goal assured the Group J leaders qualification into the knockout stages with a game to spare.

The North Londoners could probably have done without the 8,000 kilometre-round trip to the Azerbaijan capital just three days before the visit of Chelsea to White Hart Lane.

Despite the imminent arrival of the ailing Premier League champions Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino fielded a strong side at Qarabag's Azersun Arena in Baku.

He made three changes from the XI that brushed aside West Ham 4-1 last weekend, with Kieran Trippier, Ryan Mason and Ben Davies starting.

Mousa Dembele, Danny Rose and Kyle Walker were rested, while Erik Lamela, Nabil Bentaleb, Nacer Chadli and Alex Pritchard, were sidelined.

The first hour was unforgettable, the game finally bursting into life when forward Son Heung-min smashed a shot from the edge of the box with the ball hitting the crossbar.

Shortly after Qarabag's keeper Ibrahim Sehic edged Eric Dier's angled shot wide.

Qarabag's Spanish winger Dani Quintana then forced Spurs' keeper Hugo Lloris into action down at the other end.

Having sprung to life Tottenham looked the more likely to break the deadlock, and in the 78th minute they deservedly took the lead.

Christian Erikssen fired in their umpteenth corner from the left with in-form Kane flicking in Son's header.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2239 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE