Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has acknowledged that ongoing injuries are “holding back” his team and impacting their performance. Before their improved display against Brentford last weekend, United managed only eight points from 21 in their first seven Premier League matches, marking the club’s worst start to a league season since 1989/90. After drawing their third consecutive Europa League match on Thursday night, Ten Hag will welcome back Bruno Fernandes, who returns from suspension, for the upcoming trip to West Ham United. Rasmus Hojlund, who has had his playing time carefully managed, is also expected to rejoin the lineup.…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes his team’s impressive defensive performances are a result of their ability to dominate most of the matches they play. Since taking charge at Anfield, Slot has enjoyed a record-breaking start, winning 11 of his first 12 games in all competitions. He also made history by becoming the first manager in the club’s history to win his first six away matches after Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League. The only blemish on Slot’s record is a surprising 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in September, but that match is notable as Callum Hudson-Odoi’s…
Mitre has unveiled its official ball for the upcoming Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup tournaments. The British football brand has introduced two striking designs tailored for both the men’s and women’s competitions, sure to catch the attention of fans on and off the pitch. The ball for the 2024/25 men’s FA Cup features a striking red and silver design, paying tribute to the fan culture that fuels some of the nation’s most celebrated tournaments. Inspired by the homemade tin foil trophies often spotted in the stands on matchdays, this design is further enhanced by bold chevrons that…
Roberto Mancini has been dismissed as head coach of the Saudi Arabian national team after just one year in charge. The 59-year-old Italian manager, who signed a four-year contract worth £77 million in August 2023, was brought in to lead the team following the 2022 World Cup, where Saudi Arabia made headlines by defeating Argentina in their opening match. However, despite his status as the highest-paid manager in world football, Mancini faced a challenging period with the squad. During his 14-month tenure, Mancini managed 18 games, achieving only seven victories alongside five draws and six losses. According to Italian sources,…
Wojciech Szczesny has expressed his satisfaction in playing second fiddle to Inaki Pena while Barcelona “works well.” The former Poland international retired from football at the age of 34 after Juventus informed him they would not be renewing his contract, leading to a mutual termination. However, following Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s season-ending injury against Villarreal in late September, Szczesny was quickly approached as a potential replacement and came out of retirement, signing a contract at the beginning of October. Despite expectations that he would take over the starting role in Ter Stegen’s absence, Szczesny has yet to see any playing time,…
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti remains unfazed by Jude Bellingham’s drop in goal-scoring this season, emphasizing that the English midfielder is still “doing very well.” Bellingham had a remarkable start at Madrid last year, scoring five times in his first four La Liga appearances despite not being known primarily as a goalscorer. By his 15th game, he had netted 14 times, breaking a club record shared by legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, and 1940s forward Pruden. However, Bellingham’s role has shifted this season, and while he’s yet to score for Madrid, he has found the net for England.…
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have climbed three spots in the latest men’s FIFA rankings, as announced on FIFA’s official website. Previously ranked 39th globally, the three-time African champions have now moved up to 36th place. Within Africa, they rose from sixth to fourth. The Super Eagles’ 1-0 victory over Libya’s Mediterranean Knights in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier was their only engagement in October. In Africa, only Morocco’s Atlas Lions, Senegal’s Teranga Lions, and Egypt’s Pharaohs are ranked higher. Globally, Argentina remains at the top, followed by France, Spain, England, and Brazil. The next FIFA World Ranking will be…
Stanley Nwabali has been nominated for the 2024 CAF Goalkeeper of the Year award, according to Torizone. Nwabali will compete against nine other top goalkeepers for the title. CAF announced the nominees on Thursday. The Chippa United goalkeeper had a standout performance for the Super Eagles at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and is currently one of the most highly rated goalkeepers in the South African League. The 2024 CAF Awards ceremony is set to take place in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 16.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled a 10-man shortlist for the 2024 Player of the Year award. CAF published the list on its social media channels on Thursday, featuring Nigerian stars Ademola Lookman and William Troost-Ekong among the nominees. Other nominees include Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, PSG), Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire, Brighton), and Ronwen Williams (South Africa, Orlando Pirates).
Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, and PSV Eindhoven are among the top teams at risk of elimination from the Champions League. Vincent Kompany’s side suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Barcelona on Wednesday night, marking Bayern’s second loss of the group stage following their 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in Match Day 2. Atletico Madrid currently sits in 27th place after a 3-1 home loss to Lille, with Jonathan David scoring twice as the Ligue 1 side continued to challenge Madrid teams this season. AC Milan is positioned 25th despite their 3-1 victory over Club Brugge on Tuesday, while…
Manchester United continued their winless streak in the UEFA Europa League today as they faced Fenerbahçe at the Sükrü Saracoglu Stadium. Despite taking the lead, the Red Devils ended up with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Fenerbahçe, with goals from Christian Eriksen and Youssef En-Nesyri. After yet another lackluster performance, the blame is squarely on Erik Ten Hag for failing to secure a victory in this crucial match. Manchester United has now played three Europa League matches this season without a single win, both at home and away. Their performances have been far from convincing, often struggling to assert themselves…
FIFA council member Amaju Pinnick has disclosed that the long-awaited CAF ruling on the disrupted 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Libya will be announced “today or tomorrow.” The Super Eagles players and officials were detained for hours at Al Abaq Airport upon arrival for the AFCON qualifying matchday four encounter. Following the incident, the team opted to boycott the game and returned to Nigeria. Pinnick shared that CAF’s executive committee discussed the matter extensively this week. “CAF is addressing this issue with utmost seriousness,” Pinnick stated in an interview with Arise Television. “CAF President…
Liverpool coach Arne Slot has achieved a remarkable feat that no manager in the club’s 132-year history has accomplished. When Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp at the beginning of the 2024/25 English Premier League season, few expected the Dutchman to hit the ground running. However, he has not only stepped into Klopp’s sizeable shoes but has also begun to carve out a legacy that even the charismatic German would be proud of. On Tuesday night, Liverpool secured a 1-0 victory over RB Leipzig thanks to a goal from Darwin Nunez, setting a new club record in the process. This…
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the 2024 CAF Awards will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 16, 2024. This marks the third consecutive year that the prestigious ceremony will take place in the North African country. While CAF has not yet released the final list of nominees for the Men’s Best Player award, players such as Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and Morocco’s Brahim Díaz are anticipated to compete for the title. The current African Footballer of the Year is Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, while his compatriot Asisat Oshoala holds the women’s award.
Former France international Thierry Henry believes Kylian Mbappe is underperforming at Real Madrid. Despite Mbappe scoring eight goals and providing two assists in 13 competitive matches for his new club, Henry argues that simply finding the net isn’t enough at a club like Madrid. “Is he playing at his best level, as we’ve seen at PSG? No. He still has more to learn. He needs to improve as a ‘nine,’ which is challenging for him at the moment,” Henry told CBS Sports. “He scores goals, but sometimes that’s not enough at clubs like Real Madrid. Playing devil’s advocate, we often…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described England international John Stones as being like “his son.” Stones was among the first players Guardiola signed when he took over at Manchester City in 2016, joining from Everton. Since then, he has consistently improved and delivered strong performances over the years. Guardiola noted that he understands Stones very well and has developed a close relationship with him. “John looks like he could be my son. I know his body language and everything about him. He’s one of the most dedicated professionals,” Guardiola said (via Mirror). He added, “The only reason he wasn’t…
Former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has emerged as a potential candidate for Manchester United if the club decides to part ways with Erik ten Hag. United have had a poor start to the Premier League season, currently sitting 12th after eight matches, with just three wins. This disappointing form has increased pressure on Ten Hag to reverse the team’s fortunes. According to Mail Sport, intermediaries from Manchester United have made contact with Xavi twice in recent months. A four-man delegation, led by chief executive Omar Berrada, traveled to Barcelona last Thursday. Although United sources claim these high-level meetings were due…
Liverpool manager Arne Slot attributed Federico Chiesa’s limited playing time to a lack of summer preparations and the high “intensity” of the Premier League. The Italy international was signed from Juventus for an initial fee of £10 million at the end of August, well after Liverpool’s pre-season had concluded. Since his arrival, Chiesa has made only one start, which came in a 5-1 Carabao Cup victory over West Ham United, and he has been fit enough to sit on the bench for just two Premier League matches. Slot confirmed that Chiesa will miss Liverpool’s Champions League match against RB Leipzig…
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated that he is unsure why Kai Havertz did not take the penalty against Shakhtar Donetsk during their Champions League match on Tuesday. The Gunners were already leading 1-0, thanks to an own goal by goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk, when a VAR review awarded them a penalty for handball. However, Leandro Trossard stepped up to take the spot-kick but had his effort saved by Riznyk. After the match, Arteta was asked whether Havertz had expressed a desire to take the penalty. He replied, “I don’t know—I’m not aware of the conversation, but he’s one of the designated…
Mikel Arteta has asserted that Arsenal will be at their best when they take on Liverpool in a crucial Premier League clash this Sunday. The Gunners enter the match following two disappointing performances in both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. Last Saturday, they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium after William Saliba was sent off in the first half. Similarly, Arsenal struggled against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, managing to secure a win only through an own goal by Dmytro Riznyk. Acknowledging the recent dip in form, Arteta mentioned that…