Sports
Sterling Spares City, Newcastle Off Mark
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was left scratching his head after Raheem Sterling was sent off moments after giving his side a last-gasp 2-1 victory at Bournemouth on Saturday.
Sterling celebrated his deflected 97th-minute winner by throwing himself into the jubilantly celebrating away end and was shown a second yellow card by referee Mike Dean.
“You can imagine how happy he is, how happy the fans are,” Guardiola said. “If you cannot celebrate with the fans, the best solution is not to invite the fans.”
Elsewhere, Newcastle United and Swansea City both picked up their first wins of the Premier League campaign with victories over West Ham United and Crystal Palace respectively.
Guardiola, who dropped Sergio Aguero, saw his side fall behind in the 13th minute at the Vitality Stadium courtesy of a sensational strike by Bournemouth left-back Charlie Daniels.
Dan Gosling’s left-wing cross was headed clear by Vincent Kompany and from a position just wide of the penalty area on the Bournemouth left, Daniels hammered a scorching half-volley in off the bar.
David Silva teed up Gabriel Jesus to equalise eight minutes later and after both sides had hit the post, Sterling struck the winner.
The five minutes of stoppage time indicated by the fourth official had already elapsed when Danilo crossed from the right and Sterling beat Asmir Begovic via a sizeable deflection off Andrew Surman.
Accompanied by his team-mates, Sterling tore off in celebration and threw himself into the arms of the City fans at the front of the away section, only to then be dismissed by Dean.
After the game, a Bournemouth steward complained to police that he had been struck by Aguero, who had come on as a substitute, during the celebrations.
But City were reportedly confident Aguero had no case to answer.
DE BOER IN DOLDRUMS
“Winning in the last minute is always special,” said Guardiola, who had seen Sterling score a late equaliser in Monday’s 1-1 draw at home to Everton.
“It was a tough game. It is always complicated against Bournemouth. They play long balls, balls into the channels and play set-pieces, but we got into the game.
“We tried, our finishing was not good, but we are there.”
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said he was “very proud” of his team.
“It was a difficult game,” he said. “There’s no denying how good they are. We dug in and defended really well and made it difficult for them.
“We slowed the game down and looked like we were going to get a great point.”
With Huddersfield Town dropping points in a 0-0 draw with Southampton and West Bromwich Albion in action on Sunday, Manchester United can go clear at the summit by beating Leicester City later on Saturday.
Rafael Benitez’s Newcastle got off the mark at the third attempt after goals from new signing Joselu, Ciaran Clark and Aleksandar Mitrovic secured a 3-0 home win over West Ham, who remain without a point.
Frank de Boer is still waiting for his first point — and goal — as Palace manager after a 2-0 loss at home to Swansea, who prevailed courtesy of goals from Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham and Jordan Ayew.
Watford’s Miguel Britos was sent off for an awful studs-up foul on Anthony Knockaert in a 0-0 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion at Vicarage Road.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
South Africa vs Nigeria: Why we failed to defeat Super Eagles – Percy Tau
Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
Kanu advocates for establishment of standard soccer academies
Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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