Sports
Crouch make epl history as stoke draw against Brighton
PETER CROUCH created another piece of Premier League history as he made his 143rd substitute’s appearance to help Stoke to a useful point.
The former England centre-forward has already scored more top-flight headers than any other player and now has another record for his collection.
Yet if Crouch will take a permanent reminder of his special moment back to the Potteries, referee Lee Mason will want to forget his night’s work as soon as possible.
What a pity they didn’t have a video assistant to help out the short-sighted official who missed Ryan Shawcross’ blatant first-half trip on Brighton striker Glenn Murray.
For while Mark Hughes’ team were well worth their point from an unexpectedly entertaining match, there can be no question that the Seagulls were robbed of the victory which would have taken them back to eighth place in the table.
All of the early running came from the visitors, who made their attacking intentions clear from the sixth minute when Mame Diouf’s shot was deflected over by Gaetan Bong.
Shawcross’ powerful back-post header required a sharp save from Matt Ryan before Davy Propper’s slip gave Xherdan Shaqiri another shooting opportunity which Lewis Dunk did well to charge down.
A second Shawcross header was more comfortably dealt with by Ryan as Stoke looked to capitalise on their early dominance.
Yet in their rush to get forward they left the back door wide open and should have paid the price when Propper’s 19th minute through ball gave Jose Izquierdo a clear run on goal.
But with team-mates screaming for a square pass, the Colombian winger went for glory and curled his shot wide of the far post.
Mark Halsey
RYAN SHAWCROSS’ foul on Glenn Murray was a clear penalty.
It’s one of the easiest calls a referee will ever get to make.
Ref Lee Mason was in a great position to spot it but switched off and got it horribly wrong. Then he’s looking at his assistant — I have no idea why!
It was a damn sight closer than Izquierdo’s next effort, which went for a throw-in to the amusement of the Stoke fans.
And those travelling supporters had even more to laugh about when their team seized a 27th minute with a goal of real quality.
Shaqiri’s beautiful pass over the top caught the back-pedalling Brighton defence appealing in vain for offside as Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting brought the ball out of the sky with an exquisite first touch before sliding his shot into the bottom corner.
It was the Cameroon striker’s first goal since his double against Manchester United in September and no more than Stoke deserved for their positive approach.
But they got away with murder when Murray was sent flying by Shawcross’ mistimed 39th minute challenge.
It was as clear a penalty as you will see all season yet ref Lee Mason and his assistant both failed to spot the blindingly obvious.
Even the mild-mannered Chris Hughton was left fuming by the decision to award a free-kick to Stoke as he delivered an earful to embarrassed fourth official Kevin Friend.
Spurred on by the burning sense of injustice, Brighton forced their way back into the game when Propper’s surging 44th minute run rook him past four Stoke defenders before his low cross was swept inside the near post by Pascal Gross.
But they could not maintain parity for more than a couple of minutes before Darren Fletcher’s corner in first-half stoppage time was nodded across goal by Choupo-Moting for Kurt Zouma to power home.
And Stoke should have extended their lead five minutes after the break when Ramadan Sobhi pounced on another sloppy pass by Propper but was thwarted by Ryan’s charge from his line.
Brighton, though, refused to chuck in the towel and levelled again on the hour.
Zouma’s failure to clear Dale Stephens’ cross allowed Murray to tee up Izquierdo with a cunningly disguised reverse pass.
And though the winger’s attempted pull-back was blocked by Kevin Wimmer, there was no stopping his follow-up effort as he lashed his shot inside the far post.
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.
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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.
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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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