Sports
Man Utd beat Leicester 2-0 to go top
Manchester United’s Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku (R) jumps to win a header during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford in Manchester
Substitutes Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini struck to maintain Manchester United’s 100 percent start to the Premier League season in a 2-0 win over Leicester City on Saturday.
Rashford, dropped to the bench to make way for Anthony Martial, turned in Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s corner in the 70th minute, less than three minutes after coming on.
Fellaini added a late second from Jesse Lingard’s cross-shot to send Jose Mourinho’s side back to the top of the table after Huddersfield Town briefly overtook them by drawing with Southampton earlier in the day.
But it looked as if they would be denied when Kasper Schmeichel made a superb penalty save from Romelu Lukaku early in the second half.
The Leicester goalkeeper, son of former United great Peter Schmeichel, dived to his right to push away Lukaku’s kick.
The home side began full of confidence, threatening in the opening minute as Leicester captain Wes Morgan blocked a shot from Mkhitaryan after good build-up play down the United right.
Craig Shakespeare’s side had to work hard to withstand that early pressure, with Morgan at full stretch in central defence alongside new England squad member Harry Maguire.
United, though, continued to press, with Juan Mata unlucky to have a goal ruled out for a marginal offside in the 18th minute.
Paul Pogba’s cross was cleared unconvincingly by Maguire and Lukaku turned on the edge of the area to hit a shot that Mata followed up to sweep in after Schmeichel had parried.
Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis raised his flag, but Mata looked to have been level with the Leicester back line as Lukaku let fly.
Fired by that perceived injustice, United went close twice in quick succession.
– Mahrez menaces –
First Pogba half-volleyed Martial’s outswinging cross just wide at the far post and then Schmeichel dived athletically to his right to paw away a bending Mata shot.
Shinji Okazaki had a half-chance for Leicester at the other end, with David de Gea gathering his low shot from Jamie Vardy’s knock-down.
But United continued to look the more dangerous side, with Pogba hitting a fierce 30-yard shot that flew just wide.
Schmeichel was alert to gather Martial’s snapshot from 20 yards, before beating away a Pogba effort and then watching another drive from the France midfielder whizz by his right-hand post.
Having been well protected by his defenders in the first half, Schmeichel was inspired to keep the game goalless when United were awarded a penalty in the seventh minute of the second half.
Leicester’s former United right-back Danny Simpson was adjudged to have handled Martial’s driven cross from the left, but Schmeichel flung himself to his right to push away Lukaku’s spot-kick.
That gave the visitors the confidence to be a little more adventurous, with winger Riyad Mahrez cutting in from the right and driving a ball to the near post that De Gea kicked away.
Mahrez, repeatedly linked with a move away from Leicester, began to carry more of a threat, scuffing one shot wide and then breaking onto a pass by substitute Demarai Gray to deliver a dangerous cross.
But 20 minutes from the end, Rashford diverted in Mkhitaryan’s right-wing corner on the volley, with Schmeichel only able to push it into the roof of the net.
Victory was secured in the 82nd minute as Fellaini diverted in fellow substitute Lingard’s cross, despite replays suggesting he had been offside.
The visitors almost pulled one back in stoppage time, but De Gea reacted well to turn away Andy King’s close-range shot. Lukaku then blazed over at the other end.
AFP
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.
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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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