Sports
Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus strike against Napoli
Manchester City got what they wanted from this game, a victory. That’s nine points out of nine in Group F, which means they have done many of the hard yards of qualification before the clocks have even gone back.
This was a good Napoli team they beat here, too. Top of Serie A, they had scored almost as many goals as City prior to this meeting. The scores were 37 to 34.
But the fact that margin had increased only from three to four goals at the end of this game relayed the fact that Pep Guardiola and his gilded team did not, for once, have everything their own way.
It was, on reflection, a very strange game of football but certainly a good one. For the first 25 minutes City were majestic. Two goals up after only 13 minutes, they threatened to sweep Napoli away on a familiar tide of sky blue energy.
Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus scored early and they were familiar goals, created with such deftness and expertise that the actual scoring was the easy bit.
There could have been more, too. David Silva missed a good chance while Kevin De Bruyne hit the bar and Sterling was denied a second by the width of the goal line.
But as time wore on, Napoli regrouped and found territory and confidence, while City lost both. Dries Mertens saw a penalty saved by City goalkeeper Ederson late in the first half but Amadou Diawara did not miss his spot kick when presented with the opportunity with 18 minutes left.
After that, City were hanging on and had Napoli breached them for a second time nobody could really have said they didn’t deserve it.
So this turned out to be a night when we saw a spell of the new City, breathless and inspiring, but also an unexpected dose of old City as well.
For the neutral — and indeed their Premier League rivals —this was perhaps no bad thing. Nobody wants a perfect football team, after all. Where is the fun in that?
As for the City coach, it merely presents Guardiola with the first hint of a puzzle this season. Everything had looked so easy prior to this. Even a recent afternoon at champions Chelsea had proved straightforward.
But here the Catalan saw his team show a little of the fallibility that so dogged them at times last season.
At half-time De Bruyne, Silva and Fernandinho bickered as they left the field. Later, Fernandinho and Fabian Delph got in a tangle and presented Marek Hamsik with an open goal. Somehow, John Stones blocked.
So it was a night of pluses in terms of the result and some of the early football and a minus for what happened subsequently. Early on, City were as hypnotically good as they had been in demolishing Stoke City here at the weekend. Guardiola fielded the same starting 11 and his players flew from the traps breathing fire.
It’s funny how confidence breeds football such as this. The likes of Sterling — five goals in seven games beforehand — and De Bruyne had an air of utter certainty about their football and it was terrific to watch.
It took City only nine minutes to score and the pattern was familiar. A crossfield pass from Fernandinho found Leroy Sane and when he released Silva to the byline, the low cross was converted by Sterling after Kyle Walker’s first effort had been blocked. City were swarming all over Napoli and an avalanche of goals seemed likely.
Italian coach Maurizio Sarri had sprayed Guardiola with compliments beforehand, asking that his team suffer a quick death if indeed a kill it was to be.
By the quarter hour, he looked as though he may get his wish. Napoli defender Raul Albiol headed a centre straight to De Bruyne and when the Belgian crossed low the same player could not intercept and Jesus swept home at the far post.
It was easy for City and embarrassing for an Italian team that arrived with such a reputation.
De Bruyne then hit the bar from 25 yards and Sterling was denied by a combination of keeper Pepe Reina and defender Kalidou Koulibaly as the ball briefly came to rest right on the line.
Another goal at that point and this contest was over. But Napoli, driven on by their exasperated coach, slowly began to find themselves and they had already threatened when Walker climbed over Albiol in the 38th minute to concede a penalty.
Centre forward Mertens struck it reasonably well but Ederson was bright enough to delay his dive a fraction and save with his legs.
With their lead in tact at the break, that should have been enough for City. A really top draw European team would have been able to come out and close this game down.
But City couldn’t do it. They tried to reassert themselves with an increase in tempo but they only grew uncertain at the back. Not surprisingly, Napoli targeted stand-in full back Delph and he had his moments of nervousness.
But the second penalty of the night came from the other side as Faouzi Ghoulam drove hard at Fernandinho and the retreating Brazilian brought him down. Diawara’s kick was placed well and this time Ederson could not save.
Napoli were back in the game and nobody would have been surprised had an equaliser come in the remaining 18 minutes.
So a night that began gleefully and expressively ended with something of a reality check for City. It may not be a bad thing. And, anyway, they won. Again.
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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