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.
Christian Chukwu, former captain and head coach of Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, has died at the age of 74.
The football icon passed away in the early hours of Saturday, though the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear at the time of reporting.
The news of his demise was confirmed by his longtime friend and teammate, Chief Olusegun Odegbami, who spoke to Channels Television. Odegbami, who played alongside Chukwu in Nigeria’s triumphant 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad, expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
“I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s history, has passed on,” said Odegbami.
“Babuje, Emmanuel Okala, MON, gave me the sad news a few minutes ago. May ‘Onyim’ find peace with Our Creator in Heaven and console his family,” he added.
Born on 4 January 1951 in Enugu, Chukwu carved a legendary career in Nigerian football, notably captaining Enugu Rangers to numerous domestic triumphs and leading them to continental glory in 1977 with victory in the now-defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup.
He made history in 1980 as the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy following a 3–0 win over Algeria in the final held in Lagos.
Chukwu went on to contribute to Nigeria’s football success off the pitch, serving as assistant to Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof during the Super Eagles’ victorious 1994 AFCON campaign and their debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup the same year.
As head coach, Chukwu led the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. His tenure as national coach lasted from 2002 to 2005, ending during the qualification phase for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Nicknamed “Chairman” for his commanding presence on and off the pitch, Chukwu also played a role in Nigeria’s youth football development, working as assistant coach during the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Cup, which Nigeria won in China.
In 2019, he battled prostate cancer, which affected his mobility. A public appeal for support was launched, and Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola stepped in to cover his overseas medical expenses, reportedly donating $50,000 for his treatment.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim believes Marcus Rashford was unable to see football “the way I see it” before the unwanted England striker was shipped out of Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old Rashford fell dramatically out of favour with the Portuguese boss and spent seven weeks on the sidelines until he was loaned to Premier League rivals Aston Villa during the transfer window.
“I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said on Thursday.
“And sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different.
“I just wish the best to Rashford and to (Aston Villa coach) Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
Amorim, whose team face Leicester in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday, said his focus now is on turning around a wretched season.
“Guys, in the summer… like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” he said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully about Marcus he is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”
A Nigerian federal lawmaker, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has publicly criticised what he describes as a “deliberate conspiracy” against Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, calling for the club to treat the player with respect.
Oseni, a passionate football fan and supporter of Nigerian club Shooting Stars FC, Ibadan, and Manchester United, voiced his concerns through an official statement issued by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, in Ibadan.
The lawmaker, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in Oyo State and serves as Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), accused United of undermining Rashford’s career. He suggested the club is intentionally frustrating the England international, who has been a key figure for the Red Devils since breaking into the first team in 2016.
A Deliberate Attempt to Tarnish Rashford’s Legacy
Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring for Manchester United against Everton(Image: Getty Images)
Oseni believes Manchester United’s handling of Rashford’s situation is unfair, arguing that the player is being pushed out for reasons beyond footballing performance.
“The posture of Manchester United towards Rashford is a deliberate attempt to rubbish the glory this young man has built over the years,” Oseni stated.
“If he has made any mistakes—whether due to youthful exuberance, personal struggles, or any other reason—it should be understood as part of life’s journey. Everyone experiences highs and lows, but instead of supporting him, they have chosen to humiliate him.”
Rashford, now 27, has been frozen out of the squad since mid-December, despite being the club’s 13th all-time highest goal scorer. Reports suggest new manager Rúben Amorim has questioned Rashford’s commitment and has deliberately excluded him, a move Oseni sees as unjust and damaging to the forward’s career.
The controversy escalated last Sunday when Amorim allegedly told his coaching staff that he would rather field United’s 63-year-old goalkeeping coach, Jorge Vital, than recall Rashford to the squad.
Oseni condemned the remark, calling it an unnecessary public humiliation of a player who has given his best years to the club.
Internal Politics and Envy Behind Rashford’s Exclusion
“It is evident that Rashford is being pushed out of the club, not because of poor performance, but due to envy and internal politics,” Oseni remarked.
“If they no longer want him, they should handle it professionally and help him secure a move to another club that will celebrate him, rather than destroying the young talent.”
Rúben Amorim
The lawmaker highlighted Rashford’s recent performances, noting that despite limited game time under Amorim, he still managed to score four goals in just three appearances before being frozen out. He argued that Rashford’s exclusion is based on personal differences rather than footballing merit.
“Rashford once said he was ready for a new challenge out of frustration. Anyone in his shoes would feel the same after facing such humiliation. Instead of supporting him, they are making things worse. But I strongly believe that all these provocations will eventually lead to his elevation,” Oseni added.
United Must Show Rashford Respect
The Nigerian politician urged Manchester United’s management to reconsider their approach, stressing that Rashford deserves respect for his years of dedication to the club.
“Even if he made an error by expressing a desire to leave, the situation should have been handled privately rather than publicly humiliating him,” Oseni said.
“The coach’s statement that he would rather play a 63-year-old goalkeeper than Rashford is not only disrespectful but also unnecessary provocation. Despite this, Rashford has shown remarkable patience, considering all he has contributed to the team during his prime.”
He concluded by urging the club to allow Rashford to move on professionally if they no longer see him as part of their plans.
“No matter the challenges he faces, they will ultimately lead to his elevation, and those attempting to bring him down will only contribute to his success in the long run.”
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