Sports
Vincent Kompany leads Blues to Carabao Cup glory at Wembley
Manchester City hammered Arsenal at Wembley to lift the Carabao Cup.
Goals from Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva fired City to the first trophy of the Pep Guardiola era in a one-sided Wembley final.
Aguero pounced on some poor defending from Shkodran Mustafi to lob City into an 18th minute lead.
And captain Kompany all but sealed City’s win when he diverted in Ilkay Gundogan’ scuffed shot in the 58th minute to make it 2-0.
But City weren’t finished and grabbed a third seven minutes later when Silva spun onto Danilo’s pass and smashed the ball past David Ospina to make it 3-0.
1.Route one to silverware
Think of all the goals Manchester City have scored this season – there have now been 116 of them – and all the fantasy football they have played.
And it was the most un-City like goal that set them on their way to the first piece of silverware of the Pep Guardiola era.
A simple punt through the middle from Claudio Bravo, Sergio Aguero exploited some weak defending from Shkodran Mustafi and raced through to lob City into the lead.
City outclassed Arsenal after that and the cleverly worked second goal from a short corner routine and third strike from David Silva had more of the sort of craft and invention we have become used to seeing from City under Guardiola.
But for all the stunning strikes his side have produced one of their simplest will forever be etched in the Spaniard’s memory.
2. Wenger’s drought goes on
Maybe it is just not meant to be in this competition for Arsene Wenger.
Another final and another defeat. For the third time he has led Arsenal to the final and the third time he has left Wembley beaten.
It is the one domestic trophy Wenger has failed to win.
And with the Gunners potentially ending the season empty handed and outside the top four it is not impossible that this was his last chance to complete the set.
3. Vincent Kompany leads by example
His body might no longer be what it once was. But Vincent Kompany showed his ability to slot seamlessly back into the Manchester City team when called upon and produce the goods once more against Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola has handled Kompany’s fitness and his reduced role expertly and he was rewarded with an imperious display in the final from the inspirational Belgian defender.
Kompany was the platform on which a devastating City performance was built.
He was a rock at the back and showed his endearing class countless times, not by effortlessly winning a foot race with the lightning Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before easing the Arsenal striker off the ball.
His crucial second goal was just the icing on the cake.
4. Big buys make costly errors
Arsenal spent £35m on Shkodran Mustafi and the same on Granit Xhaka.
It was the errors in their performances against City that were more costly at Wembley.
Mustafi’s was easy to analyse. He simply should have been stronger in dealing with Claudio Bravo’s long kick and the presence of Sergio Aguero for the opener.
As for Xhaka, his failure to track midfield runners has been a regular cause of frustration.
But at least he had his passing, one of the qualities that earned him a move to Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach.
Well, it was noticeably poor against City and at crucial times stopped the Gunners gaining or building momentum.
5. Wilshere cares
Jack Wilshere might be “probably the most overrated player on the planet” according to Roy Keane but there was no hiding from the Arsenal midfielder.
Wilshere was at the heart of Arsenal’s attempts to get back in the game, demanding the ball to try and spark them into life and refused to go down without a fight despite the Gunners being outclassed by City.
Fernandinho noticed Wilshere’s importance and seemed determined to stop him.
The Brazilian was perhaps fortunate to avoid a second yellow for a late foul on the Arsenal man having picked up an earlier caution for wiping him out.
All eyes were on Calum Chambers too after he got the nod for the final after his nightmare against Ostersunds in the Europa League he too didn’t let his side down.
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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