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Breaking: Chelsea Sacks Thomas Tuchel As Coach

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Chelsea has sacked manager Thomas Tuchel after their 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.

The Blues have endured a slow start to the Premier League season and saw their Champions League campaign get off to a nightmare start in Croatia on Tuesday night. New owner Todd Boehly has now acted fast to remove Tuchel from his position after a hectic summer of spending at Stamford Bridge.

A club statement read: “Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Thomas Tuchel.

“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club.

Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea’s history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here.

“As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.

“Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the Club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach. There will be no further comment until a new head coach appointment is made.”

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fury-joshua
EntertainmentHeadlinesSports

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua Tease WBC Fight

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Tyson Fury the present Heavy weight champion has called out Anthony Joshua for a title fight for the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt.

He took to social media on Monday to offer Antony Joshua a WBC heavyweight championship fight amid delays to his plans to face Oleksandr Usyk in a unification bout.

“Tyson Fury here, aka the Gypsy King, the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, as you can tell,” Fury said in a video posted to Instagram, wearing his belts.

“I think you’ve all heard that I’m going to be fighting soon, within the next few months, and I think that before I announce an opponent, I need to do this, just in case.

“Anthony Joshua, I know you’ve just lost a fight to Usyk and you’re beltless at the moment, and I’d like to give you an opportunity to fight me for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world in the next few months.

“You’re coming off a 12-round fight, so you’re match-fit, you’re ready.

“I’m giving you a few months’ notice, if you’re interested, I’ll send you the date over and we can have a rumble, a battle of Britain for the WBC championship.

“Let me know if you’re interested. If not, I will select another opponent. Thank you, very much, and good night.”

Joshua has now responded to Fury, telling him to contact his management and that he would be ready in December.

“Yea, calm,” Joshua posted. “I don’t do the online discussions just for clout, so if you’re really about it, shout @258mgt. I’ll be ready in December.”

A fight between Fury and Joshua has been rumoured for several years. Should it be arranged, it would represent a huge chance at redemption for Joshua, who had lost three of his last five fights after winning each of his first 22.

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Haaland
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Haaland Makes History After Last Night Goals Treble

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Fans have gushed over Erling Haaland, the Norway international for his first-half treble against Steve Cooper’s Reds

Haaland first-half hat-trick for Manchester City against Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium has thrown social media into a frenzy.

During Wednesday’s Premier League encounter against the Reds, the Norway international was in devastating form – scoring thrice to give the Citizens a 3-0 lead over Steve Cooper’s men.

He found the net first in the 12th minute after he was set up by Phil Foden. Eleven minutes later, he doubled the advantage for Pep Guardiola’s men with a fine finish.

In the goal-laden first 45 minutes, the former Borussia Dortmund star completed his treble thanks to John Stones’ last pass.

Fueled by the 22-year-old’s notable act, enthusiasts went on social media to sing his praises.

With his heroics, Haaland has scored nine goals in his first five Premier League appearances, a new competition record, surpassing Mick Quinn and Sergio Aguero (both 8).

Also, he has now matched Harry Kane (26 appearances) for goals scored in the month of August in the Premier League (8)

source: goal

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Tobi Amusan
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Tobi Amusan Wins Silver In Lausanne Diamond League

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Nigeria’s champion sprinter, Tobi Amusan on Friday night won silver medal at the ongoing Diamond League Meet after breaking through at this year’s World Athletics Championship in Oregon, United States.

Still smarting from the record Commonwealth Games gold she won in Birmingham earlier in August, Amusan hoped to continue her superlative performance but met a resistant hurdle as she lost the gold medal to 2020 Tokyo Olympics winner, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico.

Camacho-Quinn got one over Tobi Amusan winning the women’s 100m Hurdles at the Diamond League in a new Meeting Record of 12.34s (-0.9).

Amusan finished second in 12.45s and qualified for Zurich, while US’ Tia Jones ran a new Personal Best of 12.47s to finish third.

The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletics competitions comprising 14 of the best invitational athletics meetings.

The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics one-day meeting competitions.

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EntertainmentHeadlinesSports

Europa League Group Stage Draw Released

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The 2022/2023 UEFA Europa League group stage draw has been released.

The Europa League draw was conducted in Istanbul, Turkey.

The draw, streamed on the UEFA website, was released on Friday.

See full fixtures below:

Group A: Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, FK Bodø/Glimt, Zurich

Group B: Dynamo Kyiv, Rennes, Fenerbahçe, AEK Larnaca

Group C: Roma, Ludogorets, Real Betis, HJK

Group D: Braga, Malmo, Union Berlin, St Gilloise

Group E: Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sheriff Tiraspol, Omonoia

Group F: Lazio, Feyenoord, Midtjylland, Sturm

Group G: Olympiacos, Qarabag, Freiburg, Nantes

Group H: Crvena zvezda, Monaco, Ferencvaros, Trabzonspor

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Ronaldo Future
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Ronaldo Still Has Future In Manchester United – Eric Ten Hag

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Ten Hag insists Cristiano Ronaldo still has a future at Manchester United after the Portugal star suffered the embarrassment of being dropped for his side’s rousing 2-1 win against Liverpool.

United looked far more dynamic without Ronaldo as they stunned Liverpool to end a dismal run of two successive defeats at the start of the Premier League season.

With the aging Ronaldo reduced to a substitute appearance in the closing minutes at Old Trafford on Monday, United were finally able to successfully deploy Ten Hag’s aggressive game plan.

Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga formed an attacking triumvirate that gave United the pace and energy they lacked in the 2-1 defeat against Brighton and the subsequent 4-0 humiliation at Brentford.

Vindicating Ten Hag’s decision to axe Ronaldo and igniting fresh debate about his future, it was Sancho who scored United’s opener and Rashford who doubled their lead.

After missing United’s pre-season tour due to “family reasons” amid reports he had told the club he wanted to leave, Ronaldo was already unsettled heading into the new season.

United’s failure to qualify for this season’s Champions League convinced Ronaldo he should quit a club without a major trophy since 2017, giving Ten Hag a major headache just weeks after his arrival from Ajax.

But, with United insisting Ronaldo is not for sale, the former Real Madrid and Juventus striker has found himself in limbo.

The 37-year-old, who finished as United’s top scorer last term, hardly appeared committed to the Ten Hag regime when he walked out of Old Trafford before full-time after being substituted during a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.

A limp substitute appearance in the second half of the Brighton defeat was further evidence of a potential rift between the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and his manager.

Ronaldo played the entire 90 minutes of United’s loss against Brentford, but he offered little attacking threat in one of the club’s worst results in recent memory.

Difficult decisions

That left Ten Hag with a major decision to make as he pondered his team for the crucial clash with Liverpool.

Dropping Ronaldo and then watching United lose to their arch rivals would have put huge pressure on Ten Hag.

But the Dutch coach refused to be cowed by the situation as he left out by Ronaldo and England defender Harry Maguire, a bold move that paid dividends as United climbed out of the relegation zone with their first win this season.

Now United have won impressively without Ronaldo — surely consigning him to the bench for the immediate future — there could be fresh impetus from the striker and his agent Jorge Mendes to force through a transfer.

It is hard to imagine Ronaldo being able to adapt to Ten Hag’s high-tempo philosophy in the twilight of his career.

But, publicly at least, Ten Hag is adamant Ronaldo has a part to play in his plans.

“I think he can. In his whole career he did it under several managers, in several styles and systems. He always performed so why can’t he do this? His age is not an issue,” Ten Hag said after the Liverpool game.

“We have a squad and we have a way of playing, a style and a game plan. You look at what is the best approach to the game. Today it was those players, Saturday it could be different.”

In Ronaldo’s absence, United’s defiant attitude against Liverpool provided the template for the Ten Hag era.

New signing Casemiro, recruited from Real Madrid, epitomises that spirit and Ten Hag wants to see the same from Ronaldo.

“We were talking about leadership, today we had leadership on the pitch, he is one as well,” Ten Hag said of Casemiro.

“Ronaldo has it, so you need some and it is like guidance for young players who didn’t achieve the trophies.”

Pressed on Ronaldo and Maguire’s future, Ten Hag added: “I don’t have to mention Harry Maguire and Ronaldo, they are amazing players and they will play a role in the future, the short (term) future as well.

“It is always difficult (to leave them out) but I have decisions to make.”

Whether that olive branch is enough to stop the Ronaldo dilemma from derailing Ten Hag’s United revolution remains to be seen.

Afp

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Nigerian Falconet Exit U20 World Cup After 2-0 Defeat Against Netherlands

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian Falconet has bowed out of the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup after a loss to the Netherlands on Sunday.

The European side beat the Nigerian side 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the tournament to progress to the semi-finals.

The Falconets gave a good account of themselves, but they could not break the resilient defence of the Netherlands. They could not re-enact earlier round performances, which saw them winning all three group phase matches, in this their quarter-final match in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

The Dutch team shocked the Nigerians after a swift counter-attack in the 11th minute as Zera Hulswit sent a lobbing shot beyond Omini Oyono in goal to send the Europeans ahead.

In the 30th minute, Nigeria nearly got the leveller that their endeavour deserved when Deborah Abiodun seized the ball as the Dutch defence fell into confusion.

But her dipping shot from 25 metres rocked the crossbar and was then tipped away from the head of Chiamaka Okwuchukwu.

In the 33rd minute, Nigeria went two goals down. A miscommunication between Oluwatosin Demehin and Omowumi Oshobukola was pounced on by Ziva Henry, who bundled the ball past Oyono.

This defeat means elimination for the Nigerian team that had won all three group phase matches, scoring five goals and conceding only one.

The Netherlands will now meet Spain on Thursday in the first semi-final fixture, after the European side beat Mexico 1-0 in the first quarter-final match on Saturday.

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No Issues Between Mbappe and Neymar – PSG

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier on Friday said there was no bad blood between star forwards Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Neymar insisted on taking the team’s second penalty against Montpellier last Saturday after Mbappe had missed the first.

Mbappe did not celebrate after Neymar converted the spot kick.

Galtier called the apparent differences between the two an “epiphenomenon”, suggesting the spat was not a symptom of any deeper problem.

“We saw each other quickly the next day to iron out all that, to say what we had to say to each other,” said Galtier told a press conference ahead of Sunday’s Ligue 1 visit to Lille.

“We had a very pleasant week at work. Everyone worked well. I enjoyed all the sessions this week and this epiphenomenon disappeared very quickly, that is to say, the day after our meeting.”

Galtier said after the game that instructions “had been respected” regarding penalty takers.

“There was a precise order in this game, Kylian as number one and ‘Ney’ as number two,” he added.

Other potential penalty takers include Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, said Galtier, adding that it was “important for our strikers to score goals, to keep the confidence”.

Against Montpellier, in his first competitive game since opting to stay in Paris rather than join Real Madrid, the 23-year-old Mbappe scored in a 5-2 win but cut a frustrated, unhappy and even isolated figure.

Last season, Mbappe was PSG’s outstanding performer, scoring 39 goals in all competitions, while Neymar struggled.

Yet the 30-year-old Brazilian has seemed rejuvenated this season, scoring five goals in three games.

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British Billionaire Interested In Buying Manchester United
HeadlinesSports

British Billionaire Interested In Buying Manchester United

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

British billionaire, Jim Ratcliffe, would be interested in buying Manchester United if the club would be for sale.

A spokesperson for Ratcliffe earlier told The Times of his desire to buy into the Premier League giants.

“If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer,” Ratcliffe’s spokesperson said.

United are enduring a disastrous start to the season, losing their first two games to sink to the foot of the Premier League table. They have not won the Premier League title since 2013.

The Glazers have been the target of intense criticisms for their failure to invest in the team, which have not won a trophy in five years.

United’s net debt had grown 11% to about £496 million pounds ($598.03 million) by the end of March.

The owners have also been criticised for not improving the Old Trafford stadium, the biggest club ground in the country with a capacity of around 75,000 fans.

Ratcliffe, who owns petrochemicals giant Ineos, made a late unsuccessful bid of £4.25 billion to buy Chelsea earlier this year before it was ultimately sold to an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. However, he is from the Manchester area and a long-standing fan of the club.

“This is not about the money that has been spent or not spent. Jim is looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset,” the spokesperson added.

United finished sixth last season in their worst Premier League campaign with respect to points earned, failing to qualify for the lucrative UEFA Champions League.

The club hired manager Erik ten Hag from Ajax in a bid to turn around their fortunes but the Dutchman has not yet succeeded in imposing his playing style, with United losing their opening two games after conceding six goals.

United will play their arch-rivals Liverpool, who scored nine times without reply in their two league meetings last season at Old Trafford, on Monday.

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Nigerian Falconets Defeat Canada, Secure Quarter Final Spot

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian U20 Falconets have secured a place in the quarter finals after beating Canada 3-1 in the ongoing Fifa Under-20 Women World Cup being played in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Head Coach, Chris Musa, said before the encounter that his girls would seek to win even as a quarter-final ticket was already in the bag, in order to sustain their winning mentality following hard-fought victories over France and Korea Republic.

Interestingly, it was the Canadian girls that drew the first blood, albeit from an error in the Falconets’ defence.

Goalkeeper Omini Oyono’s poor management of a backpass from Jumoke Alani granted Kala Novak a fortuitous goal less than two minutes after kick-off.

But two goals from the penalty spot by Esther Onyenezide and another goal in the second half by Chioma Olise saw the Falconets cruising to their biggest win so far in the ongoing tournament in Costa Rica.

After falling behind to the early Canada goal, Onyenezide, whose vicious curling shot earned all three points against the Korea Republic, drew the Falconets level from the penalty spot in the 24th minute.

Defender Mia Pante who had handled the ball from a Blessing Okpe shot in the box gifted Nigeria a way back into the game.

Onyenezide was on hand to shoot Nigeria into the lead, also from the spot, in the 32nd minute after Simi Awujo’s dangerous play against Mercy Idoko.

As the Nigeria U20s ended the first half 2-1, nothing suggested the Canadians could mount a fightback in the second half, instead, it was the Falconets that increased their lead.

Substitute Chioma Olise got Nigeria’s third goal as the Falconets finished top in Group C with nine points from three games.

With Thursday’s outcome, the Falconets now have a quarter-final date with The Netherlands in Alajuela on Monday.

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