Sports

Man Utd stun City to win FA Cup

Published

2 years ago

May 25, 2024

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Erik ten Hag got his teenage kicks as two of Manchester United’s brightest young talents inspired their side to a surprise FA Cup final win over Manchester City on Saturday.

With pre-match reports indicating that Ten Hag, who could only guide his side to an eighth placed finish in the Premier League this season, will be sacked this summer regardless of the result at Wembley, United were an impressively organised outfit in the opening exchanges, and they took the lead after half an hour following a mix up between Stefan Ortega and Josko Gvardiol which allowed Alejandro Garnacho to score.

A superb team move led to Kobbie Mainoo slotting home a brilliant second before the break, with a sluggish City left punch-drunk. Erling Haaland hit the bar for Pep Guardiola’s side early in the second half, but United held firm until Jeremy Doku’s effort squirmed past Andre Onana in the 87th minute.

Roared on by their fans, United survived the remainder of normal time and seven minutes of stoppage time to secure an unlikely success and deny City the league and cup double a season on from their historic treble. Here are the game’s main talking points from a thrilling Wembley occasion.

The game quickly took on the type of pattern that we all thought it would, with City dominating possession and United happy to allow them to do just that, but then a curious thing happened. We all saw Manchester City not be very good at football.

Passes were going astray and a tone was set was a by a side which looked remarkably weary. Pep Guardiola would have wanted his side to exert control and dominance on this game without necessarily expanding too much energy, for they haven’t really got that much left after a gruelling season, but City were sucked into a disciplined United trap and they very quickly began to get down on themselves.

Ideas were scarce, arms were thrown into the air and a suited and booted Guardiola would have heard the alarm bells on the touchline.

Even though they had started poorly City would have thought that they would eventually wear United down, but with their first choice centre-back pairing playing behind a more mobile, cohesive midfield, United looked extremely organised, and it was that organisation which allowed them to gain a foothold in the game as they gained confidence.

There were a couple of occasions when they could have sprang in behind a wobbling, high City line, while their pressing from the front was on point too as Ortega looked hurried. Moments later the goalkeeper and Gvardiol got in their almighty mess, with Garnacho taking advantage, and while there was a large slice of fortune about the goal it was a reward for the disciplined approach United took against a side who probably expected that discipline to be absent.

Bruno Fernandes found Mainoo, who then found Marcus Rashford on the left. Rashford’s superb, raking pass picked out Garnacho, he found Fernandes on the edge of the box and the skipper, having already clocked where Mainoo was earlier in his run, superbly found the young midfielder without looking at him, and Mainoo finished expertly. Four footballers, 13 touches of the football, one magnificent goal.

It was a strike that deserves a special place in FA Cup and Manchester United folklore, with Mainoo capping his excellent season by becoming just the fourth teenager to score in a final, nine minutes after Garnacho had become the third. A reminder that for all United’s issues, a lack of exciting young players isn’t one of them.

Kevin De Bruyne is no stranger to leaving a final early. In the 2021 Champions League final he smashed into Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger and ended up withdrawn in tears due to concussion protocols, while two years later he only made it to the 36th minute against Inter Milan before suffering a hamstring injury. He went off before the hour mark again here, but he just wasn’t very good.

The Belgian’s influence on this City side was clearly felt when he returned in such style for the second half of the season, but at 33 next month, and having been so vocal around player workload in recent years, you have to wonder just how much he’s got left in the tank.

City have seen a creative force step forward and become a main attacking weapon for them this season in the form of Phil Foden, although not here, and De Bruyne’s ongoing influence on their team is becoming rationed. It isn’t infinite though.

Whatever you think of him – and plenty of the things he comes out with don’t exactly help his cause – you can’t help but raise a smile and a glass for Ten Hag after this success.

It must never be very nice to be told that you’re going to lose your job on the eve of a day on the global stage, a day when many were confidently predicting that the Dutchman and his team would be embarrassed by their city neighbours.

Sports

Lionel Messi retires from international football

Published

1 month ago

August 31, 2026

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Argentina football legend, Lionel Messi, has drawn the curtain on his international football with Argentina after an illustrious career with the South American nation.

The 39-year-old made a total of 207 appearances, announced his retirement on Monday.

He won the World Cup in 2022, and was a runner-up in 2026 and 2014. He also secured two Copa América titles.

Messi wrote in a statement, “It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.

“Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”

Messi, who made 207 appearances and reached three World Cup finals, is widely regarded by fans worldwide as the greatest footballer ever.

Sports

Tinubu orders comprehensive reform of Nigerian football after resignation of NFF board

Published

2 months ago

August 27, 2026

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football to ensure the national football team overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments.

“The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football,” he said.

Tinubu, according to a statement on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, made the decision to help the country “overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments”.

“Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system,” the president said.

The President noted that while other sports had recorded meaningful progress since the reset of the sports sector under the re-established National Sports Commission, football has continued to struggle because of structural weaknesses within the system.

He stressed that Nigerian football must begin to match the country’s exceptional talent, passion and resources with stronger institutions and sustained performance.

President Tinubu directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work with the NFF Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration and facilitate a broad, consultative reform process.

The process will include appropriate engagement with FIFA and CAF while safeguarding Nigeria’s obligations within the international football framework.

The President called on football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and work together to build a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.

Sports

Ibrahim Gusau confirms resignation as NFF president, Mohammed Sanusi steps down as general secretary

Published

2 months ago

August 27, 2026

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Ibrahim Gusau has confirmed his resignation as the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The former chairman officially announced his resignation at a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday.

He said: “After consultation with family, friends and stakeholders, I just want to tell you that I have decided to resign from my position.

“As Nigerians, nobody is greater than this country. We all love our country and its progress. And as people who have been in football and managing football, we need to look at ourselves and ask, ‘What next?’ so we made a lot of consultations.”

Gusau added that he also advised members of the NFF board to follow his footsteps. He clarified, however, that he cannot say whether they would heed his advice.

A few minutes after Gusau’s announcement, the NFF, on its X page, confirmed the resignation of Mohammed Sanusi as the federation’s general secretary.

The mass resignation comes a few weeks after the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition’s inception. The disappointment triggered backlash for the NFF board members.

According to rumours, the NFF leadership was pressured to step down after intervention from top brass of the Federal Government, from the National Sports Commission (NSC) to the presidency.

Gusau was elected NFF president in 2022, and his tenure was supposed to end next month, with an elective congress scheduled for September 27.

The fate of the congress is uncertain as reports claim that a normalisation committee will be set up to oversee the federation’s affairs until further notice.

Under Gusau’s leadership, the Super Eagles, like the Falcons, also failed to qualify for the men’s 2026 World Cup, despite Africa getting 10 slots for the first time. The failure also extended to age-grade football, with the men’s U-17 and U-20 teams missing out on World Cups.