Category: Sports

by Ben Ayuko

{image by TheCable}

 

Argentina took on Morocco in what is sure to be remembered as one of the most controversial games since the Video Assisted Technology (VAR) was introduced.

It was a tentative start but some neat interplay down the right wing just before the half-time break saw Bilal el Khhannouss send a low cross into the box for Centre Forward Soufiane Rahimi to tap into the Argentina net. 1-0 to Morocco going into half time.

Morocco flew out of the traps at the start of the second half and it took only 5 minutes for them to double their lead. An incident in the Argentina penalty box saw the referee award Morocco a penalty, which Rahimi calmly dispatched to increase Morocco’s lead. 2-0 to the good.

Argentina hit back in the 68th minute when Giuliano Simeone diverted a wayward shot by Julio Soler into the Moroccan net.

There was about 15 minutes of added time given and Argentina did not intend to waste it. They made attacking substitutions and waited for their moment. And in the last minute of injury time, their bravery was rewarded.

Commotion inside the box after shot saw desperation creep into the minds of the Moroccans. They lunged and chased after the ball as it bounced around in the box. Finally, the ball bounced off the crossbar and right onto Cristian Medina’s forehead who couldn’t miss from point blank range.

2-2 the final score, Argentina rescuing a draw from the jaws of defeat.

Or so we thought.

This prompted a raucous reaction from the Moroccan fans as they ran onto the pitch and began hurling coins and bottles at the pitch, as any sore loser would do. Because of the risk toward the players, the lay was put off until the fans had calmed themselves. Seeing as this was the last action of the game anyway, the stadium emptied, with the players now in their changing rooms.

Important to note that, the referee still hadn’t blown his whistle at full time meaning, effectively, the game was still on going.

Sure enough, he called the players back onto the pitch and informed them of a VAR review that had been analyzing Argentina’s goal. The verdict was that the goal scorer was in violation of the Offside law and therefore the goal was null and void.

Cue the celebrations from the Moroccan players as the referee then blew the final whistle to end the game.

Oh, and this happened more than an hour after the game had been initially suspended.

Heartbreak for Argentina.

Argentina coach Javier Mascherano did not mince his words at the decision.

“I have not been a coach for long, but never in my career as a player have I seen a situation like that,” said Mascherano, who won gold with Argentina in 2004 and 2008. “It is a circus. But that is how it is. We cannot control it…” “It is a disgrace that this should happen and poison the tournament. This wouldn’t even happen in a neighbourhood tournament. It’s pathetic…”

A statement from the tournament organisers said: “The football match between Argentina and Morocco at the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators.” “The match then restarted and was able to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions.“

Major controversy at the Paris Olympics, and we haven’t even seen the opening ceremony yet.

by Ben Ayuko

{image by Alamy}

 

Serbia international, Nikola Milenkovic has completed a £12m move to Nottingham Forest.

The former Fiorentina Captain was previously heavily linked with a big money move to some big premier league teams, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, before, for whatever reason, the links died out. Obviously, none of these clubs opted to sign, preferring new targets, the likes of William Saliba, Benoit Badiashile and Micky van de Ven respectively.

This has opened the door for Nottingham Forest to swoop in and seal the deal on a quality centre-back as Forest look to improve their status in the premier league going into the new season.

The 26yr old Serbian is known for his aerial dominance, no doubt attributed to his a 6ft4in frame, his strong tackling and his composure on the ball. Also, having been the captain of his former club, Fiorentina, he has leadership qualities that are sure to benefit Nottingham Forest as they look to avoid another relegation battle come the end of the season. He can also be a bit of a goal threat at set pieces, having found the back of the net 17 times during his time at Fiorentina.

“He is a key part of our squad planning this summer and I know how enthusiastic he has been to join the club,” said Ross Wilson, Nottingham Forest’s Sporting Director. “We have long admired his performances with the Serbia national team and in Serie A and European competitions for Fiorentina.”

It is undoubtedly a promising signing that is sure to excite the Nottingham Forest faithful.

All that remains is to see whether Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest Manager, can get the be犀利士
st out of him.

 

by Ben Ayuko

{image by PlanetRugby}

 

Fresh off beating England in their first round of test matches, the New Zealand All Blacks set their sights on their Oceania “brothers“, Fiji.

As usual, the game started with each side issuing a war cry to their opponent. The roar of the Fijian ‘CIBI’ was met with the defiance of the New Zealand ‘HAKA’. 2 sets of warriors, on opposite sides, ready to leave it all on the line.

No sooner had the game started than New Zealand soared over the try line for the first points of the game. Good play from Damien McKenzie saw him break through the Fijian defensive line and send the ball out wide. Caleb Clarke was on the end of the move, and he side stepped 2 defenders before touching down for New Zealand. McKenzie converted his kick.

Literally 5 minutes later, scrumhalf Cortez Ratima increased the advantage for the All Blacks. A strong carry from Centre, Anton Lienert-Brown set up a ruck just underneath the Fijian posts. Ratima took advantage of a stumbling Fijian backline, picking the ball up straight from the ruck and sailing into the try box. Sadly, this would be his last meaningful contribution to the team as he went off after suffering a shoulder injury. McKenzie converted his kick give his team a 14-0 lead 14minutes into the game.

This seemed to spark Fiji into gear, seeing as how they enjoyed their best spell of the half for the next period of the game. Flyhalf Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula started looking to influencing the game using his kicking ability. He sent a kick to the air that was knocked on by a New Zealand defender who failed in his attempt to catch the ball. From the resultant scrum, Armstrong-Ravula received the ball once more, this time sending a carefully aimed kick over to the blindside right into the arms of veteran Fijian winger, Semi Radradra. He climbed highest to catch the ball and then, skillfully tossed it back to his inside just before being taken out by the defender. The ball landed right into the arms of the fullback, Vilimoni Botitu who had a clear run into the New Zealand try box and touched down to get Fiji on the score board. A textbook exhibit of Fijian Rugby at its best.

This would prove to be the last cheerful moment for Fiji in this game as tries from Billy Proctor, Ardie Savea, Sevu Reece, Ethan de Groot and George Bell aided by McKenzie‘s conversions for all but one, meant that Fiji didn’t stand a chance on the day. The spectators were treated to some special moments from their players, though. Something to give them inspiration and spark a response in the 2nd test match.

 

 

by Ben Ayuko

{image by X}

 

Lenny Yoro enjoyed a solid outing in his first ever performance for Man United in their friendly against Rangers over the weekend.

Being one of the more promising youngsters around playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, he will, now, have more eyes on him than he has ever had before going into the new season and he will be hoping to have a decent debut season in the English Premier League. But if his season is anything like the performance he gave in that pre-season friendly, then he surely has nothing to worry about.

Yoro looks to be a very sturdy defensive unit. He reminds me of a young Nathan Ake. His explosive power allows him to catch up to any attacker, even if caught out of position, while his body strength allows him to handle the situation with minimal jeopardy; his long, agile limbs allowing him to reach for the ball from the most awkward of angles. A player who is decent enough on the ball to keep things ticking over and who can be relied on as the last line in defense. It remains to be seen whether he is as much of an attacking threat in the opposition box as Ake was.

He has received major plaudits for his performances, being likened to another player who burst onto the scene as a youngster, Arsenal’s William Saliba.

One should remember, though, that Saliba was loaned out to the French Ligue 1 for 2 seasons before Mikel Arteta saw it fit to integrate him into the first team at Arsenal. If this is the path Yoro would take, while it does promise a prodigious talent in the long run, it would also surely beckon jeers and dejection at the hands of a restless Man United fanbase.

The best thing for such a young player, often, is to let his burgeoning talent blossom at its own pace without any added pressure being thrust upon his shoulders. Manchester United goalkeeper, André Onana, has already come out and said, “We’re here to help Leny. We will take responsibility no matter what happens”. “We’re leaders, he’s a young player, we’ll give him time and he will be alright”

However, whenever a player makes a big money move, it always comes with a big pile of pressure to accompany it. Many a football will undoubtedly be eager to see his £145k per week, €62mil price tag justified. Should he take some time to show his promise in this, his debut season, will the Man United faithful be so grand as to allow him time to find his footing?

by Ben Ayuko

{image by Formula1}

 

Oscar Piastri secured his 1st ever win in Formula 1 after some hullabaloo involving his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris.

It proved to be a very volatile atmosphere as both the McLaren and the Red Bull Racing team engineers had to rein in their respective drivers and ensure they brought the car home in one piece.

The action began as soon as the 1st corner as both Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen launched off the line and ran up alongside pole sitter Lando Norris right into the right hander. They were lined up 3 abreast going into the corner but for Oscar, having the advantage of the inside line meant that he would emerge out of the corner in the lead. Verstappen took 2nd place by going around the outside of Norris but was adjudged to have gained an advantage by going off the track and therefore he had to give the place back to the Mclaren driver, despite his protestations to the team.

This incident wound up winding him up and for the rest of the race he was almost on his own personal charge as though looking to prove something.

The real fireworks flew after the 2nd round of pitstops on lap 50.

The McLaren team decide to pit Norris ahead of teammate Oscar who was leading the race. Norris came back out with fresh tyres and as a result, managed to overtake his teammate after he made his own pitstop in the following lap. This was a bad look.

McLaren issued team orders to Norris telling him to switch positions back with Oscar. Norris was reluctant to do this. After all, he was sat in 2nd place in the overall driver championships standings, and it would have served him best to take advantage of the situation.

This debate went on, over the very public team radio, for over 10 laps as Norris built his lead over Oscar. As heartbreaking as it would be for Oscar to lose the chance to win his first race in this manner, questions like “Well why didn’t you pit him first?” or “Tell him to catch up…”  would prove difficult to argue against Norris for his convictions.

Verstappen was already not enjoying his best race and his 2nd pitstop left him with an even bigger mountain to climb should he be looking to win the race, a point he made sure to put forward with some rather colourful language on the team radio. His frustrations at being stuck behind Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) in 4th place finally boiled over as he elected to send his car from deep and divebomb Hamilton at the first corner. He overshot it. He made contact with Hamilton. His car was sent flying into the air and, miraculously, avoided taking any damage. He did lose a position to Charles Leclerc though.

Alas, with 3 laps to go, Norris yielded, allowing Oscar to claim first place back and take his race victory. Norris in a disgruntled 2nd place, Hamilton and Leclerc in rather fortunate 3rd and 4th respectively as Verstappen finished in 5th.

Oscar became the 7th different driver to win a race in 2024.

 

by Ben Ayuko

{image by DAZN}

Pre-Season friendlies are officially underway as the premier league look to get back into gear ahead of the opening game of the new premier league campaign.

Manchester United took on Norwegian side Rosenborg. It looked to be a dead rubber until Noah Emmanuel popped up in the box in the 93rd minute to win the game for Rosenborg as Man United kicked off their season with a loss.

Aston Villa took on Walsall. It was relatively new signing Morgan Rodgers who take center stage as his first half brace gave the Aston Villa the lead into the break. A second half goal from Louie Barry sealed the win for Aston Villa, A good way to start the season.

Tottenham Hotspur demolished Hearts in their first friendly. It was a tale of 2 halves as Spurs struggled to break down their opposition. They went into the break lucky to have a 1-0 lead. At halftime, manager Big Ange changed the whole team and introduced some of the academy products. They completely dominated the game, winning it 5-1. Some peculiar questions for Ange Postecoglou to find answers for.

West Ham came back from 2 goals down to salvage a draw against Ferencváros. Key moment a classy free kick from Danny Ings and a wonder goal from Alexandre Pešić.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest comfortably beat Chesterfield 3-0 while Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Italian side Como 1907 1-0.

by Ben Ayuko

{image by FPL}

Fantasy Premier League is back, and we can barely contain our excitement.

Many changes have been made for this season’s edition in order to make the game more competitive and we can only give a nod of approval to the organizers for doing so much.

First off, the price changes. Erling Haaland comes in at £15.0m which makes him the most expensive FPL asset ever. Mo Salah maintains his value at £12.5m after another decent outing last season.

Cole Palmer perhaps has the biggest price rise after he burst onto the scene last season, more than doubling his value as he moves up from £5.0m to £10.5m. Saka also moves up to £10.0m while Heung-min Son moves back up again to £10.0m. Defenders like William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Virgil van Dijk and Joško Gvardiol all come in at £6.0m while Trent Alexander-Arnold keeps his place as the priciest defender at £7.0m

This makes it very difficult to pick the same players as the £100m budget cannot be spread to cover every single valuable player. Some decisions will have to be made along with regrets realized.

The Bonus Point System has also been revamped, admittedly, favouring the attacking players more than the defensive. Additional points in the Bonus Point System for occurrences such as Number of times Fouled, Shots on target, etc. will surely only benefit the forward players while making life difficult for the Goalkeepers in particular.

Goalkeepers, though, have had their own upgrade as should your chosen Keeper pull an Alisson and score a 90th minute winner, he would receive 10 points rather the usual 6. This, in turn, is intended to give you more of a headache when choosing your players as more variables have been added to the player criteria.

With the transfer window still very much wide open, there’s still a lot of movement yet to be done. So, who knows what kind of headaches we are going to have by the time the season is kicking off.

by Ben Ayuko

{image by Sportsfile}

 

Ireland met South Africa in the second round of their test match series looking for revenge after they lost their first round.

And they quickly flew applying pressure on the South Africa defensive line, pushing them back further and further into their own half. A collision left South Africa veteran Eben Etzebeth with a gash in his forehead meaning he had to be substituted in order to take care of it.

It was 13 minutes when Ireland got points on the board. Neat interplay between the Irish backs saw them break through South Africa’s defensive line. There was some decent ball juggling by fullback James Osborne and 2 offloads later, the ball was in the hands of scrumhalf, Conor Murray as he sailed over the South Africa try line for the first points of the game. Some traded penalties between Ireland’s Jack Crowley and South Africa’s Handre Pollard meant that the scores read 16-6 to Ireland going into the half-time break.

South Africa came out of the dressing room with fire in their belly like they had something to prove to their home crowd as they firmly took control of the game. An early offense by the Irish captain of the day, Caelan Doris, saw him sent to the sin bin which only aided South Africa’s efforts in asserting their dominance.

Some more traded penalties saw South Africa wrestle the lead from Ireland with the score at 24-19. Needing some inspiration off the bench, Ireland introduced Ciarán Frawley. And he did just that.

First, he received the ball off a 22-metre drop out by Pollard near the halfway line and wasted no time in returning the drop kick straight through the posts to bring the score to within 2 points.

Then, for his final trick, with just about the final kick of the game, he lined himself up for another drop goal attempt at around the same mark near the halfway line, this time to snatch back the lead for Ireland and win the game. A sensational recovery after being under pressure for majority of the second half and somewhat of a punch in the face for the World Champions after doing so well to wrestle back the command of the game.

What a moment from one of the next in line to take over from Retired Legend, Johnny Sexton.

by Ben Ayuko

{image by thetimes}

 

Gareth Southgate already said that it might be his last tournament as England manager. What a story it would have been had he managed to sign off with that ever-elusive trophy for the England National Team. Alas, what was looking to be a fairytale ending has quickly fizzled out into an unceremonious hobble off the stage whilst spectators, in unison, toss rotten eggs and tomatoes at his head (his own people no less).

There was a lot of mixed emotions in the England camp as they progressed through the tournament. At first, it was ruthlessly unaccommodating in the group stage, e.g. “Southgate out!“, “What kind of Football is this?“, “Not my manager“. This evolved through the knockout rounds to a more positive tone in the knock-out rounds to “He should get Knighted if he wins it‘, “Nobody cares about the football“, “It’s Coming Home.” This level of optimistic enthusiasm was rife throughout the fandom up until the final whistle of the final game of the tournament, sending sentiment straight back down to; “Southgate out!“, “What kind of Football is this?”, “Not my manager“.

He has managed to split the English fanbase completely in half. One side thinks that despite not winning anything, he has been the 3 Lion’s most successful coach, while the other thinks he should have been able to win something if he is so good.

Well, as it turns out, he wasn’t going to wait for the higher-ups to ring him up. He decided to go out on his own steam. And who can blame him? It must be a difficult job for one to try to attain the unattainable- year in, year out- all the while receiving a steaming pile of hatred from the people who you are trying to attain it for. It must take a lot of spirit to keep going for so long, falling just short every time, then receiving the barrage of abuse that comes with failure.

Southgate has had a fine run, getting to 2 European Finals and a World Cup semi-final.

And well, after 8 years, now he can rest as he hands over the baton of abuse to yet another poor unfortunate soul.

“As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for England and to manage England. It has meant everything to me, and I have given it my all…” 

by Ben Ayuko

{image by AFP}

 

The AllBlacks prevailed over a determined England side to win the 2nd test match in Auckland, New Zealand.

It was a straight fight from the off as both teams took turns counterattacking each other right after kick-off. Swinging and missing, they were like 2 enthusiastic boxers still trying to find their footing properly. It was as early as the 10th minute when New Zealand opened the scoring, winger Mark Telea, sneakily picking up the ball from the blindside of the ruck and lunging to score a try at the far end of the try box. The angle proved no challenged for flyhalf Damien McKenzie, as he then stuck it between the uprights for the conversion. England, not to be outdone, needed only 3minutes for their riposte. Some ingenuity from flyhalf, Marcus Smith, saw him launch the ball across the pitch with an accurate kick right into the arms of the awaiting Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. The winger’s fine footwork saw him dance between 2 defenders before touching down for England’s first points of the day. A conversion by Smith leveled the score.

A couple of penalties from McKenzie saw New Zealand stretch out their lead. England, however, hit back just before the halftime claxon. They say, “If ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This was the case as Marcus Smith, once again, sent a long diagonal over everybody’s head to the sideline, this time, right into the hands of Tommy Freeman. The winger beat Mark Telea in the air, catching the ball and crashing into the New Zealand penalty box for a try. Smith added 2 points to give England the lead going into the break.

England came out of the dressing room with vim and vigour as they took the game to the home team. A penalty conversion saw them stretch out their lead as they kept pushing the New Zealand further and farther back into their own 22metre area. New Zealand was in desperate need of some inspiration. Step up Beauden Barrett from the bench. The New Zealand veteran came onto the pitch and introduced some more speed and ingenuity in attack. He changed the whole course of the game as whenever he had the ball, New Zealand looked to pirce through the heart of the English defense. This was evident in the try New Zealand scored as Barrett received the ball in space and simply powered through the English defensive line. He then offloaded the ball to Telea who touched down near the sideline once more.

McKenzie did miss the conversion, but he later slotted in 2 penalties to put New Zealand out of reach. England tried to hit back but they ran out of time. 24-17 it ended with the All Blacks taking their 2nd victory in the test match series.