By Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi Manchester United, like Chelsea, has parted company with the manager they wanted to build a dynasty with, returning to the phase they are known for, even though they desperately wanted a change. Not long ago, majority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe confirmed that Manchester United is committed to a three-year period for Ruben Amorim to prove his caliber, mirroring the time allowed for Arteta to overhaul Arsenal. “Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be—three years. Because football is not an overnight success. You also look at [Mikel] Arteta…
Author: Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
The Eagles of Mali booked their place in the last eight of the African Cup of Nations 2025, and their journey gets more extraordinary at every turn, making them a nightmare for the bookies. From ending Morocco’s dual run to securing qualification as Group A runner-up without winning a single game, their round of 16 clash with Tunisia looked like a lost cause, but they battled on and survived decimation. The likes of Lassine Sinayoko, Yves Bissouma, and goalkeeper Djigui Diara have been playing as two players rolled into one, to help the nation make up for the shortcomings of…
By Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi Rather than waiting for push to reach shove, Enzo Maresca seemingly triggered the fallout at Chelsea himself. Driven by the lure of a better opportunity, he exploited the board’s reputation to facilitate a move that all should view as an outright betrayal, though not many can see the light because he leaves not only with a checkmate, but also a check. The Italian won over the fans in West London with his sleek and free-flowing football, backed with quality nerve, especially when the odds are stacked, a quality that defined his best moments at Chelsea, and saw…
By Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi Africa’s football heavyweights have all secured their place in the knockout stage of the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Morocco, and will continue their journey with the round of 16 dates. Nigeria and Algeria emerged as the only two nations with a perfect record, while the likes of Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, and the Ivory Coast also finished top in their groups with an unbeaten record. DR Congo, Cameroon, and Mali also finished the group campaign with unbeaten records but as runner-ups, with the first two recording as many points as their group winners, while Mali didn’t…
Unai Emery finally succumbed to his first Emirates defeat as a visiting manager, ending a run of four games unbeaten away at Arsenal, and his historic eleven-game winning run with Aston Villa, level with the club record. The win for Arsenal, albeit massive – the biggest margin win between two teams starting the gameweek in the top three since Man City against Arsenal in April 2023, also 4-1, is little consolation given the context of the Gunners’ season. Unai Emery’s charge ended Arsenal’s 18-game unbeaten run at the start of December, when Emiliano Buendia’s last-gasp goal took Villains three points…
AFCON 2025 Second Round: Heavyweights meetings deliver, as too strong Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt reach the knockouts Nigeria, Algeria, and Egypt secured their places in the knockout stages of this year’s African Cup of Nations following impressive wins against their toughest group opponents in the second round, continuing their perfect start so far. In a decisive round, all the main fixtures did not fail to live up to expectations, with the goals flowing in, and underdogs taking advantage of the favourable fixtures to achieve new milestones. Mozambique beat Gabon in a thriller to secure their first-ever AFCON win, while Sudan’s…
The 35th edition of the AFCON is well underway in Morocco, and it has so far been a worthy spectacle for fans who have traveled to North Africa and those watching from other destinations. The opening fixtures saw a lot of historical stakes, with the so-called favourites having a jinx to break while the underdogs weren’t in it to save faces but to kickstart a fairytale, the dream of such nations in every outing. However, round 1 of the group games held no prisoners. The football was lively, the majority of it competitive, as every nation wishes to start with…
AFCON 2025 power rankings, featuring Morocco and top 9 other favourites Who are the favourites to win the 35th edition of the African Cup of Nations, kicking off in Morocco this month? From the West to the North, we take a look at the top 10 nations with the best shot at glory in AFCON 2025. The odds are already stacked heading into Africa’s biggest football event, and with some historical statistics backing some campaigns, others will be keen to rewrite the narratives. Nevertheless, 2025 has been some year for CAF teams, with a new format of World Cup qualifiers…
Laliga teams continue to struggle in the Champions League. Five teams in Europe’s premier club competition is a sign of a standout league, but six games into the season, LaLiga is only standing out as the worst of the top five European leagues playing in the Champions League. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, and Athletic Club have all struggled in this season’s Champions League, with their few wins coming against teams outside the top European leagues. Their struggles are both comical and frustrating. Especially given that these teams are the showstoppers in their domestic league, with four of the…
Mohamed Salah was left out of the Liverpool squad for the Champions League trip to Inter on Tuesday night as the club imposes disciplinary measures following the Egyptian’s explosive interview after being dropped from the starting XI for the third straight game. The winger has struggled since the end of Matchday five, a drop of form that coincided with the club’s poor performances, and since then, they have gone from first place to mid-table in the league, while things are not going well on the continent either. Liverpool have won just two of their last 10 Premier League games, placed…