Sports
Where has Manchester United gone wrong?


Different question marks to whether Ole Gunnar Solskjær has what it takes to bring back Manchester United to winning ways have emerged recently. These questions keep recurring after week-in-week-out abysmal performances on the pitch.
Manchester United have only garnered 8 points after playing 6 matches, and 10 points adrift Liverpool. The current 2019/2020 English Premier League (EPL) table-toppers have maintained 100 percent impressive start, while Manchester City only lost one game in their 8 premier league games.
Before the kick-off of the EPL campaign, Manchester United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjær had added two players to its defensive line, Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£45 million) and Harry Maguire (£80 million); as well as Daniel James (£18 million) to beef up the attack.
Hopes were high when United thrashed Chelsea 4-0 in Old Trafford in their first match. However, Chelsea had in all positive indices beaten United but they couldn’t get the result. In subsequent games, most of United players’ performances were simply below average.
It became more worrisome on Sunday when West Ham United mauled United 2:0 at the London Stadium. The Hammers seemed too good for United players after two stunning goals from Andy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell.
United could have taken the lead during the first half of the game but Marcus Rashford whom Ole is trusting to be his frontman failed to hit the target, a couple of times. It has been a recurring phenomenon for the 21-year-old attacker to keep missing clear cut chances this season.
United are yet to replace the current Belgian all-time goal-scorer Romelu Lukaku after his £74 million move to Inter Milan. Ole is also relying on injury-prone Anthony Martial, and other young stars like James, and Mason Greenwood.
Clearly, Ole’s technical skills get everybody thinking ”if he has the competence to lead the Red Devils”. Playing Ashley Young ahead of Marcos Rojo after an impressive Europa League outing was questionable. Juan Mata playing ahead of Angel Gomes as the number 10 man seems to be a bad decision.
The best formation for United has been the 4:3:3 formation but Ole has decided to stick to a 2-man midfield even when the likes of Nemanja Matic hasn’t been good enough, while the Brazilian Fred has shown some glimpses of good performance after Europa League outing on Thursday. Ole should stick to the formation that gave him a series of winnings when he was the caretaker manager. The 4:2:1:3 formation has proven to be ineffective.
Unfortunately, after the West Ham defeat, many fans had taken on social media for Ole to be axed. They are running out of patience after the same mistakes keep repeating themselves every week. Ole hasn’t added a twist to his game plan and that he must do to achieve results.
“You get a bad result, you change. Two weeks ago I didn’t see anyone saying ‘we want Ole out’ and now it’s changing after two weeks. Come on man,” Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand said on Sunday.
The club has had top managers like Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho who have been successful in their careers. These managers ended up been sacked while the problems still remain.
It is imperative for United to fall back to track and cement its spot in top European football competition. This will entail having an independent sporting director who works with the manager to get good quality players.
According to a report by Transfer Markt, Manchester United have spent a whopping €486.33 million on transfers in the last five years. And the current United squad lacks the needed quality to compete with Liverpool and Manchester City. In other words, the club has not done justice to recruitment as mostof the players have been conspicuously inconsistent.
With Ed Woodward, the club’s Chairman handling transfer decisions it may be difficult to get the players United to need to take it back to the top. That is the major reason a sporting director is needed at the club to resolve football transfer woes.
”At Bayern, the people in charge are football men. I always appreciated that. “At Manchester United, on the other hand, Ed Woodward was installed as CEO – somebody with zero understanding of football who was previously an investment banker, Van Gaal said in an interview with Independent.“It cannot be a good thing when a club is run solely from a commercially-driven perspective.
However, there have been lots of positives ever since Ole took over the United team. The cordial relationship and communication between him and the players have been impressive. The mood in the dressing room has been all positive
Speaking on the club’s official YouTube channel, Scott McTominay said: “Ole comes in and it’s ‘boom’.“Everybody’s 10 feet tall, looking around. “We think we can play against anybody. “And I think that comes from the belief instilled in the players and confidence shown.”
The United boss has also shown some level of confidence in his squad. He said many times in press conferences that he is going to succeed in the club. However, some players wouldn’t be part of that group. During the transfer window, he was able to clear some United players who were not taking leaving up to expectation.
The United’s tradition of promoting young academy graduates to the senior team is gradually coming into fruition, with the likes of Gomez, Chong, Garner, and Greenwood making on the list. The club is almost adopting the old United style of counter-attacking football which has been missing in recent years.
At this point, the club must do everything within its powers to regain its position as one of the best football teams in the world. It took Liverpool years to fall back to become competitive again and United is gradually falling into that same trap.
Sports
MTN Nigeria Awards 150 million Naira to Super Falcons after Historic WAFCON 2024 Win
Reporter: Sandra Ani


MTN Nigeria has rewarded the Nigerian Super Falcons with 150 million naira following their remarkable victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The announcement was made at a celebratory breakfast reception hosted by the technology company in Lagos, in the presence of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) leadership and female executives across key sectors, alongside a host of MTN executives who came out to celebrate the champions and reaffirm the company’s commitment to football, inclusion and youth empowerment.
The Super Falcons’ win goes down as one of the most thrilling in tournament history. Facing Morocco on their home soil, Nigeria came back from 2-0 down to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory, clinching their 10th WAFCON title and reinforcing their status as Africa’s most decorated women’s team.
Delivering the opening remarks, MTN’s Chief Marketing Officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, highlighted the Super Falcons’ win as an inspiration for Nigerian women. “The Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is a championship that has been held 13 times and Nigeria has won 10 times. This is no small feat. It is a testament to how determined Nigerian women can be when they set out to achieve something. What you have achieved not only makes Nigeria proud, but it makes us, even we women, proud. Here at MTN, we believe, and one of our values is ‘Can Do’, can do with integrity. Your final match exemplifies that.”
As the official telecommunications partner of the NFF, MTN presented the 150 million naira reward to celebrate the team’s resilience and achievement. MTN director, Ifueko Okauru explained that 115 million naira would go to the players and 35 million to the technical team.
“At MTN we believe in the power of connection, not just through technology, but through our soul, through our spirits, what we share and what unifies us,” said Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria.
Toriola described the company’s investment in the NFF as fruitful. “As proud sponsors of the Nigerian Football Federation, this long-term significantly financially-heavy investment in supporting the NFF has borne so many fruits. We followed you through every match, every challenge, every trial and some of them losses. We followed you and we continue to support you and today we are so proud to say our efforts have not been in vain. We followed you for the big things, we followed you for the smaller things.
He added, “To the Super Falcons, you are more than athletes, you are inspirations. You are an inspiration for everyone in Nigeria, every young lady to go out there and make a difference. You are role models, you are ambassadors, and you are proof that when Nigerian women rise, the world will take notice.”
Captain of the Super Falcons, Rashidat Ajibade, thanked MTN and its board members for their warm reception and support. “We appreciate you a lot. We feel valued, we feel honoured, we feel respected, and this only inspires us to do better, and keep inspiring the next generation.”
“This win is for all of us,” she said, dedicating the 10th title not just to the current Super Falcons squad but to all the players who came before. While grateful for the milestone, she made it clear they were not content. “We want to take this to the next level. We want to be global contenders. We don’t want to be just local champions. It’s time to take it to the next level. We understand the huge responsibility on us, and we hope that we can all work together, the Federation, the federal government, and also private bodies to keep investing and keep supporting the Super Falcons Council so we can all achieve this objective.”
The breakfast reception featured a classical string quartet, stirring soul-Afrobeats choir rendition that had the Falcons on their feet, dancing joyfully in celebration of their hard-won victory. Singer Praiz also delivered a performance that drew cheers from the audience and added to the festive energy in the room.
As the nation continues to celebrate their victory, this moment stands as both a reward and a reminder of what Nigerian women can achieve when backed by belief, investment and opportunity. The celebration was especially timely as it fell on Pan African Women’s Day, a fitting moment to honour the strength, resilience and achievements of Nigerian women on and off the pitch.


John C. Nwosu, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has hailed the Super Falcons for lifting the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s African Cup of Nations (WACON) held in Morocco for the 10th time, after a dramatic outing in Rabat, capital of the North African nation.
The Nigerian female team came from behind after a 2:0 lead they were handed down by the Atlas Lionesses at half time to turn the tide in a dramatic fashion, marked by energy, resilience, determination and skill, slotting in three goals in less than 30 minutes.
A totally enthralled Nwosu declared that feat clearly showed how with determination and focus, the most difficult tasks could be achieved and toughest challenges could be surmounted, adding that the feat embodied a lot of life’s lessons.
“What we saw today is the can-do spirit of that Nigerians are known for. It is a spirit that has broken many barriers and achieved great things. I particularly noticed the teamwork and synergy among the girls and their determination not to give up. It shows the reward of unity of purpose.
“As I watched our girls lift this beautiful trophy up, my spirit was also lifted. I am sure I am not alone. This spectacular achievement today shows how much we can achieve in Nigeria when we de-emphasise those things that divide the nation and emphasise the things that unite us.
“This is the focus of the ADC. We take it as a task to unite Nigeria by promoting unity, equity, justice and fair play in all facets of the society, knowing that together, working individually and collectively, we wake the sleeping giant.
“It is particularly so as we make deliberate moves to recreate a new Anambra where the government and the people will form an environment of common vision and move in the same direction, achieve a common goal. That vision has gained a strong fillip by this wonderful feat in Morocco.”
Well done girls. Once again, you have put smiles on millions of Nigerians, both home and abroad. May this joy continue to resonate everywhere in the life of our dear nation, now and in future.


Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has congratulated the Super Falcons of Nigeria on their 10th Women African Cup of Nations, WAFCON, title, saying that they demonstrated the resilience of the Nigerian spirit.
The Super Falcons, who fell behind by two goals in the first half, staged a memorable comeback in Rabat in the second half, beating their Moroccan counterparts before their huge crowd of home fans to lift the WAFCON 2025 trophy courtesy of goals delivered by Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and Jennifer Echegini.
Mbah, who took to his verified social media handle, @PNMbah, to celebrate the impressive Nigerian side wrote, “Congratulations, Super Falcons, on your well-deserved WAFCON 2025 triumph.
“Coming from two goals down to beat the Moroccans to the trophy underscores the resilience and invincibility of the Nigerian spirit and what we can achieve as a people by working together in oneness of mind.
“We are super proud of you.
“Again, congratulations, girls, and keep flying higher.”
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