Sports
Tuchel proud of Chelsea’s mental, physical efforts lifting UEFA Super Cup
Chelsea started the new season on Wednesday with a European trophy by beating Villarreal 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to lift the UEFA Super Cup.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel said he was proud of his players for winning the UEFA Super Cup, praising their physical and especially mental efforts and strength, specifically after Villarreal levelled things in the second half.
He said, “Physically, this was the worst thing that could happen to us, playing extra time. Mentally, it was the best thing to happen.
“[We decided to] use this match to win it and nothing else. We went with the team that played against Arsenal and Tottenham to be in the best shape possible. Are we 100% of our capacity? No, absolutely not. But we were ready to play. We had to suffer because you could see that after 35 minutes that things got hard for us [but] I am very impressed with our reaction after 75 minutes because we had total control of the game again. We played a very good match until the 120th minute.
“So there were a lot of good things. Physically, we overused players who were not ready to play 120 minutes. We only have two days now until the next match against Crystal Palace so that does not help us. But this is the schedule. We came with many players who didn’t even play a friendly match so far. This the situation and it helps nobody if we say we’re not ready. We have to adapt, to be as ready as we can be in our mindset, and give our best on Saturday.”
Chelsea won the Super Cup with substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga brought on in the penultimate minute of extra time specifically for a penalty shoot-out in which the Spaniard then saved two of the seven spot kicks he faced, The Telegraph of London reports.
In a night of high drama Arrizabalaga was then mobbed by his jubilant team-mates, lifted onto their shoulders and was even kissed on the cheek by Tuchel.
The Chelsea manager took off Edouard Mendy in the 119th minute with Arrizabalaga – so derided during his career at Chelsea so far – not even touching the ball before he first saved from Aissa Mandi, low to his right and then from Villarreal captain Raul Albiol, also down to that side, in sudden death. Albiol crumpled in tears as Chelsea celebrated.
“We’ve won it all,” chanted the Chelsea fans and their team now only has the Club World Cup to win in December to complete the set.
Sports
Super Eagles suffer 2-0 loss to Mali in friendly match
Super Eagles suffer 2-0 loss to Mali in friendly match
Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday night suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mali in a friendly match played in Marrakech, Morocco.
Mali, ranked 19th below the Super Eagles in the FIFA’s latest standings, opened scoring through Atalanta-based striker El Bilal Toure in the first half after Nigeria’s dreadful error resulting from a short goal kick.
Toure could barely believe his luck when defender Chidozie Awaziem tried to play a long square pass under pressure near the edge of the Nigeria box and succeeded only in crossing the ball straight to the Mali striker.
He controlled well on his chest before bundling a finish past goalkeeper Stanely Nwabali.
Nigeria lost Moses Simon to injury when the Nantes star collided with Mali keeper Mamadou Samassa and had to be substituted after appearing to suffer a painful knee injury.
Kamory Doumbia made it 2-0 for Mali with three minutes to normal regulation time.
Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 last Friday in a positive result for interim coach Finidi George, the former Ajax and Real Betis winger, who won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.
The defeat has left the Super Eagles with a lot of concerns before they resume World Cup qualifying in June.
This was the 12th meeting between Nigeria and Mali. Nigeria have the head-to-head advantage, with six wins and three defeats in those games.
Mali’s most recent previous win over the Super Eagles was a 4-1 friendly victory way back in 1975.
Some key stars missed the friendly match due to injury. They are Victor Osimhen, William Troost-Ekong, Victor Boniface, Ola Aina, and Zaidu Sanusi.
Midfielder Frank Onyeka has also withdrawn from the squad.
Sports
Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen
Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen
Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer €90 million for Napoli star striker, Victor Osimhen, according to Italian newspaper, II Mattino.
Osimhen has a release clause of around €120 million in his contract but Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis could accept a bid below that, according to the publication.
Napoli are prepared to part company with the Nigerian at the end of the season despite the forward signing a new contract last December.
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Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG have been persistently linked with a move for the forward.
Intermediaries are reportedly working with the striker’s agent, Roberto Calenda to sort out his future.
Osimhen, who joined Napoli from Ligue 1 club, Lille in 2022, has scored 72 goals in 125 appearances for the Partenopei.
Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen
Sports
Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today
Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today
Former World Cup star Finidi George is determined to secure a second consecutive win as he leads the Super Eagles in their clash against Mali today. Appointed as the interim coach for the Nigerian team, George aims to maintain the winning momentum after their recent victory over Ghana.
The encounter between the two West African teams is scheduled at the Grand Stade de Marrakech in Morocco, where the Super Eagles emerged triumphant in their previous match against arch-rivals Ghana with a 2-1 scoreline.
However, George faces challenges as key players such as defender Calvin Bassey and midfielder Frank Onyeka are sidelined due to injuries, adding to the absence of other notable names like Victor Osimhen, William Ekong, and Olaoluwa Aina.
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Despite these setbacks, George remains optimistic about the team’s prospects against Mali. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a winning mentality and expresses confidence in the players’ ability to replicate their performance against Ghana and secure another victory.
Notably, George himself has a history with the Eagles of Mali, having played against them during the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria emerged victorious.
In light of the absences and injuries, George may turn to players such as goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo, defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Jamilu Collins, midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, and forwards Nathan Tella, Sadiq Umar, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to play prominent roles in the upcoming fixture.
Despite the challenges, Finidi George remains determined to guide the Super Eagles to another triumph as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in June.
Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today
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