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Last Thursday, purely out of curiosity and the unusual invitation I received from Augustine Eguavoen, former captain as well as former Manager of the Super Eagles, for whom I have a lot of respect, I attended a Nigeria Football Federation program for the first time in ages.
The invitation aroused my curiosity.
FIFA is promoting and funding a new development program targeted at the global grassroots. It involves supporting Member Associations to identify, educate and train young football talents, and nurture them to become the best. This automatically means proper involvement of schools and football academies in the country’s football development agenda and architecture.
It was all sweet music to my ears. I dropped everything I was doing and headed to Abuja for the one-day workshop. I am glad I did.
Air Peace Ambassador
I had not been to Abuja for a while. This was my second trip only, and my second opportunity since July 28th 2023, experience, first-hand, travelling as an Air Peace Ambassador. On July 28th 2023, Dr. Allen Onyema, Chairman of the biggest airline in Nigeria presently, and one of the fastest growing on the African continent, Air Peace, celebrated, honoured and decorated a group of forgotten national sports heroes. He made them Air Peace Ambassadors with the unprecedented benefits of flying to any destination in Nigeria without any limitation for the rest of their lives. There is also the additional privilege of doing so in style by flying in Business Class whenever a vacant seat is available. Such generosity has never been seen in history! My American friends, world-renowned athletes, find it hard to believe that any such reward was possible. That’s the magnitude of Allen Onyema’s humanity, patriotism, and generosity.
Last Thursday morning, I had the opportunity of a ‘taste’ of it. It was an absolute treat. Now I understand why a few of my colleagues will not stop harassing me about wishing to see Allen personally to thank him, and to make him understand how much he has touched and even changed their lives for good, forever, with his uncommon munificence.
I was amply reminded about all of these things last Thursday as I booked a seat, took the early morning flight out into Abuja, and returned on Friday morning, also on the first flight out. My experience is only be better imagined.
In summary, both flights, in an almost brand-new aircraft, were great experiences – the ease of booking the flights, the friendly reception at the desks, the elevating courtesies on board, the timely departures and the smooth flights. It was all a dream!
I know it will not always be so for every passenger and on all flights. Yet, our responsibility as beneficiaries is to continue to acknowledge and to testify to the uncommon and unprecedented gifts that have changed the lives of the surviving members of the 1976 Olympic contingent, as well as the 1980 AFCON football winners.
On Saturday, December 2, 2023, some members of those teams will join me on “90 minutes with Mathematical7” on Eagle7 Sports Radio, to share our experiences. Have all the pledges made to them been redeemed? Are they truly enjoying free-flights around Nigeria?
Now, back to the primary reason for my going to Abuja.
FIFA and Nigerian grassroots Football
FIFA is driving a new football development program called FIFA Talent Development Scheme. The program gives every boy and girl an opportunity and space to play football, the most gifted to be discovered and to be trained to become elite players, and subsequently made to play more often and at higher levels enough to prepare them for the highest levels of football, particularly, in their national teams.
This means focusing on young players between the ages of 11 and 16 in all Member Association countries; introducing new FIFA competitions deliberately designed to impact football at grassroots levels; involving stakeholders through their national federations by playing a role in this grand vision; developing training programs to improve the human capacity to drive the entire project; and provide the essential funding, expert guidance and supervision for the project to succeed.
Two technical experts from FIFA came to Abuja to explain the details of the project, guide stakeholders into playing a role and how to partner with FIFA through their national federation in the implementation process. The assembly of stakeholders were from academies, clubs, state football associations, schools sports, the NIS, and so on.
The event went well enough. I was surprised about the large turnout of grassroots stakeholders from different parts of Nigeria, particularly the owners of academies mushrooming in every cranny, the largest constituency in Nigerian football today.
The main highlights are that the academies must meet certain criteria to be set, in order to be officially registered with the Football Federation to enjoy the benefits of being in the FIFA family. FIFA is creating more competitions for the youths. The Under-17 Championship shall become an annual event with an increase in the number of participating countries. There is also an increase in women’s competitions.
Austin Eguavoen presented the assembly with an ambitious vision for grassroots football in Nigeria, setting the standards and targets at every level to be achieved by 2027.
It was all very interesting. If properly implemented, I believe it will fill the missing gaps in Nigeria’s transition from juniors to seniors.
I can’t wait to observe the outcomes, of this very laudable program, on paper.
Special time with diplomats
Shortly after the FIFA program I decided to honour my friend, the Director-General of the Nigerian Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, who was officially re-opening the re-furbished Arts and Culture Centre in Abuja. He had invited me to the ceremony targeted at the diplomatic committee in Abuja.
It turned out to be a good outing for me, particularly in my role as Head of the Sports Diplomacy Unit of the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, NIIA.
About 16 Ambassadors turned up, plus several lesser officers from various other embassies.
An opportunity came for me to pass on a remark, and trust me, I went into reminiscences, recalling my experiences in some of the countries whose ambassadors were physically present.
I recalled how, in 1973, I played my first international match against the national team of the Central African Republic, and scored my first international goal. The Ambassador was pleasantly shocked at the revelation.
To the excitement of the Cameroonian Ambassador, I recalled my first international football trophy. It was a confrontation with the legendary Roger Milla, Africa’s best player at the time, and captain of Tonnerre Kalala FC. We won and I was a scorers again.
I recalled the trip of the Green Eagles to Varna for camping on our way to the All-Africa Games in Algiers in 1978; how driving down one of the major highways we saw an exact replica of the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, in the Bulgarian city. It was an eerie experience. The Ambassador was relieved as I did not recall Nigeria’s trouncing of Bulgaria in the 1994 World Cup. We have become friends.
I recalled the Green Eagles’ visit to China, the first Black and African national team in the world to play across several cities in China. The China Ambassador was mesmerized.
My message to the American and Jamaican Ambassadors was about Nigeria’s mission to conquer the world through deployment of soft power diplomatic tools. Nigeria’s music has taken over the world. Nigerian films and sports are on the warpath.
Arts and Culture will soon join them, and together, Nigeria, with some of the smartest people on earth, will soon rule the world by using soft tools.
I must have left many of the Ambassadors basking in the brief moments of history of past relationship with Nigeria that they may not know existed, at the new Arts and Culture Centre in Abuja.
As we match into December, Nigerian female footballer, Asisat Oshoala has taken to social media to announce her search for two or three boyfriends.
Expressing her single status and openness to romantic connections, Oshoala revealed her interest in entering relationships with a least 2 or 3 guys; one based abroad and the other two in Nigeria.
Outlining her preferences, the sensational Barcelona forward emphasized a desire for tall men, specifically those with a dark complexion, and the additional requirement that they must be financially well-off.
Expressing herself, she wrote:
“December don come oo…. Abeg where dem dey apply for BF, I go need like 2 or 3 edakun see. 1 abroad, 2 for Naija. Rich niggas only, please. Must be TALL too, preferably dark skin.”
See the post below:
Former Super Eagles coach, Chief Festus Onigbinde, has told Nigerians not to expect any miracle from the senior national team in their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Nigeria secured a 1-1 draw against Lesotho and another 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in their qualifying campaign and now sit third on the Group C table.
Onigbinde now says the state of football in Nigeria is not what it used to be in the past.
“What is happening to Nigerian football is very bad and we should not focus only on the 2026 World Cup qualifiers or 2023 AFCON." He told Complete Sports.
“These things are not achieved overnight but something you have to prepare for over a period of time. But we always expect magic to happen from Eagles.”
Citing article two of the FIFA status, the former CAF and FIFA technical instructor said that there is need for proper developmental programmes where the game of football will be improved upon.
“Again, FIFA has a status, and in article two of that status, under objectives and why are you running football. There is a very important point which is to improve the game of football constantly. But, what are we doing to improve the game of football in Nigeria?
“Do we have developmental programmes. If we don’t then why are we crying if we lose a match. Or when we don’t qualify for a competition? Things were not like this in the past. But the people who are running football now know what they are doing. I will always wish them the best of luck.
Onigbinde also revealed that the decision to sack the coach of the senior national team, Jose Peseiro lies with the Nigeria Football Federation.
“The decision to sack Peseiro is that of the people who are managing the football now. And I am not one of them because I am not close to them. If Peseiro is sacked now, I understand that there is a clause in his contract that he will be paid certain amount of money and that money going to him alone.”
Super Falcons recorded a 5-0 win over Cape Verde in the first leg of the 2024 Women Africa Cup of Nations final round qualifying at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Thursday.
Uchenna Kanu and Esther Okoronkwo scored a brace, and Monday Gift added the other goal to the delight of the supporters.
The Super Falcons made light work of the Cape Verdeans with impressive performance to move a step closer to qualifying for the competition in Morocco.
Monday Gift hit the bar from a 22-yard free kick before Uchenna Kanu took advantage of goalmouth scramble to score the first goal with a close range finish.
Monday Gift added the second goal after the opponents failed to clear their lines in the 25th minute.
Kanu added her second of the day, finishing off a swift counter-attacking move started by Rasheedat Ajibade to make it 3-0 for the hosts.
Esther Okoronkwo added the fourth with a fine individual effort after the hour mark, she completed her brace with another goal 13 minutes from the regulation time to put the Super Falcons in the driving seat of the clash.
The second leg comes up in Praia in Cape Verde on Tuesday, 5th December.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have dropped by two spots in the latest FIFA ranking to place 42nd in the world.
In the ranking table on the website of the world football governing body, on Thursday, the Eagles dropped 16.04 points to rank 1474.44 points as against 1490.48 in October.
However, the drop did not affect the team’s placement on the continent, as it still remained the 6th team on the continent, behind Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt, respectively.
The drop in ranking comes after the Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw in their two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho on Nov. 16 and Zimbabwe on Nov. 19.
Rave of the moment, Jude Bellingham was on target again for Real Madrid in the 4-2 win over Napoli in a Champions League encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a bright start to life at Real Madrid since joining from Dortmund in the summer.
Giovanni Simeone gave Napoli the lead in the ninth minute.
Rodrygo quickly restored parity for Real Madrid two minutes later with a curling effort.
Bellingham turned the game around with a well-placed header from David Alaba’s cross to make it 2-1 in Real Madrid’s favour.
The 20-year-old has now become the first Real Madrid player to score in his first four matches for the club in the Champions League.
He has now scored 15 goals in 16 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions this season.
Zambo Anguissa brought Napoli back into the game with a powerful effort just after the restart.
Nico Paz restored Real Madrid’s lead in the 84th minute to make it 3-2.
Bellingham assisted Joselu with a stunning outside of the foot cross for the striker to tap in.
The former Dortmund has now recorded four assists in the Champions League this season.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has hailed Bellingham for his impressive form.
“No one could imagine his adaptation here to this club and this football. It is surprising to fans, teammates, and even rivals.
“He is spectacular when he arrives in the area. He is a gift for football. He has great talent.
“He is a modern player, ideal for today’s football, with intensity and the ability.
“He is a serious, professional young man who has adapted very well to the locker room.
“What I see differently is an arrival inside the area that Zidane did not have and an individual quality from Zidane that Bellingham does not have.
“There is the difference, but this is modern football, which wants physically strong players like Bellingham, capable of covering the entire field very quickly.”
Real Madrid are on top of Group C with 15 points from five games, Napoli sits in the second place with 8 points from the same number of games with a game to go.
Arsenal recorded a 6-0 win over RC Lens to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages in style.
The Gunners made a return to the competition for the first time in seven years and have advanced to second round with a game to spare after breezing past Lens at the Emirates Stadium.
Kai Havertz gave Arsenal the lead with a close range finish from Jesus’ pass in the 13th minute.
Saka set up Jesus for the second goal after a powerful run to leave Lens defenders at his wake.
Saka went from provider to score two minutes later to make it 3-0.
Martinelli added the fourth goal bottom corner finish from the left to continue the scoring spree.
Odegaard scored the fifth goal with a volley from a Tomiyasu’s pass to end the first half 5-0.
The Gunners became the first team to have five different scorers in the first half of a Champions League match.
Jorginho put the icing on the cake from the spot after Abduqodir Khusanov handled the ball in the 18-yard box to make it 6-0.
In the other Group B match, PSV defeated Sevilla 3-2.
Arsenal are on top of Group B with 12 points from five games, PSV are guaranteed a second-place finish with 8 points from four games with a game to spare.
•Sports Minister summons Portuguese coach
Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, told the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Committee not to teach him his job but rather pay him and his team their outstanding allowances, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Peseiro allegedly said this while reacting to the NFF Technical Committee Chairman, Shariff Ahlan’s comment in the wake of his future as Eagles coach, stating that the Eagles job is bigger than the Portuguese.
Ahlan told Peseiro in a meeting in Lisbon, Portugal in October that the Eagles had been struggling due to his poor technical abilities.
“You’re busy to pay me my allowances but not busy to tell me what I will do,” Peseiro replied Ahlan when he was told that he would defend his squad list for subsequent games.
Despite guiding Nigeria to qualification for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, Peseiro’s uninspiring side trails Rwanda and South Africa in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on the back of two 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
In 15 games in charge of the Eagles, Peseiro has won six and lost six with the three-time African champions scoring 31 times – with 10 coming in one game against Sao Tome and Principe – and conceded 21 goals.
“Henceforth, if I remain in the technical committee, if he submits a professional list he would come and justify the list in front of the committee explaining why he invited each player based on their statistics and club performance.
“From our side, we’ve said Peseiro can’t do the job, if you look at how he runs the affairs of the team it seems the Nigeria national team is bigger than him honestly.”
Meanwhile, Sports Minister, John Enoh, has summoned Peseiro over the poor performance of the Eagles in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Enoh made this known during a media parley with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said, “I am happy to report that I had a meeting with the NFF president, secretary and the Technical Department of NFF regarding the Super Eagles.
“What we came out of that is that I’ve had to request that the coach (Peseiro) be summoned and I think at some point next week there’s going to be an engagement with him.
“All of that is trying to respond to the outcome of these matches, especially the World Cup qualifying games.
While reacting to the call from some football stakeholders that the Portuguese should be sacked over poor results, Enoh said that despite the emotions and passions of Nigerians over football, the decision to sack a coach is not taken due to emotions.
“As a minister, I am concerned that the Nigeria national team is not delivering, not meeting up with our expectations. The Africa Cup of Nations is so close that we need to be careful in what decisions we make but the next qualification rounds for the World Cup, the next match is in June, so it gives us more time to take decisions going forward.
“AFCON is going to start January 13, are we going to request to fire the coach (Peseiro), I mean the answer is as good as mine.
“I have found out that in this sector, there are passions and emotions. Where you are seated and where I am providing leadership, you don’t respond, you know you are not driven by passions and emotions.”
[Punch]
Napoli have reportedly reached a decision over an asking price for Victor Osimhen.
Since arriving in Naples in 2020, the forward has proceeded to enjoy a legendary stint.
He has scored 65 goals and contributed 16 assists from 112 appearances in all competitions.
A large chunk of those strikes came during Napoli’s Serie A title-winning campaign in 2022-23, ending a wait of more than three decades to lift the trophy.
However, with a different manager at the helm and already eight points adrift of leaders Inter Milan in the standings, there is a different mood at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this season.
That includes the situation involving Osimhen who, while still making an impact, has faced constant speculation regarding his future and was on the receiving end of two offensive posts from the club’s social media team in recent times.
With just over 19 months remaining on his contract, a decision will soon need to be made regarding everyone’s next move, there seemingly being an impasse over any progression.
At a time when Osimhen is said to have little interest in a renewal, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is prepared to play hardball over a sale, insistent on making a profit on the €80m that they shelled out more than three years ago.
The likes of Chelsea and Arsenal – alleged admirers of the 24-year-old – have always been conscious that it would take in excess of that fee to sign Osimhen in January or next summer.
Nevertheless, according to Il Mattino, De Laurentiis is currently insisting on receiving €150m (£130.06m) for his star man.
How any of his suitors react to that stance remains to be seen with it having recently been alleged that Chelsea plan to make a move in January.
Co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are not in a position where they can afford that fee due to their FFP restrictions, unless they make a number of sales to offset that figure.
From Arsenal’s perspective, that stance would automatically rule them out, and it has already been suggested that they are priortising other positions at the start of 2024.
Despite De Laurentiis reportedly wanting to demand what would be one of the biggest fees in world transfer history, Napoli’s position will significantly weaken if they reach next summer without Osimhen penning a renewal.
[EagleOnline]
The 2023-2024 UEFA Champions League matchday five produced some stunning results which amplified why the UCL is the elite club football competition in the world.
In the matchday five games that went down on Tuesday night, November 28, virtually every match venue across Europe recorded nail-biting actions. But the most enthralling encounter took place at the Etihad Stadium between Manchester City and RB Leipzig.
During the game, RB Leipzig led the reigning UEFA Champions League winners 2-0 in the first 33 minutes and City had to wait until the 54th minute before they started fighting back courtesy of a goal from Erling Haaland. Phil Foden and Julián Álvarez helped City to complete the comeback as Pep Guardiola’s men won 3-2 to reaffirm their place in the next round and their first spot in Group G.
Another venue that almost produced a spectacular result was the Parc des Princes where Newcastle United enjoyed the lead from the 24th minute of the game courtsey of a strike from Alexander Isak.
It was not until the injury time of the second half that Paris Saint Germain scored the equalizer via a penalty taken by Kylian Mbappe in the 98th minute.
The draw dropped Newcastle to the third spot in Group F with 5 points in 5 games, two points below second-placed PSG and five points below first-placed Borussia Dortmund.
At San Siro, Nigeria’s winger, Samuel Chukwueze scored his first Champions League goal for AC Milan but that wasn’t enough to stop Borussia Dortmund from beating them 3-1 in front of their fans as they dropped to the bottom of Group F with five points in five games.
This means that the group is still open for Milan, Newcastle, and PSG as they are all left with just a game to push for qualification to the next round.
At the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, FC Barcelona gave themselves a very strong advantage heading to the last game of the Group stage with a 2-1 win over Porto.
The win left them at the top of Group H with 12 points in five games, three points above second-placed Porto and third-placed Shakhtar Donetsk. This means that a draw is enough for Barca to seal their place in the next round.
Below are all the results of the Champions League games played on Tuesday, November 28:
SS Lazio v Celtic (2-0)
Shakhtar Donetsk v Antwerp (1-0)
Feyenoord v Atlético Madrid (1-3)
Paris Saint-Germain v Newcastle United (1-1)
AC Milan v Borussia Dortmund (1-3)
Manchester City v RB Leipzig (3-2)
BSC Young Boys v Crvena Zvezda (2-0)
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FC Barcelona v FC Porto (2-1)
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Nigerian former professional football striker and the former head coach of the Nigeria national team, Samson Siasia, has said that the Super Eagles cannot triumph in the forthcoming 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), considering the results of their recent friendly matches.
In order to have a shot at competing for the title at the 2023 AFCON tournament, Siasia emphasizes the need for the players to enhance their performance.
Naija News reports that the recent matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe have been far from impressive for the Super Eagles. The development has raised concerns among patriotic citizens as the Nigerian team hopes to secure a fourth title in Cote d’Ivoire.
As a former member of the Super Eagles squad that triumphed in the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia, Siasia firmly believes that both the players and the technical staff must step up their game if they wish to make a significant impact at the upcoming AFCON.
“Like the majority of Nigerians, I am worried about the Eagles’ lacklustre performances so far. Struggling against countries like Lesotho and Zimbabwe is not a good sign of a team ready to win the Africa Cup of Nations as well as qualify for the 2026 World Cup,” the former striker stated in an interview with Channels Television.
“Let us not deceive ourselves, we cannot be the best in Africa with this disorganised team. Our players must be made to understand what it means to wear the green and white jersey of the nation while the coach also needs to improve on the tactical approach,” Siasia added in his comment on Jose Peseiro’s team.
Naija News reports that the Super Eagles will open their campaign at the 2023 AFCON against Equatorial Guinea on January 14 at the Alhassan Quattara Stadium, Ebimpe.
They will face hosts Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau on January 18 and 22, respectively.
Super Falcons’ striker, Asisat Oshoala, Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, and Coach, Randy Waldrum, are among contenders in the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) final shortlist for the 2023 Awards.
Also in the shortlist are the duo of Esther Ajakaye and Deborah Abiodun, who are in contention for the Young Player of the Year award.
Oshoala will battle with Nnadozie, Zambia’s Barbara Babanda, and South Africa’s trio of Andile Dlamini, Hilda Magaia and Thembi Kgatlana for the Player of the Year Award.
Others in that category are Cameroon’s Ajara Njoya and Anissa Lahmari, Fatima Tagnaout, and Ghizalaine Chebbak, all of Morocco.
Nnadozie is also listed for the Goalkeeper of the Year Award, in which she would contend with the Moroccan duo of Imane Abdelahad and Khadija Er-Rmichi and South Africa’s Andile Dlamini and Kaylin Swart.
Ajakaye and Abiodun will face Ghana’s Comfort Yeboah, Morocco’s Nesryne El Chad and South Africa’s Thubelihle Shamase in the Young Player of the Year award.
Coach Waldrum, who took Nigeria to the second round of the New Zealand/Australia 2023 Women’s World Cup, is pitted against Mehdi El Qaichouri (SC Casablanca), Reynald Pedros (Morocco), Desiree Ellis (South Africa) and Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns) for the Coach of the Year award.
Nigeria is listed in the National Team of the Year Award alongside Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Zambia.
CAF said in a statement that the winners of each category would be determined after the votes of a panel comprising members of its technical commission, media professionals from member associations, head coaches and captains of member associations, including clubs involved in the group stages of interclub competitions.
The awards ceremony will hold on December 11, 2023, at the Palais des Congres Movenpickin Morocco.
[Guardian]
SUPER Eagles striker Umar Sadiq produced a sensational strike to help Real Sociedad to victory in Spain, while his international teammate Terem Moffi also scored for Nice in France last night.
It took Sadiq his 14th appearance in all competitions to open his goals account this season but it was well worth the wait.
The 26-year-old Nigeria international picked the ball up in midfield and glided past two defenders before firing a rising shot from about 30 yards out that gave the Sevilla goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic no chance.
The sensational strike was in the 22nd second minute and Real Sociedad’s second goal following Dmitrovic’s third minute own goal.
Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri pulled one back for Sevilla on the hour mark but Sociedad held on to claim a tight victory.
Sadiq, who was making only his fourth LaLiga start of 12 appearances this season, was taken off to huge applause in the 75th minute, 13 minutes before Sevilla veterans Sergio Ramos and Jesus Navas were both sent off.
With the victory, Real Sociedad moved up to fifth in the LaLiga table while Sevilla are 15th.
In France, Super Eagles striker Moffi scored the only goal of the encounter as Nice defeated Toulouse 1-0.
Moffi struck in the 54th minute to take his Ligue 1 tally to four goals and two assists in 13 matches this season as Nice moved to within one point of leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Also in France, Nigeria winger Moses Simon played the full game as Nice were held to a 0-0 draw by Le Havre, while Super Eagles defender Kevin Akpoguma was brought on at the start of the second half in Hoffenheim’s 1-1 draw at home to Mainz in the German Bundesliga.
PHOTO: Umar Sadiq celebrating his goal.
[NaijaTImes]
Manchester United captain, Bruno Fernandes, has explained why he let Marcus Rashford take a penalty in their 3-0 victory over Everton on Sunday.
The England international forward hit a personal-best 30 goals for the Red Devils last season, but headed to Goodison Park in 2023-24 with just one effort to his name. He was able to double that tally from the spot on Merseyside, with club captain Fernandes stepping aside after a VAR review presented United with an opportunity to score their second goal of the game from 12 yards – following a spectacular overhead kick opener from Alejandro Garnacho.
Quizzed on why he passed the ball to Rashford, Fernandes – who is the Red Devils’ go-to option on penalty duty – told Sky Sports: “Because I felt that Marcus needed a bit of confidence, needed goals. Marcus is an excellent penalty-taker too. I’m 100 per cent sure that he could score the penalty. It’s not about who takes it, it’s about scoring the penalty and Marcus did it perfectly.”
Rashford has faced plenty of uncomfortable questions this season, on the back of signing a lucrative new contract at Old Trafford, but Fernandes says none of the 26-year-old’s team-mates have ever doubted his quality. He said when asked if Rashford’s confidence has dipped: “Obviously strikers, wingers, they want to score goals, they need to score goals, that’s part of their game and it gives you a boost. After the penalty, Marcus was unstoppable – he could take on everyone. I think sometimes you need this chance, this opportunity to get confidence back. But Marcus has been great for us. Obviously last season he was amazing, so everyone’s expectations for this season were higher. It’s just about getting his goals back and everyone will stay say that he is world-class again.”
United boss Erik ten Hag added to BBC Match of the Day when asked how much Rashford needed his goal: “A lot. You see also how great captain Bruno is. He assessed his team-mate needed that goal. He has the confidence in Rashy, who is a good penalty taker. As a team you need that leadership that you back each other. We have to go step by step. This is one step.”
[Leadership]