Sports

Carrick Wants Rooney Back After Sacking

Published

2 years ago

January 4, 2024

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick says the careers of successful players are “irrelevant” when they move into management after his former team-mate Wayne Rooney, was sacked by Birmingham.

Rooney, who appeared alongside Carrick for both Manchester United and England, was dismissed this week after just 15 games in charge of the Championship club.

The 38-year-old won a huge haul of trophies at Old Trafford, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

He also established himself as record goalscorer for United and England before Harry Kane bettered his international record.

But Carrick, who also boasts an impressive number of medals, knows that counts for little once in the dugout, with contemporaries Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard also having endured difficult starts to their coaching careers.

“It’s not easy, it’s challenging,” he said on Thursday. “Player or no player, it almost becomes irrelevant in some way.

“You are judged for how good or how successful you are or what you’re achieving in the role that you’re in.

“It’s me sitting here now, the boys are playing on Saturday, I’m in a totally different role. It in some ways becomes irrelevant what’s gone on in the past, it’s about what’s next.”

Carrick, whose Championship side host Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, is convinced Rooney has too much talent not to emerge from his disappointment at St Andrew’s and succeed as a boss.

In his first managerial role, Rooney was unable to stop Derby being relegated from the Championship in 2021 after they were hit with a points deduction for financial issues.

He also had a spell in charge of American side DC United, joining in July 2022 and leaving after failing to qualify for the MLS play-offs in October this year.

“I’m bitterly disappointed for Wayne, knowing him as a friend, and I know he’ll bounce back, I know he’ll be a success,” he said.

“He’s too good, he’s too knowledgable and he’s had too much experience to not use that in the right way.”

AFP

Sports

AC Milan Scrap Victor Boniface Transfer Over Failed Medical Tests

Published

14 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

AC Milan has called off its proposed transfer of Nigerian striker Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen, claiming the player failed to pass mandatory medical examinations.

The deal, which had been verbally agreed upon with a €5 million loan fee and a €24 million buy option, fell through despite Boniface’s arrival in Milan within the last 48 hours.

The decision was confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, on Sunday.

“AC Milan call Victor Boniface deal off as Nigerian striker did not pass the medical tests,” Romano posted.

“Despite verbal agreement for €5m loan fee and €24m buy clause with player in Milano in the last 48h, deal called off due to medical. Boniface, returning in Germany today.”

According to reports, the 24-year-old Nigerian international had two anterior cruciate ligament operations and recurring groin problems that have affected his availability in recent seasons.

Milan are not the first Serie A club to have reservations about the striker’s fitness, with reports suggesting that Roma rejected a swap proposal involving Boniface and Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk several weeks ago due to similar concerns over the Nigerian’s condition.

Sports

Why I’ll Never Advise My Son To Visit Nigeria – Taribo West

Published

3 days ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, on Friday, berated the Nigeria Football Federation and Lagos State Government for allegedly abandoning the family of late goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.

Speaking at Rufai’s burial in a video posted by News Central on Friday, the ex-Inter Milan star expressed disappointment over what he described as the neglect of Nigerian football heroes after their death.

“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving.

“My mother passed on. I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands. I never shed tears. When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body. And every individual I’m speaking to, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. What kind of nation is this?” he said

The former international recalled similar situations with late football icons such as Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, stressing that the treatment of ex-players discouraged him from encouraging his children to serve the country through football.

“With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country. Send me out! Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way in his family.

“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” he stated.

Rufai, fondly called “Dodo Mayana,” was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup the same year.

He passed away in July 2025.

Sports

CHAN 2024: Top Scorers Ahead Of Quarter-final Fixtures

Published

5 days ago

August 20, 2025

Editor

Uganda’s Allan Okello and South Africa’s Thabiso Kutumela are currently joint top scorers at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), with three goals each as the tournament heads into the quarter-final stage.

The group stage concluded on Tuesday, with Sudan holding Senegal to a 0-0 draw to finish top of Group D, while Nigeria defeated Congo 2-0.

Here are the top scorers going into the CHAN quarter-finals:

Allan Okello (Uganda) – 3 goals
Thabiso Kutumela (South Africa) – 3 goals
Abdelrazig Omer (Sudan) – 2 goals
Kaporal (Angola) – 2 goals
Austin Odhiambo (Kenya) – 2 goals
Clement Mzize (Tanzania) – 2 goals
The quarter-final fixtures are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.