Sports

Haaland Set To Reign Over Europe As Man City Eye Historic Treble

Published

2 years ago

June 8, 2023

Erling Haaland has been backed to dominate the Champions League for years to come as the record-breaking Manchester City striker aims to fire his side to treble glory in Saturday’s final against Inter Milan.

Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm in his first season, scoring 52 goals in all competitions since signing from Borussia Dortmund.

The 22-year-old fuelled City’s successful bid to overhaul Arsenal in the title race before Pep Guardiola’s side completed the second leg of the treble with their FA Cup final victory against Manchester United last Saturday.

City are firm favourites to win the Champions League for the first time when they face Inter in Istanbul this weekend.

That would make City only the second English club after Manchester United in 1999 to lift the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the same season.

Yet, ominously for defenders across Europe, Haaland believes he can only get better as he spends more time in Guardiola’s unique system.

“I’ve been developing in a really positive way and that’s important for me because I’m still really young,” he said.

“I’m 22, I’ve got a long career ahead of me and I still have to develop. That’s also something I was thinking of over one year ago when I was thinking about my next move.”

It is a view shared by Inter striker Romelu Lukaku, who knows all about the ups and downs of life in the Premier League.

Former Manchester United and Everton striker Lukaku, currently on loan at Inter from Chelsea, is a huge fan of Haaland, whose physical approach mirrors the Belgian’s own style of play.

He expects the Norwegian to establish himself as the world’s most feared forward alongside Paris Saint Germain’s Kylian Mbappe.

“I think he will dominate, with Mbappe, world football for the next 10 years,” Lukaku told CNN.

“They will be fighting from the new generation. They will really take over from Messi and Ronaldo in the next two years.”

– ‘One more’ –

The awe-inspiring statistics of Haaland’s first season with City are enough to give Inter boss Simone Inzaghi sleepless nights.

Haaland’s 36 Premier League goals set a record for single season in the competition.

Haaland’s 12 goals in 10 Champions League appearances so far this season played a huge role in City’s progress to only their second final in Europe’s elite club competition.

He is the first player to be voted Premier League Player and Young Player of the Year in the same season and was also named the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) men’s footballer of the year.

It has been a life-changing year for Haaland, who said: “I’m 196cm tall and have got long blond hair so wherever I go people are going to see me. So that’s how my life is.

“What can I do? There’s nothing I can do, that’s my life. I just have to try to enjoy it as much as I can. Try to relax when I’m home with good people around me, that’s really important.”

It is hard to imagine now, but there was a brief period earlier this year when some critics suggested City were worse off with Haaland.

After winning the title without a recognised striker in the previous two seasons, City had fallen behind Premier League pace-setters Arsenal as Haaland occasionally looked isolated up front.

He has silenced those doubters in emphatic fashion, but Inter will have noted he goes into the final with only one goal in his last seven games.

Haaland’s current four-match goalless run is his longest in a City shirt, and he hasn’t gone as many games without scoring since April 2021.

Yet Haaland had a warning for Inter just seconds after the final whistle blew following the FA Cup final.

While hugging Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva on the Wembley pitch, Haaland exhorted his City team-mates to make one last push in Istanbul.

“Come on, one more,” he roared while pumping his fist.

Few would be surprised if the intensely driven Haaland ends his drought by scoring the goal that makes history for City.

Sports

Oliseh Urges Osimhen To Choose Premier League Over Galatasaray Return

Published

1 day ago

July 9, 2025

Editor

Former Super Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh, has issued a strong word of advice to Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen amid mounting speculation linking the Napoli forward with a surprise return to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Oliseh warned that the 26-year-old striker is at a pivotal stage in his career and must carefully consider his next move to avoid future regret. He wrote, “Victor Osimhen is at a very delicate crossroad. He needs to find his way to the Premier League in a hurry or he risks so much regret! Man. United and Arsenal need this player if only…..”

Oliseh’s comments come amid reports that Osimhen is preparing for a permanent switch to Galatasaray, where he previously starred during a loan spell, scoring 26 goals to lead the club to the Turkish Super Lig title. However, the Nigerian legend believes a move to England’s top flight would better suit Osimhen’s development and global standing.

Now 26, Osimhen’s age is reportedly becoming a factor in transfer negotiations, with some Premier League clubs cautious about making a high-value investment. Delaying a move to England any further could reduce his appeal in the competitive Premier League market, insiders suggest.

Despite being contracted to Napoli until 2026, Osimhen’s future remains uncertain. The striker was expected to return for pre-season training, but reports in Italy claim that new head coach Antonio Conte has no intention of including him in his plans and could relegate him to the youth team.

Sports

Liverpool Return To Training In Wake Of Jota death

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2025

Editor

Liverpool’s stars returned to training on Tuesday for the first time since the tragic death of forward Diogo Jota.

The Premier League champions postponed the start of pre-season training after Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in northern Spain last Thursday.

Manager Arne Slot and a number of the Liverpool squad, led by captain Virgil van Dijk, attended Jota’s funeral in his home town of Gondomar, near Porto, on Saturday.

Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley and Wataru Endo were among the players pictured arriving at the training ground.

Salah said in his tribute to the Portuguese international that he was frightened to go back to Liverpool to face the reality of Jota’s passing.

“Teammates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back,” Salah posted on Instagram.

A site of remembrance has been set up at the club’s iconic Anfield stadium where hundreds of bouquets of flowers, shirts, scarves and pictures have been left by fans and former players in recent days.

Liverpool’s first pre-season friendly is scheduled for Sunday away at Championship side Preston.

But ticket sales for that match have been suspended pending a final decision on whether the match will go ahead.

Liverpool are then due to go on an Asian tour, playing AC Milan in Hong Kong and Japanese side Yokohama Marinos before the end of the month.

Sports

Super Falcons Begin WAFCON Campaign With 3-0 Win Over Tunisia

Published

4 days ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

Nigeria began their pursuit of a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title with an emphatic 3-0 win over Tunisia in Casablanca.

Veteran striker Asisat Oshoala opened the scoring in the fourth minute, capitalizing on a low, in-swinging free-kick from Rinsola Babajide. The former Barcelona star bundled the ball into the net during a scramble in the Tunisian penalty area.

Babajide, who switched allegiance from England to Nigeria in 2023, doubled Nigeria’s lead just before halftime. The winger fired past Tunisia goalkeeper Soulaima Jobrani in first-half stoppage time to register her first-ever goal at a senior international tournament.

Chinwendu Ihezuo sealed the win late in the match, finishing off a precise cross from Ashleigh Plumptre in the 84th minute.

The victory puts Nigeria at the top of Group B, ahead of the group’s other fixture between Algeria and Botswana later on Sunday (19:00 GMT).