Sports
Maguire Slams ‘Naive’ Man Utd After Shock Fulham Defeat
Harry Maguire admitted “naive” Manchester United paid the price for being too attacking in the final minutes of their shock 2-1 defeat against Fulham on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag’s side suffered a major blow to their hopes of a top four finish in the Premier League as Alex Iwobi snatched Fulham’s winner seven minutes into stoppage-time.
United defender Maguire looked to have rescued a point when his close-range finish in the 89th minute cancelled out Calvin Bassey’s 65th minute opener.
But United were caught throwing players forward in search of all three points as Iwobi capped a counter-attack to seal Fulham’s first victory at Old Trafford since 2003.
“Overall on the balance of play we didn’t do enough in the first 60 minutes or so. We started the game not great,” Maguire said.
“The first half was pretty even, but when you’re not playing at your best you have to do the basics right.
“To be a goal behind, I thought our reaction was brilliant especially in the last 30 minutes and when we equalised probably only one team was going to win it.
“We were probably naive in the end by throwing too many bodies forward and getting done on the counter attack.”
Sixth placed United are now eight points adrift of fourth placed Aston Villa in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
United could have no complaints after Fulham dominated with a display that punctured the optimism around Old Trafford following the confirmation of Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25 percent stake in the club this week.
British billionaire Ratcliffe, a boyhood United fan, has taken control of the club’s football operations from unpopular owners the Glazer family.
But United’s tame performance underlined how much work they have to do to fulfil Ratcliffe’s bold ambition of knocking Manchester City and Liverpool “off their perch”.
Maguire claimed United were hampered by the absence of Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund, who had been in fine form before suffering an injury this week.
“We got hit by the injury to Rasmus, who has been big focal point for us. But it is up to us to find the solutions and the areas we need to improve on,” Maguire said.
“We can play into him, he holds it up, he starts the press really well, not only that but Marcus (Rashford) has been playing really well on the left.
“It’s the story of our season, we’ve been injury hit, as other teams have, and we need to find a solution quick.”
AFP
Tragedy struck in Ilorin, Kwara state capital following a 30-minute rainstorm which occurred on Monday.
An Ilorin-born Taekwondo coach and champion, identified as Musa Ismail, has been killed in a rainstorm at a badminton court in the Lower Niger River Basin Authority, in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
According to eyewitness accounts, a section of the newly renovated Badminton court executed by the former administration collapsed and fell on the coach.
The badminton court was completely destroyed by the 30-minute rainstorm.
Ismail, who was described as an upcoming and amiable badminton coach by some of his trainees, was said to have been crowned as the 2025 MKA Taekwondo Championship held in Ede, Osun state.
He was said to have been married for more than a year and was survived by a child.
Our correspondent gathered that Ismail played and trained at the facility with friends before the incident occurred.
Findings at the agency in Ilorin on Tuesday showed that the court had been sealed with the collapsed section visible from outside the structure.
Employees of the agency were not forthcoming when approached on the development.
Efforts to reach the leadership of the agency on the incident also proved abortive as of press time.
A member of staff, who pleaded anonymity, said that the incident happened on Monday, though the victim was not an employee of the agency.
“The incident is very tragic, it happened unfortunately during the rain on Monday but no one can speak on it except the managing director who is not around now.
“The MD will be in the office tomorrow and if you come, you will be able to speak with him,” the employee said.
Former Super Eagles Striker and Coach, Samson Siasia is set to lead the fitness program, Walkers & Joggers Lifestyle Groove which is set to take center stage at the mainbowl of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja in May.
The event, aimed at promoting regular physical activity for participants to improve the overall well-being will have the Nigerian 1994 Nations cup winner, headlining the event. Alongside the football legend is Dr. Adeline Shuri, a renowned expert in mental health.
According to the organisers of the event, walking and jogging are two of the most accessible and effective ways to improve physical and mental health.
“One of the SYDA mandates is to promote sporting activities while assisting the government in maintaining and upgrading our sports facilities.
“The program is for every fitness enthusiast in the city of Abuja. We are looking to use this event to introduce a healthy lifestyle while making it entertaining for everyone.
This event will promote physical activity, healthy lifestyles, and community engagement,” said Segun Maku, the CEO of SYDA Lounge.
“While Mr. Siasia handles the physical aspect of things, Dr. Shuri will provide valuable insights and guidance on maintaining good mental health, which is essential for overall well-being,” he added.
The Walking and Jogging Initiative is an intiative of the Sports and Youth Development Academy (SYDA) to prioritise physical and mental health, towards creating a healthier, happier, and more productive society.
Nigerian Afrobeats singer Davido has claimed that he started his life in a one-room apartment in a public compound, known locally as a face-me-I-face-you.
The singer made the claim on a song titled CFMF, off his fifth studio album, 5ive, which was released on Friday.
He claimed that he is now living a flamboyant life due to Jesus’s divine intervention.
“Take a step and walk into my life…
Started all the way from face me I face you
Face me I face you
And now, I am living real large all thanks to Jesu
All thanks to Jesu oh,” he sings.
His claim has been met with a groundswell of doubts, especially on social media, as the singer is known to be the son of billionaire businessman Deji Adeleke.
This is not the first time Davido has attempted to paint a grass-to-grace story in his music.
On his debut 2011 single, Back When, Davido claimed many ladies rejected his advances when he had no money but began chasing him after he achieved fame and success.
The song didn’t achieve much commercial success, partly due to the doubts that greeted his claims of humble beginnings, as he was known to be from a wealthy background.
Davido finally gained widespread prominence after the release of his 2012 breakthrough single, Dami Duro, where he embraced his wealthy background and boasted that he was unstoppable as the son of a rich man.