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JESUS SAVES CITY!

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Gabriel Jesus wheeled away in celebration, hand cupped to one ear, his little joke in an empty stadium. Yet while there was no roar, there was plenty of noise to celebrate the goal that finally dispatched mighty Real Madrid.

From Manchester City’s bench, from Manchester City’s substitutes, from Manchester City’s staff it came. And from the team, too. They knew what Jesus’s goal meant. Three wins from the biggest trophy in the club’s history. Three wins from the prize that vindicates the investment in Pep Guardiola and this side. It is a strange conclusion to the Champions League season, but City can do nothing about that. All they can do is beat what is in front of them – in this case the champions of Spain. And they have done that now, twice, home and away – yet without true home advantage in these sorry times.

And, yes, it took two horrendous defensive errors from Raphael Varane to win this match, but that shouldn’t count against City, either. Both times it was the tenacity of Jesus that forced him into the error. No, he isn’t Sergio Aguero; but he’s a damn hard worker and his finish for the winner last night was sublime.

Rodri played a long ball forward which Varane attempted to head back to his goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois. It fell sloppily short and Jesus pounced. Could Courtois have been faster, braver off his line? Possibly. But Jesus got their first and his touch to send it wide of the giant in Madrid’s goal was placed and weighted to perfection.

So City will play a Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon next Saturday. The following weekend they could be European champions. There is a lot of football, and some very good teams to overcome, but the dream is alive. City’s dream that is. For UEFA, Javier Tebas of La Liga, the Premier League letter writers, this must feel like something of a nightmare.

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It looked, at first, that it was going to be easy. Manchester City were very much on touch from the start and, after a defensive calamity sparked their first goal, looked to have found a team as random at the back as Pep Guardiola’s men can be. Of course, it didn’t quite work out like that. Just as defensive deficiencies at City are often outweighed by attacking impetus, so no team outwits Barcelona to win La Liga without being capable of holding their own in the highest company. That Madrid think they could well do without Gareth Bale is something of a clue, too.

So Madrid equalised and by half-time were hitting City’s weak spot with increasing regularity. He’s called Joao Cancelo, by the way, one of a number of left-backs developed during Guardiola’s tenure, none of whom look quite enough. Put together they wouldn’t amount to one Andy Robertson.

And once Madrid had drawn level it placed the game on a knife-edge, with one more taking the game level on aggregate. Had their been any fans in the Etihad it would have been tense indeed – instead the stress was distributed through the lower tier of the main stand where the players and staff from both clubs sat. Manchester City backroom figures bellowed oaths and encouragement in Catalan, depending on whether referee Felix Brych had denied their man a free-kick, or whether City were engaged in ferocious attack. Madrid the same – minus the Catalan, naturally – led by Sergio Ramos, who remains their very visible captain even in the plus cushioned seats usually reserved for high-paying members of The Tunnel Club. Ramos shouted, stood, debated furious with Marcelo when things weren’t going well but, most of all, he whistled. He’s a very good whistler. Sharp, well projected, occasionally tuneful when he wants to draw attention, like urgent birdsong. Early on, when City looked rampant, Ramos was desperately trying to martial and organise his team-mates, from distance. He’s not everybody’s cup of tea – but you can see why he wears the armband.

Madrid certainly missed him early on, once Kevin De Bruyne had signalled City’s intent with a shot deflected wide by Eder Militao. Just two minutes later came the horrid piece of defending that gifted City a 3-1 aggregate lead.

Thibaut Courtois gave the ball short to Eder Militao to his left, and had it returned swiftly. So he tried Raphael Varane to his right, who got into a terrible mess under pressure from Gabriel Jesus. The striker harried him back towards his goal, then nicked the ball from him and, from there, Madrid were rendered too vulnerable to resist. It was a matter of utmost simplicity for Jesus to square the ball to Rahee, Sterling who slotted it past a desperate Courtois, who must have greatly regretting not just booting it.

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A moment’s pause, though, to pay tribute to Sterling. This was his 20th Champions League goal and only Wayne Rooney, among Englishmen, has reached that milestone sooner – and Sterling isn’t a striker, remember. More parochially, he is the first English player at Manchester City to score 100 goals for the club since Dennis Tueart in 1981. It was his 35th goal of the season for club and country: heaven knows how many he would get if he was a natural finisher. Wink.

Sterling had a shot from 20 yards dip just over the bar after 15 minutes and from the next attack a quite brilliant jinking run was foiled by an equally outstanding tackle from Casemiro.

And then it was Real Madrid’s turn. Rocked by the opening 20 minutes, they gradually came back into the game, first with a Karim Benzema shot that was tipped out by Ederson, then a low effort from Eden Hazard that pitched awkwardly but was repelled expertly.

The equaliser was coming, however, and in the 28th minute it arrived. Rodrygo absolutely skinned Cancelo on the right and hit a perfect cross for Benzema in the middle. He has been in sublime form this season and his technique was perfect. Surrounded by City defenders he got to the ball and steered a header into the corner past Ederson. And Madrid were back in the game.

Cancelo tried to make early amends with a curled shot that was parried by Courtois, and a poor kick by the goalkeeper allowed De Bruyne to tee up Phil Foden who shot just wide, but this was tight. Every time City advanced but failed to score it felt like a moment they could come back to haunt them. Another fine tackle, this time by Militao, kept De Bruyne out, and Courtois was similarly brave against Sterling. Every time De Bruyne took a corner he tried to score directly from it – maybe due to something he knew about his Belgian team-mate Courtois. Not that any of them came off, mind.

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-DAILY MAIL

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Sundowns get the better of Ulsan in battle of the outsiders

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Mamelodi Sundowns FC forward Lebo Mothiba (35) passes the ball during the second half against Ulsan HD during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD had targeted their Group F opener as their best chance to get a win on the board at the Club World Cup, with Brazil’s Fluminense and German side Borussia Dortmund expected to advance from Group F.

South Africa’s Sundowns took all three points with a 1-0 win over the South Koreans and went top of the group after Fluminense drew 0-0 with Dortmund.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

African and Asian teams are not expected to make much of an impact at the new-look 32-team Club World Cup so points are like gold dust for the likes of the Sundowns and Ulsan.

KEY QUOTES

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Miguel Cardoso, Mamelodi Sundowns coach: “We prepared tactically and strategically very well, and then we found a commitment between everybody. I think it was clear we made a very wonderful first half. It was important that we could keep the pace and not stray from the game plan in the second half, so that we could score a second goal that for little details or little centimetres, we could not do.”

Kim Pan-gon, Ulsan HD head coach: “We had targeted this game to win because we understand the other two teams in the group, Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund, are favourites. Our players gave their best efforts in this game and we’re very proud of their efforts. Now we need to recover quickly for the next game.”

-Reuters

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Mexico readies for historic third World Cup as Azteca Stadium tensions grow

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With a year until Mexico makes history as the first three-time World Cup host, the dream of a spectacular showcase is colliding with the practical challenges of modernising the iconic Azteca Stadium for global soccer’s premier event.

Beneath the imposing silhouette of Mexico’s football cathedral – where Pele dazzled with Brazil in 1970 and Maradona’s ‘hand of God’ propelled Argentina to glory in 1986 – construction crews tackle the formidable task of bringing one of the sport’s most storied venues into the 21st century.

The stakes are magnified as the ‘Santa Ursula colossus’ will host the tournament’s opening match, a global spectacle that will focus the world’s attention on Mexico from day one.

Renovations will expand the stadium’s capacity from 87,000 to 90,000, with upgrades centred on meeting FIFA standards through new changing rooms, enhanced hospitality zones, revamped VIP areas and additional seating in spaces previously occupied by boxes and lounges.

While government officials and football administrators envisioned the project as a symbol of national pride, the renovation process has eroded trust between developers, local residents and other stakeholders.

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Stadium administrators announced in February that they had secured a 2.1 billion peso ($110.19 million) credit line from local financial group Banorte – along with a controversial new name: Estadio Banorte.

FIFA regulations mean the stadium will be referred to as “Estadio Ciudad de Mexico” during the World Cup, yet the rebranding has sparked a fierce backlash from some fans, who view it as sacrificing football heritage for commercial interests.

HARSH REALITY

The backlash over the stadium’s new name represents only one facet of the mounting tensions. Box and suite holders – some with relationships spanning decades – have threatened legal action after FIFA announced it would commandeer their seats during the tournament, overriding established contracts.

One member of the Mexican Association of Box Holders has already filed a legal challenge to defend access rights.

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Beyond the stadium walls, frustration runs equally deep. Residents of Santa Ursula and surrounding neighbourhoods fear that promised infrastructure improvements like pedestrian bridges and transit lines will fail to address fundamental issues including inadequate lighting, water shortages and persistent traffic congestion.

“We’re not the stadium’s backyard,” one local resident told Expansion Politica. “But we’re always treated that way.”

By contrast, Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico’s other two host cities, face fewer obstacles.

Guadalajara’s 48,000-seat stadium, opened in 2010, has already hosted major events including the 2011 Pan American Games, while Monterrey’s 53,500-capacity venue, inaugurated in 2015, needs only minor upgrades – primarily new turf and a pitch ventilation system.

“We’ll install a system to ventilate and oxygenate the pitch before replacing the grass,” said Alejandro Hutt, Monterrey’s Host City Manager. “That will be an important legacy from the World Cup and beyond.”

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As construction continues, Javier Aguirre’s Mexico squad are building towards a crucial summer, with a Gold Cup title defence ahead and friendly matches against Turkey this week, followed by Japan and South Korea in September.

After failing to advance beyond the group stage at Qatar 2022 – their worst World Cup performance since 1978 – Mexican fans crave more than just a well organised tournament. They want to see Mexico break the ‘fifth-game‘ curse and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986, the last time they were World Cup hosts.

-Reuters

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Queens and Angels depart from the President Federation Cup

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All contenders are now known for this year’s President Federation Cup grand finale, following Saturday’s elimination of Edo Queens and Ibom Angels in the women’s semi-finals.

Multiple-winners Rivers Angels saw off the stiff challenge of Ibom Angels of Uyo 1-0 in Aba, while Nasarawa Amazons bumped Edo Queens 2-0 in Ayingba.

Cup holders Rivers Angels, who have won the competition nine times, will have their hands full against 2005 and 2019 champions Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia.

In the men’s competition, Abakaliki FC of Ebonyi are getting set to tackle Kwara United FC in the final.

Results of Semi Finals (Women)

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  • Rivers Angels (Rivers) 1-0 Ibom Angels (Akwa Ibom)
  • Edo Queens (Edo) 0-2 Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa)

Results of Semi-Finals (Men)

  • Abakaliki FC (Ebonyi) 0-0 Ikorodu City (Lagos) – Abakaliki FC win 5-4 on penalties
  • Kwara United (Kwara) 1-0 Rangers Int’l (Enugu)

WOMEN’S FINAL

  • Rivers Angels vs Nasarawa Amazons

MEN’S FINAL

  • Abakaliki FC VS Kwara United   

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