Connect with us

SPORTS

Man City Strike Twice Late on to Beat Bournemouth

Published

on

Share

Manchester City scored two late goals to earn Enzo Maresca a win in his first Premier League game in charge – and deny Marco Rose the perfect start as Bournemouth boss.

The Cherries took the first-half lead through Marcus Tavernier, who was left in loads of space to slam in after Evanilson’s incisive low ball across the area.

Erling Haaland, usually at his most prolific in August, missed a host of chances for City as they looked set for a frustrating afternoon.

But Marc Guehi, playing in defensive midfield for only the third time in his career, nodded in Rayan Cherki’s corner with six minutes to go.

And it got even worse for Bournemouth when Josko Gvardiol guided a shot into the bottom corner in injury time.

The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but given after a video assistant referee review.

It was Bournemouth’s first defeat in any competition since January, ending their club-record 18-game unbeaten run.

City showed improvement from the side who were bashed 3-0 by Arsenal in last Sunday’s Community Shield – but for most of this game it looked as if Maresca was going to start with consecutive defeats.

Replacing a legend is always difficult – as David Moyes experienced when Sir Alex Ferguson left neighbours Manchester United in 2013 – and the late comeback will come as a major relief in their first Premier League game without Pep Guardiola in a decade.

City did not exactly promote from within when hiring Maresca, who quit as Chelsea manager at the start of 2026, but the Italian was Guardiola’s City assistant in 2022-23 and would perhaps be seen as something of a continuity candidate.

It was a very shaky start though and they went 1-0 down at home on the opening day of a Premier League campaign for the first time since 1995-96 – the season they ended up being relegated.

Maresca’s team selection confused many, with six players who have played most of their City games in defence starting on Sunday – including Guehi in midfield.

But all’s well that ends well and Guehi looked as if he had rescued a point before defender Gvardiol added two more from another Cherki pass.

Things would have been more comfortable if Haaland had brought his shooting boots.

The Norwegian has scored 22 goals in 14 Premier League games in the month of August – but failed to take any of his five chances.

Bournemouth fans would have feared a dip after enjoying the best season in their history last campaign. Sixth place took them into Europe for the first time ever.

And it was a surprise when boss Andoni Iraola announced in April he would be leaving in the summer – eventually joining Liverpool.

Ex-Salzburg and Leipzig boss Rose was confirmed soon after – replacing Iraola at the end of last season, giving him plenty of time to watch from a distance and get to know his new team.

Only one of the side who started against City was a new signing, with Portuguese defender Antonio Silva the replacement for Marcos Senesi, who left for Tottenham.

The Cherries showed plenty of the aggressive, positive play that they produced under Iraola thanks to such dangerous attackers on the break – including Rayan, Evanilson and Tavernier, who all linked up well for the opening goal.

Letting the lead slip late on will be hugely frustrating and ends their long unbeaten run, but Rose, and Cherries supporters, should still have seen plenty to encourage them from a game they would not have expected to win.

And if they had picked up Guehi from a corner maybe they would have done.

SPORTS

Yazeed Al Rajhi Returns to Baja Aragon with Dennis Zenz

Published

on

Share

Saudi Arabian World Champion Yazeed bin Mohammed Al-Rajhi is set to resume competition at Baja Espana Aragon 2026 following its postponement due to wildfires in areas close to the route.

The event was rescheduled as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of competitors, teams, and spectators.

The 42nd edition of Baja Aragon will see a change in Al Rajhi’s driver line-up after his German co-driver Timo Gottschalk suffered rib fractures following a motorcycle accident.

His fellow German co-driver, Dennis Zenz stepped in instead.

Al-Rajhi will compete behind the wheel of the Toyota Hilux T1+ prepared by the Belgian Overdrive Racing team in the fifth round of the 2026 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.

The event takes place in Teruel, Aragon, in northeastern Spain and brings together some of the world’s leading cross-country rally competitors.

Considered one of the most prestigious and historic baja events in the world since its first edition in 1983, Baja Aragon continues to attract top international talent.

The rally covers a total distance of 810.11 kilometers, including 488.68 kilometers of competitive sections, divided into a 6.48-kilometer Prologue, a first stage covering 331.15 kilometers, and a final stage of 151.07 kilometers. The route features fast gravel and dirt tracks, combined with technical sections that demand maximum concentration and precision from drivers and co-drivers.

Al-Rajhi has already completed this season in the Dakar Rally 2026, as well as the Portugal and Argentina rounds of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. His participation in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas was limited to the opening round in Ha’il, as part of a gradual program to regain full physical readiness following his rehabilitation period.

The Saudi World Champion aims to deliver a strong performance at Baja Aragon and continue competing at the highest level of international cross-country rallying, despite the last-minute change in his co-driver line-up.

Speaking ahead of the event, he said: “First of all, I wish Timo a speedy recovery and hope to see him back in competition soon. Changing the co-driver shortly before the rally is a new challenge, but Dennis is an experienced co-driver, and we are ready to compete and give our best.

“The decision to postpone the rally was made to ensure everyone’s safety. We are looking forward to returning to competition at one of the toughest and most historic Baja events in the world. Our goal is to deliver a strong performance and achieve the best possible result.”

Continue Reading

SPORTS

Trump Turns to Golf, Family Business on Irish Visit’s Second Day

Published

on

Share

Donald Trump turns his focus Sunday to golf and promoting his business interests, as he wraps up a two-day visit to Ireland during which his off-the-cuff diplomacy has caused another stir.

The US president caught his Irish hosts and the neighbouring UK off-guard Saturday when he waded into highly sensitive political territory by announcing he would “love to see” a united Ireland.

Breaking with Washington’s traditional neutrality on the historically charged topic, Trump argued reunification of the Republic of Ireland and UK territory Northern Ireland — after more than a century apart — was “going to happen eventually”.

“It may as well happen now,” he ventured as he met Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin, prompting pushback from pro-UK loyalists in Northern Ireland and some leading politicians in mainland Britain.

“Donald Trump is Donald Trump and the president will say and speak his mind as he sees it,” UK minister Angela Rayner told Sky News on Sunday.

“But look, we’re really serious about the Good Friday Agreement,” she added, referring to the 1998 peace accords that largely ended three decades of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland.

It stipulates that a referendum on Irish unity can be held if the UK government determines a majority there is likely in favour. Republic of Ireland voters would also need to back it in a separate poll.

– Tight security –

Within hours of his surprise intervention on the issue, Trump had touched down in Doonbeg, on the country’s west coast, where his Trump Organization-owned golf course is hosting the Irish Open.

The American leader will attend the tournament Sunday — the main reason for the trip — before departing for Washington later that day.

Martin assured him at Saturday’s meeting that Doonbeg’s 784 residents were “very grateful” for the Trump Organization’s investment there after it bought the site in 2014, insisting that his family were “welcome” there.

The US president is joined in the remote corner of Ireland by his two sons, Eric and Don Jr, who have managed the family business since their 80-year-old father returned to the White House last year.

The former real estate magnate, who promotes its enterprises at every opportunity, told Martin that Doonbeg was “one of the greatest courses in the world”.

Some 40,000 fans are expected at the tournament over the weekend, with six-time major winner and current world number two Rory McIlroy the main draw.

Trump’s attendance adds an extra layer of complexity to a security effort that is reportedly costing Ireland 20 million euros ($23 million). He could present the winner with the trophy on Sunday.

The course — set among dunes on the rugged County Clare coastline — has twice been targeted by pro-Palestinian activists in the past 18 months.

Police said three women — aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s — had appeared in a western Irish court late Saturday after being arrested for separate trespass and public order offences there.

‘Conflict of interest’

Around 4,000 Irish and US security personnel were expected to be involved in the weekend-long security operation, with anti-drone technology among the measures deployed.

The golf-mad president — whose relaxed relationship with the game’s rules was documented by sports journalist Rick Reilly in the 2019 book “Commander in Cheat” — plays the game most weekends at one of his family’s US properties.

He is even scheduled to host December’s G20 summit at his Miami golf resort.

Opposition Democrats in the US have long complained that blurring the lines between his presidency and personal business interests is corrupt, while some have called for an investigation into insider trading and market manipulation claims.

According to legally required financial disclosures, Trump raked in more than $2 billion in income in 2025 — the year he returned to power — with a large portion coming from cryptocurrency activities.

That compared with just over $600 million in 2024.

The White House has aggressively pushed back against claims of conflicts of interest and that Trump has been using his presidency to enrich himself.

The US leader has similarly dismissed criticism for accepting a new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar — aboard which he arrived in Ireland.

“Since the Civil War, we haven’t had a president with a significant financial conflict of interest from a business enterprise,” University of Minnesota Law School professor Richard Painter told AFP.

The former White House ethics lawyer warned Trump’s conduct could send the message “that the way to curry favour with the president is to patronise his properties, do business with his companies and so forth”.

Continue Reading

SPORTS

Legendary Canadian Boxer George Chuvalo Dies at 89

Published

on

Share

Canadian boxer George Chuvalo, a five-time national heavyweight champion, has died at the age of 89.

Out of 93 total professional fights in his career – 73 victories, 18 losses, and two draws – Chuvalo was never once knocked down to the canvas.

“His photos have hung on our walls for decades.

His stories have been passed down from one generation of fighters to the next,” said Sully’s Boxing, the Toronto gym where he trained, in a statement.

He battled Muhammad Ali in 1966 and 1972, and though Chuvalo lost both fights, Ali called him the toughest guy he ever fought.

Chuvalo was born in 1937 to Croatian immigrant parents, grew up in Toronto and got into boxing at a young age.

Widely considered “Canada’s greatest warrior”, Chuvalo was known for his iron chin, relentless durability, and fights against world famous fighters like George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Ali.

“George Chuvalo was a heavyweight boxing legend, a family friend and a Canadian icon,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford wrote on social media.

“My thoughts are with all of George’s family and loved ones as we mourn his passing.”

After retiring from professional boxing in 1978, Chuvalo travelled the country as a public speaker advocating for anti-drug education and mental health awareness.

Chuvalo lost three sons and his wife to drug overdoses and suicide, he has said.

“I’d like to think if you’re ever tempted with the idea of doing drugs, or you ever flirt with doing drugs, I hope you think of me, George Chuvalo, and what drugs did to my family,” he once said, according to a CBC Radio report in 1998.

In retirement, Chuvalo also dipped his toes in acting, appearing in the 1998 comedy film Dirty Work and alongside Jeff Goldblum in the 1986 horror film The Fly.

He also served as a guest commentator for major boxing matches and co-hosted a TV boxing program called Greatest Knockouts with his friend and fellow fighter Charles “Spider” Jones.

Chuvalo is survived by his eldest son Mitch, daughter Vanessa, grandchildren, and second wife Joanne.

He died on Saturday, his birthday, said Sully’s Boxing Gym.

Continue Reading

Advertisement

Top Stories

NEWS9 hours ago

2026 International Democracy Day: Group Tasks NASS on Special Seat Bill

ShareBy Laide Akinboade, Abuja League of Women Votersof Nigeria (NILOWV) on Tuesday, tasks the National Assembly on the quick passage...

NEWS9 hours ago

Abia Targets UNESCO Recognition of Heritage Sites

ShareThe Abia Government has elevated selected cultural and natural sites to state heritage and monuments as part of efforts to...

NEWS9 hours ago

TCN Announces Annual Maintenance at Ajaokuta Transmission Substation

ShareThe Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced an annual preventive maintenance of its 330/132 Kilo Volt (kV) at Ajaokuta...

NEWS9 hours ago

When Government has Too Many Voices: The Benue lesson in Power, PR and Public Trust

ShareBy Tom Chiahemen Sometimes, a controversy that appears to be about one thing is really about something else. Former Anambra...

NEWS9 hours ago

2027: My Support Only for Tinubu Re-election, not APC – Wike

ShareBy Laide Akinboade, Abuja The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has reiterated that his support for the reelection...

NEWS9 hours ago

INEC, African Union Strengthen Electoral Partnership Ahead of 2027 General Elections

ShareBy David Torough, Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has strengthened its engagement with the African Union (AU) ahead...

NEWS9 hours ago

NEMA Begins Flood Simulation Exercise for Multi-Stakeholder Preparedness in Benue

ShareFrom Attah Ede, Makurdi In a bid to mitigate the impact of flooding, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in...

POLITICS9 hours ago

Release My Academic Records, Obi Tells UNN, Other Institutions

SharePresidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has authorised University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and other academic institutions...

OPINION9 hours ago

Dangote IPO: A Caution for Short Term Investors amid the Hype

ShareBy Kenechukwu Aguolu With the Dangote Refinery Initial Public Offering (IPO) opening on Monday, September 14, the excitement among Nigerian...

NEWS9 hours ago

Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Slides to 15.39 Per Cent in August – NBS

ShareBy Tony Obiechina, Abuja The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday disclosed that headline inflation has eased to 15.39...