19092022

30 — Vanguard, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2022
Nigera Vs Algeria:
Dennis
replaces
injured
Onyekuru
Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel
Dennis will replace Henry Onyekuru in
Nigeria’s squad for the friendly against
Algeria after the latter sustained an injury in Adana
Demirspor’s 3-0 victory over Antalyaspor on
Saturday.
Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro named a strong
25-man squad for the September 27 international
friendly game against the Foxes of Algeria.
However, there have been a few changes to the
squad, with Valentine Ozornwafor replacing Leon
Balogun.
The latest alteration to the team would be Dennis
who comes in for Onyekuru. The latter started for Adana
Demirspor in their game on Saturday, but he was subbed at
halftime because of a knock.
Dennis has had a poor start to the season at Nottingham
Forest. Since his move from Watford, the former Club Brugge
man has played only eleven minutes.
Three –time African champions Nigeria and two-time African
champions Algeria clash at the 40,000 Stade Olympique in Oran
on Tuesday, 27th September, with the invited players expected
to confluence in the city of Constantine today, 19th September.
Pochettino, Benitez, Dyche
among favourites to replace
Rodgers at Leicester
LEICESTER are being backed to
make a move for Mauricio Pochettino or
Rafael Benitez if they sack Brendan
Rodgers.
The Foxes boss is under pressure after
losing 6-2 to Tottenham with Leicester
bottom of the Premier League.
Rodgers has taken responsibility for
his team’s slump, which has seen them
pick up just one point from seven games
and concede 22 goals.
With Leicester already in danger of
relegation, former Burnley manager
Sean Dyche has emerged as the bookies’
favourite to take over.
Dyche could offer a short-term solution
but the Leicester hierarchy could prefer
a manager who will look to play open,
expansive football in a similar style to
Rodgers - Mauricio Pochettino fits that
bill.
The former Spurs and PSG boss was
also tipped to succeed Tuchel at Chelsea
as he eyes a return to the Premier
League.
•Dennis
Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa also
fits that category and is a frontrunner to
take over, while former Liverpool and
Real Madrid gaffer Rafa Benitez would
offer a safer pair of hands and likely look
to shore up the defence as his first
priority.
Everton 1-0 West Ham
Maupay strike eases pressure
on Lampard
NEAL MAUPAY scored his first goal for
Everton to give boss Frank Lampard lift off
for the season.
Maupay’s classy second-half strike was
enough to secure the opening Premier
League win of the campaign after seven
league games for under-pressure Lampard.
And a run of four draws now becomes a
run of five matches unbeaten including
this important victory, which comes at just
CAFCC: Remo Stars crash out,
lose 2-1 on aggregate to AS FAR
The hope of Nigeria’s representative
in the Confederation Cup Remo
Stars to progress to the next round of
the competition has been dashed.
The ‘Sky Blue Boys’ proved the
bookmakers wrong last weekend by
playing out a 1-1 draw against the
Moroccan giant AS FAR.
The Nigeria side played host to the
second leg yesterday at its home ground
in Ikenne but their hope of progressing
was dashed after they lost 0-1.
They missed numerous scoring
chances in the first half and they were
out to curtail the attacking threats of
the away side to end the half in a
goalless.
Cameroonian international Joseph
scored the winning goal in the 57th
minute and ended the hopes of Remo
Stars reaching the next round.
With the away win, the Moroccan side
moved into the next round 2-1 on the
aggregate.
•Nwaneri
CHILD’S PLAY
Nwaneri
becomes
youngest
player in
Premier League
history
ARSENAL youngster Ethan
Nwaneri has become the
youngest ever player to compete in
the Premier League at the age of 15.
The teenage ace came on for the
Gunners against Brentford in the
90th minute as he replaced Fabio
Vieira at the Gtech Community
Stadium.
The Arsenal fans, enjoying being
3-0 up at the time, chanted: “How
s*** must you be, he’s only 15.”
The whizzkid schoolboy was
promoted to first team training this
week having made his Under-21
debut at the beginning of
September.
And the attacking midfielder -
who’s yet to sit his GCSEs - earned a
spot in Mikel Arteta’s squad with
the likes of Martin Odegaard and
Emile Smith-Rowe unavailable due
to injury.
Nwaneri, who was born in March
2007, becomes the youngest player
ever to make a Premier League
appearance.
The record was previously held by
Liverpool teenager Harvey Elliott,
who was 16 years and 30 days old
when he came on for Fulham.
the right time ahead of the international
break.
The three points means Everton climb
to 13th place with the kind of dogged
performance that former boss David
Moyes would have been proud of in his 11
years in charge at Goodison Park.
Now in the away dugout with visiting
West Ham, he cut a frustrated figure as he
watched his team fail to spark and must be
worried that confidence is draining out of
his underachieving squad.
The Hammers hit the post in the second
half with a curling shot from sub Said
Benrahma but were lightweights up front,
even with Everton forced to play 35-yearold
Asmir Begovic in goal as cover for injured
Jordan Pickford.
Brentford 0 Arsenal 3:
Vieira stunner seals win as
Gunners return to top spot
MIKEL ARTETA once again
leapfrogged above his old boss at
the top of the Premier League table.
Quite how long Arsenal can
continue this unexpected battle with
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City
remains to be seen.
But Arteta, a former assistant to
Guardiola at City, will be absolutely
delighted at the way Arsenal swatted
away Brentford with such complete
ease.
Particularly as it came after that first
defeat of the season, a 3-1 loss at
Manchester United, two weeks earlier.
William Saliba, Gabriel Jesus and
new signing Fabio Vieira scored the
goals in a thoroughly convincing win
which came despite playmaker Martin
Odegaard having to withdraw after
suffering an injury in the warm-up.
And so the next fortnight will remain
terrific viewing for Arsenal fans.
At lunchtime on Saturday
October 1, Arteta’s team will be at
home to Spurs and it has been some
time since the north London derby
has featured both teams in the top
three.
If Arsenal did win the League, it
would be second only to Leicester’s
title success in terms of a Premier
League shock.
MANCHESTER UNITED players
and staff were hit by a bout of
suspected food poisoning following their
Europa League victory in Moldova.
The group travelled back from their 2-
0 away win against FC Sheriff last
Thursday straight after the game on a
private plane.
But members of the party began to
feel unwell on Friday.
It is understood up to 12 of the United
party were affected.
The club is trying to look into whether
it was something the group had eaten
while in Chisinau or on the plane on
the way back.
A handful of players missed training
on Friday because of it but were ok again
But what we do know is that we now
have to take Arsenal as serious
contenders for the top four.
Arsenal’s win here in west London
came at the acne of their embarrassing
2-0 loss 13 months ago.
On that occasion, the squad had been
hit by Covid and here, the squad’s lack
of major strength was proved by the
arrival of Ethan Nwaneri as a late
replacement for Vieira. At the grand
age of 15 years and 180 days, he broke
the Premier League record .
Man Utd stars, staff hit
by bout of food poisoning
Kwara United football club have
advanced to the next round of
the CAF Confederations cup
following their 3-0 aggregate win
over AS Douanes of Niger.
Despite the blood sprinkling antics
and pressure from the Nigeriens
ahead of the second leg tie in Niamey,
the Harmony Boys didn’t blink as
they showed doggedness and
resilience to progress to the next
round of the CAF Confederations cup
as they held their
host to a goalless
draw on Sunday
evening.
Kwara United
won the first leg at
the Mobolaji
Johnson Arena
Stadium in Lagos
3-0 courtesy of a
brace from Wasiu
Jimoh and a goal
from Paul Samson
which gave them a
huge advantage
going into the
second leg.
Just some hours
to train Saturday, while others missed
Saturday.
Those affected who were due on
international duty have still been able
to join up with their countries.
It is not clear how badly the squad
would have been affected for their home
match against Leeds United had it gone
ahead.
The match was postponed due to
policing issues.
The victory in Chisinau put United’s
Europa League campaign back on track
after losing their Group E opener to Real
Sociedad.
New boss Erik Ten Hag has now
overseen five wins in the Red Devils'
last six games.
Kwara United dump ‘Juju’ AS
Douanes, to face RSB Berkane
to kickoff of the second leg at the Stade
General Senyi Kountche Stadium,
Niamey, some Douanes fans were
seen sprinkling blood on the body of
Kwara United, a gesture alleged to
be a sacrifice to ensure them secure
victory but failed gallantly as it ended
0-0 at fulltime.
Kwara United will next take on
defending champions RSB Berkane
of Morocco.