IN ENGLAND

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Manchester City star, Reigan Heskey has smashed home a late winner as the team claimed bragging rights over bitter rivals Manchester United by winning the FA Youth Cup for the fifth time.

In a repeat of the two-legged showpiece from forty years ago, which City also triumphed in, the tie was ebbing towards extra-time before Heskey powered in from the angle five minutes from time to give Oliver Reiss’ side the victory.

Darren Fletcher’s United are record 11-time winners of the competition but last claimed the trophy in 2022, when current first-team star Kobbie Mainoo played in a victory over Nottingham Forest.

Heskey, son of former Liverpool and England striker Emile, proved to be the match-winner as City lifted the trophy in front of their home faithful.

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Manchester United caretaker head coach, Michael Carrick has been named on a six-man shortlist for the Premier League’s Manager of the Season award.

Carrick, who has overseen just fifteen games in charge since replacing Ruben Amorim in January, is joined by Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, who are vying to win this season’s league title.

Departing Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola, Brentford’s Keith Andrews and Sunderland’s Regis le Bris have also been nominated.

Among the eight players in the running for Premier League Player of the Season are Arsenal trio David Raya, Gabriel and Declan Rice, and Manchester City pair Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland.

Also shortlisted are Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Brentford striker Igor Thiago and Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.

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Also, in the Premier League Young Player of the Season category for players aged 23 or younger at the start of the campaign – West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, Newcastle full-back Lewis Hall, Brentford right-back Michael Kayode and Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo are among the nominees.

Bournemouth team-mates Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott, plus City duo Rayan Cherki and Nico O’Reilly, have also made the eight-man shortlist.

The winners will be decided by a combination of a public vote and panel of football experts.

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Manchester City star, Nico O’Reilly has fond memories of his last trip to a Wembley Stadium final and the player will be aiming to produce a repeat in Saturday’s FA Cup showpiece against Chelsea.

The 21-year-old scored twice in a starring performance against Arsenal to help City lift the Carabao Cup in March, and now he would be searching to claim a double.

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Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery says midfielder Harvey Elliott’s wasted loan at the team is embarrassing for everyone involved.

Elliott has played only one hundred and nine minutes for Villa in the Premier League during a season-long loan from Liverpool.

Villa had an obligation to make the deal permanent for thirty-five million pounds if Elliott played ten league games, but he has played only four.

Liverpool travel to Villa on Friday, with Elliott unable to play against his parent club.

The winners will book a place in next season’s Champions League.

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Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler says he is not sure yet if Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma will be fit to play in the 2026 World Cup.

Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury in a win against Wolves and will miss his side’s final two Premier League games of the season.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu is set to name his squad for the World Cup, which starts on 11th June, on Friday.

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Chelsea women striker Sam Kerr who is the team’s all-time top scorer in the Women’s Super League will leave the club when her contract expires this summer.

Kerr scored one hundred and fifteen times in one hundred and seventy-seven appearances for the Blues and her final game will be at home against Manchester United on Saturday.

The Australian, who joined Chelsea in November 2019, has helped the club win five Women’s Super League titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and the Community Shield.

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Republic of Ireland captain, Katie McCabe will leave Arsenal when her contract expires at the end of the season.

The 30-year-old has spent eleven years with the club, making three hundred and five appearances and scoring thirty-seven goals.

She has been one of the club’s greatest players in the Women’s Super League era having won the title in 2019.

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IN NIGERIA

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Newly appointed Flying Eagles head coach, Abdu Maikaba has unveiled his backroom staff, Ortega Deniran as first assistant, Abdullahi Biffo as second assistant and Usman Mohammed as goalkeepers’ trainer will work with Maikaba.

The Flying Eagles will resume camp in Abuja on Sunday, 17th May, with preparations to begin in earnest for the upcoming WAFU B Under-twenty Boys Championship that will take place in July.

The competition will serve as the qualification tournament for the 2027 Africa Under-twenty Cup of Nations.

The Flying Eagles are seven-time winners of the continental tournament.

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Also, the newly-appointed Head Coach of the Golden Eaglets, Eboboritse Uwejamomere has picked Coaches Olumide Ajibolade as first assistant, Mohammed Kachala as second assistant and Abdullahi Isa as goalkeepers’ trainer to assist him.

This year’s WAFU B Under-seventeen Boys Championship will take place in September, and will serve as the qualification tournament for next year’s Africa Under-seventeen Cup of Nations.

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Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Alloy Agu says the tooth injury he suffered during Nigeria’s 1990 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ghana in Kumasi remains one of the biggest sacrifices he made for his country.

Agu insisted that the painful incident ultimately became part of the team’s journey to the AFCON final in Algeria.

Thirty-six years later, Agu reflected on the fierce encounter against Nigeria’s perennial West African rivals, describing the injury as a worthy sacrifice for the nation.

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Former Nigerian international, Obinna Nsofor has advised Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen to leave Galatasaray for a club that can consistently compete for the UEFA Champions League title to cement his status as the world’s best striker.

While recognising Galatasaray’s size, Nsofor stated that Osimhen must compete in a top-tier European league to reach the next level.

Nsofor noted that winning a major European trophy was the only remaining achievement for Osimhen.

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The draw for the national competition of the 2026 President Federation Cup will hold at the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Secretariat, Abuja, on Friday.

A statement by NFF Director of Communications on Thursday, Ademola Olajire, said the draw follows the conclusion of national playoff matches in both competitions.

Four teams were eliminated from the women’s competition during the playoffs, while six teams crashed out of the men’s competition.

A total of 32 teams will compete in the women’s category, while 64 teams will participate in the men’s competition.

The Nigeria Squash Federation says it has intensified preparations for the World Squash Federation, WSF, World Junior Team Squash Championship scheduled to hold in Ontario, Canada from 20th to 31st July.

Its President, Sunday Egberipou, said this in Abuja on Thursday, saying the federation would present four male and four female players at the championship.

He said the competition, regarded as one of the most prestigious events organised by the World Squash Federation, would provide exposure and competitive experience for the players.

The Federation distributed squash equipment to four grassroots coaches as part of efforts to develop the sport across the country, as each beneficiary received 10 rackets and two packs of squash balls during a brief ceremony in Abuja.

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Valencia head coach, Carlos Corberán has commended Nigerian international Umar Sadiq for his impact on the team’s impressive run since joining the club.

The Nigeria international joined Los Che on a permanent transfer from Real Sociedad in January.

Sadiq came off the bench to net the decisive goal as Valencia secured victory over Athletic Bilbao last weekend.

The 29-year-old Sadiq has so far registered four goals since his arrival at the Mestalla.

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OTHER LEAGUES

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Hearts’ owners have pleaded that the destination of the Scottish Premiership title be decided by the players on the pitch rather than by the match officials.

After it was announced that Don Robertson will take charge of Saturday’s decider with Celtic, the Foundation of Hearts, FoH, fans group majority shareholders of the club said the Tynecastle outfit had concerns about recent decisions.

Robertson will be aided by assistant referees Calum Spence and David Roome, while Kevin Clancy and assistant Matthew MacDermid will be the VAR officials.

FoH chairman Gerry Mallon has called for the highest standards of decision-making so that the destination of the title is decided by the players on the pitch and the team is given the fair opportunity it has earned.

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Manager Wilfried Nancy says his 33-day tenure as Celtic manager was a beautiful experience.

The Frenchman, who had a record of two wins and six defeats including the League Cup final also claims some players struggled to adjust to his style.

Nancy, back living in the United States, where he enjoyed success with MLS club Columbus Crew, has discussed his time in Scotland publicly for the first time since leaving in January.

The 49-year-old has conceded that the timing of his move was a mistake.

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Departing Rangers captain, James Tavernier says he felt deeply hurt and let down and that the situation could and should have been handled much better after missing out on a farewell appearance at Ibrox.

The right-back, did not feature in the squad for Wednesday’s two-one defeat by Hibernian but he received a warm ovation from supporters when he took to the pitch pre-match to be presented with a commemorative shield marking his eleven years’ service by Rangers great John Greig.

Head coach Danny Rohl said Tavernier had a medical issue and was unsure whether the defender would feature in Saturday’s final game of the season at Falkirk.

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Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has extended his contract until the 2030 World Cup.

The Italian was appointed to the post in May 2025 after his departure from Real Madrid and he has since secured Brazil’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in Canada, Mexico and the United States next month.

Ancelotti has had ten games in charge of the South Americans, winning five, drawing two and losing three.

Brazil will be aiming to win a sixth World Cup, and the country’s first victory at the showpiece tournament since 2002, this summer.

Ancelotti is expected to name his squad for the competition on 18th May, with Brazil starting their World Cup campaign against Morocco on 13th June.

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Braintree Town defender Tommy Smith has been named alongside Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood in New Zealand’s World Cup squad.

Smith started New Zealand’s three group matches when they last competed at the World Cup sixteen years ago, but has not played for his country since 2024.

Braintree were relegated from the National League this season.

Smith and 34-year-old Premier League forward Wood, who was also part of that 2010 squad, will become the first New Zealanders to feature at two men’s World Cups.

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Iranian Football Association president Medhi Taj says Iran players are still waiting to be issued with visas for the World Cup.

Thousands of fans attended a departure rally for the squad in Tehran, before the tournament co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, starts on 11th June.

Taj said the visa issue has still not been resolved.

Iran are scheduled to play New Zealand on 15th June and Belgium on 21st June – both in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle on 26th June.

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World record holder, Tobi Amusan says she is still hungry for more success after winning her third continental title at the ongoing CAA Senior African Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana.

Amusan claimed Nigeria’s first gold medal at the 2026 championships in the women’s 100m hurdles, crossing the line ahead of Zimbabwe’s Ashley Miller, while another Nigerian, Adaobi Tabugbo, finished third to win her first individual medal for the country.

Amusan’s latest title adds to her maiden triumph on home soil in 2018 and her victory in Mauritius in 2022.

She did not compete in the hurdles at the last edition in Cameroon in 2024.

Nigeria’s weightlifters have stamped their authority at the 2026 African Senior Weightlifting Championships and 16th Mediterranean Cup in Ismailia, Egypt, winning 10 gold and five silver medals after two days of competition.

The championships, which also serve as qualifiers for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, have seen Nigeria emerge as one of the dominant forces in the competition, with the women’s contingent leading the charge in spectacular fashion.

Ruth Asuquo, Onome Didih and Rafiat Lawal were the architects of Nigeria’s golden run, each claiming three gold medals in their respective categories to account for nine of the country’s 10 golds.

Former world champion, Tony Bellew has backed Anthony Joshua to knock out Tyson Fury in their long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown, which has reportedly been agreed for later this year.

Speaking on the Fight Your Corner Podcast, the former cruiserweight world champion said he was convinced the fight would not go the distance, given the power both men carry and the vulnerability each has shown in their careers.

While stopping short of a definitive prediction on who wins, Bellew outlined the scenario in which he sees Joshua coming out on top, urging the British-Nigerian fighter to go on the offensive from the opening bell.

OTHER SPORTS

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In Tennis, Jannik Sinner has broken Novak Djokovic’s all-time record of successive match wins at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments by recording the 32nd straight victory of his historic streak to reach the Italian Open semi-finals.

The Italian world number one overpowered 12th seed Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 to continue his bid to join Djokovic as only the second man to win all nine Masters 1000 titles – the sport’s highest level below the Grand Slams.

Sinner appears in unstoppable form before the French Open, the only major standing between him and a career Grand Slam, begins on 24th May.

He has joined Spanish great Rafael Nadal as the only other man to reach semi-finals at each of the first five Masters 1000 events in a season, and will face Russian Daniil Medvedev or Spanish lucky loser Martin Landaluce for a place in the showpiece.

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In Cricket, England all-rounder Will Jacks and India’s Tilak Varma led Mumbai Indians to a last gasp victory over Punjab Kings by chasing two hundred and one with a ball to spare in Dharamshala.

Mumbai needed fifty from the last three overs but Jacks hit two sixes and two fours while Varma finished seventy-five not out from thirty-three balls.

After being joined by Jacks in the 17th over with Mumbai four down, Varma struck South Africa’s Marco Jansen for two sixes and a four to start the 18th.

Varma added another six and Jacks a four to take 22 from the over before Jacks hit a six and a four in the penultimate over.

That left 15 to get from the last and Jacks began with a straight six and Varma hit Australian Xavier Bartlett for two more to complete the win.

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In Rugby, England have reinforced their pack for the Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France with the return of World Cup winners Lilli Ives Campion, Maddie Feaunati and Sadia Kabeya for Sunday’s match in Bordeaux.

The trio missed last Saturday’s win over Italy through injury.

With a raft of players sidelined, England have had to dig into their reserves, particularly up front, to maintain a 37-Test winning streak and stay on course for a record-extending fifth successive clean sweep of the tournament.

Captain Meg Jones admitted the return of Kabeya, Feaunati and Ives Campion is timely for the side’s toughest test of the year so far.

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TODAY’S FIXTURES

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IN ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Aston Villa vs Liverpool

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SOCCER ACTION CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND

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IN FA CUP FINAL

ON SATURDAY

Chelsea vs Manchester City

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IN ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

ON SUNDAY

Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest

Brentford vs Crystal Palace

Everton vs Sunderland

Leeds United vs Brighton

Wolves vs Fulham

Newcastle United vs West Ham United

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IN SPANISH LA LIGA

ON SUNDAY

Athletic Club vs Celta Vigo

Atletico Madrid vs Girona

Elche vs Getafe

Levante vs Mallorca

Osasuna vs Espanyol

Rayo Vallecano vs Villarreal

Real

Oviedo vs Alavés

Real Sociedad vs Valencia

Sevilla vs Real Madrid

Barcelona vs Real Betis

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IN ITALIAN SERIE A

ON SUNDAY

Como vs Parma

Genoa vs AC Milan

Juventus vs Fiorentina

Pisa vs Napoli

Roma vs Lazio

Inter Milan vs Hellas Verona

Atalanta vs Bologna

Cagliari vs Torino

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind…words from Mister Rogers.