Sports
Man Utd kick off Premier League season before Man City face new-look Chelsea

Manchester United kick-off the 2024/25 Premier League season at home to Fulham on Friday before Manchester City begin the defence of their title at free-spending Chelsea on Sunday.
New Liverpool manager Arne Slot will be under the spotlight on Saturday with a trip to newly-promoted Ipswich for his first competitive game since succeeding Jurgen Klopp.
AFP Sports looks at what to expect from the opening weekend of the new season:
Ten Hag needs fast start
Manchester United’s shock FA Cup final win over Manchester City back in May went a long way to keeping Erik ten Hag in charge at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman has been backed by United’s new football operations hierarchy, led by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, and was handed a contract extension to 2026.
Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui have arrived to strengthen Ten Hag’s squad for around £150 million ($192 million).
But after finishing eighth last season — United’s worst ever Premier League finish — Ten Hag needs a fast start to the new campaign to dispell doubts he is the man to lead the club forward.
Fulham won at Old Trafford for the first time in 20 years in February.
Any repeat on Friday will have United fans fearing another season to forget.
Ipswich plan Slot shock
Arne Slot faces a tricky start to his Premier League career when Liverpool travel to an Ipswich side back in the top-flight after a 22-year absence and buoyant after successive promotions.
Liverpool are yet to make a single signing in the transfer window but have been rampant in pre-season with eye-catching wins over Arsenal, United and Sevilla.
Victory at Portman Road would bring some relief to Liverpool fans still coming to terms with the end of Klopp’s iconic reign.
The Reds could then build some momentum with a comfortable run of fixtures to come before the October international break.
But Ipswich defender Axel Tuanzebe is confident of maintaining Ipswich’s proud home record over the past two seasons.
“We’re going to empty the tank and give everything we’ve got,” Tuanzebe told the BBC.
“They’re just humans” he added. “It is just 11 v 11 on the pitch. Not many teams win at Portman Road and we intend to keep it that way.”
Chelsea chaos v City continuity
New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has a baptism of fire against his former club.
Maresca was part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at City before leading Leicester to promotion from the Championship last season.
The Italian inherits a chaotic situation at Stamford Bridge with a first team squad now boasting over 50 players and question marks over the future of most of them.
Chelsea’s issues were exposed in a torrid pre-season, that included a 4-2 defeat to City in the USA.
By contrast, there have been few changes for Guardiola’s champions.
Brazilian winger Savinho is the only new arrival, while Argentine forward Julian Alvarez departed this week for Atletico Madrid.
City’s England trio of Kyle Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden, plus Spanish midfielder Rodri, only returned to training this week after competing in the Euro 2024 final and are unlikely to start against Chelsea.
Fixtures:
Friday (all times GMT)
Manchester United v Fulham (1900)
Saturday
Ipswich v Liverpool (1130), Arsenal v Wolves, Everton v Brighton, Newcastle v Southampton, Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth (all 1400), West Ham v Aston Villa (1630)
Sunday
Brentford v Crystal Palace (1300), Chelsea v Manchester City (1530)
Monday
Leicester v Tottenham (1900)
Sports
Peter Rufai’s burial : Taribo West explodes, lashes out at NFF, LASG ‘What kind of nation is this?’
Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart.

• Taribo West
Former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, has condemned the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Lagos State Government for alleged abandonment of the family of deceased goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.
During Rufai’s burial at Ikoyi cemetery on Friday, Taribo West expressed outrage at what he described as the consistent failure of Nigerian authorities to honour football heroes after their death.
In a video shared by News Central on Friday, the ex-Inter Milan star , lamented: It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving.
“My mother died . I never shed tears. My father died in my hands. I never shed tears. When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body. And every individual I’m speaking to, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. What kind of nation is this?”
“With this kind of example they have shown in (Yisa) Sofoule, Stephen Keshi, Thompson Oliya and Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory), I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country. Send me out! Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way in his family.
“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” he stated.
Sports
Bayelsa to host 2028 National Sports Festival
Bayelsa State presented an amazing bid for the 2028 sports festival. I was happy to know that there is an intentional desire by Bayelsa to host the sports festival.

• Bukola Olopade, DG National Sports Commission
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has said Bayelsa State can comfortably host the 2028 National Sports Festival (NSF).
The Director-General, of the NSC, Mr. Bukola Olapade, stated this on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa.
Olopade said that the team was in the state to inspect facilities before announcing the 2028 sports festival host.
He said facilities inspected included the security infrastructure, medical facilities, wrestling gyms, table tennis halls as well as the ongoing construction of an ultramodern stadium.
According to the NSC DG, from what the team saw, he was confident that Bayelsa will get the nod to host the festival.
He described the state as very peaceful, hospitable and a sleeping giant with great potential in the sports sector.
His words: “Bayelsa State presented an amazing bid for the 2028 sports festival. I was happy to know that there is an intentional desire by Bayelsa to host the sports festival.
Bayelsa is a sleeping giant in sports.“Yenagoa is beautiful and peaceful. This is an amazingly peaceful and beautiful state and it tells me that these are people ready to welcome visitors.
Sports
Enyimba unveil faces of 22 new players

Eight-time Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Enyimba International Football Club, have confirmed a massive shake-up in their squad with the departure of 22 players ahead of the new season.
The players released include Imo Prince Ikemdinachi, Musa Usman Babalolo, Innocent Gabriel, Nelson Michael, Alade Muyiwa Balogun, Nnachi Chidiebere, Chisom Ejio, Junior Lokosa, Fatai Abdullahi, Imo Obot Udo, Umeh Gozie, Olufemi Opeoluwa, Somiari Orinate Alalibo, Chidera Eze, Ukadiike Chiemerie Divine, Augustine Onyemaechi, Gideon Peter, Tobias Orkuma, Leonard Obinna, Brown Ideye, Ani Ozoemena, and Elijah Akanni.
The Nation, reports that in an official statement, the Aba-based club expressed appreciation to the departing players for their service, dedication, and contribution to the team, while wishing them success in their future careers.
In addition to the permanent exits, three players have been sent out on loan to gain more playing time and experience. They are Obichere Wisdom Odinaka, Purpose Ahubaraezemma, and Samuel Buah Nuako.
The clear-out follows a disappointing 2024/25 campaign in which the People’s Elephant fell well short of expectations, finishing outside continental qualification spots and ending the season trophies.
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