Sport
Solskjaer Aims to Replicate Spirit of ’99 at Manchester United
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to replicate the spirit of Manchester United’s treble-winners at Old Trafford as he plots a route back to the top for the club.
Solskjaer, last month appointed as the permanent United boss, famously scored the injury-time winner in the Champions League final when Alex Ferguson’s United side won three trophies in 1999.
The Norwegian, preparing his side to face Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at home on Wednesday, intends to build the side around the principles that worked so well 20 years ago.
“We challenged each other every day in training,” he told ESPN. “There were fights and there was an inner justice that I’ve not seen in too many teams.
“We never, ever accepted anyone being below par in training. We kicked each other and we had to win every single day. That moved over into games and we never gave in. There was an unbelievable team spirit.
“I want my players to really push each other and demand 100 per cent attitude from each other every single day. That’s the only way you can improve and it’s the only way you can win.
“We had something special. It’s a different group now and the challenge is, ‘How can I make these players winners as we were?’”
United are currently sixth in the Premier League but are just three points behind third-placed Tottenham and are still in contention in the Champions League.
United are the underdogs for the Barcelona tie but Solskjaer, who oversaw a stunning comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the last round, is confident.
“We’re playing against a good team but there is something special about this group of players,” he said. “It will be fantastic.”
And the United boss is not worried that Manchester City could surpass United’s achievement in 1999 by winning a quadruple this season.
“United fans want us to win it (the Champions League) because they want to win it,” Solskjaer said. “I think we should look at what we can achieve and not what we can stop others achieving.”
(AFP)
Nigeria on Wednesday made a high-level presentation to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in London, United Kingdom, as part of efforts to advance its bid to host the 2030 centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games.
The Nigerian delegation, led by Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, and Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, emphasised that the bid is an opportunity to foster a shared legacy that epitomises the Commonwealth spirit.
Nigeria presented an all-inclusive bid, with focus areas such as sports excellence, arts, international cultural exchange, tapping into a budding creative economy, building a new shared commonwealth legacy and shaping the future of the African youth.
The bid reflects the core values of Commonwealth Sport: More in Common, Equality, Humanity, and Destiny. The Abuja 2030 Games are designed to bring people together through the power of sport, reaching across gender, disability, culture, ethnicity, age, and background. They will celebrate what binds the Commonwealth together, fostering solidarity while opening pathways for more people to succeed in sport.
The bid also represents equality by offering Africa, for the first time in 100 years, the chance to host the Games. It reflects humanity by promising to transform lives and turn one million dreams into one million skills.
Also, it embodies destiny by positioning the Centennial Games in Nigeria as a defining moment that will shape the next century of the Commonwealth through youth, skills, and inclusive growth.
The delegation included the Bid Coordinator, Mallam Mainasara Ilo; the President of the Nigerian Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Gumel, Minister of Arts and Culture, Hannatu Musawa, Presidential Spokesperson, Hon. Sunday Dare, former Olympian and 2-time Commonwealth gold medalist, Mary Onyali, and current world number one para-badminton player, Eniola Bolaji.
Nigeria’s Abuja 2030 bid is presented as an opportunity to shape the next century of the Commonwealth through humanity, equality, and shared destiny, ensuring that Africa’s youth are an important part of the future.
Ousmane Dembele has won the 2025 Ballon d’Or, claims French journalist Romain Collet Gaudin, despite contrasting reports from Spain.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday evening, with football royalty to be in attendance.
The prestigious individual award will be handed to the best player of the 2024/25 campaign for the 69th edition of the French Football title.
Last year, Manchester City’s Rodri won the men’s award, while Barcelona and Spain forward Aitana Bonmati clinched the 2024 women’s Ballon d’Or.
This time, it’s hinted by French reporter Gaudin, that the men’s award will be given to PSG forward Dembele. The France star was the Parisians’ talisman in their first Champions League triumph.
However, Spanish journalist Edu Aguirre told Spanish TV El Chiringuito that he believes Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal will be crowned instead.
He said: “I think Lamine wins the Ballon d’Or for sure. What amazes me is they [Barcelona] haven’t won the Champions League. There’s no World Cup either, so logically in France, it should be debated between (Ousmane) Dembele, Vitinha, Achraf [Hakimi]. PSG has already won everything this year.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday suffered a disappointing 1-1 draw against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Free State Stadium.
The match was an opportunity for Nigeria to climb the Group C standings, but the stalemate has left their World Cup dreams hanging by a thread.
The Super Eagles, currently third in Group C, share the same 11 points with Benin Republic, and trail leaders South Africa by six points with only two matches left.
Nigeria fell behind when captain William Ekong deflected Nkota’s cross into his own net, giving South Africa the lead.
