Sports
Man City’s Blue Moon Rises After FA Cup Victory
Roberto Mancini slumped heavily in his seat and puffed out his cheeks in relief before finally breaking into a smile. And he has only been trying to bring a trophy to Manchester City for 17 months.
Those who have lived every moment of the 35 years since Newcastle United were beaten in the 1976 League Cup Final were flying even higher on emotions all the money in Abu Dhabi would find it hard to buy.
Wembley was awash with symbolism as Carlos Tevez lifted the FA Cup after a deserved victory against Stoke City. The long and painful wait was over, the Blue Moon was rising over Wembley and a small corner of Old Trafford could no longer be draped in the infamous banner mocking Manchester City’s barren years.
Mancini put the significance of Manchester City’s win in context as he announced it was about “changing the history of the club” while the outstanding defender Vincent Kompany said: “We have laid down the first brick. Now we can build a house on it.”
It will, no doubt, be the most expensive accommodation around but it is highly unlikely it will be another 35 years before the next piece of silverware goes on show.
It was Francis Lee, part of Manchester City’s last FA Cup-winning side against Leicester City in 1969, who famously observed that if cups were “awarded for cock-ups” their trophy cabinet would be bulging under the sheer weight of honours.
Yaya Toure’s goal, 16 minutes from the end of a final Manchester City dominated, means the jokes can stop and a club too closely associated with the self-destruct button in the past can look forward to a golden future.
The image of Dennis Tueart’s famous overhead kick that won their last major honour will never fade, but Toure’s thundered finish beyond Stoke’s heroic goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen can allow it to become just a little more blurred.
Toure can now take his place in Manchester City folklore after the giant Ivory Coast midfield man added an FA Cup Final winner to the goal that decided the Wembley semi-final against Manchester United.
And the sweet satisfaction of this success could not be soured even by rivals United clinching a record 19th domestic title with a draw at Blackburn Rovers minutes before kick-off at Wembley.
Mancini has been criticised this season, occasionally here it should be said, but a place in the Champions League and an FA Cup in the trophy cabinet represents a job well done, no matter how much has been spent on achieving it.
The Italian naturally wears a cloak of conservatism tactically, a trait that is still treated with suspicion even by some of his own supporters, but Manchester City will accept success in any form after a starvation diet and two major objectives have been achieved.
Mancini’s lavish transfer budget makes him a target when Manchester City fail to deliver, so it is only right he receives the credit due to him after fashioning their first serious success since the mid-70s.
The quality that has arrived at Eastlands was obvious against a Stoke City side that sadly allowed the day to pass them by, Sorensen and Jermaine Pennant apart.
And with Champions League qualification assured, Mancini appeared to release the handbrake just a little with an attacking line-up that included Mario Balotelli alongside Tevez and more of an attacking emphasis to set alongside the usual defensive resilience.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis, thoroughly dignified and gracious in defeat, studied “the bigger picture” for solace after an uncharacteristically timid slide to defeat from players who have previously appeared fearless in the face of any challenge.
Whereas Mancini’s decision to go with Tevez after a month out with hamstring problems was fully vindicated, Pulis’ gamble on Matthew Etherington looked ill-fated long before he was substituted just after the hour.
Etherington, normally a figure of such influence for Stoke, drifted on Wembley’s margins to little effect and was clearly way short of full itness, a flaw always likely to exposed in this unforgiving environment.
Stoke, their manager and their supporters, truly magnificent before, during and after this FA Cup Final, can rightly be proud of their progression this season but this will not be a day for happy memories on the field.
Only Sorensen stood between Manchester City and a more emphatic winning margin and as Mancini savoured the taste of victory, a victory he insisted would not be toasted by alcohol with work still to be done this season, he was already looking forward.
He said: “The FA Cup is an important trophy and we have learned a lot this season as a team. I think we need to improve more and take another step but it was important to start winning. The first trophy, the start, is so important.”
As Manchester City’s players paraded in front of their joyous supporters turning the tables on Manchester United’s taunts with a banner emblazoned with “00 Years”, Mancini heard the sound of acceptance sweep around Wembley as his name rang out.
And for the maverick Balotelli, praise at last as he gave a performance that went a little way towards answering the question Mancini has apparently posed since he arrived at Eastlands, namely: “Why did I buy you?”
The evidence was here in flashes, helped by Mancini’s revelation after the game that he had warned young Mario that his FA Cup Final might be one of the shortest since records began if he acted up at Wembley.
Balotelli brought a magnificent stop – “the save of the season” according to Pulis – from Sorensen and played a part in Toure’s goal. There was even one of the first recorded sightings of him chasing back with genuine enthusiasm to help with defensive duties in the first half. He looked a player.
Mancini is believed to be targeting four high-profile signings to ensure this landmark day in Manchester City’s history is not an isolated incident, with a growing sense that Tevez’s hoisting of the trophy will be one of his last memorable acts at the club.
The consolation for Manchester City is that if the Argentine does indeed leave, Mancini will have the muscle to claim a large fee, with £50m likely to be the demand, and the capacity to invest even more on his replacement.
And with the pressure lifted by the first silverware under the Abu Dhabi ownership, Mancini can work the markets as Manchester City move towards higher goals.
With a flourish of Yaya Toure’s left foot 35 years of agony disappeared in an instant and Manchester City’s Blue Moon is officially on the rise.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.