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‘Man Utd May Face 10-Year Title Drought’

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12 years ago

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Manchester United might not win the Premier League title again for another decade, according to former England international Danny Mills.
The current champions suffered a 3-0 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday and are seventh in the table, 18 points behind leaders Chelsea.
“It could be 10 years at least before they win the title again,”
If Liverpool needed to deliver a defining mission statement that they can stand alongside any of the challengers for the Premier League title on their own terms, they produced it most emphatically to humiliate Manchester United in their own self-styled ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
“The whole rebuilding process is going to take three or four years at least.”
He added: “Then you have got to think Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool will strengthen – and Tottenham and Arsenal could possibly strengthen as well.”
United won the title by 11 points last season, but since David Moyes replaced Sir Alex Ferguson as manager last summer they have struggled.
Aside from being out of the title race, the Old Trafford club are also 12 points off one of the top four spots needed to qualify for next season’s Champions League. They have only missed one season of European football’s premier competition since 1993-94.
United could still qualify for the Champions League by winning this season’s competition. But the club will have to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Olympiakos today to stay in the tournament.
“David Moyes has not won the league. He has not won a trophy,” added Mills.
“If he had a good team he might get back in the top four and Champions League, but I think that they are a long way off competing and winning the title.
“Going into Manchester United, you had to build on massive success and that is where David Moyes has found it difficult.”
United striker Robin van Persie scored 26 league goals last season, but has scored just 11 so far in the current campaign.
“Van Persie doesn’t look like he wants to be there and wants to leave,” said Mills.
“You look at his body language and he doesn’t look happy there does he? Something is not right with him.”
Fellow BBC Sport pundit Kevin Kilbane, who played under Moyes at Everton, believes not being in the Champions League would hurt United, but that his former manager needs time to turn around the club’s fortunes.
“It was one of the most comprehensive away performances at Old Trafford for many years. Liverpool absolutely battered them in all areas and United looked like strangers. Make no bones about it, it could have been six or seven, Liverpool’s movement was so good.
“Liverpool were on the front foot and United were nowhere near it. Adnan Januzaj and Juan Mata out wide is not working for them. You can see why Jose Mourinho got rid of Mata – you need legs to get up and down and he hasn’t got that. There’s no point him being on the pitch.”

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Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship 

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6 days ago

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August 10, 2026

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A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.
Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.
The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.
After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.
He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.
The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.
His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.
Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.
Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.
The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.
Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.
Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.
He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.
Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.
He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.
The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,
Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category
Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor
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Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

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6 days ago

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August 10, 2026

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Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.
The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.
Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.
In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.
The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.
Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.
The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.
In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.
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Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

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6 days ago

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August 10, 2026

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World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.

 

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