The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FA Cup

  • Ola Aina in line tore turn for FA Cup semis

    Ola Aina in line tore turn for FA Cup semis

    The Nottingham Forest right-back, Ola Aina, who picked up a calf injury during a Premier League clash against Manchester United in March, is expected to return for tomorrow’s FA Cup semifinal against Manchester City.

    He was expected to return for the Forest’s recent game against Everton, but that was not the case.

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    According to Paul Taylor of The Athletic, the fullback could finally feature in tomorrow’s match.

    “I have been told elsewhere that Aina has a chance to be involved,” he said.

    Also, the Forest boss, Nuno Espirito Santo, has not written about the player from the City clash.

  • FA Cup: Forest beat Brighton in penalty shoot out

    FA Cup: Forest beat Brighton in penalty shoot out

    Third in the Premier League, and now into the last four of the FA Cup. This truly could become a season for the ages for Nottingham Forest, who are routinely showing a character and resilience that few teams can match.

    This latest FA Cup win, against an in-form Brighton, was their third consecutive penalty shoot-out victory in the competition. That statistic alone speaks volumes of the mental strength of Nuno Espirito Santo’s players, and indeed the quality of Matz Sels, their hugely impressive goalkeeper.

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    Sels saved twice in the shoot-out, denying Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gómez, to allow Forest captain Ryan Yates the opportunity of winning the match from 12 yards. It was a chance he took with absolute relish, before sprinting the length of the field to celebrate in front of the travelling supporters. The Forest fans continue to dream the wildest of dreams, and they sang here about going to both the Champions League and to Wembley.

  • Tosin Adarabioyo scores twice in Chelsea FA Cup win

    Tosin Adarabioyo scores twice in Chelsea FA Cup win

    Defender Tosin Adarabioyo scored twice from outside the box as Chelsea cruised into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a win over League Two strugglers Morecambe at Stamford Bridge.

    Morecambe keeper Harry Burgoyne impressed in the first half and saved Christopher Nkunku’s early penalty after visiting captain Yann Songo’o was penalised for a handball.

    But Chelsea eventually broke the deadlock in fortunate circumstances as Adarabioyo’s shot from the edge of the box deflected wickedly off midfielder Callum Jones into the net after 39 minutes.

    Straight after the restart Nkunku netted the Blues’ second on the rebound after Burgoyne had denied Renato Veiga.

    Read Also: Tosin Adarabioyo  

    Adarabioyo, who had only scored once for Chelsea before Saturday, netted his second and the hosts’ third in the 70th minute with a wonderful curling effort into the top corner from 25 yards out.

    And, as Morecambe faded, Joao Felix added two further late goals, the first a side-footed finish from the edge of the area and the second a fine curling strike from a tight angle, to give Chelsea a resounding win.”

  • PHOTOS: Talented Nigerian Artist designs FA Cup

    PHOTOS: Talented Nigerian Artist designs FA Cup

    Talented Nigerian Artist designs FA Cup

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  • Man Utd scrape past Coventry to reach FA Cup final

    Man Utd scrape past Coventry to reach FA Cup final

    Manchester United scraped into the FA Cup final on penalties despite throwing away a three-goal lead against Championship side Coventry in an epic semi-final at Wembley.

    In a very modern-day thriller, United came out on top in a penalty shootout they were losing at one stage.

    A quite remarkable contest only got that far because Victor Torp’s effort in injury time in extra time was ruled out for offside by video assistant referee Peter Bankes.

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    But after Bradley Collins saved United’s first kick, from Casemiro, Andre Onana denied Callum O’Hare, then unsettled Ben Sheaf with some verbal jousting – and the Coventry captain missed – allowing Rasmus Hojlund to win it.

    BBC

  • English FA Cup replays to be scrapped from next season

    English FA Cup replays to be scrapped from next season

    The FA Cup replays will be scrapped from the first round next season as part of a six-year agreement with the Premier League to strengthen the domestic competition, the Football Association (FA) has  announced.

    The FA added that all FA Cup rounds will be played on weekends from next term, with the fourth and fifth rounds, plus quarter-finals, to be held exclusive of Premier League matches.

    “The current format, which has no replays from the fifth round onwards, has been extended throughout the ‘Competition Proper’ in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded UEFA competitions,” the FA said.

    “The FA Cup final will now take place on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, on an exclusive Saturday with no Premier League fixtures taking place on the same day.”

    The mid-season break was also removed from the calendar, in order to allow the Premier League to start in mid-August and provide a longer close-season break.

    The gradual removal of replays from the later FA Cup rounds was criticised, with some commentators saying it is another erosion of the importance of the world’s oldest domestic club competition.

    In the past, smaller clubs drawn at home to top-tier opposition in the FA Cup have enjoyed financial windfalls from securing replays.

    “Scrapping FA Cup replays from the first round proper deprives lower league clubs of a much-needed source of revenue,” Fair Game CEO Niall Couper said.

    “This is a short-sighted move that does nothing to strengthen the game. It is another nail in the coffin for the already crumbling football pyramid.”

    Mark Bullingham, CEO of England’s FA, said the new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthened the FA Cup and gave “this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.”

    “The new schedule ensures the magic of the cup is protected and enhanced, while working for the whole of the English game,” he added.

    As part of the agreement, the Premier League will increase the funding it provides to the English football pyramid, giving an additional 33 million pounds ($41.15 million) towards developing the grassroots game.

    “Our domestic calendar has been put under extreme pressure by the expansion of UEFA competitions and ultimately this represents another lost traditional revenue stream for EFL clubs at a time when the financial gap between the biggest clubs and those further down the pyramid is growing bigger than ever,” EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch said.

    Read Also: States FA Cup finals :Ilaji FC, Beyond Limits, Ikukuoma FC are giant killers

    “We will now be discussing the implications for EFL clubs and seeking appropriate compensation agreements.”

    The Premier League already provides 100 million pounds in funding to teams in lower leagues.

    “This (investment) will improve facilities for communities and lower league clubs across the country, through the Football Foundation and Premier League Stadium Fund,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said.

    This season’s FA Cup semi-finals will take place on the weekend, with holders Manchester City facing Chelsea on Saturday and Coventry City taking on Manchester United on Sunday.

  • States FA Cup finals :Ilaji FC, Beyond Limits, Ikukuoma FC are giant killers

    States FA Cup finals :Ilaji FC, Beyond Limits, Ikukuoma FC are giant killers

    FC Basira (Nasarawa) , Ilaji FC (Oyo), Beyond Limits (Ogun), Ikukuoma FC (Imo State) and Kogi Central are among the giant killers as FA Cup finals were played across Nigeria over the past weekend.

    In Nasarawa State, FC Basira retained the state’s FA Cup after beating Nasarawa United again 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at the end of the regulation time.

    In Oyo State, Ilaji FC also retained the Oyo State FA Cup after they defeated Shooting Stars once again on penalties. The game ended 3-3 with Okikiola Babalola scoring a hat-trick for Ilaji FC while Kogi Central thrashed FC Bako 4-1 to lift the Kogi FA Cup. Kogi United, the only professional club in the State was  eliminated in the semi-final.

    In Imo State, debutants  Ikukuoma FC   beat Fr. Eburuaja FC of Umuaka 2-1 to become the Imo FA Cup champions while Green Berets claimed the covered title in Kaduna following their 2-0 win over Moses Simon’s Simoiben FC.

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    Niger Tornadoes (Niger), Bayelsa United (Bayelsa), Kwara United (Kwara), Plateau United (Plateau), EFCC FC (Abuja), Kano Pillars (Kano), Bendel Insurance (Edo), Beyond Limits (Ogun), Abia Warriors (Abia), Gombe United (Gombe), Ekiti United (Ekiti), Ikorodu City (Lagos), Lobi Stars (Benue), and Solutions FC (Anambra) are champions in the finals of the FA Cup played in their respective domain.

    Others that emerged victorious in their respective states are Osun United (Osun), Sunshine Stars (Ondo), Cynosure FC (Ebonyi) and others.

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will soon make public the format the national Federation Cup will take and the start date.

    Bendel Insurance beat Enugu Rangers in the 2023 final played in Asaba.

  • Man United stop Liverpool in seven-goal FA Cup thriller 

    Man United stop Liverpool in seven-goal FA Cup thriller 

    Amad Diallo scored deep in extra time after Marcus Rashford made amends for a bad miss to lift Manchester United to a breathless 4-3 victory over north west rivals Liverpool and into the FA Cup semi-finals.

    United’s victory at Old Trafford kept alive their only hope of silverware this season and spoiled Liverpool’s dreams of hoisting four trophies in manager Juergen Klopp’s final campaign with the team.

    Erik ten Hag’s side will face Championship (second-tier) outfit Coventry City in the semis after they upset Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 on Saturday.

    “Listen to the noise, you can tell what a big game it is, a huge occasion,” Rashford told ITV. “I haven’t had the season I wanted but nights like this at Old Trafford are what it’s all about.

    “We have to get something out of this season… it’s a massive game in the history of Manchester United.”

    Scott McTominay gave United a 10th-minute lead but Liverpool turned the game on its head with goals three minutes apart from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah before halftime.

    Liverpool dominated the second half and should have put the game to bed, but United poured on the pressure late in normal time and Antony spun in the box before slotting home past two Liverpool players in the 87th minute — the Brazilian’s first goal at Old Trafford in over a year — to force extra time.

    Harvey Elliott brought the 9,000 travelling Liverpool fans to their feet in the 105th minute when his long-range rocket deflected off Christian Eriksen’s foot and between Harry Maguire’s legs into the bottom corner.

    But once again 12-times FA Cup winners United — who are four places below Liverpool in a Premier League season to forget for Ten Hag’s side — kept their foot on the gas.

    “Super intense,” Klopp said. “We used the time and adapted well. We were outstanding but we had to finish the game off and we didn’t.”

    Rashford, who had missed a sitter late in normal time, made it 3-3 in the 112th minute, calmly slotting a picture-perfect pass from McTominay into the bottom corner before running to United’s fans, where he was mobbed.

    “Rashford is resilient, he keeps going, normally he finishes those moments but he kept going for another chance. That inspired the other players,” Ten Hag said.

    Then Alejandro Garnacho and Diallo charged up the field on a breakaway after a Liverpool corner with Diallo firing home the winner in the 120th minute to a deafening roar from the Old Trafford faithful, leaving Klopp looking stunned on the sideline.

    “We deserved this win, we played very good, it was one of the best games of the season. It’s the best goal of my life it’s a really important moment,” Diallo said. “You need to believe in every single moment, this is football.”

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    Diallo was then sent off after receiving a second yellow card for his celebrations.

    “We always have belief, the problem is we have not been consistent with our performances,” United captain Bruno Fernandes told ITV. “We give 100% we always give everything but at this club we always have to have high standards. It’s a part of the game to be criticized, that’s why you play for Manchester United.

    “This season has not been at the level we want but we want to improve. We have always said our goal was to get into the top four and try to win the FA Cup, we will do all we can for those goals. The FA Cup is a big trophy for this club.”

  • FA CUP: Watford stuns Wolves in dramatic comeback

    Watford has booked its place in the FA Cup final for the first time in 35 years thanks to a 3-2 comeback win against Wolverhampton Wanderers after extra time.

    Matt Doherty and Raul Jimenez scored in either half of normal time to put Wolves in command of the all-Premier League affair, but Gerard Deulofeu came off the bench to turn the tie on its head, scoring a world-class goal with 11 minutes to go to set up a dramatic finale.

    Watford’s pressure was relentless and it told as Troy Deeney was tripped by Leander Dendoncker in the final seconds of the match at Wembley, allowing the Hornets’ skipper to brush himself down and convert for extra time.

    Deulofeu then scored the decisive fifth goal of the match in the additional 30 minutes of time, becoming the seventh player to score a brace in the semi-finals of the FA Cup and setting up a showdown with Manchester City here in a month’s time.

    There was very little between the sides in the opening half an hour of the match, with both teams managing a couple of off-target attempts apiece.

    Jonny cut inside and curled the ball inches wide and Joao Moutinho skimmed the roof of the net from a free kick for Wolves, while Deeney and Will Hughes were both wayward at the other end.

    Watford then carved out a good opportunity for Andre Gray, preferred to Deulofeu alongside Deeney from the off, as he got on the end of his strike partner’s deep delivery but hooked the ball over the crossbar with just John Ruddy to beat away.

    Just when the Hornets were starting to build some momentum, though, with their diamond formation in midfield causing problems for Wolves, their opponents opened the scoring through Doherty.

    The wing-back got away from Abdoulaye Doucoure at the back post and nodded home Diogo Jota’s curled cross into the six-yard box after Wolves’ corner – coming after Dendoncker’s deflected shot was pushed over the bar – was worked short.

    Wolves nearly scored a second in a matter of minutes as Jota, who grew into the first half, grazed the outside of the post with his curled effort.

    Javi Gracia’s men should have gone into the interval on level terms, however, as Gray missed his second good opportunity of the half by failing to convert Deeney’s knockdown, though credit has to go to Conor Coady for diving in front of the goal-bound shot.

    Doucoure flicked the ball over and Jimenez nearly nearly squeezed a shot in in from a tight angle as the two sides continued to trade blows in the opening 15 minutes of the second half.

    After plenty of toiling from the Hornets, Wolves scored what looked to be a crucial second goal thanks to a brilliant finish from Jimenez, chesting Doherty’s long ball and acrobatically sending it past Heurelho Gomes – VAR confirming he was just about onside.

  • FA Cup: Sterling invites former school Elvin Academy

     

    Raheem Sterling will provide 550 tickets for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final – to allow pupils at his former school to watch the big match.

    The generous Manchester City winger stunned staff at the Etihad Stadium by making the request ahead of their 5.30pm clash with Brighton and Hove Albion under the arch.

    Sources have told Sportsmail that in a joint operation with the club England man Sterling, 24, will meet pupils from Ark Elvin Academy in Wembley at City’s training complex on Thursday after they travel north from London. Then on Saturday, they will make the short journey to the stadium for the big match

    One insider said: ‘Raheem wanted to do something for the kids from his old school and approached the club to see what could be done. They are going to come up and meet him and then they are going to watch him in action.

    ‘It pretty much sums up the kind of guy he is. He hasn’t made a fuss over it and he doesn’t really want attention. It’s just a decent thing to do.’

    Sterling, who moved to England from Jamaica at the age of five, was brought up on the St Raphael’s estate in Wembley. He went to Copland Community School, which has since been renamed Ark Elvin Academy

    An estimated 92 per cent of pupils at the school come from a minority ethnic background, with 36 per cent on free meals. More than 50 languages are spoken.

    City have been struggling to sell all their tickets for the game. The Premier League champions have sold around 25,000 seats for their fourth trip to Wembley this season.

    They had to return 2,000 extra tickets, sent in addition to their allocation of more than 30,000, back to the Football Association.

    The club say those are the more expensive tickets, with prices going up to £120, and all categories of tickets remain on general sale.