Sports
Arsenal Outshine City On Penalties, Grab Community Shield
Arsenal lifted the Community Shield to end Manchester City’s silverware streak with a 4-1 penalty shoot-out victory after a 1-1 draw against the treble winners on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side forced the shoot-out thanks to Leandro Trossard’s heavily deflected equaliser 11 minutes into stoppage time at Webley.
Cole Palmer’s superb curler had given City the lead late in the second half, but Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri missed their penalties before Fabio Vieira converted the decisive kick in the annual curtain-raiser to the English Premier League (EPL) season.
De Bruyne hit the bar with City’s first spot-kick and Rodri’s effort was saved by Aaron Ramsdale, while Arsenal converted all four of their kicks.
Arsenal’s celebrations were far more frenzied than would normally be seen in what in the glamour friendly, but their jubilation underlined the months of anguish endured since they blew a golden opportunity to win their first title since 2004.
City made history by becoming only the second English club to lift the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in a single season last term.
Their fifth Premier League title in six seasons came at Arsenal’s expense as the Gunners wasted the eight-point lead they held at the start of April to finish five points behind the champions.
Showcasing £160 million worth of new signings in Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, it was clear Arsenal had a point to prove to City as they snapped into tackles with the kind of urgency that usually accompanies a title decider.
While Arteta and his players cavorted around the pitch and soaked up the raucous celebrations from their fans, they might wish to note that the Community Shield winners have gone on to secure the Premier League title just once since 2011.
Inevitably, it was City who bucked that trend in 2018 and it is far too early to bet on Arsenal following in their footsteps.
Arsenal led the table for 248 days last season and still fell short, prompting Arteta to admit they will need an “unheard of” points total to stop the champions this term.
– Composed Rice –
Pep Guardiola’s men, aiming for an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League crown, start their title defence at promoted Burnley on Friday, while Arsenal host Nottingham Forest the following day.
Arteta will have been encouraged by a composed display from England midfielder Rice following his £105 million move from West Ham.
Timber, another new recruit, was also solid at left-back but Havertz was typically profligate as he wasted Arsenal’s two best chances to take the lead.
Havertz will be expected to lead the Arsenal attack while Gabriel Jesus recovers from knee surgery and this was hardly the ideal introduction to his new club for the inconsistent German.
Mateo Kovacic was energetic on his City debut after the midfielder’s move from Chelsea, but fellow Croatian Josko Gvardiol was unavailable following the defender’s arrival from Leipzig on Saturday.
Palmer was the anonymous Erling Haaland’s second half replacement and the promising youngster netted in the 77th minute.
City broke at pace and when Kieran Tierney lost the ball carelessly, De Bruyne’s header found Palmer and he curled a sublime finish into the far corner from the edge of the area.
But in a sign of things to come under the new time-wasting rules, there was a huge amount of stoppage time and Arsenal snatched the equaliser 11 minutes into the additional period.
It was a hugely fortunate goal as Trossard cut in from the right and hit his shot straight at Manuel Akanji, only for the ball to deflect off the City defender past the wrong-footed Stefan Ortega.
Still feeling the pain of last season’s title collapse, Arteta celebrated as though Arsenal had won the league.
The Spaniard let his emotions hang out again when Vieira converted the winning penalty to light the fuse on the looming title race.
Story from AFP, excluding headline
United States President Donald Trump has welcomed FIFA’s decision to suspend the red card issued to USA striker Folarin Balogun, clearing the forward to feature in the country’s crucial Round of 16 clash against Belgium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
FIFA announced the decision on Sunday, overturning the suspension that would have ruled Balogun out of Monday’s knockout encounter after he was sent off during the USA’s match against Bosnia last week.
SEE MORE: Fresh Report Warns Nigeria May Miss Another World Cup If Current NFF Stays
The development comes as a major boost for the United States, with Balogun expected to play a key role in the team’s bid to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Reacting shortly after FIFA’s announcement, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to praise the governing body for what he described as the right decision.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump wrote.
Balogun’s availability is expected to strengthen the American attack against Belgium in one of the standout fixtures of the World Cup Round of 16.
The striker has been a key figure for the USA throughout the tournament, and his return provides a timely boost as the team prepares for one of its toughest tests in the competition.
A new report has raised concerns over the future of Nigerian football, warning that the country could miss another FIFA World Cup unless significant changes are made to the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The report, released as the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues in the United States, Canada and Mexico, argues that Nigeria’s continued absence from football’s biggest tournament reflects deep-rooted administrative problems rather than a shortage of football talent.
SEE MORE: GTI Commends NSC, NFF for Commitment to NPFL Transformation
According to the report, failing to qualify for the World Cup has hurt the international profile of Nigerian players and slowed the growth of the domestic game.
It says the country’s football potential will remain underutilised unless the federation undergoes far-reaching reforms.
The report also notes that several football stakeholders and respected sporting figures have repeatedly called for the NFF to be restructured and insulated from political influence.
They believe only a transparent and professionally managed federation can restore confidence in Nigerian football.
It identifies a number of long-standing issues, including alleged financial mismanagement, delayed payment of players’ bonuses, inconsistent coaching appointments and poor administrative planning, as factors that have contributed to the Super Eagles’ recent struggles on the international stage.
Beyond the national team’s disappointing results, the report argues that years of weak governance have affected player welfare and weakened youth football development, limiting Nigeria’s ability to compete consistently with the world’s top football nations.
The report concludes that meaningful leadership reforms within the NFF are essential if Nigeria hopes to reclaim its place at future FIFA World Cup tournaments and restore the country’s reputation as one of Africa’s football powerhouses.
The race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy enters a decisive phase on Saturday as the Round of 16 gets underway, with the remaining 16 teams battling for a place in the quarter-finals.
African hopes now rest on Morocco and Egypt, the continent’s last surviving representatives in the tournament.
Morocco will be the first African side in action, taking on hosts Canada on Saturday evening, while Egypt face defending champions Argentina on Tuesday in a high-stakes knockout encounter.
SEE MORE: Tragedy Strikes as Argentine Footballer Loses Entire Family in Venezuela Disaster
Among the favourites still in contention, France will continue their pursuit of a third consecutive FIFA World Cup final appearance when they face Paraguay later on Saturday.
The knockout stage also features several blockbuster fixtures involving football’s biggest nations. Five-time champions Brazil will take on Norway, while England lock horns with Mexico in another highly anticipated clash.
An all-European showdown between Portugal and Spain is expected to be one of the standout fixtures of the Round of 16, while the United States will face Belgium for a place in the last eight.
The final knockout match will see Switzerland battle Colombia.
Round of 16 Fixtures (WAT)
Saturday, July 4
Canada vs Morocco – 6:00 p.m.
Paraguay vs France – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 5
Brazil vs Norway – 9:00 p.m.
Monday, July 6
Mexico vs England – 1:00 a.m.
Portugal vs Spain – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 7
USA vs Belgium – 1:00 a.m.
Argentina vs Egypt – 5:00 p.m.
Switzerland vs Colombia – 9:00 p.m.
With quarter-final places at stake, fans around the world are expected to witness intense battles as the road to lifting football’s biggest prize becomes increasingly challenging.
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