Looking for Soccer News?

Cristiano Ronaldo needed just one half of football to get back among the goals for Manchester United, with the Portuguese superstar netting on his second debut for the club.

It looked like being a frustrating opening 45 minutes for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner against Newcastle, but Old Trafford erupted in stoppage-time when the deadlock was finally broken.

More to follow...

Cristiano Ronaldo will open his second spell as a Manchester United player from the off against Newcastle , with the Portuguese superstar named in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting XI.

A five-time Ballon d'Or winner has made a stunning return to Old Trafford 12 years on from bringing a memorable first association with the Red Devils to a close.

Record-setting stints with Real Madrid and Juventus have seen the 36-year-old cement a standing as an all-time great, with the intention being to further enhance his legacy back in English football.

What is Man Utd's starting XI?

Alongside Ronaldo, a couple of other summer recruits have also been included in Solskjaer's latest selection.

Raphael Varane, who worked with Ronaldo at Real, makes his home debut for United after seeing his first minutes for the club prior to the international break in an away win at Wolves.

Jadon Sancho is another eye-catching addition to the Red Devils squad, with the England winger lining up on the left of a fearsome front three that also includes Mason Greenwood.

Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes will be pulling the strings in midfield, hoping to provide the ammunition for Ronaldo and Co, while club captain Harry Maguire partners Varane at the back.

Dean Henderson has stepped up his recovery from a bout of Covid-19 by figuring for United's U23s, but David de Gea retains his spot between the sticks.

Fred is available after seeing a ban lifted on English-based Brazilian stars that were prevented from linking up with their country for World Cup qualifying duty, but he has to settle for a place on the bench.

Edinson Cavani, who has passed the No.7 jersey back to Ronaldo , is not in the matchday squad.

When was Ronaldo's last appearance for Man Utd?

Ronaldo took in 292 appearances for United after joining them from Sporting in the summer of 2003.

He scored 118 goals and helped the Red Devils to three Premier League titles, a Champions League crown, as well as landing the first of his five Golden Balls.

An iconic figure currently has 84 efforts to his name in the English top-flight and, having committed to a two-year contract , will have his sights set on another notable century.

His last goal for United came in a derby date with Manchester City on May 10, 2009, with his final appearance coming in a 2-0 Champions League final defeat to a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona side in Rome's Stadio Olimpico on May 27, 2009.

Records have already started to tumble around him before a ball has even been kicked back in red, with another entry made to the history books 12 years on from his last Premier League outing.

Further reading

Kerala Blasters edged Indian Navy football team by a solitary goal in an Durand Cup 2021 encounter at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata, on Saturday.

Uruguayan midfielder Adrian Luna (71') scored the winner from the spot after a goalless first half. The Sailormen had won their opening clash 2-1 against Delhi FC but are now second in the group on account of the Blasters loss. 

Minutes after the Blasters converted by Luna, which was earned by Sreekuttan following a pass by Prasanth with defender Dalraj Singh going into the books, the Navy men could have drawn level on a couple of occasions.

Sreyas VG, who along with Dalraj had scored against Delhi, was denied by Blasters' goalkeeper Albino and the rebound was shot wide by PM Britto.

Ivan Vukomanovic's men can make it to the quarterfinals should they pick a win over fellow Indian Super League (ISL) side Bengaluru FC next Wednesday.

Two transfer deals that went somewhat under the radar during the final days of the transfer window involved Nigerian wideman Ahmed Musa and Ademola Lookman.

The former ended his brief stay back in Nigerian football by signing with Fatih Karagumruk, while the latter returned for a third stint in the Premier League when he signed for Leicester City.

The moves prompted Goal to ask—in our recent African Football HQ transfer talk show live—which of the duo secured the better move during the window.

On one hand, it’s fantastic to see Musa returning to European football, having surely made the move back to the NPFL and to Kano Pillars too early in his career.

He’s only 28, so should theoretically have some of his best years ahead of him, and surely had a lot more to offer than at the highest level of the Nigerian game.

He’s the Super Eagles captain after all, and—when he featured against Cape Verde in Nigeria’s recent World Cup qualifier—became only the third Nigerian player to reach a century of international appearances for the West African giants.

It’s surely only a matter of time before he eclipses Joseph Yobo and Vincent Enyeama to become Nigeria’s all-time record cap holder.

His return to Europe should help him re-establish himself as one of the most exciting—and experienced—African wideman.

Lookman finds himself at a different stage of his career; he’s only 23, and still has much to prove, following some stop-start seasons.

He excelled on loan at RasenBallsport Leipzig after signing for Everton, but then failed to establish himself at Goodison Park.

After signing permanently for RB Leipzig, he failed to create his previous magic in Saxony, but did show glimpses of quality when loaned back to England with Fulham.

He was never going to remain with the Cottagers following their relegation, however, and so a move to Leicester City—and the opportunity to work with Brendan Rodgers—gives him another glorious opportunity to crystallize his immense potential.  

The Northern Irish coach has a strong track record for working with youngsters on the cusp of greatness and helping them to bring their qualities to bear on a consistent basis.

Can he now do the same with Lookman?

Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha has revealed his prediction for the Premier League matches set for this weekend, tipping Arsenal to get a convincing win against Norwich City.

The North London outfit has endured a painful start to their 2021-22 campaign and they are yet to win a match from the three played, lying at the bottom of the 20-team table.

And ahead of their fourth game of the campaign against Norwich at the Emirates Stadium, the former Super Eagles midfielder has predicted a 3-1 win for the Mikel Arteta-led side.

In a post on his Instagram page, the 48-year-old, who played in England for Bolton Wanderers, has given his prediction for all the six Premier League matches lined up for Saturday.

In his other predictions, Okocha has tipped Manchester United, who are set to hand winger Cristiano Ronaldo a second debut, to beat Newcastle United 4-0 at Old Trafford, while he has also predicted a 2-1 win for Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace against Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park Stadium.

Despite enjoying a host of African players, among them Zambia’s Patson Daka, Nigeria’s Kelechi Iheanacho, and Wilfred Ndidi, Ghana's Daniel Amartey, Okocha has tipped Leicester City to be thumped 4-1 by Manchester City in their backyard.

Okocha has also predicted a 2-0 win for Watford, who also enjoy the presence of Nigerian players led by Emmanuel Dennis, Oghenekaro Etebo, and Senegalese forward Ismaila Sarr, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and predicted a 3-0 win for Chelsea against Aston Villa.

Arsenal started their campaign on a losing note after going down 2-0 against promoted side Brentford at Brentford Community Stadium.

The Gunners then suffered a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea at the Emirates before they travelled to the Etihad Stadium where they were hammered 5-0 by Man City.

Brazil icon Pele says his recovery from an operation is going well.

The 80-year-old went under the knife to remove a tumour from his colon last week.

The three-time World Cup winner was admitted to the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo at the end of August after the tumour was discovered during routine examinations.

What did Pele say?

Pele took to social media to thank fans for the well wishes he has received and says he will spend the coming days focused on his recovery.

"My friends, with each passing day I feel a little better. I'm looking forward to playing again, but I'm still going to recover for a few more days," Pele wrote in an Instagram post.

"While I'm here, I take the opportunity to talk a lot with my family and to rest.

"Thanks again for all the loving messages. We'll be together again soon!"

What is Pele's condition?

The Sao Paulo hospital confirmed that the football legend "has been recovering satisfactorily, is conscious, actively talking and maintaining his vital signs in normality".

But Pele is to be kept in intensive care for the time being.

The ex-Santos star has suffered several medical problems in recent years and has been forced to use walkers and wheelchairs since he had a hip replacement in 2012.

Further reading

Bordeaux manager Vladimir Petkovic is disappointed with the fact Nigeria international Samuel Kalu and his compatriot from Ghana Gideon Mensah will not be involved as his team tackles Lens on Sunday.

The duo will sit out the match that will be played at the Matmut-Atlantique Stadium since they are required to quarantine after serving their countries in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Kalu was involved in the Super Eagles' duties against Liberia and Cape Verde respectively.

The Super Eagles won the first match at home 2-0 before claiming a 2-1 win away in the second match.

For the Black Stars, they started with a 1-0 win at home against Ethiopia but lost by the same margin away to South Africa. But their services for their respective countries will come with a price as they will miss this weekend's league assignments.

"They all have good possibilities," Petkovic said in a press conference as quoted by Girondins4ever.

"Obviously, we have two players who came back from Africa and who therefore cannot play [Mensah and Kalu]. These are things that should not happen, but they should also be decided at levels higher than us. 

"Now we just have to focus on what we can do with the players available, in order to do the best we can. But yesterday, we already had good news, that of training with almost the entire workforce."

After four matches, Bordeaux are in 19th position with just two points after two draws and as many losses.

They started their campaign with a 2-0 loss at home against Clermont. The visitors scored their goals in the second half courtesy of Mohamed Bayo, 82, and Jodel Dossou, 90.

In the second match away to 10-man Marseille, the Girondins forced a 2-2 draw. Cengiz Under and Dimitri Payet were on target for the hosts while Timothee Pembele and Remi Oudin replied for the visitors.

Another draw came against Angers; Sekou Mara scored for Bordeaux before Romain Thomas equalized. Before the international break, they lost 4-0 away to Nice.

Kevin-Prince Boateng has criticised his half-brother Jerome after the defender was found guilty of assaulting his former partner.

The centre-back, who joined Lyon this summer after leaving Bayern Munich, was ordered to pay a €1.8 million fine  after being convicted on Thursday.

Boateng avoided a possible prison term for the incident which took place in 2018, but the prosecution has said they will consider appealing the judge's ruling as they hoped for a suspended sentence instead of a mere fine.

What has been said?

Kevin-Prince says his relationship with Jerome, who has the same father but a different mother, broke down well before the latter's conviction.

"I've distanced myself from Jerome for a long time," the Hertha Berlin player said to  Bild .

"I value and respect German law. I abhor violence against women.

"I don't identify with my brother's actions and that's why I no longer have anything to do with him."

Will Boateng play for Lyon?

The Germany international signed for Lyon in a free transfer during the summer window and is yet to make his first appearance for the club.

Coach Peter Bosz refused to comment on the 33-year-old's legal situation but says there is a chance he could debut on Sunday when they take on Strasbourg.

"I'm a coach, it's his private life, I don't want to say anything about it," he told reporters.

"Jerome did not train collectively for three months, even if he worked with a trainer, and the team training is always different.

"Xherdan Shaqiri is a little further ahead. We'll see on Sunday, there are a lot of uncertainties for the starting XI."

Further reading

Mikel Arteta has been falling under ever-increasing pressure at Arsenal, with the Gunners currently bottom of the Premier League table, but Mikael Silvestre has warned that parting with another manager will cost the club valuable time and money.

Questions are being asked of how long Arteta will be sticking around on the back of a pointless and goalless start to the 2021-22 campaign from a beleaguered north London outfit.

Silvestre concedes that there will come a time for big decisions to be made, potentially after a derby date with Tottenham on September 26, but hopes patience will be shown with a man that has delivered FA Cup glory at Emirates Stadium and been backed in the transfer market.

What has been said?

Former Arsenal defender Silvestre, speaking in association with BettingExpert, told Goal of Arteta's precarious situation: "Everyone was wishing for Arsene [Wenger] to leave, but the question is do you give more time for Arteta to put this club together? 

"We have to realise that the team and the squad wasn't 100 per cent ready, there were injuries, Covid issues for the start of the season. There are a lot of things that need to be addressed quickly. 

"I am always in favour of giving the manager more time. After the derby, then it will be time to assess if there was any progression. 

"Forget the results, there should be some progress on the pitch if everyone is fit and ready in the starting XI. If there is no progress, then the question will be asked."

Will a change be made?

Arsenal continue to struggle for consistency despite investing a record £145 million ($200m) on fresh faces during the last transfer window.

With expectations still high at Emirates Stadium, Arteta faces a race against time to prove that he is the right man to guide the club towards a brighter future.

Various potential successors are already being speculated upon, with former Chelsea and Inter boss Antonio Conte currently out of work and available, but Silvestre has urged the Gunners against any snap judgements - especially one that could bring in another boss that favours a different style of football.

The Frenchman added: "We have seen that at [Manchester] United before, there were many different managers with different styles of football. 

"It's really important that the club keeps its identity. Mikel right now is best placed to do the job and he needs backing from the players. He needs to make sure they believe in him. 

"After that, if you have to make a change then you pick the manager that will be happy to use the £300m spent in the last few years on new players. 

"You don't want another manager with a different style of football who will ask you to write more cheques and buy more players for his football."

Arsenal will be back in action on Saturday when taking in a crunch clash with Norwich at Emirates Stadium - with the Canaries also waiting on their first points of the season.

Further reading

Thomas Tuchel has praised Louis van Gaal for having "the balls" to speak his mind after he praised the Chelsea coach during an outburst at a press conference.

Van Gaal had an altercation with De Telegraaf journalist Valentijn Driessen over the nature of a three-man defence.

The 70-year-old highlighted Chelsea as proof that a 3-5-2 formation does not necessarily mean a defensive approach, saying: "I take my hat off to Mr Tuchel, because he got in halfway through [the season]."

What did Tuchel say?

Tuchel was pleased to hear Van Gaal come to his defence and says he is an admirer of the Netherlands coach.

"Somebody sent that to me. It was a pleasure to play against him as a very young coach in Germany when he was coach from Bayern Munich and he has this kind of brutal honesty when you talk to him or when he goes to the press conference, which is what I really love," Tuchel told Sky Sports.

"He has really the balls to speak it out, what he thinks. Sometimes it's not to his advantage, but I think right now, it's nice to hear him talk about football. He has a certain age. He has a huge experience. He has influenced football in general with all his clubs, all his teams, on such a high level.

"Not just because he defended me in person, which was nice, of course, but in general, he is not afraid to speak out. Sometimes I or other colleagues maybe think 'let's don't speak out' because we'd just create trouble and we want to protect a calm atmosphere… But he's a nice guy, I like him."

Do Chelsea play defensively?

Tuchel agreed with Van Gaal that his side do not set up to prioritise defending over attacking football, stressing that an attractive style is most important. 

"Well, what is defensive and what is offensive? I think you can debate for hours and for weeks and in the end for years," the German coach added.

"For me it's more to stay active. If you take the Champions League final, we had not a lot of possession and of course we had to defend because of the quality of Man City, but we never were passive. We never just parked the bus in front of the goal.

"If a game is active, it's attractive. So you need to have answers to all the questions and you have to respect the strengths and strategy of your opponent.

"Sometimes we have a lot of ball possession but it doesn't feel like a really offensive game. I had some games in Paris with PSG with ridiculous amount of ball possession, but we could not pace it up, we could not accelerate in this special game. So it felt like we controlled it, but it didn't feel like attacking football.

"So what is attacking football? One of the best transition teams was Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund and with Liverpool in the last years. Sometimes they don't have much ball possession, but then you see these fast attacks - and they have these fast attacks because they defended deep before.

"So it's all connected and what I heard from Van Gaal, I was clearly on his side! It's important that it's attractive, that it's active and it's intensive and you can show these attributes in all parts of the game, in the moments where you defend, and also when you attack."

What did Van Gaal say?

Van Gaal's comments were prompted by Driessen's suggestion that he wanted Netherlands to focus on a more careful approach than the attacking style that the coach and country are famous for.

"You have no idea at all. I'm sorry to say it, but you're just a journalist," Van Gaal said. 

"You want to implement your vision, but you have no vision in football. You have a vision for the newspaper, fantastic. You attract attention and so on. But with 5-3-2 or 5-2-3 you can attack incredibly well. Chelsea shows it every time, with different formations. And I take my hat off to Mr Tuchel, because he got in halfway through [the season]."

When Driessen pointed out that Van Gaal's first book says otherwise, the ex-Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said: "Have you ever heard of evolution? I'm developing - and Memphis is developing too. Me, at the age of 70.

"With 5-3-2 you can play distinctive football. Only you don't want to. Well, then you should write that. I read it again and then a faint smile arises again, because I think: 'there you have Valentijn again'. It's so easy to write that. I can't do anything about it."

Further reading

AmaZulu head coach Benni McCarthy has described as “disastrous” the team’s first outing in the Caf Champions League after losing 1-0 against Nyasa Big Bullets in the first leg on Friday.

Usuthu went into their first-ever appearance on the continental scene seeking to pick up a positive start but it was the visiting side from Malawi who scored courtesy of Chiukepo Msowoya in the 26th minute and held on to stun the hosts at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Ahead of the first leg battle, McCarthy had remained optimistic of his team doing well and even surpassing what Kaizer Chiefs achieved in the same competition last season.

The former Bafana Bafana striker has now blamed his players for lacking the spirit to fight and get a positive result and described the outcome as a “horror show.”

What did McCarthy say?

“Not a great start to our Caf adventure,” McCarthy said after the game as quoted by idiskitimes.

“As much as it looked like we dominated the game, we were nowhere close to our best. I think when you play the way you do, and you don’t have the desire to score goals, there’s not really much of a chance you give yourself.

“You look at the opposition; they did absolutely nothing in the game. They played to their strength. They played for free kicks, and then put the ball in the box, use their physicality, get in, and then ja, they get away with one.

“I think maybe it could have been a foul on Veli, because I think he had the ball firmly, and they get their goal, a breakaway goal.

“And ja, and then we didn’t end up doing enough to win the game, so I can’t really sum the game up because it was difficult to watch, and difficult to accept what was happening out there.

“You create the chances we did and we fail to score. So, I think, if ever you get the chance to speak to the players that was on the pitch, maybe they can give you a better indication of what they think happened there, but I just think it was a horror show for me to watch, especially a lack of desire. that we showed out there.

“When you get the chances and, you play in that manner, and then you go 10 versus 11 in, and still nothing. So ja, I think the players have to have a hard look at themselves. For me, I think this was a disastrous game.”

What next for AmaZulu after defeat?

On the return leg battle, McCarthy said: “So now we have to go to the jungle. We have to go to a very difficult place to go and repeat and go and overturn losing at home, and then looking to go and win away from home in Africa, which not many teams have done, but now we are asking that of ourselves.

“So ja we just prepare for that now, for SuperSport, our next league game, and then to go back to the face the Malawians. We know what they are about. And that’s really it.”

After playing SuperSport United in a midweek Premier Soccer League clash on Wednesday, Usuthu will travel to Lilongwe where they will face Bullets in the return leg on September 18 at Bingu National Stadium.

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani says his goal celebration is inspired by his country's past and his daughter's name.

The Uruguay international has marked his goals for the Red Devils by mimicking firing an arrow from a bow into the sky.

The 34-year-old's latest celebration is a nod to the knowledge and experience he has gained over the years.

What has been said?

"I’ve changed my celebration a few times now and again. But this latest one comes from when you start growing up and begin to learn and gain knowledge about things that date back from a long time ago," he told the club's website .

"It kind of comes from our population, our native Uruguayans. Because I think and feel that down through the various generations of my family, I have roots from back in those times.

"I got the idea of being able to do the celebration where I take out the arrow and fire it. So that’s a bit of the history behind it, which in turn explains the thinking behind my daughter’s name, India.

"It’s all connected! There, I’ve explained it all a bit for you!"

How many goals has Cavani scored for Man Utd?

The former Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain star joined United last October and is tied to the club until the end of the season.

He scored 17 times in 39 games in all competitions last season.

Cavani has made only one appearance so far this season, coming off the bench against Wolves in late-August.

Further reading