SPORTS
Messi Hat-trick Steers Barcelona To Unbeaten 35-game Record
Two goals in as many minutes midway through the first-half killed the game as a contest as Ivan Rakitic and Messi netted before Diego Llorente saw a straight red card for a high challenge on Rakitic.
Messi completed his hat-trick either side of Manucho’s consolation for Rayo.
Luis Suarez also missed a penalty after Manuel Iturra was also sent-off for the hosts before Arda Turan rounded off the scoring with his first Barca goal.
Barca now lead Atletico Madrid by eight points with Real Madrid a further four points adrift in third with 11 games remaining.
Despite Rayo’s precarious position just above the relegation zone, Barca boss Luis Enrique showed the Madrid side plenty of respect by naming his strongest side bar at full-back where Jeremy Mathieu and Sergi Roberto replaced Jordi Alba and the suspended Dani Alves.
Rayo were unbeaten in their seven league games themselves and forced Barca ‘keeper Claudio Bravo into a smart early save as the Chilean international flew to his right to turn away Adrian Embarba’s drive.
However, Rayo’s high defensive line was offering plenty of encouragement to the European champions and it seemed only a matter of time before Barca took advantage as Carlos made a good save at his near post to deny Messi.
The opener arrived in unusual fashion for Barca, though, as an aimless ball punted into the box was dropped by Carlos and Rakitic was on hand to sweep into an empty net
The visitors’ second two minutes later was straight out of the Barca textbook, though, as a brilliant one-two between Neymar and Messi freed the Argentine to slot home from close range.
Llorente let Rayo’s frustration boil over three minutes before the break when he lunged in studs up on Rakitic and was rightly shown a straight red card.
Messi piled on further punishment for the hosts when he casually rolled the ball home after Suarez had smashed against the post soon after the restart.
Rayo showed some resistence as Manucho nodded home his fourth goal in three game from Bebe’s knockdown.
Yet, the hosts momentum was short-lived as they were reduced to nine men when Iturra chopped down Sergio Busquets inside the area after Neymar’s free-kick had come back off the crossbar.
Messi passed up the chance to seal his hat-trick to help Suarez in his battle with Cristiano Ronaldo to be La Liga’s top scorer.
However, Barca’s awful record from the spot this season continued as Carlos made amends for his earlier error with a fine save.
The five-time World Player of the Year had to wait just three minutes more to get his third of the night as Messi sauntered through on goal before slotting past the advancing Carlos.
And Turan rounded off a perfect evening for Luis Enrique’s men when he headed home from Mathieu’s cross five minutes from time.
AFP
Marcus Rashford announced himself at Barcelona in spectacular fashion with a brilliant second-half brace that sealed a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United in their Champions League opener at St James’ Park on Thursday night.
The England forward, on loan from Manchester United, struck twice within nine minutes to mark his first Champions League goals since 2021. His clinical header in the 58th minute and a thunderous strike from distance in the 67th proved decisive, making his return to England one to remember.
Anthony Gordon pulled one back for Newcastle in stoppage time, but the Magpies were left disappointed in their bid to start strongly on their return to Europe’s elite competition.
Rashford, whose career has stuttered in recent seasons, looked revitalised under Hansi Flick, tormenting Newcastle’s backline and registering his seventh career goal against them. The performance will have stung Manchester United fans, whose club are absent from Europe this season and struggling domestically.
Barcelona, five-time European champions, showed resilience after a sluggish first half in which Newcastle looked the sharper side. The hosts had opportunities through Harvey Barnes and Joelinton, but Rashford’s decisive brilliance turned the tide.
The result underlined Barcelona’s ambitions after last season’s semi-final exit to Inter Milan, while Newcastle’s dreams of a statement victory faded despite the late rally.
Almost 28 years since Faustino Asprilla’s iconic hat-trick stunned Barcelona at the same venue, this time it was Rashford who stole the spotlight on Tyneside.
By: Imo Owo
Among the ever-volatile Manchester United fanbase, scapegoats are always in season. This time, the collective daggers are targeted at André Onana, the Cameroonian goalkeeper whose every move between the sticks has seemingly been magnified, scrutinised, and crucified.
Following the 2-2 draw against Lyon in the Europa League quarterfinals—a match United came painfully close to winning, the narrative took on a familiar, reactionary tone: Onana is at fault. Again.
But here’s the inconvenient truth for the knee-jerk critics: Onana is not at fault—he’s simply become a fall guy in a team that has been creaking from back to front.
*The First Goal: A Collective Failing*
Let’s talk about the first goal conceded in Lyon. Yes, Onana anticipated a flick from the Lyon attackers and hesitated. His calculated decision unfortunately backfired when no touch was made and the ball sailed directly into the net. Was it avoidable? Perhaps. Was it wholly his fault? Absolutely not.
But WHERE WERE THE DEFENDERS? Why was the ball allowed to travel untouched across the six-yard box without a single Manchester United head making contact? This is a team that has struggled consistently with defending set-pieces all season, so this was not an isolated lapse. It was another episode in a long-running defensive horror series—and Onana, being the last man, was the unfortunate easy target.
*The Second Goal: The Usual Goal-mouth Chaos*
The second goal, a late equalizer by Ryan Chekri, was preceded by the defensive chaos that has come to be the hallmark of the team. The ball pinballed around under immense pressure, nerves frayed, composure evaporated, and Onana found himself facing a sudden point-blank shot. He managed to parry it, but the rebound was scored.
Expecting a miracle save under such circumstances is either naïve or willfully dishonest. The real question is: why was the defence unable to manage the game after United went ahead? Why do the outfield players repeatedly lose their heads, their calm, and their direction when it matters most? If Onana had better shielding—better organised, more confident and less jittery defenders—this conversation might not even be happening.
*The Blame Culture*
There’s a worrying trend in the modern football fanbase, particularly among the impatient hordes on social media: the collective amnesia that forgets past heroics the moment a mistake is made. Have we already forgotten the various occasions Onana saved United’s blushes in games this season? Or how, unlike his predecessor David De Gea—who was hounded out for being weak on crosses—Onana provides a calmness in ball distribution and command of the area that modern goalkeeping demands?
It is intellectually dishonest to compare De Gea and Onana without context. The former was a reactionary shot-stopper in a largely reactive United team. The latter is a high-line, sweeper-keeper tasked with initiating play, managing space, and serving as a quasi-defender when the centre-backs lose shape. Different profiles. Different eras. Different challenges.
A dysfunctional system cannot produce fully functional individuals. Let’s be honest: Onana is not manning the posts for peak Sir Alex Ferguson’s United. He is between the sticks for what might be the most psychologically weak United side in history. The midfield is inconsistent. The backline is consistently injury-prone and makeshift. The attackers are blunt and wasteful. The team cannot control games and cannot kill off games. Yet, all fingers point to the goalkeeper.
Why? Because in this United team, every player looks worse than they are. From Casemiro to Eriksen to Maguire, the problem isn’t just individual—it’s structural. And until that structure is fixed, no goalkeeper in the world, not even vintage Manuel Neuer, would be spared. Even the team’s talisman and captain, Bruno Fernandes, has a bad game sometimes.
You do not go from Ajax to Inter Milan to Manchester United if you’re not elite. Onana has proven himself on some of the biggest stages in European football. He’s manned posts in Champions League knockout rounds, played in high-pressure derbies, and helped Inter to a Champions League final. That pedigree does not vanish overnight. So, before we scapegoat him, perhaps we need to pause and ask the real questions: Why does it seem like every good player United signs becomes average overnight?
Onana, like every player, has his flaws. But he is also one of the few players trying to build something amid the wreckage. If we must critique, let it be balanced. If we must analyse, let it be intelligent. Because at the end of the day, Manchester United’s problem is not the man between the sticks—it’s the system collapsing around him. So to the witch-hunters calling for his head: perhaps the real blunder is failing to think beyond (racial) sentiments and emotions.
…Says the Renewed Hope Agenda offers best opportunity for sports development
By Ebriku John Friday
Driven by his undiluted resolve to boost sports development in line with the Renewed Hope mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh signed three Memoranda of Understanding, on Friday the 19th of April 2024 in Lagos. 
Senator Enoh announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited to relaunch the Challenge Cup as the President Federation Cup in collaboration with the NFF to reignite interest amongst fans and elevate it to global standards. The renamed competition will involve grassroots teams, create employment for approximately 500,000 Nigerians, engage over 100,000,000 football enthusiasts, and showcase our country’s greatness globally. The President Federation Cup will become President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s legacy championing Nigerian football.
This was disclosed in a statement by Diana-Mary Nsan, S.A. Media, to the Honourable Minister of Sports Development on Saturday.
The Minister stated thus “our groundbreaking agreements with key private sector players like GTI are indications of our resolve to revolutionize sports in Nigeria, leveraging innovation, technology, and human expertise.” He thanked Mrs Tinuke Watti, the Permanent Secretary of the Sports Ministry, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, President of the NFF, and Mr Abubakar Lawal and all members of the GTI team for their invaluable contributions.
For the second deal, the Federal Ministry of Sports signed a landmark agreement with top lottery company Yanga Games to raise the revenue profile of the Ministry and ensure a new deal for the welfare of athletes. The Sports Minister stated that “we are partnering with YangaGames to bring maximum benefits to the athletes and all critical stakeholders.We shall give institutional encouragement and support to the Management of Yanga Games to succeed in this onerous task of rebuilding our sports sub sector.”
Chairman/CEO of Yanga Games Mr Derrick David Kentebe said” We are so super excited by this opportunity to work with the Ministry of Sports Development to change the narrative about Sports in the country. We see opportunities for marketing our athletes and sports generally.” He also added that “we shall raise about 34 Billion in the next four years to assist athletes and improve sports in the country. We shall help to develop grassroot sports and sustain youth involvement through raffle draws, fundraisers and other avenues.” Senator Enoh said that he strongly believes President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda offers the best opportunity to promote systemic development in Nigerian sports and the collaboration aims to make sports more attractive to private investors so that it can receive meaningful investments from the private sector.
For the third agreement, the Federal Ministry of Sports Development joined forces with EFFA Management for specific purposes that will enhance various aspects of the sports ministry’s strategic six-point policy framework. When Senator Enoh took office, the Ministry developed a six-point agenda named W.A.I.F.A.R. This agenda includes the welfare of our athletes, activation of sports as an industry, infrastructure development, funding for sports development, activation of grassroots sports, and the reorganization of sports federations to ensure effective delivery. Senator Enoh said that the sports sector is currently experiencing a surge in efforts to improve its performance and the Ministry is fully prepared to establish partnerships that will facilitate this much-needed transformation.
With these three groundbreaking agreements, Nigerian sports is at the cusp of phenomenal development that will further propel athletes and federations towards greater success. Senator Enoh thanked all parties for keying into the vision of the Ministry and stated that the Ministry will continually pursue causes that will lead to strategic positioning for greater development.
