Bruno Fernandes has described the current decline in the fortune of the Manchester United as part of football that will always exist, hoping however that the good moments outweigh the difficult ones.

Speaking after a 3-2 victory over Roma on Tuesday, the Manchester United captain said winning again after nine barren games feels special.

” Winning again after such a long time is obviously very special for us. To do it at home, in front of our fans and in this manner, makes it even better. We are very happy with the result.

“It’s a difficult situation when we don’t get results and there isn’t just one problem but several. There are many things that need to be improved and done differently.

“Unfortunately, this situation has gone on for a long time, which makes things even harder. We know that nobody at this club is here not to win, and nobody comes to this club not to win. Everyone believes that when we sign for this club and represent it, it’s to pursue bigger goals.

“But unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case in recent years. It has always been difficult, and we’ve been through some very striking moments, because it’s hard to reach the league position we want, to be where we hope to be, and to compete for the trophies we desire. But wearing this shirt is a huge responsibility, and we must see it as an honor. Many players dream of coming here one day, and we are fortunate to experience all of this today. We must live the good moments in the same way we live the difficult ones”

The Portuguese explains that not getting results is about confidence at the club.

“When results are not good and things are not going well, the situation becomes very difficult. There are many external factors beyond the dressing room, the players and the staff that affect the club’s performance and what we can do on the pitch.

“These things affect many players. Some handle them better, others less so. But I think we also think a lot for ourselves and have high expectations of ourselves. When things ultimately don’t go as planned, we get frustrated because we can’t give the club what we truly believe we can, and mentally, it’s a big blow”

Nigeria’s Super Falcons, Falconets duo Christiana Uzoma and Janet Akekoromowei as well as Flamingos star Oluwakemi Adegbuyi have been nominated in the women’s category of the 2026 CAF Awards.

CAF released the shortlists on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for Monday, December 7, 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Super Falcons were nominated for the Women’s National Team of the Year despite a disappointing 2026 WAFCON campaign where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Cameroon (1-0) and failed to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.

Uzoma, 17, was nominated in the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year category after starring for Edo Queens in the NWFL and WAFU-B Women’s Champions League qualifiers and captained the Falconets at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland after regular captain Joy Igbokwe missed out on a visa.

Her impressive performances for both club and country earned her a first senior Super Falcons call-up for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Qualifiers.

She faces competition from Cameroon’s Michaely Bihina (Golden Glove winner at WAFCON 2026), Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi, South Africa’s Andile Dlamini and Ghana’s Cynthia Konlan.

The Women’s Young Player of the Year category saw Nigeria get double nominations with Adegbuyi and Akekoromowei making the cut in the 10-player shortlist.

FC Robo 16-year-old Adegbuyi won the 2025/26 NWFL Player of the Season and Super Six MVP after scoring 11 goals.

She was also MVP at the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Yamoussoukro and recently released from the Super Falcons camp to join the Flamingos for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Akekoromowei, 18, of SL Benfica and Falconets goal-scoring sensation who now got called up for Super Falcons Olympic qualifiers vs Comoros.

The winners will be decided by votes from CAF Technical Committee, media and captains/coaches.

Andoni Iraola believes his Liverpool side are in for a difficult test when they face Fenerbahce in the Champions League this evening. (Wednesday)

The Reds have made a 100% start to their league-phase campaign, defeating Atletico Madrid, LASK and Villarreal to sit third in the standings ahead of MD4.

However, Liverpool have not won any of their six away games against Turkish teams in the European Cup/Champions League, losing five of them (D1), and the last four in a row.

Liverpool have never lost five consecutive away games against sides from one nation in UEFA’s flagship club competition, but Iraola knows a stern test awaits his side.

“It won’t be easy, you talk about statistics, especially English teams playing here,” said Iraola.

“They have very good players and a very good squad, they know how to play in this competition. We have to start strong in the game.

“They have very good players in midfield, they have a very good technical level. If we allow them a lot of time on the ball and don’t press them properly, we will suffer.

“We need to not allow them to win confidence as they have experienced players who know how to play in this competition.”

Fener and Liverpool will meet for the first time in this match – the Reds have only won four of their 11 games against Turkish sides in the European Cup/Champions League (D2 L5), although the most recent victory was a 4-0 triumph over Galatasaray in March this year.

Following their draw against Slavia Prague last time out (2-2), Fener are now on their longest-ever winless run in the Champions League (10 games – D4 L6).