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U20 WC: Debutant Israel Double Tame Red Devils of South Korea 3-1 to bag Bronze Medal.

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Debutant Israel shocked the Red Devils of South Korea with a stunning 3-1 victory at the La Plata Stadium in Argentina to claim their first ever Bronze Medal in the world U20 football Championship

Nobody gave the Jewish country a chance to survive the group stages but the team beat known countries like African Champions Senegal; twice trashed the Devils from Asia and became lord over the Samba Boys of Brazil and now gotten certified with the token of being lord over the South Koreans who were Silver Medalists at the last games having lost to Ukraine in that final first with a 2-1 victory and now a 3-1 victory.

 

Tel Aviv club player, Ran Benyamin who was red carded in the match against Japan got a cross pass from the left flank and sent a brilliant volley into Korean net in 19th minute for the first goal.

 

The equalizer from Korea was painted controversial by Israel as their defender had elbowed a goal bound Korean attacker and Ref Ramon Abatti from Brazil (no relationship with former Nigerian Presidential Spokesman, Reuben Abati) promptly pointed to the spot for a penalty kick. Every entreaty for Ref Abatti to take a look at the VAR (incidentally the head of the VAR crew is also a Brazilian) proved abortive. In the process of many protests against the penalty, Israeli Defender, Feingold was yellow carded.

 

Midfielder, Seoung-won Lee who scored the amazing penalty against Italy in their 1-2 semifinal loss stepped forward to tuck it in at 24th minute for an equalizer but to report whether Lee is jinxed scoring penalties and then his team will lose is simply speculative as his team again lost this vital battle for the Bronze.

 

Substitute Omar Senior who scored the winning goal against Japan in 90+1 minute (match ended 2-1 in favor of Israel) came smoking in the 76th minute with the second goal to dwindle the hopes of the Korean for a podium appearance.

 

Then came this fleet footed Anan Khalaili who ‘killed’ Brazil with a good goal in the quarters and also scored the only goal that sent Uzbekistan crashing out of the round of 16 as he cashed on a goal mouth melee to put the icing on the cake of historic victory in the 76th minute but as he pulled off his shirt to celebrate a feasible Bronze like the Cameroonian Captain did when he scored against Brazil and got a red card at the senior world cup, this Abatti of a Ref flashed him stern like the Nigerian Lawyer – Journalist Abati flashed Khalaili a yellow card.

 

Verily verily I say unto you the celebration became big in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Nazareth and Haifa will be more than the festival of light called the Hannuka festival in the Jewish tradition. The U20 team I report enjoyed tremendous support from the millions of Jewish community in diaspora who are prominent in Argentina.

South Korea was beaten by France 2-1; played 2-2 with Honduras and goalless with Gambia all at the group games. At the Knockout stages, Korea beat Ecuador 3-2 in the round of 16 and clipped Flying Eagles wing 1-0 in the quarterfinal. Korea slumped 1-2 to Italy in the semifinal.

 

To get to the semifinals for the first time ever, debutant Israel lost to Canada 1-2 on 21st May; drew with African Champions Senegal 1-1 on 24th May and shocked the Asian Tigers, South Korea with a 2-1 win on 27th May. At the Knockout stages, Israel piped Uzbekistan 1-0 in the round of 16 and humbled mighty five times Champions, Samba Boys of Brazil 3-2 in the quarterfinals. Israel bowed to Uruguay 0-1 in the semifinals.
Israeli Marksman, Dor Tureman who was injured is back.

 

Both teams met once at the group stages of this tournament and Israel caged the Red Devils of Korea 2-1. Debutant Israel was received for about two hours by an 80 member local Jewish community when the team arrived Argentina for the tournament. Indonesia that was scheduled by FIFA to host the tournament lost the hosting right in March 2023 when the country insisted that Israel that lawfully qualified for the tournament final cannot play on their grounds so FIFA took it to a willing Argentina.

 

The Red Devils of South Korea are in their 15th appearance with their best performance at the Poland games in 2019 when Ukraine defeated the Asian champions 3-1 in the final after the Red Devils had won a slim 1-0 victory over Ecuador in the semifinals. South Korea placed 4th in 1983 at Mexico losing the Bronze to Poland 1-2 AET after losing in the semifinals to Brazil 1-2. There were three appearances in the quarterfinal in 1991; 2009 and 2013.

 

Already a total 149 goals have been scored before this 3rd place match (meaning 2.98 goals per match). A total of 638,460 fans meaning 12,769 per match.

 

Italian Cesere Casdei is the highest goal scorer with 7 goals; Brazil’s Marcos Leonardo is second with 5 goals with two players Columbia’s Oscar Cortes and Ecuador’s Justin Cuero have 4 goals each. Two of the five players that scored 3 goals each can still score goals. They are Alejo Veliz and Anderson Duarte both of Uruguay.

 

The highest known goal scorer at the U20 level is Javior Saviola of Argentina with 11 goals at the 2001 games.

 

The Author, Eniola Olatunji (Formerly Yomi Kassim) has been in the media for some 46 years with vast experience in Radio Sports Commentaries and Newspaper reporting. He worked as Presenter/Producer on many radio stations and Reporter/Editor in some

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Leicester City Put Up For Sale

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General view of a Leicester City sign from the front of King Power StadiumLeicester City are looking to sell the club for more than £200m, with its Thai owners King Power ready to leave after 16 years.

 

The Foxes have had an eight-page sales booklet produced by a leading US investment bank to help offload the one-time Premier League title winners.

Citigroup lists the Foxes, its women’s team, and other major assets – including the 32,000-seat King Power Stadium and its Seagrave training facility which was opened in 2020 and is valued at £121m – as well as OH Leuven, Leicester’s Belgian sister club, as up for sale in a brochure titled ‘Project Lineup’.

The document, seen by BBC Sport, values the club’s physical assets at more than £200m, though no specific sum has been attributed to the sale of its struggling teams.

The brochure speaks of “a rare opportunity to acquire a club with an excellent track record of winning promotions to higher divisions”.

Leicester’s successes, including the 5,000-1 Premier League title win of 2016 and the FA Cup triumph five years later, are well promoted in the brochure, while their place in League One, after back-to-back relegations from the top flight and the Championship, fail to get a mention.

The club’s turnover, which Citigroup forecast to be more than £97m for the 2026 financial year are also part of the pitch, but the years of financial losses and the club’s debts – which, as outlined in its 2025 accounts, include £103.6m in bank loans – are omitted.

In the years that the club yo-yoed between the Premier League and Championship, with two relegations from the top flight in three years between 2023 and 2025, the club lost more than £180m.

King Power, run by the Srivaddhanaprabha family, bought Leicester for £35m from Milan Mandaric in 2010.

Khun Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha is currently chairman after his father Khun Vichai died in a helicopter crash outside the stadium in 2019.

Efforts to put the third-tier club up for sale were first reported in the Financial Times, external in July, but the product brochure now being circulated to prospective buyers is public confirmation that new investors are being sought.

The sale process comes just eight months on from Khun Top saying he is shouldering the blame for the club’s drastic recent demise.

There have been growing calls from disgruntled fans for the club to be sold, with the most vocal showing coming outside King Power Stadium after relegation from the Championship was confirmed last season.

Leicester’s struggles in recent years have come at a time when the King Power duty-free business in Thailand, which has been intrinsically linked to the club since the Srivaddhanaprabha family bought the Foxes, has also endured financial difficulties.

Despite the club’s issues, Leicester City is being positioned for sale as one of only five clubs to have won all three major English trophies – the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup – since 2000.

The document also outlines the potential of the club’s academy, stating the Foxes have a “strong talent pipeline backed by leading scouting infrastructure, active transfer management and highly developed academy system consistently producing top players”.

Leicester sold academy graduate Jeremy Monga to Manchester City for £10m last month.

Leicester, relegated to League One for just the second time in their history last season, will start their latest campaign in the third tier under head coach Russell Martin at Notts County on Saturday.

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Amorim Wants Tomori, Nkunku 6 Other AC Milan Stars Out Of Club

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AC Milan coach Ruben Amorim has decided Fikayo Tomori and Christopher Nkunku do not figure in his plans this season.

 

David Odogu, Pervis Estupinan, Santiago Gimenez and Philip Terracciano are also expected to leave after Amorim held a crunch meeting with club bosses on Thursday.

The Portuguese, who was dismissed by United in January following a dismal 14 months in charge, accepted the task of transforming Milan’s fortunes – with the Italian giants finishing fifth last season.

He is set for a reunion with his old side this weekend in Poland, where he will search for his first win in charge of his new club having failed to register a victory in pre-season.

A 2-2 draw with Scottish champions Celtic was followed by a 1-1 tie with fierce rivals Inter Milan, before Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea put three goals past the Portuguese’s side in a woeful result in Jakarta.

But Amorim is ready to embrace the challenge, and suggested that his task at the San Siro is even greater than his job at Old Trafford.

‘I’m really very happy to be here, it’s an honour to be the coach of Milan,’ he said.

‘Why did I choose Milan? If you read an old interview of mine you will understand it, for me a special club.

‘It’s a very big challenge that I accepted even if after the last one [at Manchester United] I told myself to accept a smaller one.

‘Perhaps it is a greater challenge than the last. I’m proud to be here, we all are, me and my staff.

‘I’m at Milan to win, if you’re Milan coach you have to have this mentality,’ he added.

‘I’m not naive, I know there’s a lot of work to do, but if you’re the Milan coach you have to play to win.’

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Transfer: Man Utd Name 6 Clubs Rashford Can’t Join

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Manchester United co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has blocked Marcus Rashford from joining any direct Premier League rival.

 

According to the UK Mirror, the Red Devils are determined to avoid a scenario where Rashford shines at a domestic competitor.

The 28-year-old is back at Carrington for pre-season training following a loan spell at Barcelona, but his long-term future at Old Trafford remains uncertain.

Ratcliffe wants to remove Rashford from United’s wage bill, but he won’t sanction a move to the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City or Liverpool

The restrictions extend to loan inquiries, as Chelsea, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur have been rebuffed.

There is fear among United senior officials that Rashford could prove instrumental in helping a rival secure a Champions League spot, a scenario that would be viewed as ’embarrassing’ by the club’s top brass.

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