Whispers Wire

Whispers Wire

Pep and Spurs

Manchester City Humiliated at Home by Spurs as Arsenal Get Huge Win

Manchester City lost their Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur after the November International break, making it five losses in a row since the 2000s. This was also the first time that Pep Guardiola has lost five games in a row in his entire managerial career, and it came just days after he signed a new two-year contract at City. Despite a good start to the match, City failed to take their chances, and this was punished in the 13th minute from great play by Dejan Kulusevski to give birthday boy James Maddison a tap-in goal at the far post. It turned from bad to worse for City as a great interplay by Son Hueng-Min, and Maddison saw the 28-year-old English man get his second for the night just 8 minutes later. City fail to come good Just minutes into the second half, Spurs secured the three points after a goal from right-back Pedro Porro after great work from Dominic Solanke. Despite changes by Pep to introduce Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne 15 minutes to the end, it didn’t help as Brennan Johnson added a fourth in added time to embarrass the champions at home. City remain in second spot in the table despite the loss, but the gap between them and leaders Liverpool could go up to eight points with a Liverpool win against Southampton on Sunday, November 24. Arsenal win to maintain fourth spot Arsenal were also huge winners on Saturday football against high-flying Nottingham Forest, with Saka, who scored the first goal, bossing it. Thomas Partey scored the second goal early in the second half, and the promising talent of Ethan Nwaneri came on in the final minutes to grab a third. Achievement unlocked: 2,000 top-flight wins ✅ — Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 23, 2024 The win leaves Arsenal in fourth place, six points behind leaders Liverpool. Chelsea also came out at Leicester with all three points after holding on to win 1-2 despite a late scare from a Jordan Ayew penalty. A goal from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez in both halves consecutively saw Chelsea maintain the third spot with the same number of points as Arsenal but with a better goal difference. Continuing his fine form. 🇸🇳🙌#CFC | #LEICHE pic.twitter.com/9ghjuHyEqz — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 23, 2024 In the other Saturday games, Aston Villa avoided defeat against Crystal Palace in a 2-2 home draw, Brighton won 2-1 against Bournemouth away, Wolves also won away from home with four goals to one against Fulham, and Everton got a point at home against Brentford in a goalless draw. On Sunday, November 23, Liverpool will face Southampton at the St Mary’s Stadium before Ruben Amorim faces his first test as Manchester United manager away at Ipswich.  

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Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola Signs New 2-Year Contract to Add Fear to Rivals

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract that will see him extend his reign as England champions until the 2027 season. This comes after much speculation about the future of the Spanish coach, whose contract was up at the end of the current season, with many expecting him to end his stay at City. However, after days of rumours regarding the new contract, it was confirmed late Thursday, November 21, that the manager had extended his stay. This comes at a time when City is going through a rough patch, with four defeats in a row, which Pep says could have fueled his reason to stay. “I felt I could not leave now. Maybe the four defeats was why. “I think we deserve, after four defeats in a row, to bounce back and try to turn the situation. I think we deserve to be here. I am not arrogant to say, but it’s the truth,” Pep told the club’s website. The manager said he needed to help the club overcome this period and return to the glory that has seen them win four Premier League titles in a row. We are absolutely delighted to announce that @PepTeam has signed a contract extension 🙌 ℹ️ https://t.co/CpapgHil5f pic.twitter.com/Ue1md3f12A — Manchester City (@ManCity) November 21, 2024 Rivals won’t be happy Extending his stay at City won’t be something other league rivals will be happy about, as many were hoping to see the back of the manager finally! City has dominated the league in the last decade despite Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa having good runs to try and kick them off their perch. Their derby rivals, Manchester United, could have also done with a Pep exit as it would help them in their fight to return to former glory. However, it seems they will have to work even harder to get anywhere close to the top with Pep still in charge. As it stands, Liverpool have a good lead in the Premier League standings, but that could all disappear with a City resurgence, especially if their injury problems are fixed.  

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Adani

William Ruto Cancels Deals With Adani Group Following Bribery Charges

President William Ruto has cancelled the ongoing deals between Kenya and the Adani Group. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, November 21, during the State of the Nation Address, the president ended the multi-billion deals that were apparently meant to expand the two companies. Ruto directed that in light of the new information provided by international allies and investigating agencies, the procurement agencies should immediately cancel the expansion process of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and KETRACO. “Because of the information that has been provided to us by partner nations, I have directed agencies between The Ministry of Transport and The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, to immediately cancel the ongoing procurement process for JKIA expansion public/private partnership transaction, as well as the recently concluded Ketraco deal, and immedlitely commence the process of onborading other partners,” he said. BREAKING: President Ruto cancels the JKIA and KETRACO deals with Adani Group pic.twitter.com/26Kmi3SVXW — Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 21, 2024 Gautam Adani accused of fraud This just comes hours after a report from the United States reported that Adani Group Chairperson and Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and other executives were indicted in New York for alleged bribery amounting to up to $250 million (KSh 32 billion). This is alleged to have been behind a scheme to develop a major solar power plant in the US. The billionaire’s nephew, Sagar Adani, promised $250m in bribes to Indian government officials to secure the energy plant contracts. According to CNN, the deal was expected to yield more than $3 billion in profits. Prosecutors said the renewable energy company raised over $3 billion in loans and bonds through false and misleading statements. Adani in Kenya Recently, Kenya signed a 30-year deal with Adani to build power lines and substations, which they would finance, construct and operate in a deal estimated at KSh95.68 billion. The group was also to ink a deal to take control of the JKIA and lead its expansion to a state-of-the-art, modern airport.  

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Firat

Kenya Fail to Qualify for 2025 Afcon as Campaign Ends with Draw

If not playing at home wasn’t enough, Kenya has failed to qualify for the 2025 Afcon tournament with a draw against Namibia to end their disappointing campaign. The match on Tuesday evening, November 19, ended in a goalless draw, leaving Kenya third place in the table. The game was held in South Africa’s Peter Mokaba stadium, but there were no clear-cut chances for the East African country to win the tie. Despite head coach Engin Firat making a few changes to the starting eleven, with captain Michael Olunga on the bench, the changes seemed to bear no fruit, as the game ended in a stalemate. Finished Third in Group Kenya finished with just six points in Group J, with one win and three draws. Cameroon finished top of the group with 14 points, and Zimbabwe came in second with nine points. This has come with heavy criticism of the coach, who is known for calling out his team and the federation at large for what he terms incompetence. The AFCON 2025 journey comes to an end without qualification. Results: Kenya 🇰🇪 0-0 Namibia 🇳🇦 Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 1-1 Kenya 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇰🇪 0-1 Cameroon 🇨🇲 Cameroon 🇨🇲 4-1 Kenya 🇰🇪 Namibia 🇳🇦 1-2 Kenya 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇰🇪 0-0 Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 pic.twitter.com/CPJstjqvWn — Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) November 19, 2024 Kenya has been playing their home matches in Uganda, and the underachievement will be even more painful for the country as Tanzania and Uganda both qualified for the tournament. The African football tournament, which will be held in Morocco, will begin on December 21, 2025, and run until January 18, 2026. Kenya will not need to work as hard for the next tournament as it prepares to host the event alongside its neighbours; hence, it will qualify automatically.

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Koops

Ex-AFC Leopards Coach Jan Koops Begs Club to Settle His KSh 9m Debt as He Battles Illness

Former AFC Leopards head coach Jaan Koops has asked his former club to settle his debt over a decade after leaving the club. The renowned coach is currently battling with health issues and would like some of that money to help with his treatment. According to reports online, the football club owes Jan millions of KSh in salary arrears for two contracts signed during his tenure. The 83-year-old, who currently lives in Busia, is not in his best health as he needs a peacemaker, which he’d like the club to help him purchase. He is battling a life-threatening heart condition, hence the peacemaker, and does not have the required funds to enable treatment. Former AFC Leopards coach Jaan Koops is urging the club to settle a KES 9 million debt, which he claims they owe him from two contracts he signed during his tenure. Koops, who is battling a life-threatening heart condition, says part of the money would go toward purchasing a new… pic.twitter.com/CDTAroH0lY — Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) November 19, 2024 Jan has made several attempts to reach AFC chairman Dan Shikanda, which haven’t bore fruit. “It would be fair if AFC Leopards recognized the urgency of the situation and responded, instead of remaining silent,” he told the Daily Nation. No legal action needed The Dutchman, who loved the club so much that fans nicknamed him ‘Wepukhulu,’ doesn’t want to go the legal route and is hoping that the two can reach an agreement. The football coach has asked the club to cover KSh 1.9m from his first contract, paid in KSh 473k instalments, so he can afford the treatment he needs. “Sometimes the pain is unbearable, sometimes not very bad. Today I couldn’t sleep,” he said. From all the contracts with the club, Jan believes that the money owed to him is about KSh 9m. He is currently surviving on pensions from both the Kenyan and Dutch governments. Jan served AFC in two different periods between 2011 and 2016 before leaving the club over financial difficulties.

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Manchester United Coach Ruben Amorim Reveals His First Goal at New Club

Former Sporting CP manager and now Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has shared his views on his new job at England’s biggest club. It’s now two weeks since his appointment and for the better part of the week, the manager has been at Old Trafford and Carrigton getting accuited to his new surroundings. In his first interview with the club’s media team, the new man talked about the importance of being at United, saying he felt a connection with the hierarchy and they all wanted to do something special. Amorim mentioned the importance of the fans and their support in ensuring that United win games, especially during home games. “We need the supporters to win football matches. It’s a real honour because I was the first choice to start this path. We know that if the team plays well and wins games, people start to believe in the project. Manchester United is the engine of football”, Amorim said. The new Manchester United Identity Speaking about how big The Red Devils are, the Portuguese mentioned how great it is to have an identity as a football team and not mainly focus on the system or formation but the character. “The most important thing is to create the principles, identity and character that we’ve had in the past. The team is the most important thing, if we work as a team, then the talent shines. We must have an identity. Everybody wants to win, but with an identity and one idea,” he added. Amorim promised fans to expect an idea in his first match, which is a week away at Ipswich. “I feel a connection.” ❤️🔗#MUFC — Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 15, 2024 Differing with Ten Hag, Amorim believes that a young team doesn’t mean that they need time. The 39-year-old feels that the team is well prepared to handle the pressure of the league despite its age. He noted the importance of having no fear and ensuring that the players understand that winning comes first. He also mentioned United’s history and noted that it should inspire the future. Message to fans Amorim also shared a message with the fans, saying that coming to United was his only choice and vowed to do everything to win. He vowed to defend his players, adding that he would do everything to return the club to where it belongs.  

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Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson Defeated by Jake Paul on Points in Highly Touted Super Fight

Mike Tyson was the loser in the early morning Saturday, November 16, in a fight (Kenyan time) against YouTube boxer Jake Paul, which was a highly anticipated fight. The battle, aired live on Netflix, took place at the famous AT&T Stadium in Texas, United States, with over 72,000 guests in attendance. The 58-year-old boxer returned to the ring despite putting himself against someone half his age. Tyson’s incredible start was not enough At the beginning of the first round, many would have been impressed with Tyson’s incredible energy and drive as he quickly tried to put some punches on the YouTuber. However, after the second round, it was clear that Tyson was running out of energy, and Jake took his time landing punches on the ‘old man’. Despite trying his best to hit some clear blows on Jake, Tyson looked a bit tired. It was amazing enough that he was able to last the whole eight rounds without any significant injuries. It never seemed that Jake would knock out Tyson, and what lingered in many people’s minds was that Jake wouldn’t have lasted more than three rounds if Tyson was in a similar age group. In the end, Jake won by unanimous decision, with scores of  80-72, 79-73, and 79-73 on all three cards. Towards the end of the eighth round, Jake even took a few seconds to bow in front of Tyson, seemingly honouring the great and showing respect for his tremendous career. In a bit of fashion statement, Jake wore a diamond-studded silver short, paying homage to the fight, but Tyson was in all black, just focusing on the battle.  

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Skyward launch

Skyward Express Launches Nairobi – Dar Es Salaam Route in Star-Studded Event

Renowned Kenyan airline Skyward Express has finally launched its much anticipated Nairobi – Dar es Salaam route. The event started at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Friday, November 15, morning and culminated with another event at Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport. It was all pomp and colour as many stakeholders in the aviation business arrived at the JKIA to a grand reception that saw them get the ultimate Skyward experience. Guests from the business sector, aviation, celebrities, public figures, and politicians gathered to celebrate the new phase of East Africa travel. Stakeholders who graced the event Some notable names included actress Bridget Shigadi, comedian Eric Omondi, Senator Allan Chesang, UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar, and CS for Roads and Transport Davis Chirchir. Skyward Express CEO Mohamed Abdi noted the tremendous achievement of celebrating 11 years and launching their 11th route simultaneously. “I’m excited to announce that soon we’ll also be expanding our operations to DRC Congo, broadening our horizons and connecting more travelers across the region,” Abdi said. CS Chirchir praised Skyward for going beyond the status quo and entering a space known to be filled by international investors. He said the milestone was a tribute not only to Skyward but also to Kenya’s immense potential in shaping the future of aviation across the continent.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Fly Skyward Express (@skyward_express) Guests and team travel to Dar After the Kenyan launch, Skyward’s CEO, CS Chirchir, and other stakeholders boarded the first plane for Dar es Salaam, where another launch awaited. The team enjoyed a grand launch at the Julius Nyerere International Airport, with the heads from the Tanzanian side celebrating the milestone.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Fly Skyward Express (@skyward_express) The flights are expected to cost KSh 18,500 and have an impressive baggage allowance of 23kg each. The airline sees this as an opportunity to celebrate its growth and thank its clients for their trust and loyalty.  

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Pedro Neto

Chelsea Hold Arsenal to Draw at Home Despite Ødegaard Shinning after Return

Chelsea and Arsenal ended their final match before the International break in an exciting 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. After a poor first-half with missed chances from both ends, the second-half came to life as Gabriel Martinelli scored a beautiful near post finish to give Arsenal the lead in the 60th minute. This was after great work from Martin Ødegaard who was able to spot Martinelli at the far end post with a wonderful overhead through pass to get his first assist since returning from injury. It looked like Arsenal would go on to look for the second goal but Chelsea did not allow that to happens as just 10 minutes later, Pedro Neto fired a stunning grass curter shot to equalise. Not enough to take home 3 points Both teams had half chances to try and finish the game but in the end it ended in a draw to leave Chelsea in third and Arsenal fourth place despite both having the same points. Martin Ødegaard’s game by numbers for Arsenal vs. Chelsea [RANK]: #CHEARS 100% tackles won (2/2) [🥇] 91% pass accuracy 12/14 final 3rd passes completed [🥈] 4 chances created [🥇] 2 big chances created [🥇] 2 shots 1 assist [🥇] Back with an assist. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/e2f7qrWE0N — Olt Sports (@oltsport_) November 10, 2024 Marc Cucurella had a brilliant game as he kept Bukayo Saka quiet and earned the Man of The Match accolade, with Saka coming off towards the final minutes with a knock. Both teams can be considered to be in the title race but will be praying for a Liverpool downfall as the reds are ahead of them with nine points. After returning from the break, Arsenal will be at home to high-flying Nottingham Forest as Chelsea travel to face Leicester City who were earlier on beaten by Manchester United.

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Ruud and Amorim

Ruud Van Nistelrooy Ends Manchester United Tenure with Huge Win as Ruben Amorim Takes Charge

Manchester United legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy ended his tenure as the club’s interim manager with a comfortable 3-0 home win against Leicester City. Since taking charge at Old Trafford, Ruud has won three matches and drawn one, with a nearly 100% record as manager. Bruno Fernades opened the scoring in the 17th minute with the goal marking the first time Manchester United have scored in the first 30 minutes of a Premier League match. Bruno thought he’d scored the second goal in the 38th minute, but it was an own goal by Leicester left-back Victor Kristiansen to end the first half 2-0 to United. Garnacho, who came on as a second-half substitute, finished the scoring with a nice curled finish to put the game past the Foxes, which was their second defeat at Old Trafford this season after a recent loss in the league cup. Despite the win, United remain in 13th place but now just 4 points behind Arsenal in fourth spot, going by at the time of this publishing. You’ve done us proud, Ruud. pic.twitter.com/B29GnNMAsm — Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 10, 2024 Amorin set to take the helm Ruud has left United in a great spot and incredible confidence-wise after a sour run under Erik Ten Hag. Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim will now take charge of United starting Monday, November 11, as all club competitions go on a break. The ex-Portugal international will get two weeks to work with the United players, who will remain back as the rest go to play for their countries. Amorim will face Ipswich away at Portman Road Stadium as he looks to start his massive job with a win after a wonderful campaign in the Portuguese league.  

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