The English Premier League has announced the nominees for the March Player of the Month award. Manchester United star Marcus Rashford won the award last month. However, the 25-year-old was not shortlisted for this award.
Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, Brighton and Hove Albion midfielders, Alexis Mac Allister, Tyrone Mings, Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah and Leandro Trossard were shortlisted.
Leandro Trossard was on fire in March when he provided five assists in four games, including a hat-trick against Fulham. Mohamed Salah scored three goals and assisted twice in three games, Bukayo Saka also scored three goals and assisted twice but in four games Tyrone Mings kept two clean sheets and had one assist in In three games, Mac Allister has scored two goals and provided one assist in three while Alexander Isak has scored three goals in three league games.
Nominated for the EPL Manager of the Month Award in March
Four managers were nominated for the Manager of the Month award in March. They are Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi and Aston Villa's Hove Albion and Unai Emery.
Pep Guardiola has led Manchester City to two wins in two games, and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have won four out of four, also scoring 14 goals and conceding just three.
Roberto De Zerbi earned his nomination thanks to an impressive debut against Brighton and Hove Albion in March. The Seagulls have two wins and a draw. Aston Villa also clinched two wins and a draw, helping Unai Emery secure a nomination in the process.
Nominated for EPL Goal of the Month for March
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Bright Osayi-Samuel featured for Nigeria in a forgettable performance as the Super Eagles suffered a shock defeat to Guinea-Bissau on the first day of day three of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying in a head-to-head position. .
Mamadu Balde's chilling finish under Francis Uzoho in the 29th minute played a decisive role as Nigeria produced a lackluster and uncoordinated performance at home at the National Stadium in Abuja.
Losing football matches now seems to have become a favorite pastime of the Nigerian national teams:
The Super Eagles have lost four games in a row while the Super Falcons are on a seven-game losing streak.
The latest loss not only made the Super Eagles lose their 100% AFCON qualifying record, but also made them cede the top of Group A to Djurtus.
Coach Jose Peseiro now has an impeccable track record of two wins in seven games with just one clean sheet - in a record 10-0 win over the ill-fated Sao Tome e Principe on game day three. two of the qualifying round. Rumor has it that Peseiro's one-year, $70,000-a-month contract will not be renewed when it expires next June as the Nigeria Football Federation looks set to continue implementing cutting measures. Cut the cost.
The Portuguese was quick to quash speculation about his place in the squad when the matter was raised in his post-match press conference.
"Why turn? We're still in the qualifying position," he said.
“In the first half we created a lot of chances but couldn't score. This is just one game, we could stay an hour more and not score. Sometimes it happens in football. I'm not happy, of course. But I believe in this team. They tried their best but Guinea [Bissau] was very lucky and we were unlucky."
Statistically, the Portuguese may be right in assuming that his team has better ball control and has more chances to score. But their play is largely uncoordinated and with deep defence, they rarely appear to be dangerous.
For his part, Djurtus is willing to yield the ball in non-dangerous areas and put himself behind the ball when things get tough. And they seized their only chance with confidence, twirling the Samba between the two centre-backs to grab a missed free-kick and slide the ball past Uzoho.
The goal continues to cause difficulties for Nigeria. They conceded first in every game under Peseiro except against Sao Tome e Principe. It is perhaps unfair to attribute all of this to Peseiro, as Nigeria, off the pitch, seems to be self-destructive.
First, we had the decision to 'rotate' the coach, leaving first assistant coach Finidi George at home in Aba, not to mention refusing to give them contracts - which led to Ike Shorunmu's withdrawal from the team. . And Peseiro has only received three months' salary since being hired last year.
And then there's the matter of training. For two days, the power supply at the MKO Abiola Stadium went down, affecting the team's pre-match training schedule. Among the players, there was only one performance that was remarkable, as Fenerbahçe defender Osaka-Samuel defended confidently and created an attacking opportunity each time.
On the other side, Zaidu Sanusi kept walking around, leaving gaps that Calvin Bassey had to work very hard to fill.
Peseiro's decision to add attacking players to the squad and leave the midfield flat - with Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi - clearly backfired.
It was obvious that Ndidi's rusty matchup, and Samuel Chukwueze simply couldn't find his range. Victor Osimhen is isolated and divided. The last time Nigeria lost at home in a Nations Cup qualifier against Cape Verde was similar. Rohr's Super Eagles has chosen to return
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