Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has won the FIFPRO Impact Award for humanitarian work, for the medical care his foundation provides to underprivileged communities in Cameroon and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Doctors have performed more than 1,200 surgical operations over the past three years in collaboration with the 28-year-old’s Andre Onana Foundation, which works with medical professionals to provide surgery and care for people, particularly children.

The honour is part of FIFPRO’s Annual Merit Awards that recognise players giving back to their communities. The global soccer players’ union will donate $10,000 to Onana’s foundation.

“When I passed through Barcelona, Amsterdam and Milan on my way to Manchester United, I had people who helped me on that journey. When I was down, they gave me a hand so that I could stand up,” Cameroonian Onana said on FIFPRO’s website. “I’ve never forgotten the help I received.

“Because of the people in the past who supported me, I feel I have a responsibility to give back and help others.”

Onana said the plan when he started the foundation was to help blind children in Cameroon, but it has since grown to become an NGO, bringing doctors and surgeons, mainly from Spain, to Africa to perform procedures.

Onana’s United teammate Marcus Rashford won the award in 2020 for his campaign to continue free school meals for disadvantaged children in the United Kingdom when schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finland international Linda Sallstrom won FIFPRO’s Player Activism Award for speaking out on human rights issues, such as equality, racism and democracy. In March, she confronted fans in Gothenburg, Sweden who she said made misogynistic slurs against her and her teammates.

Former South Korea goalkeeper Ga-Ae Kang won the Player Voice for leading efforts by Korean footballers and the country’s player union KPFA to improve employment conditions for female players and raise the visibility of the Women’s K League.

-Reuters

Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United were “confused” and “afraid” as his first match in charge of the troubled club ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw at struggling Ipswich on Nov 24.

Amorim’s initial taste of the Premier League started with Marcus Rashford putting United ahead in the second minute.

But Omari Hutchinson’s deflected strike hauled Ipswich level before half-time to deny Amorim a debut victory after replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag.

Amorim has arrived from Sporting Lisbon to find a team in turmoil and languishing in 12th place in the Premier League.

While he was impressed by United’s work rate against third-bottom Ipswich, he conceded there were numerous flaws to iron out.

“It is a tough league. My players were thinking too much during the game. You can feel it. Not just on the ball but where they are supposed to be on the pitch,” he said.

“We lost some balls. When you start like this with one goal, you have to control the tempo. We cannot do it at the moment but they really tried.

“You have to keep the ball and know the momentum. We are doing some things not in the right moment. We have to address this.

“If you see the first half we were a little bit afraid. When we don’t have training, we had two days, they are confused a little bit. You feel that in the data.”

Despite having just two days to work with the whole United squad after the international break, Amorim deployed his preferred 3-4-3 formation.

That system helped Sporting win two Portuguese titles in his four seasons with the club, but Amorim said United found it tricky to adapt with little preparation time.

“It is hard with just two days. Everyone talks about the 3-4-3 but that is not the concern. A system is a system, but the understanding of the game we have to improve a lot in this area,” he said.

“I know it is hard for some guys to understand this. We have two ways. We try to just win games and don’t risk nothing. Then I guarantee at this stage next year we would have the same problems.

“So now we will have some problems, but we have to address the new idea and try to be better at the same stage next year.”

Questioning whether United have the strength required to succeed in the Premier League, Amorim added: “First they have to understand the game, then they need to be so much better physically to cope with the high pressure. We need time to work on this.

“They want this. Sometimes they don’t know how to get it. That is my feeling.”

-AFP

Super Eagles’ midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi will have to endure with another manager in the ongoing season following the sacking of Manager, Steve Cooper by Leicester City on Sunday.

The former champions have endured a winless run left them hovering two points above the relegation zone.

A 2-1 home loss to Chelsea, who are managed by their former coach Enzo Maresca, left Leicester 16th in the standings with 10 points after 12 games.

“Leicester City has parted company with Steve Cooper, who leaves his position as first team manager with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement.

“Assistant manager Alan Tate and first team coach and analyst Steve Rands have also left the club. Steve, Alan and Steve depart with our thanks for their contribution during their time with the club and with our best wishes for the future.”

Leicester said first team coach Ben Dawson, and coaches Danny Alcock and Andy Hughes will oversee training until they find a new manager.

Cooper, sacked by Nottingham Forest last season, was appointed by Leicester in June to replace Maresca who had taken the club straight back to the Premier League as they won the Championship.

Leicester began the season with a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur, but failed to record a win in their opening six league games.

Successive victories over Bournemouth and Southampton last month had eased the pressure somewhat before three defeats in their last four games led to Cooper’s downfall.

A stoppage time penalty from Jordan Ayew in Saturday’s game at home to Chelsea gave them hope of snatching a draw, but another loss proved too much for the club.

Leicester’s next game is away to Brentford on Saturday.

Cooper, 44, is the second Premier League manager to be sacked this season after Manchester United parted ways with Erik ten Hag last month.