Fans only just realising what Lionesses' Euro 2025 hero Michelle Agyemang's name means and say ‘that's just incredible'
The
TWICE
rescued the Lionesses from the brink of Euro 2025 heartbreak.
Advertisement
5
Michelle Agyemang was once again the Lionesses' saviour as she scored in the 96th minute vs Italy
Credit: AP
5
Agyemang celebrated wildly with her team-mates following her last-gasp heroics
Credit: Getty
5
Agyemang was also the hero when England left it late to beat Sweden on penalties
Credit: Alamy
After losing their group-stage opener to France,
But twice
The Gunners star - at the club since the age of
SIX
- climbed off the bench with 20 minutes to play of the quarter-final, with her nation down and seemingly out, trailing 2-0 to Sweden.
Lucy Bronze pulled one back and, within two minutes, Agyemang - a Wembley ball-girl as recently as 2021 - levelled the match as the
Advertisement
READ MORE SPORT STORIES
And in an enthralling semi-final against Italy, she netted an even more dramatic equaliser.
Agyemang was in the perfect position to thump the ball into the back of the net as the clock ticked over into the
96TH-MINUTE
of the match, with just one more minute of added time to be played.
The Lionesses would go on to win and celebrate with a pizza party thanks to another Arsenal star, Chloe Kelly - as she poked home after her 119th-minute
But Agyemang was the saviour. Quite literally. In fact, "Agyemang" in her family's native language, Akan, translates to "saviour of the nation".
Advertisement
Most read in Football
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
How fitting.
Fans went wild after learning the fun fact, with one taking to X to write: "The fact that Agyemang can mean 'saviour of the nation' in Ghanaian Akan is just incredible."
I coached Chloe Kelly as a kid and have now spent £3,000 building my own pub to watch her at Euro 2025
Another said: "WAIT SO AGYEMANG WAS DESTINED TO DO THIS??? Having a last name that means "Saviour of the Nation" AND doing this is crazy."
Advertisement
A third added: "How aptly named she is."
And one posted: "She is literally living up to the meaning of her name."
Match-winner Kelly later claimed: "She's unbelievable. She's got the world at her feet. A young player with a bright future and I'm absolutely buzzing for her."
But Lionesses captain Leah Williamson perhaps summed it up best, saying: "She feels inevitable right now."
Advertisement
England fans will certainly hope so ahead of the all-important final on Sunday evening.
5
Agyemang has been on the books of Arsenal since she was six years old
Credit: Getty
5
The forward was part of the Arsenal squad who won the Champions League last season
Credit: Getty
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
18 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Qarabag show class to ruthlessly punish Shels at Tolka
Qarabag rolled into Tolka Park and left with a professional, and impressive, 3-0 victory to leave Shelbourne with an enormous mountain to climb in the Champions League second-round qualifiers. Reds fans were hoping to summon the spirit of '04 when they famously turned over Hadjuk Split at this stage of the competition. Dave Rogers, scorer of a memorable goal that night, was on punditry duty for Premier Sports here, but the standout performer in the decisive opening period was a man with a more tenuous link to that occasion. In 2013, seven years after he guided Shels to the brink of the Champions League group stages, Pat Fenlon brought Abdellah Zoubir to Hibernian on loan from French side Istres. Here, the now 33-year-old showed why Fenlon had such faith in his ability. He ran the first half, helping to set up Leandro Andrade's 13th-minute tap-in. Shels twice hit the woodwork - Sean Gannon going incredibly close early on, Paddy Barrett hitting the bar in the second half - and were better on the turnaround. But late goals from Oleksii Kashchuk and Nariman Akhundzade deflated the atmosphere as Qarabag efficiently exposed a gulf in class. Qarabag, still in pre-season, tuned up for their trip to Dublin with friendlies against FC Twente and RB Salzburg at the picturesque 500-capacity Alois Latini Stadion in Austria. Quality opposition no doubt, but not quite the surrounds to prepare you for a partisan Tolka Park. Still, the Azerbaijan champions have far too much high-level European experience to be easily shaken, and they took this contest by the scruff of the neck pretty much from the off. Zoubir oozed class on the left, twisting the guts of Sean Gannon early doors before fizzing a low strike inches past the left-hand post. Things looked ominous in an opening bossed by the visitors, and yet Shels will still be wondering how they didn't break the deadlock in the seventh minute. A deep corner fell to Ali Coote who drove in a cross that Kameron Ledwidge connected with. His header ricocheted into the path of Gannon, and his bobbly strike kissed the inside of the post before Akhundzade booted it off the line. Gasps of frustration around Tolka; gasps that soon turned into groans. Four minutes later, Zoubir slipped a cute pass into the stride of the overlapping Tural Bayramov down the left side of Shels' box and his low cross was knocked home by Andrade. A bad start got worse just before the 20-minute mark when Tyreke Wilson slipped awkwardly, yelping in pain as he hit the turf. Wilson was carried off, later going down the tunnel with his left leg in a brace. It didn't look good. James Norris entered the fray but the tide of Qarabag attacks continued to flow. Akhundzade drew a sharp save from Healy with an angled drive; from the resulting corner, Zoubir clipped in a cross that Akhundzade opportunistically volleyed onto the crossbar. Soon after, Zoubir again found Akhundzade, who this time thumped in a shot that Healy batted away. Shels tirelessly tried to plug the gaps their fluid, technically excellent opponents routinely opened up. After Bayramov's fierce left-footer whistled just wide, Shels headed for the dressing-rooms to reset. On came Mark Coyle for Gannon – who was on a booking – but it was Qarabag who stayed on the front foot, Emanuel Addai drawing a full-stretch save from Healy with a firm header. After that, momentum changed. Shels were more direct, more aggressive – and they started to get some joy. A plasingly simple passge of play led to their best chance: Caffrey's diagonal to Norris, Norris' cushioned volley to Kerr McInroy; McInroy's first-time looped cross towards Wood. Qarabag were exposed, but Wood rushed his effort, fresh-airing an attempted volley. It was, however, a genuine moment of encouragement for the reigning League of Ireland champions. Coote then picked his way through the heart of the Qarabag defence, playing a one-two with Wood and seeing his deflected left-footer dip just over the bar. Coyle left a bit on Zoubir in the 68th minute, moments before Norris and Dani Bolt both steamed into a 50-50. Bolt came off the worse for it, but Shels won the free-kick, which almost led to a leveller when Barrett bent in a cross-come-shot that smacked off the upright. Shels huffed and puffed. Qarabag kept them at arm's length. Nine minutes from time, the killer blow. Kady slipped a lovely through ball for Bolt to chase. He lifted a little chip over the onrushing Healy, with his effort bouncing off the post only for Kashchuk - who'd only come off the bench a couple of minutes earlier - to knock home. It got worse in the 85th minute when Ledwidge misjudged a header back to Healy, the ball sailing over the keeper's head and allowing Akhundzade to gleefully finish off. That was harsh on Shelbourne, but they at least have the cosiderable safety net of the Europa League football qualifiers to drop down to should they fail to ull off a miracle in Baku next week. Shelbourne: Lorcan Healy; Sean Gannon (Mark Coyle HT), Paddy Barrett (capt), Kameron Ledwidge, Tyreke Wilson (James Norris 18); Kerr McInroy, JJ Lunney, Harry Wood; Alistair Coote (John Martin 66), Ademipo Odubeko (Sean Boyd 77), Evan Caffrey (John O'Sullivan 66) Qarabag: Fabijan Buntic; Dani Bolt, Bahlul Mustafazade, Matheus Silva, Tural Bayramov; Pedro Bicahlo, Kady, Emmanuel Addai; Leandro Andrade (Olexiy Kashchuk 77), Nariman Akhundzade (22 87, Abdellah Zoubir (capt, Elvin Jafarguliyev 87))
The Irish Sun
18 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Home and Away star, Olympians and MAFS groom's ex sign up for revamped Celeb SAS as show shake up is revealed
CELEBRITY SAS have signed up THREE major stars for the next series of the show after a ground-breaking show twist was confirmed. The hit Channel 4 programme has been busy selecting its celebrity recruits for the seventh series of the show - with filming taking place in Morocco. 4 Celeb SAS have signed up three new Aussies as part of the revamped format Credit: Pete Dadds / Channel 4 4 Actor Axel Whitehead will be on the line-up Credit: Getty 4 Top Olympian Emily Seebohm is also among the stars who have signed up Credit: Getty Earlier this week, The Sun told how in a huge new move the UK and Aussie editions would be merged with major stars from both countries coming together for the series which will be aired simultaneously on Channel 4 in the UK and the Seven Network in Australia. Now, we can exclusively reveal three of the stars who will be appearing on the next run. Home and Away hunk Axel Whitehead will be appearing on the show after rising to international fame for playing Liam Murphy on the show between 2009 and 2013. The actor also appeared briefly in fellow Aussie soap Neighbours in 2020. Read More on Celeb SAS He will be joined by two Olympic swimmers - including one with a famous reality star ex. 29-year-old Swimming champ Mack Horton and fellow Olympian, Emily Seebohm will also be on the cast. Emily shares a child with MAFS heartthrob Ryan Gallagher although the pair are no longer together. Ryan is best known for his time on the hit reality show as well as his brief romance with Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby during their time on the Aussie version of I'm A Celebrity. Most read in Reality A source told The Sun of the three latest recruits: 'Bosses are working hard to make sure they sign an exciting variety of Aussie talent for the new series because of the format change. 'Soap fans will be no stranger to Axel after his time in both Home and Away and Neighbours, so he's a great coup for the show. Watch as Celeb SAS Who Dares wins star Bianca Gascoigne QUITS show right at the very end of series 'And Olympic champions Emily and Mack are both extremely fit and strong after years of professional swimming. They're going to take the challenge very seriously.' Two other Aussies have so far been revealed for the programme including soap star and singer Natalie Bassingthwaite and Jessika Power , who rose to fame on Married At First Sight Australia . Jess has since relocated to England appearing on British shows including Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity Ex On The Beach. Other UK stars who are understood to have signed up for the next series include Love Island winner England cricketer 4 Swimmer Mack Horton is also on the cast Credit: Getty
Irish Daily Mirror
18 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shelbourne see Champions League hopes dashed after late Qarabag double
Shelbourne 0-3 Qarabag There is little in football that can deliver a gut-punch like the blow delivered to Shelbourne in the closing stages of their Champions League clash with Qarabag on Wednesday night. In the ascendancy and chasing an equaliser against their experienced opponents, the Azeris delivered a one-two that ended the League of Ireland side's hopes of progressing in Europe's top-tier competition. As things stood, with nine minutes remaining, there was still some drama to be played out next week in Azerbaijan. The Reds would have taken heart from their reaction to Leandro Andrade's early opener, in how they tightened up defensively and created openings of their own. Then their second-half performance had their opponents on the back-foot, as their aggressive attacking play clearly had them rattled. Tolka Park was bouncing and the visitors' clear discomfort led to them doing what they could to disrupt Shelbourne's momentum and run down the clock, including lengthy stoppages with players hitting the turf and seeking the comfort of the physio's sponge. And then the first blow to silence the Riverside and all but end Shels' interest in the Champions League - a goal against the run of play. Four minutes later, a messy third for Qarabag and the tie was done. Joey O'Brien's men were always going to be up against it, taking on a team packed with European experience and with a handful of internationals. But with a drop into the Europa League now on the horizon, barring the most incredible of turnarounds, where they will take on the losers of Croatian side HNK Rijeka of Croatia and Ludogorets from Bulgaria, they will be all the better for this experience. The game kicked off at a frantic pace, with a noisy home crowd getting right behind their team. Possibly too frantic for O'Brien's liking, as his side was open defensively and vulnerable. And 12 minutes in, they were behind to Andrade's opener. The Cape Verde international ended up benefitting from a poor ball, which should have teed up teammate Abdellah Zoubir, by grabbing the glory himself. He accelerated onto a heavy Kameron Ledwidge touch and raced down the right, spotted Zoubir unmarked in the centre but overhit his pass inside. Zoubir chased the ball out to the left, held it up for the overlapping run of Tural Bayramov, and found him with a delightful pass inside Evan Caffrey. Bayramov looked up, spotted Andrade and slid the ball to the 25-year-old, who tapped it home from three yards. The initial pass aside, the goal highlighted the blistering pace, movement and precision that has seen the Azerbaijani champions play group stage football in each of the last 11 seasons. Shels did their best to play on the front-foot and disrupt their opponents' fluid attacking play, and they should have had the lead goal prior to Andrade's strike. But while the woodwork denied Sean Gannon a first ever European goal, a cleaner strike by the defender would have put the Reds in front. Harry Woods' corner drifted all the way to Ali Coote at the back post, he turned it back inside and Tyreke Wilson's flying header rebounded off a defender to Gannon. He swung at the ball on the six-yard line, but his left-foot connection wasn't clean and the ball spun onto the post, and Wilson sent the rebound over. In truth, that was a rare first-half opening for Shels, while Qarabag had chances through Kady, one of four Brazilians in their starting-11, skipper Zoubir, and Nariman Akhundzade, who rattled the crossbar. It was a different story in the second-half, which started with three promising Shelbourne attacks in quick succession. The first had Wood and Mipo Odubeko stretching in vain to connect with a low James Norris centre. Moments later, Woods was unmarked at the back post as Kerr McInroy hooked the ball across, but he got his calculations wrong and hit nothing but fresh air. Chance number three saw Coote's promising 20-yard shot take a wicked deflection, sending the ball just wide of the target. Goalkeeper Lorcan Healy, who did well to claw away an Emmanuel Addai header, was sharp again on 67 minutes to get down to his left and keep out an Andrade shot on the turn. Shels continued to press and defender Paddy Barrett was surely attempting a cross when his delivery curled onto the crossbar. But then despair for the hosts in the 81st minute, as Andrade race behind defence, clipped his shot over Healy and onto the post, and sub Olexiy Kashchuk dispatched the rebound. Their misery was compounded four minutes later when Ledwidge and Healy were on different wavelengths; the defender headed the ball over his keeper and Akhundzade poked the ball home from a yard out. Teams and Player Ratings SHELBOURNE Lorcan Healy 7 Sean Gannon 6 Kameron Ledwidge 6 Paddy Barrett 7 Evan Caffrey 6 JJ Lunney 7 Kerr McInroy 6 Tyreke Wilson 6 Ali Coote 6 Harry Wood 7 Mipo Odubeko 6 SUBS: James Norris (for Wilson 18) 7 Mark Coyle (for Gannon 46) 6 John Martin (for Coote 66) 6 John O'Sullivan (for Caffrey 66) 6 Sean Boyd (for Odubeko 77) QARABAG Fabijan Buntic 6 Dani Bolt 6 Behlul Mustafazade 6 Matheus Silva 6 Toral Bayramov 6 Pedro Bicalho Kady 6 Emmanuel Addai 6 Leandro Andrade 6 Abdellah Zoubir 6 Nariman Akhundzade 6 SUBS: Abbas Huseynov (for Bolt 76) Olexiy Kashchuk (for Andrade 77) Musa Gurbanli (for Akhundzade 87) Elvin Jafarguliyev (for Zoubir 87) REFEREE: Ante Culiina (Croatia)
