Manchester City will be without their star forward Khadija "Bunny" Shaw for Wednesday night's crucial Champions League qualifier against Paris FC due to a failure to secure her visa on time. Shaw did not travel to France for the first leg of the round two qualifying match despite last-minute efforts to expedite the process.

 According to a report in the Guardian newspaper, sources indicate that the Jamaica forward was sent to the French embassy on Tuesday morning in a bid to secure an expedited visa application, but the request was ultimately refused. While Manchester City has denied that Shaw was asked to secure a late visa, the club is reportedly confident that this setback will not affect future matches.

 City's road to the Champions League group stage has been rocky over the past three seasons. They failed to qualify for the group stage in each of those campaigns, crashing out in the qualifying rounds to Real Madrid in two seasons and finishing fourth in the Women's Super League (WSL) in the 2022-23 season, thereby missing out on automatic qualification. The absence of Shaw in this critical match against a formidable Paris FC side could pose a significant challenge to their qualification hopes this year.

 Paris FC is no stranger to tough competition; last season, they eliminated both Arsenal and Wolfsburg to advance to the group stage, where they finished third in Group D ahead of Real Madrid. Their impressive campaign included two wins over Madrid and competitive performances against top teams like Häcken and Chelsea. With such a formidable opponent, City will undoubtedly feel the impact of Shaw's absence, despite the arrival of Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema from Arsenal.

 Shaw's absence is particularly notable given her remarkable form in the WSL last season. She was the league's top scorer, netting 21 goals in just 18 games—matching Sam Kerr’s 2021-22 tally and falling just one short of Vivianne Miedema's and Rachel Daly's record 22-goal seasons in 2018-19 and 2022-23, respectively. Her performances earned her multiple accolades, including WSL Player of the Season, the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Women’s Footballer of the Year, and the Football Writers’ Association’s Women’s Footballer of the Year.

 Manchester City will now have to navigate the challenging tie against Paris FC without their most prolific scorer, a setback that adds pressure to their bid for a return to the Champions League group stage. The club will hope that this visa issue is an isolated incident and not a precursor to future complications as they seek to establish their presence in European competition once more.

 

 

Jamaican sprint hurdler Rasheed Broadbell has announced his partnership with American payment card services company Visa ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Broadbell will serve as one of 117 athletes recognized as Visa brand ambassadors.

“I am thrilled to have Team Visa on board for my road to Paris 2024 campaign, my first Olympic Games,” the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist said in a statement on Instagram on Friday.

“The support of a brand like Visa is pivotal as we continue to push boundaries and elevate the sports in our region. I am grateful to everyone who made this possible,” he added.

The 23-year-old is coming off a season which saw him finish as the second-fastest 110m hurdler in the world behind countryman Hansle Parchment.

Broadbell ran a personal best 12.94 to retain his Jamaican national title in July before unfortunately falling in the heats after clipping a hurdle at the World Championships in Budapest in August.

On a more positive note, he got wins at the NACAC New Life Invitational in the Bahamas on may 13 and the Rabat Diamond League on May 28.

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