Five-a-side

Dalu is joined by Sam (and AK later) for a wild round-up of the week across AFCON and the Premier League. They react to a chaotic Senegal vs Morocco final dominated by controversy—disallowed goals, a late penalty, and heated debate about whether Senegal were right to walk off. They also debate who really deserved Player of the Tournament (Bono vs Mané vs others), and whether Morocco’s hosting came...

AFCON dreams may be over for Nigeria, but the debate is far from finished. In this episode of Five Aside, we break down the Super Eagles’ heartbreaking exit, the psychology of third-place playoffs, and whether Nigeria should still go all-out for bronze. We debate Salah’s legacy with Egypt, compare African greats across generations, and assess whether this tournament represents failure or genuine p...

In this episode of Five Aside, the boys open with the most relatable truth in football: supporting a club is basically a toxic three-way relationship. From there, the conversation spirals into Chelsea’s latest identity crisis under Maresca, the dangers of managers talking too well, and why results will always humble philosophy. The episode dives deep into leadership — or the lack of it — at Chelse...

This special Five Aside × SoccerTakesWithAK collaboration turns into a full-blown football therapy session. The episode opens with raw emotion as Nigeria’s AFCON exit on penalties against Morocco leaves both hosts drained, angry, and searching for answers. The discussion dives deep into Morocco’s elite defensive structure, Nigeria’s midfield imbalance, and how the game consideringly drifted toward...

It was one of those episodes where football gave joy, pain, anger, and comedy all at once. The pod opens with New Year vibes before quickly descending into AFCON heartbreak, as Nigeria crash out on penalties against Morocco. The guys break down a performance that wasn’t terrible — but wasn’t good enough — diving into Eric Chelle’s late substitutions, questionable penalty takers, and the growing fr...

It was a weekend of pure Nigerian joy and pure club-level chaos. The guys react to what many are calling one of Nigeria’s best performances in a generation, breaking down the Super Eagles’ dominance, tactical evolution, midfield control, and growing belief at AFCON. From Osimhen’s world-class status to Lookman’s rise and the team’s newfound cohesion, the optimism is real — even with World Cup hear...

AFCON is officially loading properly — and for once, nobody is mad about it. In this episode, Five Aside link up again with Soccer Takes with AK to break down a surprisingly high-quality AFCON, why Morocco might be setting the gold standard for African football, and how Nigeria are quietly turning into one of the most dangerous transition teams on the continent. We deep dive into Nigeria vs Algeri...

What happens when AFCON comes right after Nigeria bottle World Cup qualification? Tide loses patience. Completely. This special Five Aside episode turns into a full-blown football therapy session as Tide questions whether AFCON even deserves respect, compares it to going back to primary school after getting cooked in secondary school, and fires shots at everyone from Manchester United’s board to D...

In this episode of Five Aside, Dalu and Nnamdi break down a packed football weekend across the Premier League and AFCON, starting the year with honest takes, debates, and a few uncomfortable truths. The conversation opens with Manchester United’s draw against Leeds and quickly turns into a deeper discussion about what progress really looks like for United — are they stabilising, or slowly acceptin...

The lads are back for a wild New Year episode packed with Dirty December stories, a Premier League table that looks completely fake, Sunderland refusing to be bullied by City, Arsenal debates, striker discourse gone left, and Chelsea spiralling into yet another identity crisis. From karaoke confessions to Haaland getting pocketed, this one goes everywhere — fast. Timestamps 0:00 Intro & Dirty...

Chelsea wasted absolutely no time ringing in 2026 — because nothing says Happy New Year like managerial chaos. In this emergency Five Aside x SoccerTakesWithAK episode, we break down the shock departure of Enzo Maresca, debate whether Chelsea pulled the plug too early (again), and ask the same uncomfortable question Blues fans keep asking every season: is it the manager… or is it the board? We div...

This Five Aside x SoccerTakesWithAK episode starts where the heat is highest — AFCON. We open with Nigeria’s Super Eagles, focusing on Victor Osimhen’s leadership, maturity, and how this side looks less like a vibes team and more like a serious tournament unit. This wasn’t chaos-ball — this was structure, intent, and authority. From Africa to England, the tone flips. Chelsea’s inconsistency comes...

December football does not forgive — and this episode proves it. On this week’s Five Aside, Dalu breaks down a chaotic Premier League weekend where Manchester City reminded everyone they’re inevitable, Arsenal fans were forced into another 90 minutes of stress, and Gyökeres somehow went missing again (someone please book that therapy session). We dive deep into United’s win over Newcastle, questio...

AFCON is no longer just vibes, memes, and chaos — it’s quality, structure, and real football. In this episode of Five Aside × SoccerTakesWithAK, we dive deep into the AFCON format change, the impact on European clubs, and why African football is finally getting the respect it deserves — even if clubs don’t like it. We debate whether moving AFCON to a four-year cycle actually fixes the problem or j...

Arsenal are top of the league… and somehow still stressing us out. In this episode of the Five Aside Podcast, we break down a wild Premier League weekend where Arsenal won but bored everyone, Manchester City looked genuinely terrifying, Chelsea and Newcastle shared the chaos, and Aston Villa continued their “are they actually serious?” run. We debate whether Arsenal’s slow build-up is sustainable,...

In this episode of the Five Aside Podcast, in collaboration with SoccerTakesWithAK, we preview a huge Premier League weekend — with a major twist: AFCON absences are starting to bite. We break down: Newcastle vs Chelsea, and whether Chelsea can impose themselves away from home Everton vs Arsenal, with Everton also feeling the effects of missing key AFCON players Tottenham vs Liverpool, where Liver...

In this episode of the Five Aside Podcast, we link up with SoccerTakesWithAK to shine a light on the stories that usually sit outside the spotlight. We break down the Best of the Rest in the Premier League, discussing Aston Villa’s relentless momentum, Sunderland’s statement derby win, Newcastle’s inconsistency, and Tottenham’s worrying dip, and what these performances say about standards beyond t...

In this episode of the Five Aside Podcast, Chukwudalu D Fab-Ukozor and Toby react to a packed Premier League weekend, mixing Fantasy Premier League banter with deep analysis of the title race, big wins, and key player narratives. We start with FPL highs and lows before breaking down Manchester City’s dominant win over Crystal Palace, discussing why Pep Guardiola’s side look ruthless on form and ho...

In this week’s Five Aside Podcast, we dive into a dramatic Champions League matchweek that delivered headlines everywhere. We start with Chelsea’s painful 2–1 loss to Atalanta, breaking down their second-half collapse and the bigger questions surrounding Maresca’s project. We move to Liverpool’s gritty 1–0 win at the San Siro, where the conversation heats up around Salah — his absence, his long-te...

In this dedicated Manchester United Special, the Five Aside team and soccertakeswithak take a deep dive into everything surrounding Rúben Amorim’s turbulent start. We break down whether he actually has the players to execute his 3-4-3 system, including the controversial decision to use Bruno Fernandes as a 6. We analyse Kobbie Mainoo’s role, whether he's being overused, and how his development fit...

In this action-packed episode of the Five Aside Podcast, we break down a dramatic Premier League weekend featuring major twists across the table. Aston Villa stun Arsenal 2–1 at Villa Park with a late winner, exposing cracks in Arteta’s side. Chelsea fail to score again in a frustrating 0–0 draw against Bournemouth, raising deeper questions about their creativity and squad direction. Manchester Ci...

In this episode we preview a chaotic Premier League weekend featuring Aston Villa vs Arsenal, Chelsea vs Bournemouth, Man City vs Sunderland, Leeds vs Liverpool, and Wolves vs Manchester United. We break down tactical matchups, key players, injury worries, potential banana skins, and which teams are most likely to surprise—or collapse. From Arsenal’s defensive headaches to Chelsea’s inconsistencie...

Today on Five Aside, we break down Manchester United vs West Ham… another deep-block disaster. No creativity, no control, no striker presence, and no rhythm. We break down why the 3-4-3 still looks unfinished, why Bruno and Casemiro don’t work as a double pivot, and why United still can’t break down compact teams. Then once again we touch on Chelsea’s loss to Leeds raises more questions about Mare...

In this packed episode of Five Aside with soccertakeswithak, we dive deep into a dramatic weekend of Premier League football, starting with Chelsea’s frustrating loss to Leeds. The boys break down exactly what went wrong—Maresca’s overthinking, curious tactical choices, and individual errors that continue to haunt Chelsea’s back line. From Tosin’s repeated lapses to the decision to bench a fully f...

In this collab episode with SoccerTakesWithAK , we break down the drama, tactics, and pure chaos that came out of Chelsea vs Arsenal — a rivalry that never fails to serve heat. The banter starts instantly as both sides relive the tension, frustration, and pride that always follow this historic London clash. One theme keeps popping up: Pep Guardiola is the godfather of both teams . Whether it’s Art...