Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Monday, April 24.
FC Midtjylland boss on Sory Kaba summer plan
FC Midtjylland manager Thomas Thomasberg insists he has not given any thought over whether Sory Kaba has a future with the Danish club.
The Bluebirds striker has scored eight goals in 13 games and it's no surprise Cardiff fans want him to stay beyond the end of his current loan stint, which is set to end in three matches' time.
Kaba was desperate for a loan move away from Midtjylland in January, having fallen out of favour under the previous manager. But the picture is cloudier with a new boss in the dugout. Thomasberg, however, kept his cards close to his chest when quizzed about the forward on Monday morning.
"I haven't thought about that at all," Thomasberg said of Kaba's situation. "Right now I have enough to do here, and then later we will look at the picture that is for next season. I just have a small overview of it, but it's not something I've thought about at all.
"I spend so much time thinking about the players who are here that I don't really want to speculate about it. The only thing I can promise you is that we will try to make the squad stronger for the autumn."
The new manager, who has previously coached Midtjylland, does have a definitive style, though, and hinted that Kaba could fit into his system next season due to the type of striker he is.
"In relation to my style, I have often played with a big striker and another striker who could run around. All the way back to the Hobro era with Quincy Antipas and in Randers it was Stephen Odey," the Dane added.
"There have been a few matches where I used Marvin Egho and Alhaji Kamara, but otherwise there has often been a runner who is around a big, strong striker, which Junior Brumado is, and which Kaba is in principle as well."
Wintle rues two lost points
Ryan Wintle said the camp felt disappointed they didn't come away from the game against Stoke with all three points.
Cardiff made it hard for themselves once again by going behind against the Potters, but Kaba's goal ensured they got back on terms. But the striker's missed penalty feels like an opportunity missed for the Bluebirds and that is how Wintle appears to see it.
"There were a few heads down in the end, because we had a chance to win it. Unfortunately we didn't win it, but it's another point on the board and we'll keep going," Wintle said.
“We’ve got a lot of games this month, so we’ve got to keep recovering and ploughing on. That’s football, and we’re in this business so we’ve got to make sure that we go into every game as fresh as we can, and get the results that we can to stay up. We’ve got enough quality in the changing room, so that’s what we’re trying to do.
“Going into these two games, you’d take the four points we’ve now had. We haven’t come from behind much this season, so that’s a positive as well. Hopefully we don’t have to do it again, we’d like to go in front more but as long as we get the points then that’s all that matters."
And that feeling of disappointment didn't appear to escape Kaba, either, with Wintle adding: “Every time Sory gets anything he’s going to score.
"With the penalty he was very disappointed with himself because he knows it’s a chance to get us another two points, but that’s football and you can’t score them every time. I’m sure he’ll hold his head up and score a couple more by the end of the season.
“We’re sticking together and making sure that we’re harder to beat as a team. If we do go behind we stick to the game plan. The gaffer has put it in place for us and we know what we’re doing going out there, so it’s about getting the points and rewards from it.”
City Women cup winners
Cardiff City Women thrashed Briton Ferry Llansawel 4-0 to win the FAW Women's Cup in emphatic fashion on Sunday afternoon.
Eliza Collie, Catherine Walsh, Ffion Price and Rhianne Oakley all found the back of the net during the win at Cardiff City Stadium.
The Bluebirds held on to the trophy after being crowned champions last year and it caps off a hugely successful season for Iain Darbyshire's side, who are also the Adran Premier champions.
“It feels great," Darbyshire said. "We set our targets at the start of the season and we knew we had a chance in every competition. To win two trophies, it feels so good and it’s what the Club deserves because it’s going in the right direction.
“Credit to Briton Ferry, they played really well today and should be really proud of themselves. We knew they were going to be difficult to play against. They cut the spaces off really well, we didn’t really get in between the lines as much as we should have. Then, the game opened up a bit and we showed our quality.”
Player of the match Catherine Walsh said: "We’ve had a fantastic season and this just tops it off. It wasn’t easy. Credit to Briton Ferry, they gave us a torrid time for 90 minutes. They pushed us all the way but credit to the team, we got the job done.
“I’ve been out for a long time through injury, so I was buzzing to just be on the pitch, but to score a goal is even better. The girls have been fantastic all year and I’m happy I’ve been able to play a part.”
Cardiff City XI: Chamberlain, Price, Power, S Walsh ©, Bowen (Owen 68’), Green (Cook 78’), Pearce, Broadhurst, Atkins (Oakley 60’), Collie (Poole 60’), C Walsh.
Briton Ferry Llansawel XI: Young, Broadley (Denscombe 78’), Jenkins, Llewellyn, Ridings, Jones (Thomas 78’), Kearle, Deacon (Roberts 53’), Smitham (Baker 62’), Clayton, Howells (Powell 53’).
A wonderful afternoon for Bows
There was a cracking turnout from Swansea City and Cardiff City supporters and former players for a game in aid of Jason Bowen on Sunday afternoon.
Bowen, who played for Cardiff, Swansea and Newport County, of course, revealed earlier this year the devastating news of his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis.
His former team-mates, most notably Andy Legg, rallied around to organise a match to raise funds for Bowen, which would be contested between Cardiff and Swansea legends at Penybont FC.
Cardiff's legends included Danny Gabbidon, James Collins, Damon Searle, Graham Kavanagh and Robert Earnshaw, while the likes of Lee Trundle, Andy Robinson, Angel Rangel and Leon Britton turned out for the Swans.
The game, perhaps fittingly, ended a 4-4 draw, which included two stunning goals for Cardiff for John Williams, who then swapped shirts to play the rest of the second half for Swansea.
- You can donate to the Bowen family’s campaign here
'Important thing is to keep Kaba scoring'
EFL pundit Jamie Mackie believes the most important things for Cardiff City's survival chances is to keep Sory Kaba scoring.
Kaba showed great composure on Saturday to slot beneath Jack Bonham, the sort of chance you would only really have fancied him in City's ranks to score.
And former QPR and Nottingham Forest man Mackie believes the big striker shoulders much of the burden of responsibility for Cardiff in these final three matches.
"It could have been more, with the missed penalty. Sory Kaba scored. He was a really good signing in January," he said on ITV's EFL highlights show.
"He's scored eight goals and seven in his last nine. He is a man in form. You need to keep him in form, because when you are down in the league, you need someone who is confident in front of goal.
"He stepped up to take the penalty, but that (the miss) can happen. But the most important thing is he is confident in front of goal and he gets back on it, because goals is what Cardiff need now."
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