Late Cardiff rally stuns Southampton despite Joe Aribo’s star performance

Cardiff City’s late comeback dealt a blow to Southampton’s hopes of a Premier League return in their EFL Championship qualification clash, as reported by Soccernet.ng.

With goals from Famara Diedhiou and Cian Ashford in the second half of the game, Cardiff City sparked a comeback from a 1-nil down to a 2-1 final result.

Nigerian international Joe Aribo, who has been a key player for Southampton since his return from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, showcased his talent in the first half, opening the scoring for Southampton in the 12th minute.

Despite dominating the first half, Southampton could only hold a narrow 1-0 lead at halftime.

Southampton paid the price for missed opportunities as Famara Diedhiou leveled the score from close range after coming on as a substitute.

Teenager Cian Ashford then sealed the win for Cardiff with a deflected shot from 25 yards in injury time.

The defeat leaves Southampton five points adrift of the automatic promotion places in the Championship table with three games remaining.

Away from today’s match, Aribo has been linked with a move away from St. Mary’s Stadium, with Galatasaray showing strong interest.

If Southampton fails to secure promotion to the Premier League, Aribo could be one of the players the club loses in the upcoming transfer window.