The majority of their audience are likely to be listening to this branch of the World Service in east Africa but it is a west African, the tricky, talented Benin forward Stephane Sessègnon, who will be trying to upset Manchester City's title hopes.
Martin O'Neill had an unhappy six-month stint playing for City during the early 1980s and would regard taking a point from his old club as decent revenge
Sunderland v City EXCLUSIVE Nigel de Jong reaction
Match pointers
• Sunderland have won two and lost 11 of their last 14 Premier League fixtures against Manchester City, but won this fixture last season
• The visitors have won none of their last three away fixtures
• City have not failed to score in consecutive league games since November 2010
• There have been five penalties awarded in the last seven league meetings between these teams
• Nicklas Bendtner has had more shots on target than any other Sunderland player this season (23)
Sunderland: Mignolet, Gardner, O'Shea, Brown, Colback, McClean, Cattermole, Vaughan, Larsson, Bendtner, Sessegnon.
Subs: Carson, Kilgallon, Elmohamady, Ji, Meyler, Noble, Laing.
Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Lescott, Kompany, Kolarov, Johnson, De Jong, Toure Yaya, Barry, Nasri, Dzeko.
Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Clichy, Savic, Milner, Silva, Aguero.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Roberto Mancini speaks: In his pre-match interview, Roberto Mancini says that none of the changes he's made from his side's scoreless draw against West Brom are down to injury, but that they'll approach today's encounter in much the same way. Not having seen that game at the Hawthorns, I have no idea what approach that was. Mancini goes on to say that his new year's resolution is to continue playing good football and hope for success.
In the Sky Sports Studio Ed Chamberlin is in the chair, picking the brains of Peter Reid and Niall Quinn, an amiable pair of old drinking buddies with deep connections to both clubs.
Martin O'Neill speaks: The Sunderland manager must be counting his lucky stars that not one of Messrs Balotelli, Silva and Aguero are starting for Manchester City, as illness and injury have forced him to put together a makeshift defence with Phil Bardsley, Titus Bramble and potential left-back Kieran Richardson all missing. Jack Colback, Craig Gardner and James McClean all came in along with keeper Simon Mignolet, who made his first appearance since fracturing his nose and an eye socket in late October.
We had a few problems with illness and injury, which is not great, but we're a Premier League club and should be able to cope with these problems," he says in his pre-match interview. He goes on to sing the praises of "exciting talent" James McClean, from Derry, who makes his full debut today, then says "we're going into the game with confidence", but warns against the folly of dismissing anyone in the Manchester City line-up as "second-raters".
How they'll line up: Sunderland will line up in a 4-4-2, with two midfielders playing full-back. Wingers Seb Larsson (right) and James McClean (left) will bookend a midfield four with Lee Cattermole and David Vaughan in the middle. Up front, Stephane Sessegnon will play off the shoulder of confidence's Nicklas Bendtner.
Manchester City look set to line up in a 4-2-3-1, with Gareth Barry and Nigel De Jong screening their back four. In central midfield you'll find a trio of Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany and Gareth Barry, while on the left and right flanks, Samir Nasri and Adam Johnson will be hoping to put the fear of God in Sunderland's makeshift full-backs. Edin Dzeko will play alone upfront.
1 min: Manchester City kick-off against a decidedly inexperienced Sunderland side, with seven of the home side's starting 11 having played fewer than 20 games for the club, according to Sky's man in the commentary box. Suinderland wear their usual home strip of red and white stripes, black shorts and red and white socks. Manchester City are in their home shirts of sky blue shirts and socks, with blue and white hooped socks.
2 min: Nicklas Bendtner is put through one on one with Joe Hart by a clever pass through the Manchester City defence by Stephane Sessegnon. With plenty to do and the Sunderland crowd roaring him on, Bendtner tries to take the ball around the keeper, when perhaps he should have attempted to fire past him into one of the corners. Hart smothers the ball at his feet.
4 min: It's been a lively start, with Manchester City winning a corner in the opening seconds, then Nicklas Bendtner's near-miss. Now Sunderland's left-winger tries his luck from long-range, cutting inside from the flank before unleashing a right-footed drive. His effort is on target and heading for the bottom left-hand corner, but Hart gets down quickly to save.
5 min: Replays show that, after being put through by a marvellous pass from Sessegnon, Bendtner took too many touches, none of them particularly good. He really should have scored to get the Stadium of Light rocking.
7 min: There's a bone-crunching tackle, Lee Cattermole is involved and the yellow card is produced by the referee. Amazingly, it's waved at Nigel De Jong for his late challenge on the Sunderland enforcer. The city midfielder now has to play 83 minutes of football against Lee Cattermole without getting another booking. Place your bets ...
10 min: This has been most entertaining so far. Despite their inexperience and the quality of opposition, Sunderland have looked anything but out of their depth. They're getting in the City's players faces and haven't let them settle yet.
13 min: City win a corner and Sunderland are caught napping as Adam Johnson plays it short to Pablo Zabaleta. He darts from the quadrant to pick up the return pass, before shooting diagonally for the top left-hand corner. Wide.
15 min: Yaya Toure goes on one of his trademark surging lumbers into the Sunderland penalty area and on to a clever diagonal pass from Adam Johnson. He tries to swipe it goalwards on the fly, but doesn't get quite enough leather through the ball to trouble the Sunderland defence. Wes Brown clears.
17 min: For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, here's some bona fide Roy Hodgson gold from this afternoon's match between West Brom and Everton.
19 min: Pablo Zabaleta tries to pick out Edin Dzeko with a raking diagonal cross from the right flank. His delivery is wayward and in the Sunderland goal, Simon Mignolet ushers the ball wide.
21 min: Great play from Adam Johnson, who beats Jack Colback and James McClean down the right flank, then cuts inside and lays the ball off to YaYa Toure. Lee Cattermole steps in to relieve the City midfielder of possession.
24 min: Stephane Sessegnon goes on ameandering run through the centre that ends with him trying a shot from long range that is blocked. The ball breaks to Adam Johnson, who is dispossessed by a meaty challenge by Lee Cattermole, who passes it on to McClean. The Irishman crosses, but there's nobody in the penalty area to get on the end of his delivery.
25 min: Wes Brown is in all sorts of bother here and struggling badly after picking up some manner of injury. He's forced off and Matt Kilgallon gets a rare opportunity to impress. He last played for Sunderland in May 2010.
27 min: According to Geoff Shreeves, Sky's man on the touchline, it was a groin injury that forced off Wes Brown.
28 min: Slack marking by Aleksandr Kolarov allows Stephane Sessegnon to unleash an opportunistic shot from distance. He takes a wild swing, but his effort is so wayward it heads out for a throw-in rather than a corner.
31 min: Manchester City corner, which Adam Johnson swings across the edge of the six-yard box. Mignolet has a flap, there's a mini-scramble and Sunderland clear.
32 min: Manchester City continue to turn the screw, with Dzeko eventually bringing a good save out of Mignolet, who blocks his effort from close range after the Bosnian had got on the end of an Adam Johnson cross.
34 min: A stabbed Samir Nasri diagonal effort from right to left appears to be rolling its way over the Sunderland goal-line, but Craig Gardner blocks. Sunderland are under huge pressure here.
35 min: From a corner, the ball breaks to Edin Dzeko on the edge of the Sunderland penalty area. He opts for power and pulls the trigger, only to hold his head in his hands when his effort skims the crossbar on its way into the stand.
36 min: Great play from the nimble-footed Adam Johnson, who skips down the left touchline and gives Gardner the slip, before sending in an outswinger. Mignolet comes off his line to snatch the ball, but needs two grabs to get it under control.
39 min: Free-kick for Manchester City just to the right of the edge of the Sunderland penalty area. Samir Nasri squares the ball to Kolarov, who seemed to be caught unawares and is unable to unleash a shot before being charged down by two defenders.
43 min: Samir Nasri plays the ball to Dzeko on the inside-right channel and the big striker eschews the option of picking out the unmarked Johnson on his left, in favour of trying a shot from distance. His effort is feeble and doesn't trouble Mignolet unduly.
44 min: Johnson whips the ball across the face of the Sunderland goal, but Dzeko is unable to head it home, or indeed ... head it at all. He's not having one of his better games.
45 min: An increasingly rare Sunderland attack ends with Craig Gardner sending a speculative drive from outside the penalty area a couple of yards wide of the right upright. Moments previously, James McClean had tried to pick out Bendtner with a cross from the left, but the isolated Dane was unable to get anywhere near the delivery.
Half-time: It's all square at half-time in a contest that's been fairly low on skill and goals, but reasonably high on excitement. Manchester City have been vastly superior, but the best chance of the game thus far has fallen to Sunderland. Sadly, the player it happened to fall to glories in the moniker of Nicklas Bendtner.
Second half: Sunderland get the ball rolling, with Manchester City having made a half-time substitution: Nigel De Jong off, Sergio Aguero on. In the Sky studio, Niall Quinn feebly tried to make the case that this might work in Sunderland's favour, prompting guffaws of laughter from Ed Chamberlin and Peter Reid. I can see what they found so amusing, but I can also see Quinn's hopelessly optimistic point ... if I squint really, really hard.
46 min: Samir Nasri tries to dink the ball over the Sunderland defence for Edin Dzeko to chase, but Mignolet is quick off his line to avert the danger.
48 min: Sunderland attack down the left wing, with McClean getting a cross into the City penalty area that skims Joe Hart's crossbar.
49 min: A good reaction save from Mignolet in the Sunderland goal, who gets his feet in the way after Kilgallon fails to clear a cross from the left.
50 min: Sunderland win their first corner of the match. Seb Larsson sends the ball towards the far post, but Joe Hart is quick off his line to punch the ball clear.
51 min: Aguero tries to dance his way through the Sunderland penalty area, but meets a wall of stout resistance and is bundled off the ball.
52 min: Corner for Manchester City, which Samir Nasri takes. The ball gets a flick-on at the near post but is promptly headed clear.
53 min: "You're not giving Sunderland much credit here," says Chas from - guess where? - Sunderland. "They've barely got a recognised defender on the park, and they've kept out the most prolific side in the league. Not bad, so far." Chas is spot on; I've given Sunderland very little credit, what with the way I mentioned from the get-go that they barely have a recognised defender on the park, credited them with the chances they've created and just generally reported what's happening in this match report of what's happening.
58 min: At the risk of being accused of not giving Sunderland credit, I feel compelled to mention that Edin Dzeko tries two snapshots in a row, but fails to score with either.
59 min: Sergio Aguero pounds the ground with frustration after an extraordinary miss from about seven yards out. Having been played through by Dzeko, he only had Mignolet to beat, but scuffed his effort straight at the goalkeeper.
60 min: Incidentally, Aguero should never have been given that chance to score, as Stephane Sessegnon was fouled by - I think - Yaya Toure in the build-up to the goal. City substitution I haven't had a chance to mention yet: David Silva on, Samir Nasri off.
61 min: Sunderland win a free-kick about 10 yards outside the Manchester City penalty area, on the inside left. Seb Larsson is the obvious candidate to take it, but his effort is poor and fails to clear the defensive wall.
64 min: AAAAAGHHH!!! HOW DID HE MISS? Down the right wing, Stephane Sessegnan gets on the end of a flick on from Nicklas Bendtner, cuts inside Vincent Kompany and leaves the centre-half for dead. Bearing down on goal with only Joe Hart to beat, he sends his low diagonal shot flashing wide of the left upright.
66 min: Seb Larsson gets booked for grabbing Sergio Aguero by the wrist and hanging out of him as the Argentinian scurrier tried to keep the ball in play as it bounced out of play for a goal-kick.
68 min: Manchester City substitution: Aleksandr Kolarov off, Micah Richards on.
68 min: Chas from Sunderland might not appreciate hearing the news, but Manchester City continue to turn the screw. From a corner the ball's whipped across the face of goal, Mignolet is caught in no-man's land and Edin Dzeko comes this close to heading it home.
70 min: Zabaleta, who has moved to left-back so Micah Richards can play on the right, creeps in behind Craig Gardner and attempts to hook the ball goalwards from a tight angle. His effort goes out for a corner off Gardner's shin.
72 min: Lee Cattermole, who I've been very critical of in the past but feel compelled to doff my hat towards this afternoon for a magnificent performance, disposses Sergio Aguero with one meaty challenge, only to see the ball ricochet towards Yaya Toure, who he sprints towards and dispossesses with another trademark bone-cruncher.
74 min: With a wriggle and a shimmy, James McClean escapes the attention of Richards and Johnson down the left wing, before trying to get an early cross in towards Nicklas Bendtner. It's a good idea, but his delivery is blocked.
75 min: Manchester City try to play their way through the Sunderland defence with some intricate fancy dan short-passing, but the home side earn some much-needed respite when Micah Richards body-checks Jack Colback on the edge of the penalty area. Free kick.
76 min: The rearguard action is taking its toll on Sunderland's players, who struggle to keep up with Edin Dzeko as he takes advantage of a lucky bounce to head off on a slaloming run towards goal. He wanders right instead of straight at goal, allowing the defenders to regroup and force Dzeko to pass the ball back towards midfield.
79 min: Sunderland substitution: Nicklas Bendtner off after a tireless, unselfish shift that was blemished only by that hideous miss in the first couple of minutes; Ji Dong Wan on.
80 min: Brilliant work by Gardner, who broke up an attack by Silva and Aguero and then pinged a pin-point pass down the touchline to the feet of Ji. Isolated alone up front with nobody in support, the South Korean tries to hold the ball up for as long as he possibly can before inevitably being dispossessed.
82 min: Adam Johnson sends in a marvellous cross from the left flank, but Matt Kilgallon does enough to put Edin Dzeko off; his header flashes wide.
84 min: Sunderland appear to have given up any hope of actually winning this match and are concentrating all their energies on defending. Even on their rare counter-attacks, they don't commit too many men forward, but Ji has done well in what Harry Redknapp might term the "just fackin' run abaht" role since coming on.
87 min: Lee Cattermole goes down injured and there's a break as he gets treatment.
88 min: From the edge of the D outside the Sunderland penalty area, David Silva tries a shot. Mignolet can only parry the ball into the path of Micah Richards, who promptly rifles it against the crossbar. It bounces back into play and Silva has another shot, which heads for the bottom right-hand corner, only for Mignolet to save. How did Manchester City not score?
90 +1: There'll be three minutes of added time in total.
90+2 min: Ha-ha! Having assembled a squad worth £600m, Roberto Mancini is signalling his players to lump the ball long into the Sunderland penalty area at the earliest possible opportunity. Splendid!
MBM goal
GOAL! Sunderland 1-0 Manchester City (Ji 90+3) GET IN THERE YOU BEAUTY! Ji and Sessegnon combine on the left-hand side of the City penalty area and Ji shows splendid balance and close control to bamboozle Joe Hart, nimbly take the ball around the goalkeeper and poke the ball home from about three yards ... as ... if ... in ... slow ... motion.
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! It's all over and injury-ravaged Sunderland have won with practically the final kick of the game after an absolutely splendid team effort and a wonderful individual goal ... which, em, may have been offside, but let's not dwell on that. What a sensational outcome!
Well, who'd a thunk it? Manchester City fail to score in festive outings to the Hawthorns and the Stadium of Light. Looks like their fans might have to revise that chant in which they declare "we'll score when we want". But hats off to Sunderland for a magnificent team display.
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