Teen scores twice on full debut as Cagliari beats Atalanta and moves clear of drop zone

CAGLIARI, Italy (AP) — Senegalese teenager Paul Mendy scored twice in his first start for Cagliari, including the opener after 16 seconds, to put the home side on its way to a vital 3-2 win over Atalanta in Serie A on Monday.

It was a dream full debut for the 19-year-old, who joined Cagliari last year from Senegal side AS Bambey.

He made five appearances from the bench, all of them in March and April, and started the home match against Atalanta with an immediate impact.

Mendy put Cagliari ahead with a header after 16 seconds and added a second after eight minutes.

He was withdrawn through injury at halftime, by which time the score was level after two goals from Gianlucca Scamacca.

But debuting Mendy paid dividends for Cagliari coach Fabio Pisacane. Mendy’s replacement Gennaro Borrelli restored the home side’s advantage two minutes into the second half after great work by Michael Folorunsho.

The result was crucial for Cagliari, which rose eight points clear of the relegation zone.

It was just as important for Atalanta, which took a hit to its European hopes next season. With four games left it was seventh, seven points behind Roma and Como.

Later in the night, Lazio and Udinese drew 3-3 in an entertaining mid-table clash at Estadio Olimpico that featured great goals.

Kingsley Ehizibue’s stunning strike after 17 minutes gave visiting Udinese the lead but the German’s first goal of the season was canceled out early in the second half by a similarly impressive strike from Luca Pellegrini.

Spanish winger Pedro put Lazio ahead for the first time 10 minutes from time when he curled in a lovely shot, but goals in the 86th and 93rd from Arthur Atta swung the win Udinese’s way.

Until Daniel Maldini popped up with almost the last kick of the match to equalize for Lazio and ensure its unbeaten home run ticked on to five games.

The point lifted Lazio above Bologna into eighth.

Udinese remained 11th.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Udinese's Idrissa Gueye, left, and Lazio's Oliver Provstgaard in action during the Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Udinese in Rome, Italy, Monday April 27, 2026. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)

Lazio's Pedro celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Udinese in Rome, Italy, Monday April 27, 2026. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)

Cagliari's Paul Mendy celebrates after scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Cagliari and Atalanta, in Cagliari, Italy, Monday, April 27. (Gianluca Zuddas/LaPresse via AP)

Cagliari's Paul Mendy celebrates after scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Cagliari and Atalanta, in Cagliari, Italy, Monday, April 27. (Gianluca Zuddas/LaPresse via AP)

ATLANTA (AP) — A former defensive tackle at the University of Alabama pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding investors of millions of dollars in part by putting on makeup and wigs to impersonate NFL players.

Luther Davis, 37, entered guilty pleas in federal court in Atlanta to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. CJ Evins, 29, who was accused of executing the scheme with Davis, also pleaded guilty to the two charges.

Both men left court without commenting. U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg scheduled sentencing for Davis in October and Evins in August. The men each face up to seven years in prison, though prosecutors agreed to recommend a lower sentence as part of plea deals.

In court Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brock Brockington said the men used fake bank and email accounts to help convince lenders they were either acting on behalf of particular athletes or were the athletes themselves. They later sought to impersonate higher-profile players with bigger contracts, he said.

Security for a players' union learned that fraudulent player contracts had been used as collateral, he said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta filed a criminal complaint against Davis and Evins last month.

Davis wore disguises on multiple video calls with investors in 2024, pretending to be three different NFL players. He wore makeup and a wig once, a wig a second time and a do-rag-style head covering on a third call, according to prosecutors, who identified the players only by initials.

None of the NFL players had authorized Davis and Evins to obtain loans. In addition to wearing disguises, prosecutors say Davis used fake driver’s licenses with photos of the players that could be found online.

The scheme brought in nearly $20 million from numerous fraudulent loans that Davis and Evins used in part to buy real estate, jewelry and cars, according to the criminal complaint.

Davis was a national champion with the Crimson Tide in 2010.

FILE - Alabama's Luther Davis (96) reacts after their 32-13 win over Florida in the SEC championship NCAA college football game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Dec. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)