Daily Sports blog

Mikel Obi has admitted that his Chelsea future depends on what manager Antonio Conte decides, reports Completesportsnigeria.com. The Super Eagles captain, who scored one of the goals as Nigeria defeated Algeria 3-1 in a World Cup in Uyo on Saturday,  has not played a single minute of club football this season. When asked in the post-match press conference if he would ever play for Chelsea again, Mikel replied: "I'll wait and see what happens. I've spent almost my entire career at Chelsea and I call it my home. "It's been 11 years at Chelsea but if it's time to move on, it's time to move on." He then added tongue-in-cheek: "I don't know if I'll ever play again, but if you really want to know I can give you Conte's number; call him, he should know." Mikel, whose Chelsea contract ends at the end of this season, insists he is always ready to play. "I've had a long career because I've kept in shape,...

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr is proud of his players after their 3-1 win against Algeria. Two goals from the impressive Victor Moses and another one by Mikel Obi saw off the spirited Fennecs and extended Nigeria's lead on top of Russia 20018 World Cup African qualifying Group B to four points after two rounds of games. "We had a great first half but the second half was difficult," Rohr admitted during his post-match press conference at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium. "The players are changing, they are accepting our philosophy. We want to play fast, attacking football and we're getting there. "We suffered in the second half but the players were not nervous. They are professional. We played on the counter-attack when it became 2-1 and we got our third goal from a fast break." Although there were nervous moments after Yacine Brahimi made it 2-1 in the second half, Rohr insists his side did a good job. "We defended well," he ...

Georges Leekens’ men were played off the park in Uyo, and are now in serious danger of missing out on the 2018 World Cup Nigeria remain top of Africa World Cup qualifying Group B thanks to a 3-1 victory over Algeria in Uyo on Saturday. A double from Victor Moses with efforts from John Obi Mikel were all the Super Eagles needed to tear apart the visitors at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. The result heaps the pressure on Algeria, whose winless run in the qualifying series extended to two matches. Mikel, who was included in the starting line-up turned in a great display to inspire his team to victory. After a keenly contested opening minute, Moses took centre stage after 25th minutes with a ferocious strike past goalkeeper Raïs M'Bolhi after a one-to pass with a teammate. Yacine Brahimi missed an excellent chance to level before John Obi Mikel put the Super Eagles two goals up with three minutes to the half time break. The Chelsea midfielder profit...

   Gernot Rohr faces his biggest test as Eagles’ handler when his side meet the north Africans in a crunch qualifier in Uyo. Nigeria  face Algeria in their second Group B game of the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The Super Eagles sit atop Group B with three points having defeated Zambia in their opening game in Ndola, and victory against the Greens will move them closer to Russia. Both countries have met 18 times, and Nigeria boast of a superior record with eight wins, three draws, while the north Africans have emerged victorious six times. Coach Gernot Rohr knows his side have a mountain to climb in the high-profile match as he hopes to maintain his 100 percent start in charge. The German tactician believes his experience and youthful side would tear apart the depleted visitors in his pursuit of the country's sixth World Cup appearance. Despite injuries to key players like Adam Ounas...

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been handed a one-match touchline ban and a £50,000 fine by the Football Association over two separate incidents. The 53-year-old Portuguese received the ban for being sent to the stands during the 0-0 draw with Burnley last weekend and the fine for remarks he made ahead of the Premier League game with Liverpool. He also receives a mandatory £8,000 fine for being sent to the stands. "Jose Mourinho has been fined £50,000 in relation to media comments he made prior to Manchester United's game at Liverpool on 17 October 2016," read the FA statement on Wednesday. "An Independent Regulatory Commission heard that Mourinho accepted the comments he made on 14 October 2016 constituted improper conduct but denied they brought the game into disrepute, in contravention of Rule E3(1). "The Commission found the disrepute element of the charge proven and as well as being fined, Mourinho was warned...

The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) of Britain has rebuked Manchester United coach, Jose Mourinho over his treatment of players, Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw. Early this week, Jose Mourinho called out both players saying they refused to put their heart and body on the line for Manchester United, as they declined playing in the match against Swansea because they didn't feel 100% fit. Speaking at the VSI Sporting Directors governance dinner, Gordon Taylor, head of the players’ union, urged Jose Mourinho to be more careful with the handling of his players;  “I was disappointed by that [Mourinho’s comments] because, knowing the individuals, they are both highly thought of.  “They’ve got personal problems which I don’t need to relay, but sometimes a manager needs to be a psychologist as well, and also to be a counsellor because you can’t treat everybody in the team [the same], every manager must know that. Every player in a team is differ...

      The Uruguayan striker is set to renew his contract at Camp Nou and he wants to win more titles with Luis Enrique's side in the future   Barcelona star Luis Suarez insists his contract renewal with the La Liga giants is on track.The Uruguayan has a deal until mid-2019, but reports suggest he will extend his stay by two or three seasons. Suarez, 29, said he was excited to continue his career with Barca, the club he joined in 2014 from Liverpool. as recently linked with a move to Manchester United, with reports claiming the Premier League club were preparing an astronomical €150 million bid for the player, who lifted the Pichichi award last season as the top scorer in La Liga.  But Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was adamant that his star forward is not going anywhere. Barcelona to move for Cedric "We read, we listen, we see this news, but of course, our interest in this particular case is that Luis Suarez is happy at B...

        Victor Moses and Brown Ideye were the latest arrivald as a total of 14 players were at the Super Eagles Abuja camp on Monday night ahead of Saturday's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Algeria.      The players already in camp include Arsenal's Alex Iwobi, Manchester City's Kelechi Iheanacho, Ogenyi Onazi of Trabzonspor and Kenneth Omeruo, who plays for Alanyaspor.       Also in camp are Mainz 05 defender Leon Balogun, Watford striker Odion Ighalo, Gent winger Moses Simon and current winner of the Nigeria Federation Cup with Ifeanyi Ubah, Ikechukwu Ezenwa.       Others are Zulte-Waregem's Kingsley Madu, Wilfred Ndidi of Genk, and İstanbul Başakşehir's Musa Muhammed.      Meanwhile, those yet to arrive camp are skipper Mikel Obi, William Troost-Ekong, John Ogu, Oghenekaro Etebo, Abdullahi Shehu, Elderson Ech...

            Super Eagles winger Ahmed Musa made his fourth straight Premier League start for Leicester City in Sunday's 2-1 home loss to West Brom at the King Power Stadium, . But Musa failed to score his third goal having scored in his last two EPL games.       Matthew Phillips scored the winner after Islam Slimani had restored parity in the 55th minute for the reigning champions.       The former QPR player capitalized on Danny Drinkwater's poor touch to run through the Foxes defence line before chipping the ball past Ron-Robert Zieler in goal for the Baggies for his first goal of the season.             James Morrison had given the visitors the lead in the 52nd minute of the encounter after a goalless first half. Musa who was rather quiet in the first half was fantastic in this second-half beating the full...

             Arsene Wenger's side preserve their unbeaten streak while Mauricio Pochettino's wait for a win goes on but the Gunners slipped up from a position of dominance COMMENT It’s 16 games unbeaten for Arsenal but they missed an opportunity to make a statement here in a drawn North London derby against Tottenham. They keep pace with Manchester City at the top end of the Premier League table – thanks largely to Middlesbrough’s draw at Eastlands yesterday – but this was a chance to leapfrog Pep Guardiola’s team. As it is, it was Chelsea who made this weekend’s decisive title statement. North London derby sets new record Arsenal fans might wonder if their inability to put away a vulnerable Spurs side on a dreadful, confidence-sapping run contradicts claims that this year might be the year it all comes together again for Arsene Wenger. There had been five wins against five of the Premier League’...

       Sadio Mane netted one in each half while Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum also got on the scoresheet in a sparkling Reds display at Anfield Liverpool's devastating front three of Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were all on target as the Reds battered Watford 6-1 to go top of the Premier League.          Chelsea ran riot in a 5-0 hammering of Everton on Saturday to reach the summit, but Liverpool responded in kind with a slick, incisive display at Anfield to displace Antonio Conte's men. Unsurprisingly, it was Coutinho, Firmino and Mane that proved the Hornets' tormentors in chief and the latter met Coutinho's cross to open the scoring.        Coutinho drilled home from Firmino's pass to double the lead and there was a simple elegance about the third as Emre Can nodded in Adam Lallana's cross before hal...

           Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Mesut Ozil are some of the players nominated for the Best FIFA Men’s Player 2016 in a list of 23 released by FIFA on Friday. The winner will be crowned at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in Zurich on 9 January 2017. Read more at http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/messi-ronaldo-ozil-mahrez-nominated-fifa-best-player-award/#1pwUXMQVsQly5l3O.99            The shortlist of 23 candidates was drawn up by experts from the FIFA Football Committee. Other nominees include Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez and Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos and Luka MNidric/ Leicester and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez is the only African player in the shortlist. FIFA say voting for player and coach of the year in 2016, in both men’s and women’s football, starts on Friday and closes on 22 November. The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2016 wi...

The Denmark international injured his right hand during the first half of the goalless draw at Parken Stadium and will see a specialist upon returning to the UK with the rest of the squad on Thursday," a statement from the club read. The injury comes at the worst possible time for Schmeicel, who on Wednesday helped the Foxes break a Champions League defensive record as they became the first team to keep clean sheets in each of their four opening matches in the competition.

Football Posted at 14:28 31 Oct Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has also been musing about tomorrow's tie with Barcelona. "Winning the last game helped a lot but the Champions League is much different," he said. "We lost 4-0. We still have much to learn. We concede a lot but I learn how good we compete in a lot of minutes. "Tomorrow we have another chance against the best." Reuters