Mikel’s experience vital in Super Eagles – Adepoju

Ex-international, Mutiu Adepoju, has said the experience of Super Eagles skipper, Mikel Obi, is very important for the national team to excel in an attempt to earn the Russia 2018 World Cup ticket.
Adepoju said despite not playing for his club, Chelsea FC of England, his leadership quality in the Super Eagles was enough to rate Mikel as a true leader.
“Mikel is one of the leaders in the Super Eagles,” he said.
“People should not judge him with his current condition in Chelsea because anytime he is with the national team, he gives his best and also motivates the other players to perform, I think we should leave it that way.
“It is not good to evaluate everybody on the same platform, if you look at Mikel since becoming the captain; he has been giving more than 120 per cent to the cause of the team. We should encourage him.”

Suarez is the best striker in the world – Godin

Atletico Madrid and Uruguay defender Diego Godin declared compatriot Luis Suarez as the best striker in world football today.
Barcelona forward Suarez, who won the European Golden Shoe for his 40-goal haul in the last campaign, has played alongside Godin in the national team for years.

Russia’s Kuznetsova claims victory in WTA tourney

Svetlana Kuznetsova claimed her second titanic victory in a row when the Russian outlasted Karolina Pliskova 3-6 6-2 7-6(6) in a thrilling White Group encounter at the WTA Finals yesterday.
After battling toe-to-toe for two hours and 17 minutes, Kuznetsova collapsed in a heap on the court after sealing victory on her fourth match point with a backhand winner down the line to finally break the Czech’s resistance.
“With all the support of the crowd and my team, I couldn’t afford to let myself and everybody down so I had to fight,” twice grand slam winner Kuznetsova said.
“I haven’t been at my best in recent years but something changed this year… I enjoy my game, I enjoy the crowd and I feel blessed to be playing the best players in the world.”
Kuznetsova was the final qualifier for the elite eight-woman event when she defended her Kremlin Cup title on Saturday and the world No 9 has shown incredible staying power to first outlast

Clubs might’ve been more lenient with Allardyce – Glenn

Chief executive Martin Glenn has suggested Sam Allardyce might not have lost his job if the Football Association’s sole responsibility was the England team.
Allardyce’s spell as the national manager began in July and was over before the end of September following an investigation into corruption conducted by the Daily Telegraph.
The 62-year-old was filmed telling undercover reporters it was “not a problem” to bypass rules on third-party player ownership and claimed he knew of agents who were “doing it all the time.”
Following his departure, Allardyce said he “made a significant error of judgement,” but that “entrapment had won.”
Glenn, who was part of the decision-making process regarding Allardyce’s fate, insists the FA had