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

Nacho’s goal better than my Champions League final volley – Zidane

Zinedine Zidane has admitted that Nacho Fernandez’s goal in Real Madrid’s 7-1 rout of Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey was better than his legendary volley that won the club their ninth Champions League title.
The Frenchman opted to leave Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo back home and his fringe players did not disappoint when they put on a show away to Leon..
Madrid were 5-0 up when Nacho produced a superb scissor-kick off a James Rodriguez pass to

English fans ‘will welcome gay players’ – survey

Most sports fans in England, Wales and Scotland say they would be comfortable with their club signing a gay player, according to a BBC Radio 5 live survey.
It found 82% of supporters would have no issue with a gay player. However, 8% of football fans said they would stop watching their team. Last week, Football Association chairman Greg Clarke told MPs he was “cautious” of encouraging a player to come out because they may suffer “significant abuse” from fans.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live yesterday, Clarke said he stood by his “personal view” that “vile abuse” from a “small minority on the terraces” must be solved before any gay footballers “take that risk” to come out.
“If they want to take that risk I would respect them and support them,” said Clarke. “But we can’t promise to provide them at the moment with the required protection. We need to redouble our

David Moyes defiant despite Sunderland’s exit from EFL Cup

David Moyes insists Sunderland are close to turning the corner despite another defeat, this time at Southampton in the EFL Cup.
Sofiane Boufal’s wonder strike knocked the Black Cats, bottom of the Premier League without a win all season, out of the only competition that has provided a glimmer of hope on Wearside.
To add to Moyes’ misery, he was sent to the stands after disputing referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision not to award a last-gasp penalty when Maya Yoshida tripped Victor Anichebe in the area.
But the Sunderland boss said: “We didn’t deserve to lose that’s for sure. We were in the game, we had good chances and I thought the players performed well.
“Our luck’s at the moment out but it will change. The performances are getting better and that will lead to goals and to results. Our last couple of performances have merited more.”

Falcons threaten to boycott AWCON over outstanding match allowances, bonuses

There are reports that the Super Falcons may shun the 10th African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) scheduled to hold in Cameroun from November 19 to December 3.
The title holders are pitched in Group B together with arch-rivals Ghana, Mali and newcomers Kenya.
According to report, the players are not happy that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has not deemed it necessary to settle, as promised, their outstanding qualifying match allowances and bonuses.
“The players are unhappy that to date the NFF has only paid N10, 000 qualifying bonus to each of the players to enable them travel back to their respective homes after April’s successful qualifying match against the Teranga Lionesses of Senegal in Abuja.
“The NFF had cited financial challenges, promising to pay their bonuses and allowances soon but that’s yet to see the light of day.

Obisanya blames govt’s bias for poor state of Nigerian sports

Former National Table Tennis Coach, Babatunde Obisanya, has described as unfortunate the absence of Nigeria’s women’s team at the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) African Senior Championships holding in Agadir, Morocco.
The absence of the nation’s female team has been attributed to the Ministry of Sports’ refusal to fund the team. This development has taken the shine off the championship, which serves as 2017 and 2018 World Championships’ qualifier.
Speaking yesterday, Obisanya put the blame on the doorstep of the government, saying football has always been given undue advantage over other sports to the detriment of sports development in the country.
“What the government is doing to other sports when compared to the special interest given to football is unfortunate. The blame for our female team’s inability to travel to Morocco for this

AC Milan players influenced ref to disallow goal – Allegri

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said AC Milan players influenced the referees to disallow his side’s goal in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at the San Siro.
The outcome could have been different after a first-half free kick from Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic was controversially disallowed for what looked a tight offside call, having initially been given by the officials.
And Allegri suggested the officials would have let the goal stand if not for the remonstrations of the Milan players.
“They did well to score and we were unlucky,” Allegri told Mediaset Premium. “We played well on a technical level and we had scored, but it was disallowed.

Boro could have beaten Arsenal if not for Cech – Karanka

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka was disappointed his team could not come away with a win after holding Arsenal to a goalless draw on Saturday.
Boro had a number of great chances to steal a win, and Karanka admitted he was pleased with their performance against the Premier League leaders.
“I think we could have won the game, but Petr Cech was the best player for Arsenal and we did a

‘Special one’ status depends on winning trophies – Mourinho

Jose Mourinho admits he will not be considered the “special one” if he fails to win any trophies with Manchester United.
The Portuguese, who signed a contract tying him to United until 2020 in May after replacing Louis van Gaal, proclaimed himself the “special one” when he arrived in England for his first stint as Chelsea boss over a decade ago.
Now, speaking ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge as United manager on Sunday, Mourinho concedes that Red Devils fans will not view him as anything out of the ordinary if he is unable to deliver any success to Old Trafford in the next three years.
He told several national newspapers: “Connections start before titles are won but it is success that brings empathy between the supporters and managers and makes that connection become

Tottenham’s Sissoko could face elbow ban – Murphy

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko could face a retrospective Football Association ban for elbowing Bournemouth’s Harry Arter, says ex-England international Danny Murphy.
Sissoko caught Arter in the second half of Saturday’s 0-0 draw, apologising to the Cherries midfielder afterwards.
“He said it was an accident. I’m happy to take that as gospel,” said Arter.
Match of the Day analyst Murphy said: “Sissoko is going to get done for that whether he meant to or not.”
He added: “I don’t know what he was thinking. It looks awful.”

Alaba won’t be sold to Manchester City – Rummenigge

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge dismissed reports linking David Alaba with a move to Manchester City on Saturday.
Reports on Monday said Alaba could be reunited with Pep Guardiola after Manchester City

Valencia slam ‘lamentable’ referee in Barca loss

Valencia's Tunisian defender Aymen Abdennour (L) tackles Barcelona's Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez during the Spanish league football match Valencia CF vs FC Barcelona at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia on October 22, 2016.AFP/Jose Jordan

Valencia’s sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch railed against the “absolutely lamentable” display of the referee after Barcelona snatched a controversial 3-2 win at Mestalla on Saturday.
Lionel Messi converted a 94th-minute penalty in a bad-tempered match overshadowed by a serious knee injury to Barca’s Andres Iniesta.
Valencia are likely to face action from La Liga authorities after Neymar was struck by a plastic bottle thrown from the crowd as the Barca players celebrated the winner.
However, Valencia were incensed that Barca’s opener was allowed to stand despite claims for offside and the home side were angered further when referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco didn’t send off Sergio Busquets before half time.

Ahmed Musa scores first goal for Leicester City

Ahmed Musa scored his long-awaited first goal for Leicester City as his side trounced Crystal Palace 3-1 at the King Power Stadium, England on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the English Premier League (EPL) match played in front of 31,969 spectators saw Musa open scoring in the 42nd minute.
Algerian Islam Slimani played a one-two with Shinji Okazaki before providing the assist for Musa who riffled home from 20 yards to put Leicester in front.
Leicester dominated possession in the second half as Okazaki made it 2-0 in the 64th, while, Christian Fuchs added a third from a superb volley in the 80th minute.
Musa was replaced by Demarai Gray in a tactical substitution in the 81st minute as Coach Claudio Ranieri looked to preserve the 3-0 lead.
The visitors however piled on the pressure and got a consolation goal in the 85th minute through

Enyimba’s Mfon Udoh honoured by CAF nomination

All-time record scorer of the Nigeria league Mfon Udoh has said he is deeply honoured to be listed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for Best Player of 2016 award for players plying their trade in Africa.
The Enyimba striker netted nine times in this year’s CAF Champions League and said he will be

Klopp keen to get Gerrard back to Anfield

Jurgen Klopp will hold talks with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard after the 36-year-old midfielder appeared to announce his departure from the LA Galaxy at the end of the current Major League Soccer season.
Gerrard’s comments are bound to fuel speculation that the highly popular Liverpudlian could return to play for the club he first represented 18 years ago and for whom he made over 500 appearances.
Klopp has previously indicated that such a possibility would not be realistic for the veteran although, following Saturday’s 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion, the Liverpool manager declined to explain exactly what role could await a player who also made 114 England appearances in one of the most successful careers of the modern football era.

Moses hasn’t proved his commitment to Eagles yet – Lawal

He is riding on the crest of a wave after surviving a strenuous preseason to force his way into Chelsea’s first team under Italian manager Antonio Conte.
Victor Moses appeared to have given up on first-team football at Chelsea following the expiry of his loan deal at West Ham.
The 25-year-old Nigeria winger had also had loan spells at Liverpool and Stoke since his £9m move from Wigan in 2012.
Moses has been hogging the headlines after a string of impressive performances for the Blues – and the player has confirmed he is enjoying his football more than ever.
As the player is having a swell time with the Premier League giants and his stock rising by the game, his commitment to the Super Eagles has been questioned by former Nigeria winger Dimeji Lawal.
Dimeji, who is popularly called Kabongo, says Moses has yet to prove his commitment at the international level because he has not looked happy and excited each time he plays for the national team.

EPFL ends agreement with UEFA on Champions League dates

The European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) have voted to end a Memorandum of Understanding that had prohibited domestic matches from being broadcast at the same time as Champions League fixtures, the organisation announced in a statement on Friday.
The group claimed that UEFA has left it “no other option” than to strike down the agreement given recent decisions European football’s governing body has taken.
In August, it made a series of reforms that favoured the continent’s top leagues and the most

Montreal Impact striker Didier Drogba fined by MLS after refusing to play

Montreal Impact striker Didier Drogba has been fined by MLS after refusing to play for his club last weekend.
Drogba, 38, refused to play rather than come off the bench in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Toronto FC in Montreal’s penultimate regular season game, and the striker was not listed in Mauro Biello’s matchday squad.
Impact president Joey Saputo revealed that the former Chelsea and Ivory Coast star had resolved

Jose Mourinho ‘had his own players’ at Chelsea – Victor Moses

Victor Moses believes Jose Mourinho exiled him at Chelsea because “he had his own players” and said he is delighted that new head coach Antonio Conte has given him a second chance to prove himself at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho will return to the home of his former club as Manchester United manager for the first time on Sunday, while in-form Moses is expected to keep his place in the Chelsea starting XI on the right of Conte’s new 3-4-3 formation.
It has been a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Moses, who spent the last three seasons on loan at Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham respectively, and one the 25-year-old feels is long overdue after being ignored by Mourinho.

Chelsea captain John Terry should ‘stay and play’ – Deco

Former Chelsea midfielder Deco has told the London Evening Standard that John Terry should return to the side as he is “a true captain” and “one of the best I have ever played with.”
Terry, 35, suffered an ankle injury in Sept. 11’s 2-2 draw with Swansea but was an unused substitute in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Leicester, with boss Antonio Conte keeping faith with Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and David Luiz in his new 3-4-3 formation.
Former Porto, Barcelona and Portugal star Deco, though, suggested ahead of Chelsea’s game at

Rangers shops for sponsors ahead of CAF league

Rangers International FC of Enugu has started scouting for corporate sponsors and partners ahead of the commencement of the 2016/2017 Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) league.
Paul Chibuzor, the General Manager of Rangers, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Enugu.
He said that the marketing department was already working hard towards getting corporate sponsors.
Chibuzor noted that sponsors were needed for the club as well as some units of the club’s

Sokoto to construct new stadium

The Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development in Sokoto, Alhaji Musa Ausa, said the state government had concluded plans to construct a new Stadium in Sokoto township to enhance sports development.
Ausa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Sokoto that “the present

Chelsea one of world’s best teams – Pogba

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has told MUTV that Chelsea are “one of the best teams in the world” ahead of Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge.
Pogba, who scored twice for United in a 4-1 home win over Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, said he was relishing the chance to face Chelsea despite the fixture coming at the end of a gruelling week that began with Monday’s 0-0 draw at Liverpool.
“Those games, playing against Chelsea and Liverpool, I think we play football for that,” Pogba said. “You have to enjoy those games. We will be playing against one of the best teams in the world so we try to win. It’s not going to be easy but that’s football and that’s what we love.”
The busy schedule has meant Mourinho has rotated players, with Michael Carrick impressively

Ex-Spain coach Vicente del Bosque rejected offer from China

Former Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has said that he turned down a lucrative offer to coach in China and reiterated that he has no plans to come out of retirement.
The 65-year-old called it quits in football management after Spain were knocked out of Euro 2016 by Italy in France earlier this summer.
De Bosque says he received word of an opportunity in the Far East but did not even ask for any specifics.
“I can confirm that I received a €10 million offer from China, but I am unsure if that was for a club or for the national team,” Del Bosque told Cadena Cope.
“To be honest, I didn’t pay much attention to it. I perhaps mentioned it to my wife but I’m not interested in money.
“I don’t need much, I’m austere. I’m retired and I’m not going back.”
Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi has been strongly linked with China’s

Messi and Ronaldo locked in Ballon d’Or battle – Nani

Nani has said he is looking forward to facing “special” Barcelona star Lionel Messi at the Mestalla on Saturday.
But Marca reported the Valencia winger as saying his Portugal international captain Cristiano Ronaldo would provide tough competition in the race for the Ballon d’Or.
Messi scored a hat trick as Barcelona swept past Manchester City 4-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday — his fourth goal in two games since returning from injury.
And Nani said: “Messi is a special player and there are very few who can compare with him.

I was sacked by Chelsea, it was not mutual consent – Mourinho

Jose Mourinho bears no grudges to anyone at Chelsea despite confirming he was sacked in December 2015 and did not leave by mutual consent.
Mourinho was shown the door seven months after leading the west London club to the title, after Chelsea opened their defence at the start of the 2015-16 season with nine defeats in their first 16 games.
At the time the club statement claimed the Portuguese had left by mutual consent but Mourinho, who returns to Stamford Bridge for the first time since with Manchester United on Sunday, was adamant he was dismissed by owner Roman Abramovich.
“Mr Abramovich decided to sack me,” He told Sky Sports. “It was not mutual consent. But I left without a bad word about anything or anyone at the club.
“That was in my first period at Chelsea when I agreed it was time to change.
“I was keen to change, more than ready to go to other countries but this time it was not like that.

Borussia Monchengladbach can get win at Bayern Munich – Hahn

Borussia Monchengladbach attacker Andre Hahn wants his team to go for victory against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
The Foals, on a four-match unbeaten run against the Bundesliga champions, go into the match on the back of a 2-0 Champions League win at Celtic in midweek.
And Hahn told reporters: “We want to win there.”

No European football is not an advantage for Chelsea – Conte

Antonio Conte says Chelsea not playing European football in midweek is not an advantage ahead of their Sunday showdown with Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho makes his return to Stamford Bridge on the back of a 4-1 win over Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, potentially resulting in some of his players suffering fatigue.
Chelsea, who finished 10th in the Premier League last season, failed to qualify for Europe and it was suggested to Conte that would be an advantage, but the Italian begged to differ.
“But Manchester United played yesterday and I watched the game,” he said to reporters. “I saw maybe four players who will probably start on Sunday.
“Also, when you have this possibility to play Champions League or Europa League, you can give

Abramovich and I were not friends at Chelsea – Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has the utmost respect for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich but insists they were not friends during his two stints as manager at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho takes his Manchester United side to London on Sunday, his first return to Stamford Bridge after being sacked by Abramovich in December 2015, just seven months after leading the club to the Premier League title.
It was the second time he had left Chelsea after a three-year spell came to an abrupt end in 2007 with reports suggesting it was the result of a falling out with the club’s billionaire owner.

I will go home before I change’ my football philosophy – Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has launched a staunch defence of his philosophy, insisting he would sooner quit Manchester City and go back to Spain than change his style.
The Catalan says he takes full responsibility for his side’s 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in midweek – City’s fourth game without a win – but they are decades away from being a force on a par with his hometown club.
Yet Guardiola insists he is delighted with his squad’s progress and says they are fully behind him as they sit top of the Premier League ahead of their clash with Southampton, live on Sky Sports.
Guardiola said: “What happens when I think about changing is that the solution is not better than what I believe.
“And do you know why as well? Because in seven years, I won 21 titles. Sorry guys. That’s three titles per year, playing this way. I am not going to change. I will go home before I change.

Akwa United sack Cooreman, Dokubo after dismal season

The management of Akwa United has disengaged the services of coaches Maurice Cooreman and Ere Dokubo after the Promise Keepers’ failure to qualify for any Caf Inter Club competition at the end of the past soccer season.
In a release by the club, the management wasn’t comfortable with the spate of disciplinary issues

Manchester City ‘weren’t so bad’ in Barcelona defeat – Nolito

Manchester City forward Nolito believes that Lionel Messi made all the difference in the 4-0 Champions League defeat to Barcelona.
Messi scored a hat trick on his return to the starting lineup after a three-week injury lay-off, making City pay for their sloppy individual errors at the Nou Camp.
Former Barca player Nolito said the scoreline flattered his old side and that they were punished for their mistakes by Messi’s brilliance.
“We think the result is a bit exaggerated, we weren’t so bad,” Nolito told reporters. “After the sending off for Bravo … but that happens in football and we have to carry on. We have to carry on and be more united than ever.
“Messi decided the game with his three goals. He’s a player that makes the difference, the best in the world.
“In the first half we tried to take the ball off them, we did that. Ter Stegen made two or three pretty

Atletico Madrid agree to January transfer ban amid ongoing CAS appeal

Atletico Madrid have accepted they will not sign players in January while they fight a FIFA transfer ban at sport’s highest court.
FIFA and Atletico jointly said in a statement they agreed a timetable for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to give a final ruling on the Spanish club’s appeal by next June.

Kerber seals year-ending world number one ranking

Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who won two of the season’s four Grand Slam titles, secured the year-ending world number one ranking on Thursday, the WTA announced.
Kerber is the 12th player to achieve the year-end top spot and only the second German woman after Steffi Graf, who achieved the feat a record of eight times.
“It is a great honour and achievement to finish the year as the No.1 player in the world,” said Kerber, who will look to finish 2016 in style next week at the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Manchester City expect Lionel Messi to finish career at Barcelona

Manchester City would “open the doors” to Lionel Messi if he ever decided to leave Barcelona, according to chief executive Ferran Soriano.
The Argentina international striker showed why City boss Pep Guardiola believes he is the best player in the world after his hat trick in the 4-0 victory over his side in the Champions League on Wednesday.
It’s an opinion shared by former Barca chief executive Soriano, who knows the 28-year-old from his time at the Nou Camp, but he expects Messi to finish his career with Barca and denied reports in Spain that City had made a move for him in the summer.

Liverpool in better place to beat West Brom than last season – Klopp

Jurgen Klopp believes his Liverpool side are better equipped to deal with the threat of West Bromwich Albion on Saturday than they were in their encounters last season.
The Reds met Tony Pulis’ side on two occasions throughout Klopp’s first campaign in charge, drawing both of them. Divock Origi scored a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Anfield before the two teams played out a 1-1 draw in the return fixture.
Liverpool have made a strong start to the current Premier League season and sit in fourth place, just two points adrift of leaders Manchester City, having enjoyed victories over Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as wins against Leicester, Hull and Swansea.
“We proved it a little bit [this season] if you want, but our job is that we have to prove it all the time,” Klopp told his prematch news conference. “The important thing and the biggest difference is that we know more about us and we know more about the things we want to do together [than last season].

Champions League final could be held outside Europe – UEFA president

The Champions League final could be contested outside Europe for the first time, new UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Thursday.
Ceferin told the Associated Press he will revive an open bidding process for the right to host the climax to the European club season and is open to the game being staged in New York.
“I think it might be an idea in future but we have to speak about it,” Ceferin said, highlighting how travel times across Europe can be as long as flights to the United States.
“To go from Portugal to Azerbaijan for example is almost the same or the same as if you go to New York. For the fans it’s no problem but we should see. It’s a European competition so let’s think about it.”
UEFA has until now been awarding the honour of staging its showpiece finals without any tendering process, with stadium hosts decided in secret by the leadership.
“The bidding process should be very clear because if you get the Champions League finals or

Claudio Bravo takes blame for Manchester City’s loss at Barcelona

Claudio Bravo said he must take a large part of the blame for Manchester City’s 4-0 thrashing by Barcelona in the Champions League.
City were already trailing 1-0 to a Lionel Messi goal when he was sent off in the 54th minute for a deliberate handball.
The red card was all of his own making as he miscued a clearance straight to Luis Suarez outside his box and then stopped his goal-bound lob with his fingers.
Messi went on to a complete his hat trick while Neymar added a fourth after also having a penalty saved by Bravo’s stand-in Willy Caballero.
The Chilean No. 1 accepted responsibility for the error and said it changed the game with City pushing for an equaliser.
“It changed the course of the game — we were playing very well, creating opportunities and it is what it is, football is like that,” Bravo told reporters.
“It is a game of mistakes and correct decisions. it’s just bad luck that I was the person that

Algeria anxious to name new coach, as targets turn down job

Algeria may meet Nigeria in a crucial Russia 2018 World Cup qualifier in Uyo next month without a substantive coach.
The North Africans parted ways with Rajevan Milovan following a players’ unrest after the team’s 1-1 draw with Cameroun in their opening Russia 2018 qualifier at home.
Since then, Africa’s top ranked nation have been in search of a coach to lead them to the November clash with the Super Eagles in Uyo.
Reports in Italy indicate that former Roma Coach, Rudi Garcia, who is among the coaches penciled for the job, turned down the chance to lead the Brazil 2014 World Cup participants.
According to l’equipe, the French tactician was named as one of the candidates for the role along with Alain Perrin, Paul Le Guen, Rolland Courbis and Marc Wilmots.
Garcia has been unemployed since Roma fired him in January to make way for Luciano Spalletti.
Another coach linked with the North African job is Hubert Fournier, who last coached Olympique Lyon in France.

Liverpool’s Klopp unmoved by Manchester United’s financial muscle for big players

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will not allow Manchester United’s greater financial muscle to become a plotline behind today’s heavyweight Premier League clash.
Jose Mourinho was afforded over £150 million to bring United’s squad into shape ahead of the campaign, funding a world-record move for Paul Pogba and a costly ‘free’ transfer for top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Liverpool’s spending was modest in comparison, with big-money moves for Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum being financed in part by the departures of Christian Benteke, Jordon Ibe and Joe Allen.
Klopp attracted Mourinho’s trademark invective when he questioned the prospective signing of Pogba in pre-season, saying: “If you bring one player in for £100m and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney.”

Serena withdraws from WTA Finals

US superstar Serena Williams has withdrawn from the elite WTA Finals in Singapore, saying she’s still working to recover from the shoulder troubles that hindered her in 2016.
The WTA announced Williams’ withdrawal from the event that starts on October 23 on their Twitter feed, posting a video of Williams explaining the decision.
It will be the second straight year that Williams is skipping the season finale in Singapore due to injury.
“Hey everyone in Singapore,” Williams said. “I’m really, really bummed that I won’t be able to come compete this year.
“It’s been a really tough year for me just dealing so much with these shoulder injuries. My doctor insists that I stay home and heal it every single day.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion earlier pulled out of two tournaments in China after being knocked out of the semi-finals of the US Open.

Ogbeide’s experience will help us – Sunshine

Premier League club Sunshine Stars have said they decided to retain Solomon Ogbeide as their coach for another season due to his experience.
The former Bayelsa United coach, who returned to the Akure club in March, led Sunshine to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League in the just-concluded season.
Sunshine, who proceeded on a break after the season, said they had decided to emulate league champions Enugu Rangers, who had agreed a new deal with coach Imama Amapakabo, who led them to glory after 32 years.
Spokesman for the club, Wahab Bankole, told our correspondent that Sunshine would aim for

Agu points the way to Nigeria’s victory over Algeria

Super Eagles goalkeepers’ trainer, Aloy Agu, has declared that Nigeria would approach the forthcoming 2018 World Cup qualifier against Algeria with zeal and steadfastness, saying the recent sack of the North African team’s coach was a reminder that the Algerians were not taking chances in their bid to be in Russia.
Agu promised that the Eagles would work hard to give Algeria a big fight, acknowledging that the North Africans would not take chances in their remaining group games, especially the matches against the Super Eagles.
He believes that the Eagles’ victory over Zambia has given Nigeria the edge, which can only be retained through hard work, saying that the team have collectively agreed to go all out to pick every point available in the group.

Fernandinho briefing me ahead of Manchester City switch – Gabriel Jesus

Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus says he has taken advantage of Fernandinho’s recall by quizzing the Manchester City midfielder about the club ahead of his January switch to the Premier League.
19-year-old Palmeiras starlet Gabriel Jesus has agreed to join Pep Guardiola’s side at the end of the current Brazilian league campaign.
But Fernandinho won’t be the only one he will be relying on as he attempts to adapt to a new life in England.
“The more knowledge I have about the club ahead of my arrival the better,” Gabriel Jesus told a press conference.
“It will be a shock to me, but I have talked to him a lot about everything that could help me. I think he will be a big help there. But so will my mother, who will be coming with me.”
The Olympic gold medallist is set to lead the line once again on Tuesday as Brazil travel to Caracas to face Venezuela without the suspended Neymar.

Our players were afraid of Nigeria stars – Zambia captain

Zambia skipper Rainford Kalaba has admitted some of the players were afraid of Nigeria stars who play in the Premier League and this caused their 2-1 loss to the Super Eagles in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
Zambia lost for the first time in Ndola with Premier League stars Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho scoring for Nigeria in the first half.
The other Premier League stars in the squad were Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi and Leicester City’s Ahmed Musa.
Kalaba said, “Playing against experienced players based in Europe, some of the guys were scared

Omeruo, Onazi must improve — Izilein

Godwin Izilein says Kenneth Omeruo and Ogenyi Onazi must take some blame for the Super Eagles’ poor defending in their opening Russia 2018 World Cup Group B qualifier against Zambia’s Chipolopolo at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia, on Sunday.
Nigeria won the encounter 2-1, with goals from Premier League attacking duo Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho. Veteran striker Collins Mbesuma capitalised on Omeruo’s schoolboy defending to score Zambia’s goal.
Gabon and Equatorial Guinea 2012 Africa Cup of Nations champions Chipolopolo put the Eagles under intense pressure for the majority of the match and went close but some smart goalkeeping from Carl Ikeme helped Nigeria survive the Southern Africans’ onslaught.
Former Super Falcons coach Izilein, who hailed the Eagles for picking up maximum points on the road, urged Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr to keep his players on their toes.

SSANU bemoans ownership crisis of LAUTECH

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has decried the ownership tussle between the indigenes of Oyo and Osun states at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.
The unions said the struggle is becoming a threat to lives and property of the staff.
The association has therefore called on the governors of the two states and the traditional institutions to wade into the face-off and ensure amicable resolution of the crisis.
Speaking on the tussle, the National President of SSANU, Samson Ugwoke, said the governors would have had the matter sorted out without allowing it to degenerate to the point where the security of workers, students and the environment in which they operate would no longer be conducive.