Obi, Ighalo dropped as Oliseh calls up 18 foreign pros for Tanzania game

The Eagles’ handler reeled out list of foreign based stars for next month's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with the duo not making the cut

Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh has dropped England based John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses and Odion Ighalo from his list of foreign based professionals for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania.

Obi and Moses paid dearly for their inability to secure a regular place in Jose Morinho’s Chelsea as they were dropped from the team to face the Taifa Stars, while Ighalo who hit the bull’s eyes on his English Premier League debut for Watford was a surprise exclusion.

Emmanuel Emenike, Obiora Nwankwo and Haruna Lukman were handed a recall to the team, while Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, Izunna Uzochukwu, Emem Eduok, Sylvester Igboun and Moses Simon have been handed a first time call up.

Among the invited players are goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, Ahmed Musa, Joel Obi and Kenneth Omeruo for the match billed for Dar es Salam.

Others are Leon Balogun, Anthony Ujahh, Godfrey Oboabona, William Troost-Ekong and Rabiu Ibrahim.

The invited players who are expected before Monday, August 31 will join up with the 23 Nigeria topflight stars in camp.

The NPFL players in camp are Olufemi Thomas; David Obiazor, Ikechukwu Ezenwa; Orji Kalu; Solomon Kwambe ; Idris Aloma; Chima Akas; Nelson Ogbonnaya ; Samson Gbadebo ; Jamiu Alimi; Stephen Eze; Ifeanyi Mathew; Usman Mohammed.

The rest are Azubuike Okechukwu ; Lawson Ichul ; Kingsley Sokari ; Etebo Oghenekaro ; Ezekiel Bassey; Gbolahan Salami; Bright Ejike ; Tunde Adeniji ; Bright Onyedikachi and Prince Aggreh.


Full List of Invited Foreign-Based Players

Goalkeeper: Vincent Enyeama (Lille OSC, France); Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England)

Defenders: Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz 05, Germany); Kingsley Madu (AS Trencin, Slovakia); Godfrey Oboabona (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey); William Troost Ekong (FK Haugesund, Norway); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa SK, Turkey)

Midfielders: Joel Obi (Torina FC, Italy); Izunna Ernest Uzochukwu (FC Amkar Perm, Russia); Obiora Nwankwo (Coimbra FC, Portugal); Lukman Haruna (Anzhi Machatsjkala, Russia); Rabiu Ibrahim (AS Trencin, Slovakia)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Emem Eduok (Esperance ST, Tunisia); Emmanuel Emenike (Al Ain, UAE); Anthony Ujah (Werder Bremen, Germany); Sylvester Igboun (FC UFA, Russia); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium)

Mourinho risking Chelsea civil war with Terry axe

The Portuguese's decision to substitute his captain rather than Gary Cahill was pointed and Sunday's drubbing at the hands of Manchester City poses serious questions

The most significant outcome of Chelsea's wholly deserved 3-0 defeat by Manchester City was that Jose Mourinho declared, in public, that John Terry was not up to the job of marking Sergio Aguero.

Mourinho reasoned that the Argentine sharpshooter was too canny for Terry during a first half in which he scored one goal and could have had at least two more. A younger, faster player would have to be fielded instead.

Never mind that it was Gary Cahill around whom Aguero was running rings for the most part, having cleverly pulled onto the right-sided centre-back whenever he could.

"I have to decide who is the fastest player in our defensive line so, when you are going to play with a high block, the fastest player has to be on the pitch," Mourinho told reporters.

Never before had Mourinho substituted Terry. He has been up against most of the world's best forwards and few could be said to have given him a genuine run-around.

"The point was not to take John out but to put [Kurt] Zouma in," the Blues boss continued. "I want to have my fastest player on the pitch and not on the bench. I know they are going to play counterattack and long balls to Aguero."

Why Terry and not Cahill?

"That is a good question."

Why not start Zouma in the first place?

In any case, Chelsea conceded twice more with Zouma on the field; Mourinho reckons that they were the better side in the second half. There are not many who would agree with him. He argues that his decision to replace Terry was vindicated in that the Blues had most of the play after the break. Warped logic.

Mourinho, though, had found himself another scapegoat.

"He was not dancing in the dressing room and he was not having a bad reaction," he said of Terry at half-time when he took delivery of the news that he was to be subbed. "He did what everybody does. The manager says this guy comes in and that guy goes out and they all understand."

Terry - 'captain, leader, legend', as the sign reads - now just like "everybody" else. Just like Petr Cech, just like Juan Mata. Just like those players whose usefulness to Chelsea and Mourinho expired. He has ushered out of the door a good number of Chelsea legends in the three summers since he returned to the club, with Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard among them too. Terry endured. He is still, comfortably, the best centre-back in the league and maybe the world. To pick on him for a collectively disastrous first-half display was, for Mourinho, pointed.

A 2-2 draw with Swansea City was, perhaps, even more than they deserved on matchday one. After this 3-0 hammering, it is the worst shape in which Chelsea have ever been after two games under Mourinho. Usually, they win both their first games. Before this season, only in 2006-07 - when losing to Middlesbrough on Teeside - had they failed to take six points out of the first six on offer in the Premier League, so something is amiss.

They are five points behind City - perhaps fatally so, even at this early stage. Five points is five points, no matter what the stage of the season.

Before the game, eager to gloss over what had been a fractious engagement with the press on Friday due to the Eva Carniero affair, Mourinho conceded to the press that his Chelsea team were, at this stage of the season, a little underdone. He gave his team a month off over the summer and played only three matches before the season's competitive football began. They have been well off the pace set by Manchester City and were brutally exposed here.

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Super Eagles begin training for Tanzania game

The national team camp is in high spirit as preparations commenced for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Taifa Stars in Dar es Salam


Sunday Oliseh took charge of his first training as Super Eagles coach ahead of their upcoming 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania.

The side made up of local based professionals had a light work out at the National Stadium Abuja football pitch overseen by the technical crew including assistant coaches Jean Francois Losciuto, Salisu Yusuf as well as goalkeeper coach Alloysius Agu.

In the evening, the team did more of ball work with the NPFL stars showing lots of promises as they are eager to battle for a place in the squad to face the Taifa Stars.

The team will their third training on Wednesday morning.

Tanzania are in Turkey fine tuning their strategies for the make or break Afcon qualifier against the Super Eagles who defeated Chad 2-0 in the opening game of the qualifiers for Gabon 2017.

Chelsea boss Mourinho seeking buyers for Moses, Cuadrado

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is keen to sell Juan Cuadrado and Victor Moses.

The Telegraph says Cuadrado's poor form since his arrival has led to him being made available for transfer.

Moses has returned to Chelsea following consecutive season-long loans at Liverpool and Stoke.

He's not challenging for a starting spot at Stamford Bridge.

Stoke, West Brom, Leicester line up for Slovakian ace Zrelak

Premier League trio Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City are all interested in signing Slovakian international forward Adam Zrelak.

Zrelak has managed to make a positive impression since joining Slovakian giants Slovan Bratislava recently and a host of clubs from abroad have registered their interest in signing the striker.

It can now be revealed that Zrelak is attracting the interest from the English Premier League, with the likes of Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City all monitoring the 21-year old at the moment.

French trio chasing Man City attacker Rony Lopes

The race for Manchester City striker Rony Lopes is heating up.

The Portuguese whizkid spent last season on-loan at Lille.

Lopes is expected to be available for a fresh loan abroad this month and a return to France has been mooted.

RMC says Lyon and Marseille are both keen on the youngster.

And Saint Etienne are also interested, as they seek a replacement for Max Gradel, who has left for Bournemouth.

Benzema nailed on to join Arsenal, says Italian source

Well-connected Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli is convinced Arsenal will sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema this week.

Giulianelli writes for Gazzetta dello Sport and says Benzema will be signing for the Gunners.

He tweeted: