Sports
Mourinho could deliver final blow to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea future
ANTONIO CONTE faces five games in 15 days that could decide his Chelsea future – and Jose Mourinho could be the man to deal the killer blow.
Conte is suddenly under pressure at Stamford Bridge just five months after he led the club to the Premier League title in his first year in charge.
Chelsea have lost their last two domestic matches to leave them nine points adrift of current leaders Manchester City.
Conte’s injury-hit squad now face a gruelling schedule of games that will decide whether they have any realistic chance of defending their crown.
Waiting at the end of that run is Mourinho and Manchester United – who will know a win at Stamford Bridge could end Chelsea’s title hopes.
And if Mourinho returns to his former stomping ground to turn the Blues over, it could spell the end of Conte’s reign as manager.
Mourinho has already started getting under the skin of Conte, suggesting he was “crying” about losing players to injury.
The Chelsea boss hit back at Mourinho’s dig, telling the United boss to concentrate on only what he is doing at Old Trafford.
With United, City and Tottenham in such good form, Chelsea know they can ill afford any more slip ups in the league.
And they will be dead and buried should they fall to a defeat at home to one of their title rivals on November 5.
The worry for Chelsea is they could be running on empty by the time that match comes around because of the hectic schedule they have over the next fortnight.
Chelsea star’s are already feeling run down at the demands of domestic and Champions League football combined with Conte’s strict training programme.
To make matters worse, they could be without FIVE senior players for the clash with Watford tomorrow through injury.
N’Golo Kante, Victor Moses and Danny Drinkwater are all definitely out of the game with hamstring and groin injuries.
Now Tiemoue Bakayoko and makeshift midfielder David Luiz have also suffered muscle problems as the intensity of the season begins to take hold.
Next Wednesday they face Everton in the Carabao Cup, before a crucial trip to Bournemouth in the league on October 28.
Conte then has to take his depleted squad to Italy for the Champions League clash with Roma on the following Tuesday.
And to round off the week Mourinho’s United visit Stamford Bridge for a game that will be crucial in the title race this season.
Should Chelsea fall as much as 12 points behind the pacesetters by the next international break, the pressure may be too much for Conte to survive.
The Chairman of Agbele Sporting, Hon. Ponmile Omidiji, has rejoiced with and extended warm felicitations to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Remo Stars Football Club, Hon. Kunle Soname, on the occasion of his birthday.
This was contained in a statement personally signed by Omidiji and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday.
The statement reads: “It is my greatest pleasure to felicitate with you, the man of the masses and a philanthropist par excellence, on your day of birth.
“You are a morale booster and a great motivator to this generation. You always utilise any position you occupy for the benefit of others. Indubitably, you are a good man and worthy of emulation,” he added.
Omidiji also seized the opportunity to commend Hon. Soname’s contributions and tireless efforts towards the development of football in Nigeria and beyond, noting that such commitment is truly appreciated.
He offered heartfelt prayers for the celebrant, praying that Almighty God would continue to bless and protect him, that God’s grace would abound in his life, and that all his concerns would be firmly in God’s hands. He further wished that the world would always be kind to him.
Christian Chukwu, former captain and head coach of Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, has died at the age of 74.
The football icon passed away in the early hours of Saturday, though the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear at the time of reporting.
The news of his demise was confirmed by his longtime friend and teammate, Chief Olusegun Odegbami, who spoke to Channels Television. Odegbami, who played alongside Chukwu in Nigeria’s triumphant 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad, expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
“I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s history, has passed on,” said Odegbami.
“Babuje, Emmanuel Okala, MON, gave me the sad news a few minutes ago. May ‘Onyim’ find peace with Our Creator in Heaven and console his family,” he added.
Born on 4 January 1951 in Enugu, Chukwu carved a legendary career in Nigerian football, notably captaining Enugu Rangers to numerous domestic triumphs and leading them to continental glory in 1977 with victory in the now-defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup.
He made history in 1980 as the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy following a 3–0 win over Algeria in the final held in Lagos.
Chukwu went on to contribute to Nigeria’s football success off the pitch, serving as assistant to Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof during the Super Eagles’ victorious 1994 AFCON campaign and their debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup the same year.
As head coach, Chukwu led the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. His tenure as national coach lasted from 2002 to 2005, ending during the qualification phase for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Nicknamed “Chairman” for his commanding presence on and off the pitch, Chukwu also played a role in Nigeria’s youth football development, working as assistant coach during the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Cup, which Nigeria won in China.
In 2019, he battled prostate cancer, which affected his mobility. A public appeal for support was launched, and Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola stepped in to cover his overseas medical expenses, reportedly donating $50,000 for his treatment.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim believes Marcus Rashford was unable to see football “the way I see it” before the unwanted England striker was shipped out of Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old Rashford fell dramatically out of favour with the Portuguese boss and spent seven weeks on the sidelines until he was loaned to Premier League rivals Aston Villa during the transfer window.
“I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said on Thursday.
“And sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different.
“I just wish the best to Rashford and to (Aston Villa coach) Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
Amorim, whose team face Leicester in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday, said his focus now is on turning around a wretched season.
“Guys, in the summer… like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” he said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully about Marcus he is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”
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