Sports
We Play Football For Money …Amokachi Backs Moves To China
Former Super Eagles star, Daniel Amokachi has backed the host of Africans lured by the riches of the Chinese Super League.
Several Africans moved to China prior to its transfer window closing this week, including Super Eagles John Mikel Obi, Odion Ighalo and Brown Ideye.
“We play football because we want to make a living,” said Amokachi.
“We don’t have that platform whereby everything has already been set for us from the day we were born – like Europeans. We don’t live on welfare.”
A former assistant coach of Nigeria who now manages JS Hercules in Finland, the onetime Everton forward said this lack of financial support explained the wave of Africans and South Americans moving to China.
While some have questioned the ambition of footballers who have quit the top leagues of Europe for the vast wealth of China, Amokachi begs to differ.
He points to Mikel who has yet to turn 30 but who won the European Champions League, two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Europa League during his decade-long spell with Chelsea.
The midfielder joined Tianjin Teda in January after failing to feature for the Blues this season.
“Mikel played for a top team in Europe and won practically everything that he needs to win as a footballer,” Amokachi told our source.
“What’s left for him is to make a lot of zeros to secure his future and that of his kids and family back home.”
Like Mikel, the 28-year-old Ideye has signed for Tianjin Teda who finished 11th in last season’s Super League.
Ighalo, meanwhile, was sold for £20m by Premier League side Watford to Changchun Yatai.
Amokachi’s former international team-mate Sunday Oliseh fully agrees that the players are entitled to chase riches above glory.
“If a man leaves his country and goes abroad, firstly he wants to work, because football is his job,” the former Nigeria coach told Tidesport Source
“Secondly, he goes to the country where he gets better remuneration for the services he is giving – so it’s going to be good and the way the Chinese are really putting attention on football now, it can only be good.”
Amokachi, who went by the nickname ‘The Bull’, said selectors should not be put off choosing Nigerians in China for the national team.
“Don’t forget that the Chinese are very physical when it comes to training,” he explained.
“I think the players will be fit but match fitness is a different ball game. That’s why it’s important for a manager to look at players who have that 90 minutes week in week out.”
Last week, Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr left Mikel, Ighalo and Brown out of the squad for this month’s friendlies against Senegal and Burkina Faso.
This was to allow the trio time to settle in China, while also giving an opportunity to younger players to have their chance.
Other Africans to have moved to China in recent times include Senegal’s Demba Ba, Ivorian Gervinho and Cameroon’s Stephane Mbia.
Sports
Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie A Lead
Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.
Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.
Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.
Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.
But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.
Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.
It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.
Sports
Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool
A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.
Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.
“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.
For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.
Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.
His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.
Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.
Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.
The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.
After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.
“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”
Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.
The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.
“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”
He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.
“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”
Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.
The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).
Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.
Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.
Sports
Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors
Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.
Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.
Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.
Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.
Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.
The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.
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