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I Thought My Career was Over – Obodo

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Christian Obodo has stated that he feared he would never play football again during what he describes as the dark period of his injury torment.

Obodo, 27, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in April 2007 and spent over two years out of football.

“That was the worst time of my life. “Some days I would wake up in the middle of the night fearing that I would never play football again.

“It was so bad that I could not even bear to watch football. I kept thinking, if I can’t play, how can I watch.

“It was a dark period for me, but I thank God that I was able to overcome it”

The midfielder was training with Udinese for a midweek fixture against Empoli when tragedy struck.

“It was our last training session on that Tuesday. Our captain passed the ball to me and I was just running to control it when I heard something pop as I put my foot on the ground and then I felt the kind of pain that I cannot describe.

“We went for the check up immediately and they said it was a tear”.

That injury kept him out for about 8 months.

On his return in December 2008, he featured in just one game, the final match before the winter break against AC Milan before suffering a relapse.

“I was playing and just felt some pain. After the game against Milan, I had to go for a check up. It was there that they told me they had to re-open it and scrape it again.

“That was like doing the surgery all over again.”

Again, he was out for about another eight months, only to suffer more injury woes when he was kicked from behind in a pre-season game friendly against Ascoli in July, 2009.

“It was the last day of pre-season and we were playing against Ascoli. I went up to control the ball, and as I landed, one defender kicked me from behind, in the same place where I had the operation.

“As soon as it happened, I knew I was going away again.

“I felt really bad about this one because at that time, I had a lot of offers coming in. some were from England, one was from Spain and there was even one from AC Milan.

“But Udinese put a price of 20 million Euros and I had to even beg them myself to come down on it because that was too high for a player just coming back from injury”.

“Times like this show you the people who really care about you and I thank all the fans and the club fore standing by me”.

Eventually, the injury rendered that situation academic.

Obodo eventually returned full fit in January 2010 and played four months without injury with Uddinese before he was loaned to Serie B side Torino that summer.

This season, he has had again gone out on loan, this time to Lecce in Serie A. As he enjoys a career revival, Obodo said that fear of an early retirement haunted, then pushed him.

“It was like a nightmare. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Sometimes, I was even scared to touch the ball because I was thinking I would get injured again.

“But I had to encourage myself because football is in my blood. It is the talent that God has blessed me with and I told myself that I can’t allow my talent to waste without trying.

“So I pushed myself during my therapy and I made sure I did everything they told me to do”.

The fierce defiance paid off. Since joining Lecce, the midfielder has started and lasted all 90 minutes of the club’s Serio camping, and although they have only managed to glean 4 points from seven, the Nigeria is basking in his rejuvenation.

“Every day I play, I discover how much I missed football. I always want the ball, and all the old things I used to do with it are coming back to me, and I am even trying some new ones.

“I am just like a little child that has discovered something new to play with.”

Obodo, who lost his father during that trying period, said his family was a rock behind him.

“My family always encouraged me. My mother kept telling me not to give up, and they were all behind me.”

Even the Udinese fans stood behind their injured player. “I got so many cards and letters from the fans of Udinese that I couldn’t believe it. Even when they saw me on the streets, they would wish me well.

“Times like this show you the people who really care about you and I thank all the fans and the club for standing by me.

“I think they are the best fans in the world.”

The silky midfielder now hopes to help Lecce stay in Serie A, and was heart-broken when they surrendered a 3-0 lead to lose 4-3 to AC Milan on Sunday.

“Milan are a big team, and even when you are leading 3-0, you have to keep your concentration. We did not, and they punished us for it.

“But that is behind us now. Our focus is to stay in Serie A, and we will do it.”

Obodo last played for Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier against Sierra Leone, scoring in a  4-1 rout, but says his focus is to maintain a consistent club run.

“It is sad what is happening to our national team. I could not believe it when I heard we did not qualify for the Nations Cup.

“But I think what is important for me is to continue to play well for Lecce.

“Whatever will happen, will happen.”

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Tottenham Fight Back To Hold Brighton

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Tottenham fought back from two-goals down to secure a deserved point against Brighton.

The Seagulls were second best for much of the match but found themselves 2-0 up after 31 minutes thanks to Yankuba Minteh’s early strike and Yasin Ayari’s powerful drive.

However, Richarlison halved the deficit just before half-time when he stopped a shot by Mohammed Kudus before slotting in.

Spurs dominated the second half but their finishing let them down as Richarlison and substitute Xavi Simons were both unable to make the most of promising opportunities.

But the equaliser came eight minutes from time when Jan Paul van Hecke turned Kudus’ cross into his own net.

Spurs then pushed for a winner as they looked to continue their impressive start to the season, but Brighton held on for the point.

Bundesliga: Kane Continues Goal Harvest (5)

Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the season as Bayern Munich overcame a shaky start to win at Hoffenheim and continue their 100% start.

The England captain, 32, broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a clinical first-time finish from a cleverly worked low corner, and doubled Bayern’s lead from the spot after Albian Hajdari was harshly penalised for a handball.

That broke Hoffenheim’s resistance and Kane completed his ninth Bundesliga hat-trick with another penalty, given for a foul on substitute Michael Olise after a video assistant referee (VAR) check.

This time Kane sent home keeper Oliver Baumann the wrong way for his 13th Bayern goal in seven matches across all competitions this season, adding to his Champions League double against Chelsea last Wednesday.

“Hat-trick Harry is what they called me in school,” Kane told Tidesports source after the match. “That one kind of stuck when I was younger.”

“Any ball in the box, whether penalty or not, I back myself to hit the target.”

Hoffenheim had the better of the first 45 minutes, Fisnik Asllani only able to hit the post after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer passed straight to the Kosovan.

They eventually got some reward for their efforts, former West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal’s deflected free-kick beating Neuer to earn the Czech his first goal for the club.

Ex-Liverpool winger Luis Diaz hit the top of the bar late on as he failed to continue his record of scoring in every Bundesliga game this season, but Serge Gnabry added a fourth for Bayern with the last kick, converting a rebound from a tight angle after Baumann saved from Joshua Kimmich.

Nicolas Jackson made his first start since joining Bayern on an initial loan deal from Chelsea, but the Senegal striker had a very quiet game before being replaced in the 62nd minute.

In Italy, Lorenzo Pellegrini fired Roma into the Serie A top four as Lazio had two players sent off in a fiery derby.

The midfielder found the bottom corner in the 38th minute as Roma extended their unbeaten run to four games against their city rivals.

Lazio have lost three of their opening games of the season and had Reda Belahyane and former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi dismissed in late drama.

Roma started well and Rome-born Pellegrini claimed the vital goal – his fourth in a Rome derby after being available for transfer in the summer – following good work down the right by Matias Soule.

But the hosts will rue missed opportunities as Boulaye Dia, Mattia Zaccagni and Alessio Romagnoli all had openings.

With four minutes left substitute Belahyane was shown a red card for a late studs-up challenge on Manu Kone.

Danilo Cataldi struck the outside of the post for Lazio in a last-gasp effort to snatch a point, while team-mate Guendouzi was sent off for dissent after the final whistle.

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Zidane’s Son Switches Allegiance To Algeria

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Luca Zidane, the son of France’s World Cup-winning playmaker Zinedine, has switched his international allegiance from France to Algeria.

Born just outside Marseille, the 27-year-old goalkeeper had appeared for France at various youth levels.

The move, which was approved by Fifa, may enable Zidane to follow in his father’s footsteps by appearing at a World Cup, with Algeria expected to secure a place at the 2026 finals in North America in their qualifier against Somalia next month.

Zidane, who is the second of four brothers, all of whom came through the Real Madrid academy, currently plays for Spanish second tier side Granada.

He played two matches for Madrid and has La Liga experience at Rayo Vallecano, but dropped a level in 2022 to play for Eibar before heading to Andalusia in 2024.

Zidane qualifies for the North African country through his father, whose parents hailed from the Kabylie region of Algeria.

Zinedine Zidane, who is regarded as one of the games greatest players scored twice for France in their 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil, but was famously sent-off in the 2006 final, which was won by Italy after a penalty shootout.

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Man Utd Beat Chelsea To Ease Pressure 

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Manchester United capitalised on Robert Sanchez’s fifth-minute red card to secure a crucial victory over Chelsea in torrential rain at Old Trafford.

The first match in Premier League history to see two or more goals, red cards and substitutions in the first half was settled by goals from United skipper Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, who was the other player sent off before the break.

It was Sanchez’s dismissal that set the course of the game though.

The Spain international raced from his goal to meet Bryan Mbeumo as the striker ran beyond the Chelsea defence.

Sanchez then upended the forward outside his area rather than allow him past to tap the ball into an empty net.

Enzo Maresca’s response to the red card was to take off both Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian and, as Cole Palmer had to be replaced after suffering a recurrence of a groin injury, Chelsea had lost three attacking players in the space of 20 minutes.

Trevor Chalobah pulled one back for Chelsea with a header 10 minutes from time but United kept their nerves at bay to make it to the final whistle with their lead intact.

The victory was United’s second of the season and came in front of minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who gave head coach Ruben Amorim assurances over his future 48 hours earlier.

It also means Chelsea have still not won at Old Trafford since 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson was United manager.

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