Sports
… Wants Yobo, Odemwingie Back
Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi has opened the national team door to striker Osaze Odemwingie and skipper Joseph Yobo, but Taye Taiwo may not find a way back in.
All three players, along with a few other established internationals, have been on the outside looking in under the former national captain. Yobo since the African Nations Cup, and Odemwingie just before.
Both players reacted with very public disaffection to their exclusion.
But shortly after the Super Eagles’ FIFA Confederations Cup campaign came to a grinding halt against Spain, Keshi told Tidesports sourceexclusively how the players can get back in.
“They should just be themselves, play their game,” Keshi said. “Yobo is still my captain. It’s unfortunate that he’s not here, but he’s still the captain of the team.
“Taiwo is still playing but I have younger players that are playing well. I have Juwon, who is not here. I have Benjamin Francis, and I have Echiejile whose performance has improved greatly. So it will be a difficult thing for Taiwo to get back in.
“For Osaze, he still has a place in the team.
“I’m not looking for an apology from him. Osaze is somebody that I like very well and he knows that. The thing is, it’s about the team that I’m worried about.
“I don’t want to have a player that will come in and divide the team, or want to come and do something to destabilize the team, because when the team is not together, it becomes very difficult to win.
“I’m not saying he is going to come in and do that, but a little bit of what he has shown has told me that this is possible.
“I really want to have him in the team, and I would like to give him another opportunity.”
One player that Keshi says he really wants to see back in the national team is Obinna Nsofor, along with Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins.
“The person I am really keen to have is Obinna Nsofor.
“Unfortunately, each time I call him, he’s always injured. Hopefully next time he will be fit.
“Martins is coming back gradually. The last two call-ups he wasn’t in good shape but I needed to play him,” he said.
Sports
CHELSEA FANS GIVE ENZO MIXED RECEPTION
Enzo Fernandez was booed by some supporters on the day when Morgan Rogers scored on his first appearance for Chelsea in a 3-1 win against Real Sociedad.
Joao Pedro also continued his fine pre-season form with a double as manager Xabi Alonso offered a glimpse of what could be his blueprint for the season.
But the action was overshadowed by the reaction to Fernandez’s second-half appearance, less than 24 hours after Chelsea’s self-imposed transfer deadline had passed.
Fernandez had been keen to join Real Madrid earlier this summer before the Spanish club ended their interest in the Argentine.
His representatives later held talks with Manchester City, but no offer was made to meet Chelsea‘s £120m valuation before Friday’s deadline.
Fernandez was booed by some early arrivals at Stamford Bridge when his name was read out 45 minutes before kick-off.
There were then audible boos when Fernandez came on in the 62nd minute.
Chelsea supporters appeared divided, with others responding by chanting his name.
Yet, it was a signal of Alonso and Chelsea‘s backing that when Reece James left the field he passed his long-time vice-captain the armband as usual.
Each touch of the ball was greeted by a mixture of boos and cheers.
It followed attempts by some supporters to move on from a saga that appears to have ended with Chelsea now expecting to keep one of their best players.
Others, however, remain unhappy with his perceived disloyalty, having come out publicly about his desire to move to Madrid, with his agent Javier Pastore also claiming he is underpaid.
It will be interesting to see how supporters of the Premier League’s other 19 clubs react to Fernandez, given his celebrations and social media jibes after Argentina beat England in a World Cup semi-final in July.
That will remain an issue whether he remains at Chelsea or Manchester City elect to revive their interest and attempt to reunite him with his former manager Enzo Maresca before deadline day on 1 September.
It took Rogers only seven minutes to score his first goal in a Chelsea shirt as he reacted quickest after Alex Remiro saved Joao Pedro’s initial header.
The £117m club record signing from Aston Villa initially looked sharp and linked well with Cole Palmer and Pedro in Chelsea‘s front three.
Within 10 minutes of his debut, supporters were already chanting his name.
However, it was understandable that Rogers faded as the match wore on, given he had trained for less than a week since returning from holiday before his 62-minute outing.
Beyond Rogers, Joao Pedro has been the star of Chelsea‘s pre-season.
In this outing he headed Chelsea back in front in the 47th minute before adding a side-footed finish 30 minutes later to seal victory after Sociedad had equalised just before half-time through Jon Mikel Aramburu’s volley.
Chelsea lost control towards the end of the first half and looked vulnerable, but they were much improved after the break.
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