Chelsea’s Conte brushes aside Inter talk

Antonio Conte

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has insisted he will honour his contract with the Premier League leaders after reports linking him with a move to Inter Milan.

Conte, previously impressive while in charge of Italy and Juventus, has guided the Blues into a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League following a slump last season that saw them finish 10th.

However, this week saw reports suggesting he could return to Italy, where his wife and daughter have stayed while his daughter completes the current school year.

We have nothing to hide—NFF

The General Assembly of the Nigeria Football Federation has told the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung that it has done no wrong in its handling of the FIFA grant and development fund.

In a communique issued at the end of its Annual General Assembly in Lagos yesterday, the NFF passed a vote of confidence on its President, Amaju Pinnick, who it commended for his high sense of integrity.

Marseille to make Mikel highest-paid player

Struggling French Ligue 1 side Marseille  may have succeeded in convincing  out-of-favour Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi to shun big-money move  to the Chinese Super League to help revive the club.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who  bought Marseille in October, had promised to invest heavily in the January transfer window to help manager Rudi Garcia  build a team  that could be European champions.

No player with Mikel’s qualities in Eagles – Akpoborie

Akpoborie

Former Vfl Wolfsburg striker and ex Nigeria International, Jonathan Akpoborie has defended the invitation of the Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi, for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Zambia and Algeria, stating there are no players around, with similar qualities to fill in the Midfielder’s boots.

Rohr blasts Conte for freezing out Mikel

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has suggested that it was wrong for Chelsea coach Antonio Conte to keep Nigeria captain, John Obi Mikel in the cooler following his decision to play for the Nigerian U-23 team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Rohr who was speaking in Uyo yesterday disclosed that Mikel was in top form, but was only being ignored by Conte because of his decision to travel to Rio.

Mikel moves to save Chelsea career

Out-of-favour Chelsea midfielder  Mikel  Obi has held showdown talks with  Blues  manager  Antonio Conte  after being  frozen out of the team by the Italian.

The Nigeria captain  has yet to play a single  Premier League match for the Stamford Bridge side  since the beginning  of the season.

Mikel revealed  on Monday  that  he had been working hard to  play his way back into the team.

Brazil legend Carlos Alberto dies at 72

Brazilian football legend Carlos Alberto has died aged 72, according to media reports.

Alberto, who captained Brazil to victory at the 1970 World Cup, reportedly died after suffering a heart attack.

Messi back for Argentina’s World Cup duel with Brazil

Lionel Messi was named in Argentina’s squad for their heavyweight World Cup clash against bitter rivals Brazil on Friday having missed the last three fixtures through injury. Messi had been sidelined from international duty with a thigh injury but buoyed by a midweek hat-trick for Barcelona in the Champions League against Manchester City, he returns to an Argentina team struggling in fifth spot in World Cup qualifying.

How Barca thrashed Guardiola’s Man City 4-0

Manchester City’s Claudio Bravo and Pep Guardiola endured a nightmare return to Barcelona as Lionel Messi’s hat-trick spearheaded a 4-0 Champions League rout for the Spanish champions on Wednesday.

Guardiola led Barca to 14 trophies in a glorious four-year reign between 2008 and 2012, but his homecoming was undone by a series of shocking defensive errors and Messi’s clinical touch on his return from injury.

Sam Allardyce may be banned from football – FA

Sam Allardyce could be banned from football following the revelations that brought his reign as England manager to an abrupt end, Football Association Chief executive Martin Glenn said Saturday.

Allardyce’s dream job ended after just 67 days as the Daily Telegraph newspaper released secretly-filmed footage of him making controversial remarks about a variety of subjects, including side work and circumventing FA regulations.

Tottenham look for first Champions League win in Moscow

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino said he hoped his side could overcome an avalanche of injuries to claim a first Champions League win this season against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.

The Argentinian coach is already without England striker Harry Kane and will now also see Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier, Danny Rose and Moussa Sissoko sit out the clash in Russia.

Leicester face Champions League home bow

Four months on from their astonishing 5,000-1 Premier League triumph, the stardust returns to Leicester City’s King Power Stadium in Tuesday’s first ever Champions League home game against Porto.

Leicester have made a faltering start to their title defence and after Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Manchester United, they have now lost as many league games — three — as in the entirety of last season.

Oscar Pistorius put on suicide watch

Jailed murderer Oscar Pistorius has been put on suicide watch following mysterious wrist injuries that landed him in hospital earlier this month, according to reports on Sunday.

Prison officials told City Press newspaper that the athlete who is serving a six- year sentence for murdering his girlfriend was under 24-hour monitoring, with increased cell visits by warders.

Man U sign Pogba in world record fee

France's midfielder Paul Pogba

French superstar Paul Pogba on Tuesday completed a sensational return to Manchester United from Juventus for a reported world record fee.

United said Pogba had signed a five-year contract but did not give the cost which British media have put at 89 million pounds ($116.4 million, 105 million euros), not including agent’s fee.

Leicester sign Poland winger Bartosz Kapustka

Premier League champions Leicester City signed teenage winger Bartosz Kapustka from Polish club Cracovia for a reported £7.5 million on Wednesday.

Kapustka agreed a five-year contract with Leicester after catching the eye of Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri with his international performances for Poland over the last year.

NFF unveils Nigeria’s new kit

The Nigerian Football Federation has unveiled a new kit for the national football team.

According to the NFF, the team will take to the pitch this week in the new kit, designed by Nike featuring Dri-FIT technology.

Olympics: I will win a medal, says Nigeria’s lone weightlifter

Four years ago, Nigeria featured in the weightlifting event of the London 2012 Olympic Games with two weightlifters and returned no laurel.

The same was the case after the weightlifters outing at Being 2008 Olympics where Nigeria won only four medals overall but none in weightlifting.

American Diver Becomes The First To Jump From A Plane Without A Parachute. Photos

An American skydiver has become the first to jump 25,000 feet from a plane without a parachute and land in a net. Luke Aikins, 42, completed the record-breaking Stride Gum Presents Heaven Sent stunt at the Big Sky movie ranch in Simi Valley, California, which was broadcast live on the Fox network on Saturday evening.

He hit the 100-by-100-foot net perfectly, quickly climbed out of it and walked over to hug his our-year-old son Logan and wife Monica who had been watching with other family members.

Delta to immortalise Stephen Keshi

As a mark of honour for his contribution to football in Nigeria, Delta state government has revealed that plans are underway to immortalise the late ex-Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, who passed away in June.

Deputy Governor, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro, who made the disclosure in his speech during the funeral mass for the late ex-footballer held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Illah, said Keshi was a good ambassador of the state.

Keshi did extraordinary things – Pinnick

The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, on Thursday paid tribute to the late ex-Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, describing him as a super hero.

“I have always described him as a super hero because he was a super hero. He did not do things that were regular he did things that were extraordinary,” Pinnick said at the funeral mass for Keshi.