13102019

46 — Vanguard, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2019
Don’t sack Solskjaer, Ferdinand begs United
RIO Ferdinand has
pleaded with Ed
Woodward to keep faith
with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer,
despite Manchester United’s
woeful start to the new
season.
The Norwegian presided
over a record breaking run
of form after he was appointed
as Jose Mourinho’s
interim replacement
10 months ago and was
handed the reigns on a permanent
basis following the
historic Champions
League win over PSG in
March.
•Messi
United’s form collapsed
thereafter, however, and despite
investing close to
£150million on new players
in the summer there has
been little improvement in
terms of performances. Defeat
to Liverpool at Old Trafford
after the international
break could even force executive
vice chairman Ed
Woodward to sack the club
legend, but Ferdinand insists
United must show patience.
“There’s no way the club
would have thought this
would be rosy straight away,
•Solskjaer
they’re not naive enough to
think that it was going to be
a situation where he just
changes it overnight,’ he told
talkSPORT.
“This is definitely something
where there is going
to be early pain, there is going
to be a situation where
the results are not going to
go our way, especially with
the new recruitment that
they’ve started to go with
younger players. “That’s
why I don’t see there being a
change straight away, I’d be
very surprised if I wake up,
open a paper or an app and
see that he has gone so
quickly.’
Barcelona prepare life
contract for Messi
Casemiro sees Brazil beating Eagles in
Singapore
REAL Madrid mid
fielder Casemiro
said Brazil was eager to
end their win less run in
their matches when they
play against the Super
Eagles this afternoon.
He stated that the Brazil
was off the pace when
they played against
Senegal last Thursday.
But against the Super
Eagles the Brazilians
will up their performances.
Casemiro said : ‘’Undoubtedly,
it was not an
expected game at the
time we can play. Everyone
saw it and we are
sincere about it.
‘’But the beauty of football
is that Sunday we
have the opportunity to
show that we are good
players and a great selection.
We have to review
the errors, we have
already done an analysis.
And Senegal is already
past.’’
Casemiro indicated that
it is important for Brazil
to face countries that are
not in South America as
it will form part of their
preparations for the 2022
World Cup and it’s an
opportunity for manager
Tite to test new players.
He added : ‘’When it
comes to the Brazilian
team, one is always
obliged to give the best
and win. Doing the best
on the pitch, the result is
something else as it is
football. And undoubtedly
it is interesting to play
against teams like Senegal,
Nigeria.”
Billing snubs Iwobi’s advice, plays for
Denmark
B OURNEMOUTH
midfielder Philip Billing
has explained how Alex
Iwobi spoke to him about
representing Nigeria.
The attacking midfielder,
who is of Nigerian descent,
was born in Denmark
and has featured for
the Red and White’s U19
and U20 sides. He was on
the bench as Denmark
took on Switzerland in yesterday’s
Euro qualifiers.
“It wasn’t until when we
[Bournemouth] were going
to play against Everton a
couple of weeks ago when
Alex Iwobi asked if I might
be interested in coming
and playing for Nigeria,”
Billing told BT, as per
Bournemouth Echo.
“He said the coach had
asked me. It was the first
time I heard anything concrete
myself.
“It’s a pat on the back
that another country would
like you to play for them. I
just take that as a shrug and
proof that you are doing
well.
“It would feel strange to
have to play for Nigeria,
even though my father is
from there.
“I am half Nigerian and
I feel that way too but I was
•Casemiro
BARCELONA
are
pressing ahead with
their plans to offer Lionel
Messi a ‘lifelong contract’
after the Argentine
superstar declared his intention
to extend his stay
at the Nou Camp.
Messi is contracted to
Barca until June 2021,
which means he would be
going into the last year of
his deal next summer if
he fails to agree a new
contract.
There were concerns
that Messi could indeed
leave the club with whom
he has spent his whole
career with - but he recently
allied fears that he
might not sign on the dotted
line again by admitting
that he plans to stay
at the club “forever”.
“If they want me, I am
delighted,” Messi told
RAC-1. “My idea is to stay
here forever. It has always
been like this and
remains the same way;
nothing has changed.”
The 32-year-old has
played 692 times in the
Barca first team having
joined the outfit as a 13-
year-old and made his
way through the academy,
Barcelona C and Barcelona
B.
Mikel surprised at Chelsea
hiring Lampard over Terry
FORMER Super Ea
gles captain and
Chelsea midfielder, John
Obi Mikel has said he was
•Billing
born and raised in Denmark.
My mother is Danish
and my sister is Danish,
so it would feel strange to
have to play for Nigeria.”
surprised team mate Frank
Lampard and not John Terry
got the Chelsea managerial
job.
Lampard took over from
Mauricio Sarri and after a
bad start, he is getting results
for the Blues in the English
Premier League.
“I am very happy for
Frank. When we were playing
at Chelsea, we were expecting
that John Terry and
he would be very good managers.
But we were expecting
Terry to reach that level first.
“Lampard made a big step.
I hope he will be successful
at Chelsea for many more
years.
Mikel added that he would
gladly join Lampard in the
dug out if he ever hangs his
boots.
“His arrival at Chelsea
means the club are caring
for their legends.
“I joked with him after the
Chelsea move: I want to be
his assistant when I retire.”
NFF speaks on Rohr,
Dennerby job positions
•Pinnick
NIGERIA Football
Federation NFF
said reports that it owed
Super Eagles coach Gernot
Rohr three months salary
are not true. It however,
confirmed the departure
of Super Falcons handler,
Thomas Dennerby.
NFF stated in its Twitter
account that the Super Eagles
will be paid his dues
in due course.
“The NFF wishes to put
records straight with regards
to a claim in the social
media on Friday, 11th
October 2019 that the football
house is owing Super
Eagles’ Technical Adviser,
Gernot Rohr, three months’
salary.
“As we speak, Mr. Rohr
is only being owed salary
for the month of September
2019, which is being
processed.
“As for Mr. Thomas Dennerby,
we have received his
resignation letter and of
course, he has his right to
resign from a job.
“We want to put it on
record that no Head
Coach in the history of the
Super Falcons has been
afforded the level and
readiness of support that
has been provided Mr.
Dennerby by this Board.
“Perhaps, one of the reasons
he left was because we
did not accede to his request
to bring in more expatriate
coaches and an indigenous
coach who do not have the
required license.
“If we had agreed to his
request for more expatriate
coaches, that would have
left our indigenous coaches
presently with the team
in the lurch,” the statement
concluded.
Dennerby, who was appointed
head coach of the
Super Falcons in January
2018, led Nigeria’s Senior
Women’s National team to
the 2018 Africa Women’s
Cup of Nations (AWCON)
title in December 2018.
He was named the Best
Female Coach of The Year
at the 2019 NFF Awards.
In 2019, he led Nigeria to
the knockout stage of the
2019 FIFA Women’s World
Cup which was held in
France.
IAAF disowns Kipchoge’s
marathon record
JORLD athletics rul
ing body IAAF will
not recognize 1h.59m
world marathon record set
by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge
yesterday at the INEOS
1.59 challenge.
Kipchoge sent shockwaves
through the world of
sport by becoming the first
athlete to break the twohour
barrier for a marathon,
although it will not
count as a record. The
Olympic champion and
world record holder from
Kenya clocked 1 hour, 59
minutes and 40.2 seconds.
Kipchoge, who compared
his attempt earlier to
a man landing on the
moon, twice punched his
chest in celebration and
smiled when he finished.
“That was the best moment
of my life,” he said
before adding that he
trained four-and-a-half
months for his extraordinary
race against the clock.
“The pressure was very big
on my shoulders. I got a
phone call from the President
of Kenya.”
Starting at 8:15 a.m.,
Kipchoge was supported by
36 pacemakers who accompanied
him in alternating
groups, one of the reasons
the IAAF governing body
will not ratify the time as a
world record.
The groups were also
helped by a pace car with a
laser beam, projecting the
ideal position on the road,
•Kipchoge
and they received drinks
handed over by cyclists and
other runners to prevent
them from having to slow
down.
“It is a great feeling to
make history in sport after
Sir Roger Bannister,”
Kipchoge said in reference
to the late Briton’s first sub
four-minute mile in 1954.
“I am the happiest man in
the world to be the first human
to run under two
hours and I can tell people
that no human is limited. I
expect more people all over
the world to run under two
hours after today.”
Kipchoge pointed out his
mission went beyond athletics.
“We can make this world
a beautiful world and a
peaceful world,” he said.
“The positivity of sport. I
want to make it a clean
sport and an interesting
sport.”
Kipchoge was cheered by
spectators along the course
in Prater Park and there
were celebrations in his
home country before he
had even finished.
“Hearty congratulations,
Eliud Kipchoge,” President
Uhuru Kenyatta said
in a statement. “You’ve
done it, you’ve made history
and made Kenya proud.
Your win today will inspire
future generations to
dream big and aspire to
greatness. We celebrate you
and wish you God’s blessings.”