The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chinese Super League

  • Ighalo brace fails to save Yatai, Martins celebrates.

    Ighalo brace fails to save Yatai, Martins celebrates.

    Super Eagles ace Odion Ighalo was in superlative form for his Chinese Super League club Changchun Yatai on Saturday, grabbing a brace which however did not stop the side from losing 2-3 to visiting Shanghai Shenhua.

    Ighalo was in action for 73 minutes in a match in which compatriot Obafemi martins was in action for full 90 minutes for the opposing side. Visiting Shanghai Shenhua had shot into the lead in the 18th minute through Fredy Guarin who enjoyed a timely assist from Junmin Xu.

    The lead was however cancelled in the 40th minute after Shuai Li fouled Ighalo to hand the Nigerian an opportunity to convert a penalty and earn an equaliser. Another opportunity came for Ighalo in the 50th minute when teammate and Brazilian import Marinho provided a perfect cross which the former Watford forward did not hesitate to bury. Martins and his teammates however rallied round to level up two minutes later thanks to Cao Yunding.

    The sweet brace was however not without pain as Ighalo was subsequently injured forcing medical attention and his replacement in the 73rd minute by Zhenyu Du. His exit became a blessing in disguise for the visitors who grabbed a third goal when Giovanni Andres Moreno converted a scintillating pass from Obafemi martins in the 88th minute. 

    The defeat leaves Changchun Yatai bottom of the league with just one point from five games while Shanghai Shenhua are 6th on the log with seven points. Argentina international Carlos Tevez who was impressive in 4-0 drubbing of Jiangsu Suning in the season opener was not listed in Saturday’s tie.

  • Ujah missing Liaoning Whowin season opener

    Ujah missing Liaoning Whowin season opener

     

     

    As the new season of the Chinese Super League kicked off Friday, facts have now emerged that the CSL pumped in a whooping

    £320m, about N123billion (One hundred and twenty three billion naira) on transfers.

    The transfer included but not limited to that of Nigerian internationals John Obi Mikel, Odion Ighalo, Brown Ideye, and Anthony Ujah among others. Other players whose transfers helped to swell the sum include Argentine international Carlos Tevez and Oscar.

    The reason for pumping in so much money according to the CSL is not only to lift the standard of the game in the country but also attract more fans to the stadium.

    Despite the huge amount pumped in just before the close of transfer window and beginning of the season, the new season kicked off with Anthony Ujah’s  Lianoning Whowin taking on Guizhou Zhicheng Friday at the Guizhou Zhicheng’s 52,888-seater capacity stadium with the supporters completely missing.  The match was played in a near empty stadium despite the hype and fanfare ahead of the opening match.

    Meanwhile Nigerian international Anthony Ujah was not listed in the match that ended in a 1-1 draw.

    Hosts Guizhou Zhicheng maintained 64% possession and had been tipped to emerge victorious, but Lianoning Whowin made their

    36% possession count converting a 14th minute penalty before the hosts managed to equalise in the 54th minute via a penalty.

    There are indications however that the fans may begin to head for the stadium as subsequent games billed for Saturday and

    Sunday take the centre stage.  Super Eagles captain who now doubles as captain of his new Chinese club Tianjin Teda will lead his teammates out against Shandong Luneng on Saturday, but Obafemi Martins will have to wait till Sunday when he and teammate Carlos Tevez file out against visiting Jiangsu Suning.

  • £493,000-a-week Lavezzi yet to click

    £493,000-a-week Lavezzi yet to click

     

    Former Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi dubbed next Maradona following his move to the Chinese Super league early last year, has become a source of worry as he is yet to find the net one year after.

    February 2016 saw one of football’s biggest-ever spending sprees as the Chinese Super League stamped its mark with a series of mega-deals.

    Hebei China Fortune’s reportedly handing the then 30-year-old an eye-watering two-year deal worth £23.5million.

    At the time of his signing Hebei social media account described Lavezzi as ‘the next Maradona’ but a year on from his signing his numbers have proved that statement an embarrassing blunder.

    Further details of the Argentine’s contract, revealed by Football Leaks in December, showed that in fact Lavezzi earns £493,000-a-week, as well as the club providing two furnished houses, two cars, a cook and a driver.

    For that investment, Lavezzi has played just 10 times for Hebei, starting nine of those, scoring no goals and providing three assists.

    The Argentine has not played for his club side since May after breaking his arm in the Copa America semi-final, with the injury requiring an operation.

    Lavezzi’s last on-field action came in his country’s 3-0 World Cup qualifying defeat to Brazil back in November.

    His appearance then also came shrouded in controversy. Lionel Messi led a media boycott after the national team took a stand in backing Lavezzi following accusations of drug use.

    The stance followed claims by an Argentine radio journalist, published on Twitter that suggested Lavezzi had been caught smoking cannabis ahead of the side’s win over Colombia.

  • Kalinic: I rejected China’s €50million

    Kalinic: I rejected China’s €50million

     

     

     

    Nikola Kalinic says he is not worth the €50million transfer fee Tianjin Quanjian were reportedly prepared to pay for his services in January.

    The Fiorentina striker was one of many players linked with a move to the Chinese Super League following a rich vein of form in Serie A that has brought 10 goals this season.

    Tianjin Quanjian – coached by Fabio Cannavaro – were linked with a swoop for the 29-year-old and are believed to have met the release clause in his contract at Stadio Artemio Franchi.

    However, the Croatian turned down their advances and is not convinced he is worth the money reportedly offered for him.

    “It would have been a done deal if I had said yes, even if I’m not sure what the club would have said,” he told the Corriere della Sera.

    “Fabio Cannavaro called me, but for me the issue closed and has never been re-opened.

    “I am really not worth the €50m release clause and I doubt anyone will spend that for me.”

    While many have swapped European football for the CSL on substantial wages, Kalinic insists money is not his main driver in his career.

    “I want to point out I didn’t know precisely how much the offer was but money isn’t everything in life,” he added.

    “I only just arrived in the football that really matters a year and a half ago and I didn’t want to leave now.    “I think I still have a lot to give in European football.”

  • Mourinho: People go to CSL for money not football

    Mourinho: People go to CSL for money not football

    Jose Mourinho has revealed he turned down a “big offer” to coach in the Chinese Super League, citing the competition’s financial influence as a cause for concern.

    The Portuguese opted to stay in the Premier League after his dismissal from Chelsea, taking over at Manchester United, who are fighting for cup silverware on three fronts.

    But he does have fears over the growing influence of the CSL, with the likes of Carlos Tevez and one of his former charges Oscar having made the switch.

    Mourinho suggested financial reward was the determining factor for players making such moves, with footballing ambitions taking a backseat.

    He told GQ: “If you are negotiating a new contract with one of your players and you offer him £5million per year and they offer £25million, then you have a big problem.
    Maybe the player takes £5million because he prefers football. Or £25million because he prefers money.
    “I have already refused a big offer to go to China, but I don’t criticise anyone who decides to do it. It’s their choice, their life. Only they can decide what they need for their future.

    “Other managers in the Premier League have been critical, but I am no critic. I am worried, because they can offer contracts that are impossible to offer in Europe.

    But in the end the player who wants to go is a player that maybe you don’t want to keep.