Mahrez misses Leicester training
Once again Riyad Mahrez has failed to turn up to training for Leicester City as the situation regarding his future with the Foxes took another dramatic twist just hours after the January transfer window closed.
Mahrez is said to be “depressed” and feels he is “unable to play football” after his Transfer Deadline Day move to Manchester City broke down on Wednesday.
Sky Sports in the UK are reporting that Mahrez failed to turn up for training, as expected, for the second day running and he was not in Leicester’s squad against Everton on Wednesday as the Foxes lost 2-1 at Goodison Park.
In essence, Mahrez is on strike. But that should come as no real surprised after he handed in a formal transfer request in the summer and spent most of Deadline Day in September on a private jet waiting to sign for Chelsea or Roma.
Less than six months on he’s in a similar situation.
With City offering a deal worth over $90 million for Mahrez, Leicester rejected the advances and kept their star playmaker who has been playing much more like himself in recent months since Claude Puel arrived as manager.
The 26-year-old Algerian winger has been a repeated target for Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea and other big clubs across Europe since leading Leicester to Premier League title glory in 2015-16. The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung has congratulated the Super Eagles for clinching a ticket to the final of the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a 1-0 victory over Sudan.
A goal in the 14th minute by Gabriel Okechukwu was all that coach Salisu Yusuf tutored side needed to book a passage to the final against host-Morocco on Sunday.
“I am so excited about this team and millions of football loving Nigerians who are rooting for the team to succeed in Morocco.
“They have shown that they are a work in progress as they continue to improve with every game,” Dalung said.
He praised the team for staying strong in the face of adversity to qualify for their first final since the inception of the competition.
“Staying together to see out the game after the team was reduced to 10 men must be applauded. These boys braced all odds to achieve a result that will see the team play in their first final since the inception of CHAN.
“I must commend the team for a job well done despite coming with a great price tag. We were all worried when the captain and number 1 choice goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa got injured earlier in the first half and had to be replaced by Dele Ajiboye,” he said.