Connect with us

News

PSG match to determine Moses’ fate, says Mourinho

Published

on

In from Nifemi Daniel …

Jose Mourinho has expressed his determination to keep Super Eagles winger, Victor Moses, with the club in the quest for glory in the new football season but maintained that the 24-year-old must improve in the next pre-season match against PSG of France on Saturday.

Moses has been linked with a return to Stoke City for the 2015/16 campaign, where he spent last season on loan but Mourinho is keen to use the former Wigan player’s experience for his side’s defence of the Premier League title.

The Blues boss admits he was impressed by Moses’ second-half performance in the 4-2 pre-season defeat to New York Red Bulls and looks forward to his next 45 minutes against Paris Saint-Germain.

The Super Eagles forward did enough to earn Mourinho’s praise after carving out Chelsea’s first real chance of the game but his effort was well saved by Kyle Reynish in goal for Red Bulls.

The former Wigan winger also came to scoring late in the first half when his effort struck the post.

Mourinho singled out the Nigerian for praise after the game despite his side’s shocking loss.

Read also: Tottenham offers £8million for Moses

“He’s strong, he’s an experienced guy, he knows the Premier League well, he’s fast, he’s aggressive,” Mourinho said of Moses.

“Ok, he has to learn how to play with us obviously. But I’m happy with him this week, I’m happy with his 45 minutes.

“The next match he’ll have 45 more minutes and let’s see what happens. Victor has had an evolution in the last couple of years.”

The Edo-born player who was instrumental to Nigeria’s 2013 AFCON triumph has been sidelined from national team assignments in recent times due to lack of team play, which has also drew criticisms from the Super Eagles coaching crew and football fans.

However, there are plans by the new coaching crew led by Sunday Oliseh to invite him for the AFCON 2017 qualifier against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania.

Oliseh is expected to release his list of invited players for the game against Tanzania in the second week of August with the foreign-based professionals expected to join the team in Tanzania.

Ripples… without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now