N’Golo Kante isn’t one to walk over on pitch let alone detract from target in mind, but even the tireless and effective Chelsea midfielder is only human at some point, after he revealed Tottenham Hotspur as the toughest opponent he has played against since his debut last season with the Blues, all thanks to the physical midfield duo led by Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele.
Kante said, [perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”I would say Tottenham (of the toughest opponent team). We had two very tight games against them in the Premier League. They’re a very good team and in midfield, Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele are so strong.[/perfectpullquote]
The 26-year-old’s arrival from Southampton has since then firmly cemented Tottenham’s midfield, a contribution that has seen him rise up the ranks in both club and national team status.
Dubbed the ‘Lion of Muthurwa’, Wanyama wasn’t short of praise from fellow teammates with left-back Ben Davies hailing the Kenyan’s solid contributions after an impressive debut season.
“We see what he can do in training quite regularly and you are better off just not going near him if you want to keep the ball! Hopefully, there is more of the same to come from him next season.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Victor (Wanyama) has been top drawer. He is a top player. I think some people perhaps had doubts about how good he is on the ball before he arrived here but I think he silenced everybody on that straight away.[/perfectpullquote]
“It’s not just his defensive work. On the ball, he’s an excellent player and he’s been superb for us over the course of the last year,” Davies told the club’s official website.
So superb that on top of getting a street named after him in Tanzania (despite its controversial sign removal), the Harambee Stars’ captain beat competition from popular personalities; 800m World record holder David Rudisha, Kenya Sevens rugby player Biko Adema, Olympic Marathon gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge, and national volleyball team captain Jane Wacu, to win the 2017 OLXKenya Social Media Awards Sports Personality of the Year, held in Nairobi.
The award was also attributed to his contribution through social media to impact and change lives.
“As a player, I want to improve every day. I think better should be expected from me next season both at the club and national team. At the club, our ambition is to win trophies next season and I know we can. I hope to play a big role for the club,” Wanyama said in a previous interview with Capital Sport.
Featured Photo: Getty Images
