Sports
Amodu’s Eagles Were Predictable – Odemwingie
Osaze Odemwingie says Nigeria became too predictable under former coach Shuaibu Amodu and Lars Lagerback has already created a buzz around the squad.
Osaze, 29, was one of the more outspoken critics of Amodu’s regime but he said that he did so without malice.
“For the past two years, with Amodu, we’ve been easy to predict. We have to have more variety in our tactics and our attack.
“There’s not much negative or bad about his coaching. It’s just that it’s not enough if we are aspiring to go up there. It’s the difference between good, and better.”
After four training sessions with Lagerback, Odemwingie said things were already looking up, with the Swede instilling a fear no foe confidence in his new team.
“He doesn’t look like someone who doubts his own quality and I think he can bring a result that Nigerians expect. I see him relaxed, as someone with a plan, who took this job after watching our games and knowing that he can do better than where we were.
“From the first training, he is looking at attacking football. He is looking at a passing game. He is looking at the penetrating pass, a pass that creates danger, less square passes and more forward passes. He keeps reminding us that we have to play beautiful football and that results are also very important.
“At the same time, you can see that he doesn’t want to play a game where Nigeria is scared of the opponent, any opponent.”
Odemwingie says already the atmosphere in camp is different.
“You could feel it. You cannot deny it. Like our people say, oyibo na oyibo. There is a touch they add to Africans when they bring their ideas, their calculations, their tactics, their organisation, their way of being more effective on the field. That is going to be added for sure.
“The training so far has been good, the build-up and the movement. I think Lagerback is the best choice Nigeria made.”
More importantly, the forward says Nigeria have to return to their attacking traditions.
“We need to be more ourselves. I think that is what we were denied these past few years. We were not playing like Nigeria. We were more defensive minded. That is why we didnt score so many goals lately, and that is also why we have been struggling even with the average African teams.
“But we could also understand that choice of tactics because it looks like there was a little bit of lack of confidence in our defence line.
“A few times we conceded silly goals, but at the same time, we needed the result and changes had to be done.
“We hope now that things will be better.”
On his first day at work with his squad, Lagerback showed the players individual videos and Osaze said it came as a bit of a surprise.
“I was surprised because we never had that before in our coaching.
“That’s another little thing. Those little things make a difference. Europe has gone far. I am not here to criticise our situation. Its just that right now we have to admit that we are still a little bit behind. In our clubs we see that those things are important. Here, he showed us a few highlights, pointed out some things and everybody is commending it.”
He is under no illusions though, as to how much work remains to be done, but says there is a positive feeling about.
“We have a lot of work to do. The whole team have been commending the training sessions, and we hope to continue for the remaining days.
“We are getting a positive feeling now about ourselves, because it is in the hands of the coach how he motivates his team.”
Ultimately though, he says it will be up to the players to do the business on the pitch.
“We have to believe in ourselves, and in what we can do and go out there on the pitch and show it for the love of our country. There are a lot of people who just want a chance to play and that means that if you are lucky enough to be selected, you have to give your best at all times.”
In a bid to have more young talented Nigerians to play professional football abroad, Johnny Ogbah, a sports lawyer and football intermediary, has called on parents to enroll their children in Vector Programme.
He stated that the programme is in conjunction with Conventry Football Club in United Kingdom (UK), saying that the programme includes academics where a child can acquire a degree.
Ogbah, made the call while addressing sports journalists recently in Port Harcourt, as the programme will admit students into Brooke College between the age of 11 and 18 Football Academy.
The major objective of Vector Programme is to give the young ones a career through sports and good education. The programme does not train people on football only but also other things that is related to sporting environment, he said.
According to him, more than 20 Nigerians have benefited from the programme on scholarship and most of them are now playing football in top clubs in Europe.
“Vector programme was poised to create an avenue to give people to play football to the highest level.
Apart from football the child can also have quality education. It will interest you to know that those in Vector programme play friendly games that attracts scouts from different countries and football clubs.
The programme doesn’t train you on only football but also train people on everything that is associated to sports”, Ogbah said.
The former Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) player further disclosed Vector programme pathways provides the practice opportunities that players need if they are to successfully graduate as a professional player.
By: Tonye Orabere
The Head Coach of Khana FC in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Sam Ledor, has blamed his players as they were unable to convert scoring chances.
According to him, if those chances created in their opening match against Jet Bomber FC at the ongoing Nation wide League One (NLO), in Omoku centre were converted, it would have given them victory.
Ledor, said this on Saturday in a chat with Tidesports shortly after they played goalless draw against Jet Bomber FC in their opening match in 2024 NLO Division in Omoku, Rivers State.
“ We created a lot of scoring chances but could not find the net”, he said.
He explained that playing goalless draw is not a bad result in football but in a competition like this, they need to score goals and win matches.
“ My brother, we missed a lot of scoring chances which is not good. I trainned my players on how to create chances and to convert them.
“ What is important in a competition is winning but as we did not lose the game, we will look forward for our next game.
“We will go back to the drawing board and correct the grey areas in our game and ensure we get better results in our next outing.
“Today’s game is gone, what we need to do is to make sure we win our next game,” he stated.
He pointed out that no game comes easy but the effort you put in will give good result. They tried their best today and the result was good for both teams but we need to win our next game.
“My opponents were also a good side; they tried all what they could but didn’t score also. It was a good game but my team needs to win games,” he added.
By: Kiadum Edookor
A French-American, John Walter Wilkins is confident Rivers Hoopers can make it to the playoff round of the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Wilkins, who is the son of former NBA player Jeff Wilkins, linked up with his Hoopers teammates at the team’s training camp in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, ahead of the 2024 BAL Savannah Conference games, which tip off on Saturday, 4th May, 2024, in Dakar, Senegal.
Wilkins is no stranger to African basketball, having played for Moroccan sides AS Salé (2015-2016) and Ittihad Tanger (2017-2019), before leading Stade Malien to a third-place finish at BAL 2023.
Looking ahead to the 2024 BAL, Wilkins says the quality of basketball across Africa has improved, with the BAL requiring a high level of competitiveness, but backed Rivers Hoopers to spring a surprise at the tournament.
“It’s a really high level, a great competition; [it’s] one of the best I’ve played in since I’ve been in Africa. But we don’t need to be scared. We need to just attack the moment, be there, be present, and I think if we are confident in our abilities, we can surprise people,” he said.
Since its inaugural season in 2021, Nigerian teams have appeared twice at the BAL, with Rivers Hoopers playing in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2021 and Kwara Falcons featuring at BAL 2023.
Despite failing to reach the playoffs on both previous occasions, Wilkins is optimistic that with the quality of players in the Hoopers squad as well as the recruitment done ahead of the BAL, Rivers Hoopers will be more competitive in this season’s BAL.
“I’m really optimistic. I know that those past years the teams from Nigeria didn’t do well, but I think with me, Kelvin [Amayo], Will [Perry], and the other guys, I think we can show the way, have some wins, and be more competitive,” he stated.
The Nigerian Champions were drawn in the Savannah Conference alongside former BAL Champions US Monastir (Tunisia), last year’s runners-up AS Douanes (Senegal), and APR (Rwanda).
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