Sports
AFCON 2013: Envoy Assures On Nigeria’s Image
The Consul-General of Nigeria’s Mission to South Africa, Mr Okey Emuchay, has vowed that Nigeria will not lose hope in its effort at improving its image that has been dented abroad.
Emuchay said this in Johannesburg while receiving members of the Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club, led by its President-General, Dr Rafiu Oladipo.
No fewer than 500 members of the club have converged in South Africa to cheer the Super Eagles to victory at the ongoing 29th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Consul-General noted that Nigeria had been facing image problems in South Africa and indeed other countries in southern Africa because of changes in the political leaderships in the countries in the region.
“The older generations of politicians in Southern Africa, who knew Nigeria’s contributions toward their struggle for emancipation from colonialism are leaving the stage for the younger ones.
“The likes of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki who struggled for freedom are leaving the stage for the younger ones, who do not know much about the role of Nigeria during their struggles,’’ he said.
He, however, pointed out that it was ironical that it was mainly the black South Africans that had been painting Nigeria black, stressing that the white South Africans had been busy establishing businesses both home and abroad.
“The majority of South Africans on business missions to Nigeria were mainly white South Africans. The white South Africans are making more money in Nigeria through establishing of businesses,’’ he said.
According to him, the issue of image laundering is a collective effort, stressing that it behoves every Nigerian to continue to project the image of the country positively to the outside world.
Emuchay said that Nigeria’s image problem had nothing to do with its population, but strictly a leadership problem.
He commended the club in its efforts at rebuilding the good image of the country, saying Nigerians were aware of the positive roles being played by the club.
The Consul-General urged Oladipo not to be intimidated by the negative image being projected of the country at present, saying that the club should continue to create a positive image for the country at home and abroad.
Earlier, Oladipo said that the country was facing infrastructure problems at home, saying that something concrete needed to be done to improve the situation.
Oladipo said that Nigerians were known to be hardworking and patriotic but that only a collective effort of leaders as well as followers would help to re-build the nation.
Sports
CAA Wants Ghana To Host 2026 Athletics Champions
The Confederation of African Athletics has invited Ghana to bid for the hosting rights of the 2026 African Athletics Championships, following a successful athletics event at the just concluded 2023 African Games.
President of Ghana Athletics, Bawa Fuseini, stated this and expressed confidence in the transformative potential of the Legon Stadium for athletes and Ghana’s bid to host international competitions.
With a capacity of 11,000, the Legon Stadium played a pivotal role in the recent African Games, hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies as well as various sporting events including athletics, football, and rugby.
Fuseini highlighted the success of the athletics events held at the stadium, which contributed to Ghana winning six medals.
“We have already started getting requests from the Confederation of African Athletics to bid for the 2026 African Athletics Championships.
“When they came and saw what we have put in place and the level of organisation, they told me that for the last 20 years, they’ve never seen any organisation like this before. We did three official courses. And the last one, we had 110, all of them passed. We had a lot of officials and equipment.”
Since its establishment in 1979, Ghana has never hosted the African Athletics Championships, with Nigeria being the host country twice, in 1989 and 2018.
This year, Cameroon will take the reins as the host nation, with the event set to be held at the Olembe Stadium.
Sports
‘I’m Not Under Pressure To Coach Eagles’
Finidi George, head coach of the Nigeria Premier Football Leagues side, Enyimba, has stated that he is not losing any sleep over getting the Super Eagles job on a permanent basis.
Early this month, the Nigeria Football Federation declared the position of the Super Eagles’ head coach vacant, following the exit of Portuguese Jose Peseiro, who led the side to a second-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup Nations in Ivory Coast in February.
In an advertisement on its website calling for applications with a March 13 deadline, the football governing body stated that the prospective Eagles coach “must have proven experience at the elite level of football.”
The former Ajax man, who also applied for the job, was appointed Eagles interim coach for the international window with the former winger picking a win and suffering a defeat.
In an interview with Tidesports source, the 52-year-old tactician said he was not desperate for the job permanently.
“I felt really good when I was told to take charge of the team. I have been with the team for almost two years, I know all the players, their strengths, and their weaknesses but I am only here to serve Nigeria the way I know how to do stuff.
“I will just take these two games and go back to my club. Whatever the decision is taken after, so be it. I’m not under pressure to say I must get the role permanently.”
Sports
‘Reasons Why Eagles Lost To Mali’
The friendly games against Ghana and Mali were to serve as an audition for George Finidi, who was in charge of the team on an interim basis, but the Eagles’ lacklustre display in those friendlies has called for his further evaluation.
Finidi kept faith with ex-coach Jose Peseiro’s defensive formation against Mali on the back of his first win (against Ghana) in charge of the team four days earlier.
But this time, his defence was punished following a combination of defensive errors and poor passes.
The Eagles struggled to play out of defence due to the high pressing of the Malians and it was no surprise that the first goal by Les Aigles was a direct result of their aggression.
Chidozie Awaziem, who started on the right of the back three alongside Kenneth Omeruo and Semi Ajayi, lacked composure and was pressured into making a pass across his box straight at Bilal Toure, who made no mistake in getting the ball past Stanley Nwabali. They missed the calming presence of injured William Troost-Ekong.
Vice captain, Kenneth Omeruo, was also culpable of misplaced passes and was beaten for pace when Kamory Doumbia ran past him to seal Mali’s first win in over four decades, firing his shot past a helpless Nwabali, who stood no chance.
Eagles wing backs, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Jamilu Collins also did not do enough to support the team in attack when they had the chance to.
Lack of creativity
Finidi paired Raphael Onyedika and Wilfred Ndidi in a double pivot in midfield. Both players are naturally anchor men and neither is a box-to-box midfielder.
They both do not possess the offensive capability to drive the team’s attack forward, which left the Eagles once again craving for a natural creative midfielder.
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