Sports
Nigerian Hotshots Move To North Africa
Three strikers who shone
in the Nigeria premier league last season have joined top clubs in the Maghreb this month.
Emem Eduok after a transfer controversy joined Esperance of Tunisia, Ighodalo Osaguona sealed a four and half year deal with Raja Casablanca (Morocco) and Peter Ebimobowei joined Al Ahly(Egypt).
The leagues in these countries are better organised and pay players better than what obtains in Nigeria, and this may well explain why these Nigerian talents cannot resist the lure.
Having fulfilled their dreams of playing outside Nigeria, do they have what it takes to excel in those countries with mounting expectations from fans, the media and even the clubs?
Tidesports source x-rayed their chances to excel as they face a new challenge in their career.
Ighodalo Osaguona
The big striker proved to be a prolific goal scorer at Enugu Rangers last season after he struggled for goals at 3SC the previous campaign.
He netted 16 goals in the Nigeria top flight league and has been capped at full international level by Nigeria.
Osaguona is a direct striker with power and aerial prowess. He has good techniques for a big man and will therefore be expected to do well in Morocco.
The tempo of the game is higher in Morocco and he will face tougher defenders, who have more experience than those he faced in Nigeria as most of their players are better exposed.
Osaguona’s showing for the Super Eagles has underlined the fact he has what it takes to also shine in Morocco especially if the club play to his strengths.
Emem Eduok
After the controversies, he has inked a deal with Tunisian giants Esperance. Emem equaled Jude Aneke’s 20-goal record in a season in the colours of Dolphins.
The left-footed Emem is an all-round forward who could play from the wings or as top striker.
He is strong, quick, has good positioning and he is one of the most dangerous strikers in Nigeria league around the box.
The former Flying Eagles star, who was the first player to score six goals in a league game in history of Nigeria in Dolphins 6-1 win over Nembe City, will be the hottest bet of the other Nigeria strikers off to the Maghreb to shine as Esperance has proved to be a favourite hunting ground for the lies of other Nigeria stars like Garba Lawal, Michael Eneramo and Julius Aghahowa.
Peter Ebimobowei
He has been a consistent goal scorer in the Nigeria league, but joining the best club in African football history Al Ahly of Egypt will come with added pressure.
How well and quickly he copes with this pressure will define his time at the Cairo Red Devils.
Al Ahly are a massive club and the Bayelsa United star must adapt quickly as there won’t be much time for him to do that going by the high demands from the club’s fans.
He has joined a team who are undergoing a major transition following the exit of some of their ageing top stars like Wael Goma and Mohamed Aboutrika.
He is a powerful striker with good techniques, who has proved clinical in front of goal.
He scored 18 goals last season to help Bayelsa United escape relegation.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.