Sports
2018 W/Cup Draw: What Nigeria Must Do To Qualify
Following the draw for the
2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers which has seen Nigeria drawn in a difficult Group B with Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia, reactions among Nigerians have gone into an overdrive.
As is now usual, pessimism, rather than optimism is renting the air, with most Nigerians already giving up hope before the first ball of the qualifiers is kicked.
Recent qualifiers for major competitions have not ended well for Nigeria, as the Super Eagles failed to make the 2015 and now 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
Several reasons have been attributed for Nigeria’s recent failures in qualifying for tournaments.
However, blow are seven things that should be done to ensure the Super Eagles make it to the next World Cup in Russia.
1. Get a substantive coach NOW!
This seems obvious but it is one thing that must be done as soon as possible. The team has been without a substantive coach since February, when Sunday Oliseh quit the post and they have had four coaches (both interim and substantive) in the last one year.
That is surely not good enough and if the Nigeria Football Federation NFF is serious about curtailing Nigeria’s recent failures to qualify for major competitions, this should be their first line of action following the draw.
2. Sort out usual poor travel arrangements
It says a lot that the Super Eagles were unsure of their mode of transport 72-hours to the crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt in Alexandria last March.
If the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF are serious about qualifying to the Russia 2018 World Cup, such issues should not even arise.
Travel plans should be sorted and known well ahead of time.
The NFF has been complaining about paucity of funds, but it should sort itself out before the start of the qualifiers as Nigerians will not accept another excuse from them if they failed to make it to another major tournament.
3. Sort out players’ bonuses and allowances
The players of the Super Eagles have not been paid their match bonuses and allowances over the last five games and counting and word is that the lads are unimpressed.
This is one area the NFF must work on.
Whatever the plan is, they must put them in motion now and communicate such to the players, rather than waiting for when the qualifiers begin.
It has been revealed that the technical committee of the NFF has decided against the payment of bonuses on a per-game basis and while that is laudable given the current financial situation, it is also advisable same is immediately communicated to the players for better understanding before the start of the qualifiers.
4. Who will play for the Super Eagles?
This may seem like a mundane question, but its importance cannot be overemphasized. The qualifiers for the 2015 and 2017 AFCON saw the team being chopped and changed game after game, with very little or no consistency in the set of players used.
This particular area is dependent on the coach and whoever it turns out to be, must ensure he gets a core set of players to execute the qualifiers and that is not to say there won’t be room for replacing misfiring players or bringing in in-form ones, but there must be a core set.
Like one of the players said recently: “Why are we always changing players? It’s difficult playing with a new player today and tomorrow he is replaced by another one.”
It says a lot that over the last one year, the team have had three captains.
5. Make home games difficult for opponents
Nigerians and the Super Eagles are always nice to opponents when playing at home…too nice. And to imagine they don’t usually get as much from opponents when they play away, it’s a bit surprising to say the least.
This is not to say opponents should not be accorded due respect and warmth, but the players must man-up and stop being naïve all too often on the pitch.
A recent case in study is the 1-1 draw with Egypt in Kaduna in a 2017 AFCON qualifier.
Leading 1-0 with stoppage time left, the players – Carl Ikeme especially – should have known not to kick the ball too close into touch when Godfrey Oboabona went down. That singular act resulted in Egypt scoring and dashing Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
Then the fans must also play their part. There are games where they actually boo the Super Eagles and cheer the opponents. That should never happen again. Get behind your team and support them till the end.
row since the present administration came into being in 2014.
Chris Oguguo
In a bid to make the Pillar of Associations Rivers state football tournament to become a permanent annual feature in Rivers state football calendar and a veritable platform for alternative career opportunity for Pillar members and members of Rivers football community, the Chairman of the tournament’s Organising Committee, Comrade Franklin Obute has stated that they were open to welcoming sponsorships from corporate entities and well meaning individuals.
Comrade Obute in an interview with news men on a match day at the ongoing competition at the Rivers State University’s ground said that the Pillar of Associations were ready to partner interested parties, who would be willing to invest in the competition through sponsorship towards elevating the quality and standard of the tournament.
According to him, “The Pillar of Associations tournament, due to the opportunities available, owing to the sheer number of businesses and members obtainable in the Pillar, would be a very attractive opportunity to exploit through sponsorship”.
He stated that there would be a conscious efforts toward sensitising the corporate and private environments to buy into the vision and objectives of the tournament. He explained that due to the open nature of the competition, whereby members of the association are allowed to engage any footballer from across the country, whether a business man or not, any sponsor would be able to enjoy unimaginable mileage.
“Every multinational company, private businesses should aspire to be part of the sponsorship of this tournament because there are so much benefits derivable therein, the coverage is very wide. You know that organising a football tournament of this nature is capital intensive, so, any sponsorship to add more value is welcomed”, he said.
The 2025 edition is currently ongoing and has reached the second round stage where matches are now being played on knockout basis, beginning from Friday.
By: Gabriel Nwanetanya
Some of the best golfers across Africa are expected to converge on the Ikoyi Club 1938 Golf Section for the three-day Ikoyi Ladies Golf Tournament holding from November 11 to 13.
The star-studded amateur open tournament is part of the activities lined up by the leadership of the club to celebrate the ladies’ tournament’s 50th anniversary.
Speaking at a world press conference at the Club’s headquarters in Ikoyi, the Ladies Club Captain, Mrs Peggy Onwu, explained that the tournament will offer opportunity for leading amateur golfers across 11 countries of the world to showcase their skills on the green lawn.
According to her, over 150 golfers have already registered for the open tournament, which will attract mouth-watering prizes, including a trophy, a premium ticket to the United States of America, among others.
The event will be preceded by ‘Twilight evening,’ which will see the participants play the golf game towards dawn, in a relaxed atmosphere with cocktails, networking and good music.
She thanked the various sponsors of tournament, including PWC, Delta Airline, Western Star, First EGP, among others, for identifying and keying into the Club’s goals and aspirations as part of their corporate social responsibilities.
Mrs. Onwu added that the event was not only a celebration of resilience, commitment, dedication and sacrifice, but a rare display of exemplary team spirit by all members of the Ladies Golf Section.
Thrilled by the presence of a Nigerian-born Italy- based golfer and fashion icon, Bali Lawal, as well as other professionals expected to grace the tournament, she promised that the tournament will be a memorable outing aimed at mentoring ladies keen on honing their golfing skills.
Speaking in the same vein, Vice Lady Captain, Annie Eimiakhena, explained that the tournament will entail three days of competitive outing showing skills, professional dexterity.
She added that participants and golfers will use the opportunity of the event to network among themselves, while a Masterclass will be held to educate would-be golfers on the dynamics of the game.
The Technical Manager of Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt, Finidi George has praised his boys (players) as they ran away with a point in the rescheduled match day nine of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) against Bendel Insurance.
According to him, before the game, he told his boys that they have to put up a good fighting spirit in the game, knowing that it will not be easy at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.
Finidi said this last Thursday in his post match interview with sports journalists and made available to Tidesports after they secured a goalless draw against Insurance.
He explained that in the first half, the game was 50-50 but in the second half after 15 to 20 minutes, my players pushed them back, looking for goal but they were able to hold them and got the draw.
“ From onset, I knew it was going to be a difficult game. Yes, we have to defend deep and get something. Kudos to my boys, they put up a good fighting spirit.
“ Despite the host creating good number of chances even hitting the crossbar but I must say that the draw is not a bad result.
“ Wasiu Falolu came closer in the second half but his long ranged shot just went over the bar.
“It was not a bad result but we have to move on and see how we can get good results from other matches” Finidi said.
By: Kiadum Edookor