Sports

We Play Football For Money …Amokachi Backs Moves To China

Published

9 years ago

March 8, 2017

Former Super Eagles star, Daniel Amokachi has backed the host of Africans lured by the riches of the Chinese Super League.
Several Africans moved to China prior to its transfer window closing this week, including Super Eagles John Mikel Obi, Odion Ighalo and Brown Ideye.
“We play football because we want to make a living,” said Amokachi.
“We don’t have that platform whereby everything has already been set for us from the day we were born – like Europeans. We don’t live on welfare.”
A former assistant coach of Nigeria who now manages JS Hercules in Finland, the onetime Everton forward said this lack of financial support explained the wave of Africans and South Americans moving to China.
While some have questioned the ambition of footballers who have quit the top leagues of Europe for the vast wealth of China, Amokachi begs to differ.
He points to Mikel who has yet to turn 30 but who won the European Champions League, two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Europa League during his decade-long spell with Chelsea.
The midfielder joined Tianjin Teda in January after failing to feature for the Blues this season.
“Mikel played for a top team in Europe and won practically everything that he needs to win as a footballer,” Amokachi told our source.
“What’s left for him is to make a lot of zeros to secure his future and that of his kids and family back home.”
Like Mikel, the 28-year-old Ideye has signed for Tianjin Teda who finished 11th in last season’s Super League.
Ighalo, meanwhile, was sold for £20m by Premier League side Watford to Changchun Yatai.
Amokachi’s former international team-mate Sunday Oliseh fully agrees that the players are entitled to chase riches above glory.
“If a man leaves his country and goes abroad, firstly he wants to work, because football is his job,” the former Nigeria coach told Tidesport Source
“Secondly, he goes to the country where he gets better remuneration for the services he is giving – so it’s going to be good and the way the Chinese are really putting attention on football now, it can only be good.”
Amokachi, who went by the nickname ‘The Bull’, said selectors should not be put off choosing Nigerians in China for the national team.
“Don’t forget that the Chinese are very physical when it comes to training,” he explained.
“I think the players will be fit but match fitness is a different ball game. That’s why it’s important for a manager to look at players who have that 90 minutes week in week out.”
Last week, Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr left Mikel, Ighalo and Brown out of the squad for this month’s friendlies against Senegal and Burkina Faso.
This was to allow the trio time to settle in China, while also giving an opportunity to younger players to have their chance.
Other Africans to have moved to China in recent times include Senegal’s Demba Ba, Ivorian Gervinho and Cameroon’s Stephane Mbia.

Sports

Rivers Sports Director Rates Niger Delta Games High

Published

47 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Director of Sports, Obia Inyingikabo has that the just concluded second edition of the Niger Delta Games, held in Benin, Edo State, was very impressive and well organised.

She commended both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dumamis Icon Limited for the sponsorship and organisation respectively.

According to her, the problem of the team was the epileptic situation of shuttle buses, which was not under the direct control of the sports council.

Inyingikabo said this in a telephone interview with Tidesports yesterday; she confirmed that apart from the poor transport system for athletes, every arrangement went successfully as planned.

The director praised her athletes for making the State proud by winning gold, silver, and bronze medals during the games. She assured the people of Rivers State that in the next edition they will perform better and also used the opportunity to commend Rivers State promoting sports in the State.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Treat Bees, Silkworms As Valuable Resources – Don

Published

54 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Applied Entomology and Pest Management, at the Federal University of Technology Akure,(FUTA), Olufunmilayo Oladipo, has said insects such as bees ,houseflies silkworms and similar species should be seen and treated as valuable resources whose careful management could enhance food security, generate income, support industrial applications, and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic diversification.

Prof. Oladipo made the remark while delivering the 193rd Inaugural Lecture of the institution on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

Citing the honeybee as a prime example, Oladipo noted that beyond honey production, bees provide beeswax, royal jelly, propolis and venom used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, while their pollination services significantly increase crop yields and biodiversity.

She also referenced silkworms, whose silk supports textile industries and export earnings, as well as black soldier flies and houseflies, locusts, grasshoppers, mealworms and crickets which are increasingly used in the production of high-protein livestock and aquaculture feeds, thereby reducing dependence on expensive imported feed ingredients.

Speaking on the topic, “Six-Legged Arthropods: Food Security, Health and National Economic Development,” Professor Oladipo highlighted the multiple contributions of insects to national development in a monolithic economy like Nigeria, where over-dependence on crude oil has limited diversification.

She pointed out that insects serve as food for humans and feed for livestock, provide income for households through apiculture, sericulture, and insect-based enterprises, and supply raw materials for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. Beneficial insects also enhance food security through nutrient recycling, biological control of harmful species and weeds, and pollination of crops and horticultural plants, resulting in bumper harvests and increased biodiversity.

Professor Oladipo further mentioned termites and dung beetles for their role in nutrient recycling and soil aeration, improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Ladybird beetles and parasitic wasps, she explained, serve as natural biological control agents, reducing populations of destructive pests without harming the environment.

In the area of public health, Oladipo declared that though “the economic toll of insect vectors is staggering, stretching from the household to national economy, thereby undermining productivity, draining family resources, and constraining national growth, certain insects negatively affect agriculture, public health, and livelihoods”.

The professor pointed to the importance of understanding mosquitoes and other disease vectors such as tsetse flies, whose management is critical in combating malaria, yellow fever, dengue, sleeping sickness and other vector-borne diseases that weaken workforce productivity and strain national resources.

She cited data showing that malaria alone costs Africa over 12 billion dollars annually in healthcare expenditures, lost productivity, and reduced investment. Beyond mortality, she emphasized, insect-borne diseases also contribute to morbidity, chronic disability, and reduced workforce efficiency, imposing heavy burdens on families, health systems, and national economies.

She referenced maggot therapy, currently practiced in teaching hospitals in Kano, as a safe and effective treatment for chronic diabetic wounds adding that bioactive compounds from fungus-insect complexes such as Bombyx batryticatus and Beauveria bassiana, which have been developed into medicines with anticonvulsant, anticancer, antifungal, anticoagulant, and hypolipidemic properties.

Weaver ants, bee venom, and cantharidin from blister beetles, she stated, also possess therapeutic value, including immune-boosting, anti-diabetic, anti-arthritic, and antiviral applications. She maintained that strategic government investment in entomotherapy could strengthen healthcare delivery, reduce pharmaceutical import dependence, save lives, and support national economic diversification.

According to her, these examples demonstrate that insects are not merely pests to be eradicated but strategic biological assets that, if properly managed, can enhance food security, strengthen public health systems, generate employment, and support Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

The Agric expert noted however, that certain pest species continue to pose threats to agriculture and public health, thereby negatively affecting economic growth. She stressed that proper management, rather than indiscriminate eradication, is key to maximizing the benefits of these six-legged resources.

Professor Oladipo advocated integrated pest management strategies that prioritize environmentally friendly approaches, including botanicals, pheromones, biological control agents, growth regulators, and semiochemicals, while minimizing the use of broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides.

She warned that excessive reliance on chemicals has resulted in resistance, environmental pollution, and harm to non-target organisms. She also called for stricter regulation of pesticide importation and usage under professional supervision, and for stronger surveillance by regulatory authorities to prevent the introduction of exotic pest species.

To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in entomology, she urged the government to support insect rearing and the conservation of beneficial species and to establish more Departments of Entomology in universities.

On the benefits of insects, she stressed the need for shifting societal perceptions and promoting sustainable practices, calling for stronger linkages between universities and industries to translate research findings into practical applications and commercial opportunities.

Professor Oladipo further appealed for increased funding for research and for targeted support for brilliant but indigent students in science-based disciplines, emphasizing that nurturing the next generation of entomologists and agricultural scientists is critical for national development.

Presenting the inaugural lecturer, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, FAS, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Professor Sunday Oluyamo, described Professor Oladipo as a distinguished scholar whose research has significantly advanced the field of entomology and strengthened FUTA’s academic and research profile.

The Vice Chancellor who described the lecture as ‘timely’, given Nigeria’s challenges in food security, public health, and economic diversification, commended the inaugural lecturer’s scholarly depth, resilience, and dedication to mentoring students, reaffirming FUTA’s commitment to research that addresses pressing national development priorities.

Sports

NDG: Committee Disqualifies Five Athletes Over Age Discrepancies, Others

Published

59 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Five athletes have been disqualified from the ongoing Niger Delta Games following investigations into eligibility concerns ranging from age discrepancies to state-of-origin violations.

According to findings contained in the official protest report, Otunla Kolade Israel (Edo State) was disqualified and stripped of his medals in swimming after his National Identification Number (NIN) indicated he is from Ikorodu, Lagos State. The athlete had won five gold medals and one silver, all of which have now been withdrawn.

In handball, John Vera and Ayimba Maria (Bayelsa State) were both disqualified on grounds of age declaration, with documentation reportedly showing they were overage for their category.

Goodness Ekunke (Chess) was also disqualified after inconsistencies were discovered in submitted eligibility documents.

Meanwhile, Okafor Adolphus (Ondo State, Athletics) was removed from the competition following investigations that revealed issues relating to state of origin and age declaration. Investigations reveal he is from Anambra State.

However, not all protested cases resulted in sanctions. Bright Joel Udoh (Edo State, Table Tennis) and Wisdom Chibueze Nweke (Abia State, Tennis) were cleared after reviews found insufficient grounds for disqualification.

In athletics, Ngozi Okereke Treasure (Delta State) was deemed eligible to compete despite an age discrepancy flagged by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, as no legal documentation was provided to substantiate the claim.

The disciplinary decisions underscore the Games’ commitment to upholding eligibility rules and maintaining competitive integrity across all participating states.