Sports
Okagbue Attributes Poor Performance To Injuries
Uche Okagbue will attempt to keep a brave face despite his team’s shambolic show in the Super 6 Playoffs, but it’s futile exercise.
From one turn to the next bend, Okagbue would blame FC Ifeanyi Ubah’s woes in the playoffs to lack of character then there was injuries to his players, the schedule pile up and finally poor officiating.
FC Ifeanyi Ubah were sunk, after a fifth straight defeat on Wednesday and they ended the competition with the worst defensive record.
In his final post match of the competition and likely as Coach of the team, Okagbue said about his playing five games in 10 days, “They (Players) looked tired and most of them were injured.
‘I had to encourage them every step of the way, they were willing to move but the body couldn’t carry them.
‘The schedule of playing five matches in 10 days affected the players, you could even tell from how the other teams played.’
Asked about his verdict on the quality of the Super 6, Okagbue said, ‘The tournament really lived up to its expectation, but the officiating had major question marks.
Yet, it’s part of the game, if Computers can make mistake, what do you expect from humans.
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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