Sports
Administrators Urge Eagles To Be Wary Of South Africa’s Strikers
Some football administrators have advised the Super Eagles of Nigeria to be wary of tricky strikers of South Africa in their quarterfinal encounter at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cairo, Egypt.
The Super Eagles will today, July 10, battle Bafana Bafana of South Africa, in the quarterfinal match by 8 p.m. Nigerian time.
Some of the administrators, who spoke with newsmen in Enugu, yesterday said that the coach and players could only underrate their opponents to their own detriment.
Adewale also the proprietor and administrator of Purple Krown Academy, Uwani said that the Eagles should learn from what happened to Egypt’s national team.
“The Pharaohs underrated the Bafana Bafana and they were given the shock of their life.
“I always say it that football is all about scoring goals and it showed itself in the game between Mali and Ivory Coast on Monday.
“You saw what happened on Monday, as Eagles of Mali outplayed Elephants of Ivory Coast but the Elephants won.
“Mali created lots of chances but lost because what matters in a match is not how many chances created but how many converted,” he said.
He said that with zeal, determination and less error, the Super Eagles would fly pass South Africa.
He advised the players to do away with past glories over their Wednesday’s opponents.
Lofty Uchenna, coach of Golden Stars Football Club of Emene said that the Super Eagles would beat South Africa, judging by their last match in the ongoing tournament.
He called on Gernot Rohr, coach of the Super Eagles, to work more on his defence to ensure they did not concede goals against the tricky South Africans.
“Eagles line-up against Cameroun was good but Eagles should avoid committing errors because I believe that the strikers have started delivering,” he said.
Uchenna urged the coach to accept any criticism as part of the game and face his job squarely.
Anistar Izuikem, Coach of Star Plus FC of Ngwo, Enugu, called on the players to put more efforts in the match so as to make millions of Nigerians happy after the match.
“These players are professionals and they have to psyche themselves up whenever they are down and at the moment, I believe they should be brimming in confidence.
“Respect the South Africans but be mindful of where you’re going because, to be champions, you must outwit the champions and the expectants.
“Your have three matches to be champions and you have crossed the first hurdle, your destiny is in your hands,” he said.
Henry Akosa, Secretary to Grassroots Football Managers Association in Enugu, said that only Eagles could stop themselves in the ongoing AFCON.
“Eagles have shown the world that they still remain a force to be reckoned with in African Football, with their recent victory over the AFCON defending champions.
“Now that they have shown the champions the exit door, they too need to play as the champions, because other teams with be wary of them.
“Rohr should henceforth play his best legs; starting from Bafana Bafana game; because only the best will be enough,” Akosa said.
He said that the remaining teams in the AFCON are capable of winning the trophy and called on the players to take the game one after the other.
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN) Rivers State Chapter has set up five standing working committees on Tuesday, in its general congress.
At the playoff held at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, the team of Canice Abua, Michael Emmanuel, Daniel Adeleye, and Abubakar Yusuf was majestic as they restored Nigeria’s hope in a sport that once gave the country so much joy.
Speaking after the final game, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) President, Victor Ochei, said the Davis Cup feat is the stepping stone to better days in the sport, adding that the federation has set up programmes that will help the budding talents across the country play at the same level as their counterparts in other tennis-developed countries.
Ochei said: “The whole aim of having this new board is to lift the sport to the level we used to be. I tell you, tennis is taking a new shape in Nigeria. We are putting everything and anything to make that work happen.”
Ochei said that the NTF has looked at sponsorships and how to get the emerging players compete at the same level with their peers elsewhere, adding that the federation is working on organising local competitions and helping the players to compete in international championships.
“We believe that with what we are doing now, sponsors will come to us to organise new competitions. But beyond that, there’s a strategic growth development plan, a 10-year development plan, which the board is working on.
“The programme will ensure that we catch them young. This is because we believe that to create champions, we must start grooming them early. The champions you are seeing today were those groomed yesterday.”
“The process of building new champions will include building the coaches, the players, the infrastructure and sensitising the parents so that we can start catching them as young as age five to six.
“By the time that we groom them through 10 years of training, at age 15, 16, you will see fantastic professional players.”
To achieve the federation’s plans, Ochei admits that the NTF needs a lot of investment, adding that the board is working at realising the funds quietly and tenaciously.
The NTF president acknowledged the contributions of former international stars like Nduka Odizor and Sadiq Abdullahi to the bid to rejuvenate Nigerian tennis, adding that NTF is open to collaborating with former players who know what it takes to play at the highest level of the sport.
He said, “Nduka Odizor is around as one of our VIP personalities. He has been psyching up the boys in the battle with Uzbekistan. He will not enter the court to play, but his mere presence is enough motivation to the boys, who will want to be like him in the future.
“You see, the type of support the Odizors, the Imonities and the Abdullahis got in their time is no longer there, but we are revamping it with the support of our stakeholders in the Diaspora.
“It will appear to take us some time, but I can tell you that the Diaspora support is massive.”
In its bid to get good results in this year’s Commonwealth Games, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has disbursed N200 million as training grants to 26 athletes.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
The NSC stated that the grants were disbursed through its Elite and Podium Board, noting that N200 million was allocated to select top-performing athletes.
The beneficiaries are both foreign-based and home-based, the NSC said, adding that it will cater for their training and preparation expenses.
According to the NSC, the recipients span several sports, including athletics, wrestling, weightlifting, and para-sports, in line with the Commission’s mandate to prioritise athletes’ welfare and high-performance development.
The Commission added that the disbursement follows the establishment of the Elite and Podium Board, created to implement a scientific and institutionalised support system aimed at sustaining peak performances by Nigerian athletes at major international competitions.
NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, said the Commission, under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was established to restore confidence and provide renewed hope for Nigerian sportsmen and women by placing strong emphasis on athlete welfare.
“The training grants disbursed to 26 athletes across different sports followed a careful and professional selection process by the Yusuf Ali-led Elite and Podium Board. This is our way of reassuring our athletes that their welfare remains our utmost priority,” he said.
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