Sports
Osimhen, Ziyech’s Stocks Rise In Champions League
Their sides may both have failed to win in the process of conceding four goals on the road, but Hakim Ziyech and Victor Osimhen’s stocks continued to rise after their Group H performances last Tuesday.
For Ajax Amsterdam, Ziyech was given a relatively rare opportunity to play centrally against Chelsea. After assisting Donny van de Beek’s goal in a 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur last season, the Morocco star again delivered on the big stage with plenty of wealthy Premier League clubs watching.
In the first half, Ziyech’s sublime in-swinging cross from the right was turned home by Quincy Promes. Having seen his deflected shot finished from an offside position against Chelsea in Amsterdam two weeks ago, the pair had combined for a lovely goal in London.
Whilst Opta did not give Ziyech an official assist for Ajax’s third goal, it was undoubtedly again down to his superb delivery. Swinging in a freekick from the right touchline, the ball hit the post and deflected in off Kepa Arrizabalaga’s head.
In the second half, he provided van de Beek with a second goal in the English capital, rifling a pass into his teammate, who controlled instantly and fired in the bottom corner.
Playing centrally is nothing new to Ziyech, but he is not often untrusted with that role in these big Champions League ties. Most often, he is used on the right flank with some freedom to move inside.
For Premier League clubs scouting him, they will no doubt have pored over dozens of his games in league and continental action, and such is his consistent excellence in the Eredivisie, there is now little to learn from watching him rack up the goal contributions in an obviously inferior league.
Therefore, it’s only natural that most importance will be placed on his Champions League displays. Seeing him as a creative operator, but ultimately still from a wide role has seemingly not convinced any suitors of the highest calibre.
Bayern Munich seemed to sound out his agent for a move as something of Plan C after moves for Callum Hudson-Odoi and Leroy Sane fell through – owing partly to ill-timed injuries – but he could not be much more different than those wide players.
Ziyech is more in the mould of Mesut Ozil, James Rodriguez or Juan Mata, all previously pure, left-footed number tens who have had to play on the sides to be accommodated at times, but were ultimately pushed to the side of their clubs’ plans for the biggest matches.
Not all of the big clubs want genuine wingers, but many do at least want a vertical player who can make runs in-behind defence exactly like Quincy Promes does for Ajax.
If Ziyech is to receive genuine transfer interest from a club which he doesn’t consider to be a step-down, maybe he needs to play centrally again and look to reinvent himself as more of a Bernardo Silva or Angel Di Maria circa 2014. A player who could be awkwardly identified as a half-space number eight or ten.
He still has some way to go to change the perception of himself as a luxury player, though.
It is telling that when Ajax went down to nine men at Stamford Bridge, all of Promes, van de Beek and Dusan Tadic remained on the pitch (despite the latter’s ineffectual display thoughout), but Ziyech was immediately withdrawn.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) says it will no longer pay athletes training grants in foreign currency.
The development came after sprinter, Kayinsola Ajayi, alleged foul play regarding the disbursement of training grants by the Commission.
Head of NSC’s Elite Athletes Development and Podium Board, Yusuf Alli, told Tidesports source on Friday that it was wrong of Ajayi to rubbish the good intention of the NSC, saying: “I have been in athletics for over 40 years now, and this current NSC Board, led by Mallam Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, has done what others could not do. So far, the NSC has spent over N200 million in payment of training grants for athletes ahead the 2026 Commonwealth Games and preparation for Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.”
The NSC sourced the money from the private sector. It has never happened before. “I expected the athletes to encourage the NSC so that it can do more instead of raising unnecessary alarm and making allegations that is capable of discouraging them (NSC) and even the sponsors. It takes good initiative and trust for sports administrators in Nigeria to convince sponsors to donate money for welfare of athletes,” he said.
Speaking further, Alli, whose long jump record of 8.27m set in 1989 (35 years ago) is still unbroken, said: “We have decided that henceforth, all payment of training grants will be in Naira. No more payment of grants in U.S. dollars. We are Nigerians, and everyone knows that the exchange rate is not stable. As at the time Ajayi got his money, the rate of dollars to Naira may have changed
“I expected him to make a call either to myself or anybody in the Elite Board, or even the NSC to find out what happened instead of resorting to such allegation.
“If we make payment in Naira, any athlete who wants to convert his or her money to any foreign currency can tell their people back home to do so. I am sure this will solve the problem. If anybody wants to know how much he is entitled to, he must first of all find out the category that he or she belongs to.”
Alli disclosed that coaches, who train the athletes would soon get their grant. “They train the athletes, and the NSC feel is it not proper to leave them out in payment of grants. We have compiled their names, and very soon, the coaches would get their money,” Alli stated.
The chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye, has directed that a minute’s silence be observed before kick-off at all Matchday 30 fixtures this weekend in honour of former Green Eagles captain Henry Nwosu, following the death of the former midfielder at the age of 62.
In a statement made available to Tidesports source on Saturday, the league body confirmed that the tribute would be held across all matches to recognise the contribution of the former international to Nigerian football.
Elegbeleye described Nwosu’s passing as both a personal loss and a painful moment for the country’s club football community.
Nwosu, who was the youngest member of Nigeria’s squad that won the 1980 African Cup of Nations, died in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja after a brief illness.
The former midfielder had reportedly spent several days in hospital receiving intensive care before his death.
Elegbeleye said the late footballer was more than a colleague within the sport, describing him as someone with whom he had maintained a long-standing personal relationship dating back to his time at the National Sports Commission.
He said the former national team star had remained supportive of him in various moments of his career, including when he was nominated for the Pitch Football Awards.
Reflecting on Nwosu’s legacy, the NPFL chairman said the news represented the loss of a major figure in Nigerian football, noting that the former midfielder distinguished himself not only at club level but also later contributed to the development of the domestic game as a coach.
Elegbeleye said the death of the former international was “the death of a true ambassador of the domestic and national team football because he not only made his mark as a player in league clubs, but he also coached some of the league clubs.”
He added that death remained a submission to the will of God and prayed for the repose of Nwosu’s soul while urging strength for his family as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
Earlier confirmation of the former midfielder’s death came from former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami, who revealed that Nwosu died after spending five days in hospital. Odegbami said the former player passed away at about four o’clock in the morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment in intensive care.
“It is with deep pain in my heart that I have to be the conveyor of the news of the death of Henry Nwosu MON,” Odegbami said.
“After five days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at four o’clock this morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, where he had been in intensive care since Wednesday. May he rest peacefully with our Creator in heaven”.
At the club level, the former international spent most of his career in Nigeria, starring for New Nigeria Bank FC of Benin City and African Continental Bank FC of Lagos during a period when both sides were among the dominant forces in domestic football. His performances later earned him moves abroad, where he also played for ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast and Racing FC Bafoussam of Cameroon.
