Sports

Odegbami Unfulfilled Not Playing In W’Cup

Published

5 years ago

November 9, 2020

Ex-international, Segun Odegbami, says he feels unfulfilled not playing at football’s showpiece event, the FIFA World Cup, despite getting close to qualification twice.
Odegbami, regarded as one of Africa’s best footballing talents, guided the country to its first-ever Africa Cup of Nations triumph in 1980 and emerged the tournament’s joint-top scorer with three goals.
He also won three Nigerian Premier League championships (1976, 1980 and 1983), two FA Cup titles (1977 and 1979), and one African Cup Winners Cup medal in 1976.
However, amid the successes, the Mathematical, as he is fondly called, has over the years silently nursed the agony of not attending a single World Cup tournament.
“Missing out of the World Cup and not featuring at that level is very painful,” the 68-year-old, Odegbami said.
“It is even more painful because we had the opportunity twice, but on both occasions, we couldn’t.
“We knew it was important to go to the World Cup, but if we had realised the enormity the way we know today, we would have done everything possible to ensure that we went.”
Truly, Odegbami and his teammates were close to qualifying for the 1978 and 1982 World Cups but inexplicably failed on both occasions in the final qualification games.
In the first instance, the Green Eagles, as the national team was then known, needed a draw versus Tunisia in Lagos in their last qualification game to seal a spot at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
Having held the Tunisians 0-0 in their first fixture, expectations were high.
But it was the North Africans that triumphed 1-0 courtesy of defender Godwin Odiye’s 61st minute own goal in front of stunned fans inside the National Stadium, Lagos.
On the second occasion, the Eagles were battered 4-1 on aggregate by an Algerian side inspired by mercurial duo Lakhdar Belloumi and Rabah Madjar.
More shocking was the Eagles 2-0 defeat in the first leg in Lagos.
Odegbami said poor decisions by the administrators and the coaching crew cost the country and the players the chances of featuring at football’s biggest event on both occasions
“Failure to qualify for the 1978 World Cup had nothing to do with the performances of the players, but with the administrators, whose last-minute decisions did not favour the team,” the former Shooting Stars forward added.
“They increased the gate fees for the last match against Tunisia and there were less than 3,000 people inside the stadium following a massive protest against the administrators.
“For the first time ever, our own fans booed us and supported the Tunisians. We ended up losing that game 1-0 and there was silence everywhere because all we needed was a draw.
“Also in 1981, with just a match to go, the coach allowed the administrators to influence his decision and took the game for granted by replacing the bulk of the players that had taken us that far.”
Odegbami believes his inability to feature at the Mundial also cost him the opportunity to be crowned the CAF African Footballer of the Year during his playing days.
“I feel unfulfilled not to have played at the World Cup. If I had gone to either of the two or both World Cups or played in the final of the CAF Champions League, I would have been named Africa’s best player very easily, but those two events stopped that in my career.”

Sports

IAUE VC Football Cup Final Holds In PH, Wed

Published

3 days ago

September 13, 2025

The Tide

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, in Rivers State, will be at the centre stage on Wednesday as the VC Cup final, both male and female categories will be played at the prestigious Stadium in the school.

The both final matches promises to be exciting, as arrangements have been concluded to watch one of the best VC football Cup finals in the history.

VC Cup tournament is an annual sporting event that involves all students in various facilities.

According to the Chief coach of the University football team, David Egbiri, the female will final will kick off 2pm between faculty of Human Kinetics and Management Sciences, while the male will kick off by 4pm between Social Science and Natural Applied Science

Egbiri, who was former coach of Abiola Babe FC and Concord FC, lauded the Vice Chancellor. Prof. Okechukwu Onuchukwu for releasing funds on sports development, saying that he has never also failed the School in terms of infrastructural development.

“The VC who is also a sports personality has not failed to release funds for this tournament, apart from that he has not also disappointed in terms of developing the school in all ramifications.

“I want to say that my major reason for accepting to coach the school football team is to develop the youth through sports”, Coach Egbiri said.

The former Eagle Cement Coach, explained that he was not encouraged the way and manner the young ones are going about sports because there is no discipline and so much quest for quick money.

” Honestly, the way young players are looking money was just too much. Looking for short cuts always to make money that is more reason some of them don’t go far and end up badly

” In our days we first of all think about how to make name and we are passionate about it. I went to school and saw myself in sports, while my initial intention was to read electrical engineering” he stated.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Gov. Decries Delta’s Poor Performance At 2025 NYG

Published

4 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

Pix: Team Delta State

The Delta State Sports Commission has come under scrutiny following the state’s disappointing performance at the just-concluded National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, where Lagos dethroned Delta to clinch top spot.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, visibly displeased with both the poor outing of Team Delta and the organizational lapses witnessed during the Games, summoned an emergency meeting with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) immediately after the closing ceremony.

Delta, which had dominated the NYG by finishing first in the last eight editions, only managed second place this time — a result the governor described as “totally unacceptable,” especially given the state’s significant investment in the event.

According to a reliable source privy to the meeting, Governor Oborevwori expressed deep disappointment, stressing that his administration had provided all necessary support to the Sports Commission and the LOC to ensure Delta retained its traditional top position.

In a decisive move, the governor demoted his Executive Assistant on Sports and former Director-General of the Sports Commission, Festus Owhojero, under whose leadership the Games were organized. Owhojero was reassigned from Executive Assistant (EA) to Senior Special Assistant (SSA) with immediate effect.

The governor’s action, our source revealed, reflects his zero-tolerance stance on incompetence and underperformance within his administration. Mr. Owhojero thus becomes the first high-profile casualty of the governor’s resolve to reposition sports in Delta State.

Furthermore, Oborevwori directed the Sports Commission and LOC officials to submit a detailed report on the Games, outlining what went wrong and providing recommendations for improvement. The governor emphasized the need for urgent reforms to restore Delta’s dominance, especially as the state is set to host the next edition of the Games under an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Sports

WCQ: NFF Denies Post Match Statement

Published

4 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

Pix: Super Eagles players in celebration mood.

The Nigeria Football Federation has distanced itself from a post-match statement that criticised some Super Eagles players following the team’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The statement, issued by the NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, singled out forward Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong for criticism.

It accused Dessers of being sluggish and faulted Ekong for the own goal that gave Bafana Bafana the lead.

However, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said on Wednesday that the statement did not represent the official position of the Federation.

“I saw the release just like everyone else did. Nobody in the Federation is happy with it,” Sanusi said.

“The NFF did not authorise that statement. We have great respect for all the players. Blaming an individual for a team result is unfair.”

He added that the Federation regards the South Africa match as a collective effort and will not support attempts to scapegoat any player.

“When we win, it’s a team victory. When we lose, it’s also collective. No player should be singled out,” Sanusi said.

He described the targeted criticism of Troost-Ekong as unjustified, noting that the defender had previously been celebrated as the Most Valuable Player at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.

“It was an unfortunate own goal. His intention was to clear the ball. Anyone who knows football understands that such things happen,” he said..

Sanusi also expressed confidence in the team’s unity, revealing that efforts were ongoing to regroup and refocus ahead of the remaining qualifiers and AFCON.

“Our house is in order. We’re preparing for the rest of the qualifiers and the AFCON in Morocco,” he said.

“There’s no problem with our players or coaching crew. Our relationship remains cordial. The government and the NFF are proud of the players’ efforts.”

The Federation had initially praised Calvin Bassey for his equalising goal and lamented the team’s failure to convert second-half chances.

But Sanusi made it clear that internal disciplinary action would be taken over the unauthorised release.

“I can assure you the NFF will take action on the matter,” he said.

Nigeria currently sit third in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers with 11 points from eight matches. South Africa lead the group with 17 points.

The Super Eagles must now win their remaining games against Lesotho and Benin Republic and hope other results go their way to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.