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Profiles Of The Glory-Chasing Golden Eaglets

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John Obuh has chosen 21 players to attempt to retain the Fifa Under-17 World Cup trophy for Nigeria, starting today in Abuja.

Here is a pen pix of all 21 glory hunters for the Golden Eaglets.

 

PLAYER PROFILES

NAME: Dami Danjuma PAUL

DATE OF BIRTH: 18/12/1992

CLUB: OUSFORD ACADEMY (NIGERIA)

First choice goalkeeper who showed great poise and agility all through the preparation period.

 

NAME: Aigbe OLIHA

DATE OF BIRTH: 11/02/1993

CLUB: IGBINO BABES FC (NIGERIA)

Defender with great concentration and ability.

 

NAME: Mohammed Goyi ALIYU

DATE OF BIRTH: 12/02/1993

CLUB: NIGER TORNADOES FC (NIGERIA)

Lanky defender who has flair for joining the attack.

 

NAME: Ogenyi Eddy ONAZI

DATE OF BIRTH: 25/12/1992

CLUB: MY PEOPLE FC (NIGERIA)

Talented midfielder who hails from Benue State in the North Central region. Attended Township Primary School, Jos.

 

NAME: Fortune CHUKWUDI

DATE OF BIRTH: 18/11/1992

CLUB: A & B ACADEMY (NIGERIA)

Team captain who defends with resolution. From Mbatoli Local Council of Imo State.

 

NAME: Kenneth Josiah OMERUO

DATE OF BIRTH: 17/10/1993

CLUB: HARD FOUNDATION (NIGERIA)

Lion –hearted defender who attended LEA Primary School, Jabi and hails from Ikwuano Local Council of Abia State.

 

NAME: White George AGWUOCHA

DATE OF BIRTH: 13/01/1993

CLUB: KWARA UNITED FC (NIGERIA)

One of few players in the Nigeria team who has experience from playing in the top division. Midfielder with vision and plenty of action.

 

NAME: Stanley Osaretin OKORO

DATE OF BIRTH: 08/12/1992

CLUB: HEARTLAND FC (NIGERIA)

Nicknamed ‘Little Messi’, another highly –experienced performer, who at his young age was instrumental to Heartland FC of Owerri’s qualification for the prestigious CAF Champions League final.

 

NAME: Abdul Jeleel AJAGUN

DATE OF BIRTH: 10/02/1993

CLUB: DOLPHIN FC (NIGERIA)

Discovered during the annual Shell Cup competition, Ajagun is on the books of Premier League returnees Dolphin FC of Port Harcourt. Visionary midfielder with a good shot.

 

NAME: Olanrewaju Ayobami KAYODE

DATE OF BIRTH: 08/05/1993

CLUB: MARVELLOUS FC (NIGERIA)

Bustling striker who hails from Odo-Owa Local Council of Ekiti State. A fighter in the attack

 

NAME: Terry ENVOH

DATE OF BIRTH: 12/12/1992

CLUB: MIGHTY JETS FC (NIGERIA)

Has useful experience from playing for the crowd –pulling Jos team, which used to be in the top division. Envoh is one of the players being looked upon to deliver this championship to Nigeria.

 

NAME: Chukwujike MGBAM

DATE OF BIRTH: 22/04/1992

CLUB: STANDARD FC ACADEMY (NIGERIA)

Another lion –hearted defender who attended God’s Favour International School and is from Abia State

 

NAME: Omoh OJABU

DATE OF BIRTH: 14/12/1992

CLUB: DOLPHIN FC (NIGERIA)

Ajagun’s team –mate at Dolphin FC. Powerful shooter who scored five in the 14-1 demolition of Qatari Sports Club in a friendly in Doha.

 

NAME: Sani Shehu EMMANUEL

DATE OF BIRTH: 23/12/1992

CLUB: MY PEOPLE FC (NIGERIA)

Attacking midfielder who also loves to defend. Like Ojabu, hails from Etsako Local Council of Edo State

 

NAME: Yusuf Olaitan OTUBANJO

DATE OF BIRTH: 12/09/1992

CLUB: EMMANUEL AMUNIKE ACADEMY (NIGERIA)

Supporting striker who attended Solan Primary School and is from Ijebu-Ode area of Ogun State.

 

NAME: Amos Ossai IZUCHUKWU

DATE OF BIRTH: 09/12/1993

CLUB: TEAM LAGOS (NIGERIA)

One of the goalkeepers, who also showed great agility during preparation.

 

NAME: Obinna Emmanuel OKORO

DATE OF BIRTH: 30/12/1992

CLUB: YOUNG STARS FC (NIGERIA)

Defensive midfielder with great skill and audacity. He hails from Onicha Local Council of Ebonyi State, and attended Town School, Emene.

NAME: Edafe EGBEDI

DATE OF BIRTH: 05/08/1993

CLUB: BISALLO FC (NIGERIA)

Fast–paced winger who is one of Coach Obuh’s aces.

 

NAME: Deji Mayowa JOEL

DATE OF BIRTH: 23/11/1992

CLUB: ECO ACADEMY (NIGERIA)

Good midfielder who distributes well. From Ifelodun Local Council of Kwara State.

 

NAME: Ramon Olamilekan AZEEZ

DATE OF BIRTH: 12/12/1992

CLUB: FUTURE PRO ACADEMY (NIGERIA)

Another talented midfielder, from Iwajowa Local Council of Oyo State.

 

NAME: John FELAGHA

DATE OF BIRTH: 27/07/1994

CLUB: ASPIRE ACADEMY (QATAR)

Young John Felagha attended Kpansia Secondary School, Yenagoa and was discovered by Moses Aduku, then made the cut to be taken to the world–renowned Aspire Academy, Doha after the Nigeria finals in 2007. He joined the Nigeria team when they went for their final preparation camp at Aspire in October.

 

THE TECHNICAL CREW

HEAD COACH: Sam John OBUH

 

ASSISTANT COACH 1: Monday ODIGIE

 

ASSISTANT COACH 2: Abimbola SAMUEL

 

GOALKEEPERS’ TRAINER: Suleiman SHUAIBU

 

TEAM DOCTOR: Charles AGADU

 

TEAM PHYSIOTHERAPIST: Ejike Victor ONYEMEANU

 

TEAM COORDINATOR: Garba LAWAL

 

TEAM SECRETARY: Sirajo HASSAN

 

EQUIPMENT MANAGER: Shehu ADO

 

CAMP COMMANDANT: Oriola MICHAEL

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Football Pundit Lauds Chelle’s Effort In Monitoring Nigeria League Players

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A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.

Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.

“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”

He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.

“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”

“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.

“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.

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LGA Boss Pledges To Reintroduce School Sports 

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The chairman of the Khana Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, Bariere Thomas, has revealed that plans are underway to commence school sports at the primary and secondary school levels in the area.
According to him, school sports that were primarily used to discover young talents had become a thing of the past, adding that one of the ways to discover young talents is to organize programs that will expose talents at the grassroots level.
Thomas said this on Saturday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after a novelty football match between Khana All-Stars and council appointees.
The match was held to mark the birthday of Felix Ibor, the Supervisor for Education in Khana LGA, at the Bori Police Station field.
The LGA boss reiterated that organizing competitive sporting events in primary and secondary schools is one of the best ways to bring out the best in young people and help to achieve their potential.
“What we are doing in the Khana Local Government Area is to consolidate on the sports we know, which are wrestling, cycling, football, and others,” he said.
He added that he is concerned about the competitive nature of wrestling on the global stage; at Khana LGA, for instance, they are focusing on how to consolidate the sports they know more about.
Thomas described Felix Ibor as an academic whom he has known and worked with since before he became LGA chairman.
He commended both teams for the novelty match, saying that it was held to celebrate Ibor’s birthday.
Ibor thanked the chairman and both teams for celebrating with him, and he prayed that God would also bless them.
Meanwhile, Ibor also presented a set of Jessy to the chairman for the council team.
Kiadum Edookor
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Ezechukwu Eyes Double Gold In African Champs

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Teenage Nigerian sprinter Miracle Ezechukwu has set her sights on winning both the 100m and 4x100m relay titles at the 24th African Athletics Championships in Accra, while also targeting a new personal best in the process, Tidesports source.

Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.

The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.

“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.

“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.

Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.

She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.

“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.

The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.

Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.

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