Sports
Amodu Gets Commendation, Retains Eagles Job
Much-maligned Nigeria coach Shuaibu Amodu received some cheering news on Wednesday when the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation passed a resolution to retain him, along with his technical staff.
Despite guiding the Super Eagles to World Cup qualification ahead of Tunisia, Amodu has had to face up to constant calls for him to be replaced by a ‘foreign Technical Adviser’.
Critically however, he has continued to receive the backing of the NFF top brass, and on Wednesday, that position was made unequivocally official following a meeting in Abuja.
“The NFF Executive Committee commended all the Super Eagles’ players and Members of technical crew for the honour done Nigeria with the World Cup ticket,” the Communiqué after the board meeting read.
“The Committee also unanimously adopted the position of its technical sub –committee and the Coaches Association of Nigeria, which on Tuesday, 24th November, 2009 recommended that Members of the Super Eagles’ technical crew should be kept in their post for the African Nations Cup Angola 2010 and FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010.”
The board also approved Amodu’s proposal to start camping of the Super Eagles for the African Nations Cup in Namibia from December 28.
This news will come as welcome relief to Amodu, but will by no means completely reassure him, as the main protagonists for a foreign coach are the Presidential Task Force, set up by NigeriaN President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to help ensure World Cup qualification.
The group appearS to have the backing of the Presidency in their quest to make that appointment, and although a member of the PTF told Tidesports’ source that the body will respect the wishes of the NFF, it is not clear if this declaration will mean the end of the search.
Sports
Iwobi Optimistic On S’Eagles Qualification
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
Sports
ATLANTICBELL CEO ADVICE SPORTS WRITERS ON SPECIALIZATION
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
Sports
DEPUTY PRESIDENT EXPRESSES COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT SPORTS DEV, SWAN
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