Sports
Sharks Storm Abidjan For Crucial Tie
Sharks would seek to consolidate on their ambition to lift the West African Inter-Club competition this weekend, if they consolidate on their winning strategy this weekend.
The Port Harcourt based side is in Ivory Coast for a crucial clash against Stella FC and a draw in Abidjan could see them eliminating the home team.
Sharks had penultimate weekend secured a comfortable 5-0 win over the Stella FC with a convincing display that had left pundits concluding that the second leg might just be a stroll in the pack.
Already officials and players of the team who had camped in the beautiful city of Calabar are upbeat that they would do the Rivers State and the country proud by building on their victory.
Sharks only escaped relegation last season and their form in the continent had continued to surprise followers.
With players such as Odinga Odinga, Thankgod Amaefule, Terry Envoh, Bright Ejike and prolific scorer Victor Ezeji in their right elements, the team would have no problems away.
According to the media officer of the team, Idaa Confidence, the team is in the right mood and have been training hard, adding that they are not taking their opponents for granted.
He said the players are conscious of the fact that they are carrying the flag of Nigeria, have vowed do every thing to bring smiles to the faces of Nigerians.
Idaa said, “Sharks is the team to beat in this competition, we have scored the highest number of goals in this tournament. The team is blended now.
We are set to eliminate Stella FC of Abidjan and you know we are the only Nigeria’s club remaining on the continent . We’ll compound Stella’s problems in Abidjan. Our players are in great form, ready to take on any opponent”, he said.
Akonte Samuel
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.
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.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.