Sports
Nigerians Renew Calls For New Eagles Coach
Following Super Eagles’ loss to Syli Stars of Guinea in Sunday’s Nations Cup qualifier, some football enthusiasts have renewed the call for a competent coach for the team.
Some of the enthusiasts told newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday that it was high time a competent coach was appointed.
Mr Gabriel Abakpa, an Asokoro resident, said that it was time to end the gimmick in the appointment of Samson Siasia as the substantive coach for the Super Eagles.
“Let’s get someone who understands the mentality of the local players to handle the team and build a structure for our football.
“In my opinion, Samson Siasia possesses all these qualities to take us to the next level; he can do it, he took us to the Olympics and made us proud,” Abakpa said.
He faulted the tactics of coach Austin Eguavoen for the team’s defeat in last Sunday’s game in Conakry.
“I believe that if the coach was technically sound enough he could have effected changes that would have turned the game around in Nigeria’s favour.
“So it still could be blamed on the coach because he didn’t know what to do at a particular time; his over-reliance on certain players had no impact on the team,” he added.
He, however, said Nigerian football needed a total overhaul for the country to regain its lost glory.
“Once they build a structure for the Super Eagles, I can tell you that our football will get to the next level,’’ he said.
On his part, Ossom Raphael, another Abuja resident, said the technical crew of the team was not effective in the game.
He said a change would be the best thing, but advised the authorities to be cautious about it.
“I think it’s high time we did something about our coach; I feel we should go for one with class, not necessarily a foreign coach, we can make do with a local coach,” he said.
Ossom, however, said the football house could not be entirely absolved of blame over the dismal performance in Conakry on Sunday.
“I think the crisis rocking the football house contributed to the performance of the Super Eagles in Conakry last Sunday; it also affected them psychologically,” he said.
Mr Jacob Nimzing, a sports journalist in Abuja, said that it was time to give the home-based players a chance in the new team.
“I believe the home-based players can do better if they are encouraged, particularly if they are camped for a good time, and with the right technical inputs they can deliver,” he said.
The Tidesports source reports that the Super Eagles trail Guinea in second position with three points from two matches in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
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.
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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