Obuh Banks On S’African Tourney For New F’ Eagles

Published

14 years ago

April 25, 2012

Head coach of the Flying Eagles, John Obuh, has described as a major setback the inability of players in the U-17 team to move into the national U-20 team.

Obuh told newsmen last week in Abuja that the forthcoming Eight-Nation Invitational Tournament in South Africa would be used to assess the players in new squad.

The tournament in Cape Town is scheduled to hold between May 24 and June 3, with Nigeria’s Flying Eagles defending the title won in the 2010 inaugural edition.

“As it is now the only thing we can do is to make sure that we use every competition that we participate in to assess the players to select the ones we will be able to groom together.

“And that is why we are looking forward to this South Africa game; probably after about two or three games we will be able to asses them very well,’’ he said.

The coach said that he was not expecting too much from the team for now, adding that the game would enable the players to test their ability in a competitive match.

“When we start raising an entirely new team like this, the thing that will be on the technical crews’ mind is the possibility of getting what you need from the new players.

“Once you find out that they have the understanding of the game, their coordination is good, they have the necessary skills and they are coachable, then you can pick up from there.

“Definitely it would have been better if we had at least about eight or 10 that played together in the U- 17 team,’’ Obuh said.

He said the performance of the present crop of players in the team during the trial matches would determine whether there would be any addition or subtraction from the squad.

The coach allayed the fears of clubs that the players might not be released to honour club assignments, saying that playing for their clubs was also good exposure

Arsenal Want Osimhen To Take Pay Cut

Published

16 hours ago

August 24, 2026

The Tide

Arsenal want Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, to accept a reduction in his wage demands as a condition for completing a move to the Emirates before the summer transfer window closes.

The Gunners remain hopeful of landing the Nigeria international, with manager Mikel Arteta keen to strengthen his attacking options after failing to convince Atletico Madrid to sell Julian Alvarez, who is said to prefer a move to Barcelona over a return to the Premier League.

According to sources, Arsenal have held direct talks over a deal for Osimhen but are unwilling to make an excessive contract offer, leaving any potential agreement dependent on the striker’s willingness to compromise on his salary.

The 27-year-old currently earns in excess of €20 million (£17.1m) annually at Galatasaray, a figure Arsenal are said to be unwilling to match. Negotiating a fee could prove another obstacle, with Galatasaray president, Dursun Ozbek, insisting the striker is not for sale, a stance underlined by the club’s rejection of a €130 million (£111m) offer from Saudi Pro League side, Al-Hilal, earlier this month.

Having missed out on Osimhen, Al-Hilal reportedly turned their attention to Aston Villa striker, Ollie Watkins, only for their latest £45 million approach to also be rejected, further highlighting the difficulty clubs are facing in prising top forwards away from their current sides this summer.

Despite the ongoing speculation over his future, Osimhen has enjoyed a strong start to the season in Turkey.

He scored twice and provided an assist in Galatasaray’s 4-0 away win over Erzurumspor on Friday, having also netted twice in a 2-2 draw with Corum FK. The forward is expected to continue leading the line for the Turkish champions as Arsenal await his decision on a possible switch to the Premier League.

Arsenal began their Premier League title defence with a convincing victory against newly promoted Coventry City at Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta ended the club’s 22-year wait for a league title last season – and with a faultless display against Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues in their opener, his team reminded the rest of the league why they are favourites to retain the crown.

First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put the reigning champions firmly in control, and captain Martin Odegaard added a third soon after the restart to seal a comfortable win on the opening day of the campaign.

Arsenal began their Premier League title defence with a convincing victory against newly promoted Coventry City at Emirates Stadium.

Sports

PH TO HOST NPBL PLAYOFFS

Published

17 hours ago

August 24, 2026

The Tide

Port Harcourt has been confirmed as the host city for the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Playoffs for a fourth straight year, following a slight schedule adjustment by the League Management Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

Originally slated for Aug. 22–29, the Playoffs (Phase 3) will now run from 29 August to 6 September at the Basketball Stadium, 59 Niger Street, Port Harcourt Township, Rivers State.

In a communiqué issued on 21 August 2026 by NBBF Vice-President and League Chairman Babatunde Ogunade alongside Secretary-General Amina Amanchi, the federation commended the qualifying teams for their professionalism and performance thus far.

Per the updated schedule, participating teams are expected to arrive on 29 August for pre-tournament technical meetings, with competitive action running from 30 August through 5 September, while team departures take place a day later.

The eight-team, round-robin tournament features four qualifiers from the Atlantic Conference—Rivers Hoopers, Maktown Flyers, Hoops & Read, and Lagos Raptors—alongside Savannah Conference representatives Aso Sky Hawks, 313 Warriors, Gboko City Chiefs, and Kano Pillars.

The selection of Port Harcourt re-establishes Rivers State as a central venue for elite domestic basketball in Nigeria and once again brings the action closer to the teeming fans, following a successful staging of the playoffs and Final Four at the same venue last year.

Sports

Nigerian Keepers Show Impressive Forms In Europe

Published

17 hours ago

August 24, 2026

The Tide

Nigerian goalkeepers Arthur Okonkwo and Maduka Okoye both delivered impressive performances for their respective clubs over the weekend, with Okonkwo inspiring a debut win for Charlton Athletic and Okoye earning Udinese a point in Serie A.

Okonkwo produced a man-of-the-match display on his Charlton debut, making eight saves as the Championship side beat West Ham 2-1 in the EFL on Saturday. The 24-year-old joined Charlton on a season-long loan from Wrexham just 48 hours before the match, but showed no signs of unfamiliarity, marshalling his backline with composure to frustrate West Ham’s attackers throughout the encounter.

Okonkwo’s move follows his departure from Wrexham, who opted not to include him in their plans for the new campaign despite his contribution to the club’s playoff push last season, in which he made 39 appearances, recorded 114 saves and kept nine clean sheets.

Meanwhile, in Italy, Okoye made five crucial saves to help Udinese hold Cesc Fabregas’s Champions League-bound Como to a 1-1 draw in their Serie A opener, earning the first point of their campaign after a tenth-place finish last season.

Udinese took the lead in the 29th minute through Hassane Kamara, who lifted the ball over goalkeeper Jean Butez after latching onto a weighted pass inside the box.

Como responded early in the second half when Anastasios Douvikas turned in a rebound from close range to level matters.

Okoye, who had earned praise from his manager for keeping a clean sheet in the Coppa Italia, could do nothing to prevent the equaliser but was otherwise at his best, making five saves to ensure Udinese avoided defeat in their opening home fixture of the season

The performances of both goalkeepers will be a welcome boost for Nigeria, with Okonkwo continuing to build his profile in English football and Okoye reaffirming his importance to Udinese following his return to the club.