Sports
Flying Eagles: Obuh Optimistic Despite Defeat
Flying Eagles coach, John Obuh has pledged that his team would live up to expectations at the 2013 AYC after the team lost 2-1 to Esperance in a warm-up match.
Obuh made the remarks in a statement signed by the team’s Media Officer, Samm Audu in Abuja.
The team had lost its first game to its Tunisian U20 counterparts 2-0 last Thursday.
“The result was again not what we expected, but the performance of the team has reassured us we will be the team to beat in Algeria.
“It was a good game but we have to work on our goal scoring ability, and I expect the players not to lose their composure even after the referee made some bad calls.
“All the same, I believe in this team, we have worked very hard, and we will continue to work even harder to ensure the best for Nigeria,” it said..
The statement noted that the Flying Eagles created the best chances in a goalless first half, and would again have to blame their finishing for not going ahead in this test game.
It said that Christian Pyabara had an effort blocked by goalkeeper Wassim Naouara from inside the box after 27 minutes and in the 35th minute.
It said that skipper Abduljaleel Ajagun failed to make the most of a free header right inside the box.
“The biggest chance of the first period fell to Pyabara, but he somehow shot over the bar after a great work from the left by Alhaji Gero.
“Esperance took the lead in the 50th minute after goalkeeper Jonah Usman failed to clear the ball and in the ensuing melee Lampjed Chehoudi fired home.’’
It added that the Tunisian champions doubled their advantage two minutes later when Kingsley Madu committed a foul inside the penalty box.
According to the statement, Nigeria’s midfielder Moses Orkuma was sent off for retaliation in the 59th minute.
However, substitute Umar Aminu pulled a goal back for the African youth champions in the 67th minute after a flowing team play.
It said that the Flying Eagles finished stronger as they continued to fight for the equaliser, but Esperance held out to barely shade a hard-fought encounter.
The Tide source reports that the Flying Eagles are slated to play two more friendly matches before hitting Algeria for the 2013 AYC in Algeria.
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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