Sports
Draws Dominate CAF Champions League Second Round
Defending champion Al Ahly has been held to a fortunate goalless draw by CA Bizerte in their CAF Champions League second round, first-leg encounter in Tunisia on Sunday.
The Egyptians have goalkeeper Sherif Ekrami to thank for the draw after he made a number of fine saves. Bizerte star Larbi Jabeur also had a goal disallowed for a foul on the keeper.
Esperance, who have made the last three Champions League finals, winning in 2011, were also held scoreless by Algerian side JSM Bejaia.
The Tunisians were unfortunate not to get an away goal though as Youcef Belaïli hit the crossbar early on, and when he did have the ball in the back of the net it was ruled out for offside.
Zamalek have it all to do after they could only manage a 1-1 home draw with Ethiopian side St George. Umed Ukuri put the visitors ahead in Cairo, before Abdoulaye Cissé equalised for the White Knights with seven minutes remaining.
Cameroon side CotonSport were in rampant form as they beat Stade Malien 3-0 and might have won by an even greater margin after missing a host of chances.
Promising rising star Yougouda Kada had the home team ahead and the midfielder added a second before halftime. Striker Ismaël Bang made the scoreline more emphatic with 12 minutes to go.
Cote d’Ivoire’s Sewe Sports hold the upper hand after they drew 1-1 with FUS Rabat in Morocco. The host went ahead with 20 minutes to play through Brahim El Bahri, but Kévin Zougoula equalised 10 minutes later for what could be a vital away goal.
Nigeria’s Enugu Rangers were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Recreativo Libolo of Angola, while Congo champions AC Leopards won 3-1 at home to Algerian side Entente Setif.
Orlando Pirates collected perhaps the win of the round of matches though as they beat much-vaunted TP Mazembe 3-1, boosted by a dubious late penalty award that was converted by Collins Mbesuma. The Zambian forward and Nigerian star Onyekachi Okonkwo got the other goals, while Patou Kabangu netted for the Congolese.
The return legs are on the weekend of May 3-5, while the winners qualify for the group phase of the Champions League starting in July and the losers drop down to the African Confederation Cup.
Defending champions Al Ahly have been held to a fortunate goalless draw by CA Bizerte in their CAF Champions League second round, first-leg encounter in Tunisia on Sunday.
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.
-
Featured5 days agoWASSCE: RSG Distributes Science Materials To Secondary Schools
-
News5 days ago
Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Lives More Important Than Foreign Investment – Oshiomhole
-
Rivers5 days ago
MBA Forex Trial Adjourn To June 3, Amid Bereavement … As Court Declines Cost Application
-
News5 days ago
ActionAid Demands Probe Of Govs Using Public Funds For Campaign
-
Aviation5 days ago
Passengers Stranded As Delta Airline From Atlanta Route Back Eight Hours After
-
Business5 days ago
Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice
-
Politics5 days ago
2027: Bayelsa Senator Gets Critical Endorsement For Second Term
-
Politics5 days agoINEC Sets Rivers South-East Senatorial By-Election For June 20