Sports
Enyimba FC Debunk Report On Uche’s Transfer
Enyimba International FC has described the reported transfer of Nigeria midfielder Henry Uche to Turkish club Bursaspor as ‘illegal’, saying the player is still contracted to them.
The player has reportedly agreed a deal with the Turkish club, after claiming his one-year contract with Enyimba had lapsed, but the Aba club disputes the claim.
Expressing shock at what they described as “illegal transfer of their player”, the club in a press statement signed by chairman Felix Anyasi Agu stated that, “Such a blatant disregard to the rules of player transfer is one we find unlawful and totally unacceptable.
“It amazes us that no formal approach was made to us and yet the player has been allowed to travel abroad in an attempt to sign contracts with a new club.”
The club went on to say that the player was in fact registered for the on-going domestic football season-2012/2013-but has not returned to the former premier league champions since December last year when he was invited to the Super Eagles camp ahead of the African Nations Cup in South Africa.
“He has one more year of his contract left with us, and we will tender documents appended with his signature when the time comes,” media officer of the club Farriel Allaputa told newsmen.
When asked why the club was only just speaking up since the player disappeared seven months ago, he replied: “We have called him several times to return to the club, spoken to his representatives and also cried out, but to our greatest shock, even the player denies he has a year left on his contract with us.”
And the Enyimba statement goes on to sound a warning to Uche’s prospective clubs
“We warn that any persons involved in the unauthorised sale of Henry Uche must stop forthwith, any further transaction with the said player and facilitate his return to Nigeria with immediate effect.
“We shall deem any further failure to deal with us directly in the transfer of the player as a clear violation of Fifa Regulations on player transfer and petition any persons or organisations involved to the world football governing body for swift disciplinary actions.”
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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