Sports
Mikel, 15 Others Hit Eagles Camp
Golden Eaglets captain, Musa Yahaya (left) in action against Iran, recently.
John Mikel Obi is among the Super Eagles players that have arrived Calabar for the November 16 World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes at the U. J. Esuene Stadium.
The Super Eagles Media Officer, Mr Ben Alaiya, said this yesterday in an interview with newsmen in Calabar.
According to him, flight hitches have delayed some of the invited players who are already in Nigeria from arriving in the Calabar camp of the Super Eagles.
He, however, said alternative arrangements were being made to enable the players connect flights to Calabar from Lagos and Abuja.
“The players who are already in the camp include Mikel Obi, Bright Dike, John Ogu, and James Okwuosa. All the home-based players are in camp.
“It is a normal process that players would not all arrive the camp at the same time, but arrangements are in place to welcome the super eagles today (Tuesday).
“There is no cause for alarm as all the players will arrive camp for the first training session at 4 p.m today, at the U. J Esuene Stadium.
“There is no closing time yet for camping, as some of the players are still being expected for the team to be in full preparation for the match on Saturday,” he said.
Alaiya urged soccer fans to support the Super Eagles, adding that by God’s grace the team would get the ticket for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The Super Eagles had defeated the Ethiopians 2-1 in the first leg of the play-offs in Addis Ababa a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, coach Stephen Keshi has expressed shock that only 15 out of the 25 invited players turned up for the opening day of training yesterday.
The Super Eagles began preparations for the second leg of their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar, and Keshi was not pleased at the turnout.
“I am not happy at all,” he told newsmen. “We talked about this and everyone was expected to be here today.
“But maybe because of flight issues, some people are not here and it will destabilise our programme.”
With Nosa Igiebor ruled out with injury, Keshi expected to see 24 players in Calabar yesterday afternoon.
And the former captain warned that Wednesday was cut-off date.
“Anybody who is not here by today training, is out,” he said.
Skipper Vincent Enyeama and midfielder John Mikel Obi led a posse of early birds in.
The rest included the likes of Victor Moses, Bright Dike, Austin Ejide and Elderson Echiejile, who joined the team at the stadium, where he had a heart to heart talk with Keshi.
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.
-
Featured3 days agoWASSCE: RSG Distributes Science Materials To Secondary Schools
-
News3 days ago
Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Lives More Important Than Foreign Investment – Oshiomhole
-
Rivers3 days ago
MBA Forex Trial Adjourn To June 3, Amid Bereavement … As Court Declines Cost Application
-
News3 days ago
ActionAid Demands Probe Of Govs Using Public Funds For Campaign
-
Aviation3 days ago
Passengers Stranded As Delta Airline From Atlanta Route Back Eight Hours After
-
Business3 days ago
Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice
-
Politics3 days ago
2027: Bayelsa Senator Gets Critical Endorsement For Second Term
-
Politics3 days agoINEC Sets Rivers South-East Senatorial By-Election For June 20