Sports
Ahead CHAN: Warm-Up Victory Impresses Keshi
Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance against Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes in an international friendly.
The match, which ended 2-1 in favour of the Eagles, was played at the Abuja National Stadium last Saturday.
It was to prepare the Super Eagles Team B for the third edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa from January 11 to February 1, 2014.
Keshi told newsmen after the match that he was not bothered about the scoreline but how the players performed.
The Super Eagles opened scoring as early as the fourth minute through Ifeanyi Ede and doubled the lead in the 29th minute with Uzochukwu Ugonna’s goal.
But the Walya Antelopes got their consolatory goal through an own goal from Eagles’ captain and goalkeeper, Chigozie Agbim, in the 81st minute.
“The scoreline is not important for me, but how key the team is in terms of discipline and tactical display, and I am happy with what I saw.
‘’This is because it was just yesterday (Friday) that we did the drills and they could remember it throughout the 90 minutes. So, I am impressed,’’ Keshi said.
The Super Eagles coach added that the team met a good opposition who had been together for a long time.
“Their team (Ethiopia) is a national team and they have been together for a long time and they have experience, because it is the same team we played against in Calabar (during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers last November),’’ Keshi said.
He however noted that the Super Eagles were far from being set for the championship (in South Africa) and they needed to keep working on all departments of their game.
Ethiopia’s coach Sewnet Bishaw was also impressed with his players’ performance, saying ‘’it was a good game for my players and they played nice in spite of the scoreline.
“The purpose of the game was to gain experience and we have gained a lot. This is because both goals scored by the Eagles were from throw-ins.
“So, we have taken that as our mistake and we will have to work on that before the championship starts.
“Also, we will correct the other mistakes we discovered and build a very strong team for CHAN,” Bishaw said.
He expressed optimism that both teams would go far in the championship basically meant for players featuring in their country’s local league.
The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group A of the championship with hosts South Africa, Mali and Mozambique.
Home-based Super Eagles player in aerial contest with a Gokana United FC opponent during one of the Eagles’ friendly matches with the amateur league side at the Gokana Central Stadium ahead of the 2014 CHAN Tournament. Photo: Chris Monyamaga
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.
-
Featured4 days agoWASSCE: RSG Distributes Science Materials To Secondary Schools
-
News4 days ago
Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Lives More Important Than Foreign Investment – Oshiomhole
-
Rivers4 days ago
MBA Forex Trial Adjourn To June 3, Amid Bereavement … As Court Declines Cost Application
-
News4 days ago
ActionAid Demands Probe Of Govs Using Public Funds For Campaign
-
Aviation4 days ago
Passengers Stranded As Delta Airline From Atlanta Route Back Eight Hours After
-
Business4 days ago
Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice
-
Politics4 days ago
2027: Bayelsa Senator Gets Critical Endorsement For Second Term
-
Politics4 days agoINEC Sets Rivers South-East Senatorial By-Election For June 20