Sports
Odemwingie’s Form Excites Keshi
Nigeria’s coach,
Stephen Keshi is pleased at Osaze Odemwingie’s recent form, but says it may still not be enough to win the forward a place in the World Cup squad.
Odemwingie is enjoying a rebirth at Stoke City and appears to have mellowed since a public spat with the coach after he was left out of the 2013 African Nations Cup squad.
“I am happy that Osaze is scoring for his club and he is now back to regular action, but that is not enough for me to call him up to the World Cup team,” Keshi said.
“What most Nigerians don’t understand is that this team is not about a player, but about the team. No player is a boss in the team. All the players are equal. I don’t want to invite a player that would unsettle the team’s chemistry and unity.”
Keshi also addressed the clamour for the recall of Ike Uche.
“How come some Nigerians keep talking about Uche and Odemwingie only? Are they the only players doing well that have not been invited? How about Lulman Haruna and Babatunde Michael? Why are people not talking about them?
“One thing we must know is that it’s only the best we will pick for the World Cup. But we will not do is pick players who want to lord themselves on other players in the team.”
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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