Sports

Drogba’s Fitness Worries Ivorian Coach

Published

12 years ago

May 21, 2014

Ivory Coast coach, Sabri
Lamouchi is worried about the fitness of Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba and Lacina Traore.
Midfielder Toure was taken off as Manchester City clinched the English Premier League title last Sunday.
Everton striker Lacina Traore and Galatasaray forward Didier Drogba have only just recovered from injuries.
All three are in Lamouchi’s provisional World Cup squad but he said Toure needs rest, Traore is “a gamble” and Drogba must be closely monitored.
“Lacina Traore is the big question mark. Everyone agrees he is an incredible talent, but this guy played very little this year.
“Yaya will have to rest and recuperate. He didn’t come off because he was tired, he was substituted because he had a small injury. It was due to fatigue,” Lamouchi said.
“We’re hoping that it wasn’t too serious. He’ll need to get treatment. Yaya will need to recuperate from his long season, his busy season.
“With a good World Cup, I think Yaya will be a serious contender for the Ballon d’Or,” Lamouchi added, citing the annual Fifa award for the world’s best player usually awarded in December.
Toure has been crowned African Footballer of the Year for the last three years but lost out to Luis Suarez for the Footballer of the Year prize in England.
“We need a determined Yaya, a Yaya that is physically at 100 percent, psychologically at 100 percent to first of all take us to the second round,” Lamouchi added.
“But it’s clear that if Ivory Coast hopes to go far it will depend upon a successful World Cup from Yaya Toure.”
Lamouchi said Drogba’s recovery from recent groin surgery, carried out in Qatar, was being closely followed.
“Not having him on the pitch is of course worrying for everyone,” Lamouchi said. “Everyone knows the winning, competitive, champion’s spirit that Didier could bring out of the players during the World Cup.”
Lamouchi also explained the decision to include Traore in his provisional 28-man squad, which he announced on Tuesday, even though the forward has been sidelined by a hamstring problem.
“Lacina Traore is the big question mark. Everyone agrees he is an incredible talent, but this guy played very little this year.
“But we are going to need everyone. I had to come up with a list that would allow me a number of options in case some of them have to withdraw.”
The Elephants are due to prepare for the World Cup at a training base in the United States.
At the finals in Brazil they are in Group C, alongside Japan, Colombia and Greece.

Didier Drogba (right) and team mate

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.