Sports
Sharks Underline Title Credentials
Sharks FC underlined
their ambition as credible title contenders with a breathtaking performance that saw them hold Sunshine Stars to a 3-3 draw in a Week 13 game of the Glo Premier League in Akure over the weekend.
The hosts commenced proceedings in enterprising fashion as they searched for an early goal that would help ease off some of the pressure from the ever-demanding home fans.
Sharks goalkeeper Isah Danladi was called into action early on as he had to parry out a close-range free-kick in the fourth minute to keep the scores even.
Oghogho Oduokpe then had a chance to put Sunshine in front two minutes later, but the former Enugu Rangers forward wasted the chance.
Angolah and Dele Olorundare also missed chances to put Sunshine in front, but the hosts were made to pay for these misses in the 27th minute when Christian Pyagbara skipped past his markers to send in a low cross which was tapped in by an onrushing Ifeanyi Inyam.
Sunshine equalised from the spot before the interval through Oduokpe, and took the lead in the 48th minute through another spot-kick by Oduokpe after a Sharks player handled the ball inside the box.
A header from Pyagbara nearly evened the scores for the vistors, but Godwin Ayalogu’s acrobatic save denied the former Flying Eagles star.
The hosts would eventually extend their lead moments later through Alaba Adeniyi, who capitalised on a defensive mix up in the Sharks defence.
Chima Akas pulled a goal back for Sharks in the 65th minute to offer them the chance to make a comeback, and Frederick Obomate stuck to the script when he scored an equaliser in the 73rd minute to ensure the visitors from Port Harcourt not only went home with a point, but also remained top of the table.
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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