Sports

2014 World Cup: Coaches Laud Keshi’s 23-Man List

Published

11 years ago

June 4, 2014

Some football coaches in
the country have expressed satisfaction with the Super Eagles’ 23-man list coach Stephen Keshi has submitted for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The list was released by the head coach, Stephen Keshi, late last Monday in Philadelphia, the U.S. where the team is camping.
The coaches, who spoke, yesterday in Abuja, said the list was not a bad one considering the quality of the players.
Keshi had reduced from 30 to 23 the list of players who would represent Nigeria at the World Cup competition in Brazil.
The list comprised three goalkeepers, eight defenders, five midfielders and seven attackers.
Coach Peter Dedevbo of the national under-20 female team said there was nothing wrong in the list and that most of them were regular players Keshi had used previously.
“I do not see anything wrong in the list, because the players are regulars in the team, except for a few of them he deemed fit to call.
“I think Keshi brought in the new faces which he discovered could be instrumental to the success of the Super Eagles in Brazil.
“For those who were dropped, he has his reasons which are best known to him. Because he (Keshi) wants to succeed and will love to go with the best legs, so he won’t work against himself.
“And for those he selected, I am confident they will not disappoint Nigerians,’’ Dedevbo said.
Also, a former Assistant Coach of the national under-20 male team, Abimbola Samuel, said he believed that the team would excel with the calibre of players selected.
He said the list was a manifestation of developing youth football in the country with the inclusion of three former under-17 players.
“Coach Keshi knows what he wants and he has been given the opportunity to make the selection, so we must respect his decision.
“I am exceedingly happy that our youth football is paying off now, seeing three former under-17 players, Ramon Azeez, Kenneth Omeruo and Ogenyi Onazi making the trip to Brazil.
“In all, I am satisfied with the list and I wish them the best,’’ Samuel said.
In his reaction, Abdullatif Yusuf, a goalkeeper trainer in the national under-17 female team, said the players were the best the coach could pick.
“I am sure that all the players picked in the different departments are the best Keshi could pick and expect to give us results.
“They are young players and the coach has seen them all, and he cannot select players who will not give him results because he will not want to fail.
“He has seen them all and I am sure he picked them based on what they can deliver in line with his philosophy of play,’’ he said.
Similarly, Erasmus Onuh, a former coach of Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) FC, said he was sure that Keshi made the selection based on merit and what the players could deliver.
“He has the exclusive right to make the selection and I am sure he did that on merit.
“We have seen players who performed excellently in their clubsides, but did not live up to expectations in the national team.
“So, the players he picked are the best players we can present at the World Cup and they are as good as the coach himself,’’ Onuh said.
Super Eagles have been drawn in the first round Group F against Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina for the 32-team tournament starting on June 12.
Nigeria will face Iran in their first group match on June 16, with the second match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 21 and the final group match against Argentina on June 25.

See list on back page.

Sports

New W.W. Whyte Tournament Focuses On Talent Discovery – Engr. Alabere

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2025

The Tide

The Chairman of Grassroots Initiative, Engr. Promise Alabere has reiterated that the New W.W. Whyte Secondary Football Tournament was to discover hidden players from the grassroots and groom them to stardom.

He stated that the his organisation is partnering with the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) for the football tournament, adding that in the first edition 32 players were discovered and NDDC, and his organisation are to fixing them into various clubs.

Engr. Alabere said this while briefing sports journalists last Tuesday, in Port Harcourt, and expressed optimism that the second edition which have 22 secondary schools participating would be exciting and impressive.

” The essence of this tournament is to catch them young because in the 1980s and 1990s most of the players that played for NNPC, Sharks and other big clubs in the country were discovered through this competition.

” Even me I was a product of the W.W. Whyte tournament, as I started playing for the Nigerian Police football club when I was in class four. But this competition stopped about 20 years when two schools resort to bloody clash during one of their games.

According to him the second edition expanded to schools in six Local Government Areas, saying that it will be better than the previous in terms of organisation and others.

“We want to make this edition more exciting and beneficial to all participating schools because the first edition was on experiment but this edition is no longer an experiment” he stated.

The Chairman of Grassroots Initiative,used the forum to advice all participating schools to conduct themselves in a good manner and adhere to rules of the competition.

He equally thanked NDDC for being its major sponsor of the tournament.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Hoopers Ready For NPBL Title Defence – Captain

Published

4 days ago

November 18, 2025

The Tide

Rivers Hoopers captain Victor Anthony Koko has said that his team is mentally ready for the challenge of retaining their Nigeria Premier Basketball League title when the 2025 season Final Four phase holds from November 21 – 23 in Port Harcourt, Tidesports source reports.
The Kings Men, who won back-to-back NPBL titles in 2023 and 2024 unbeaten, are chasing their seventh title.
They will be up against Lagos Legends, Gboko City Chiefs, and Nigeria Customs, as they hope to retain the title they won last year and also pick the ticket to next year’s Basketball Africa League.
Following the conclusion of the Final Eight earlier this month, the KingsMen have had time to fine-tune preparations ahead of their title defence at the Final Four, with the skipper stating that he and his teammates are fully prepared to retain the championship.
“This time around, everyone is ready; everyone is mentally ready. We understand what is at stake, so we need to go all out. And right now, with the level of energy I’ve seen from my team during practice, I don’t think we’re going to be a team that just wants to have fun [on the court]. We’re a championship-winning team, and we want to retain that championship,” he stressed.
Koko has won the league seven times in his career, and he is looking to help the Port Harcourt club reach its height.
“I want us to win the 2025 NPBL title. It’s on my mind, day and night: Hoopers Champions. And I’m assuring our fans that we’re not going to let them down. It’s happening here in Port Harcourt, and we’re going to make them proud.”

Sports

Barau Beat Rangers To Move Out Of Relegation Zone

Published

4 days ago

November 18, 2025

The Tide

Nigeria Premier Football League newcomers, Barau FC have zoomed out of the drop zone after they defeated Rangers International FC 2-0 on Sunday in a rescheduled tie played in Kano.
The Maliya Boys got their goals through Muhammed Umar and Joseph Kemin in the 26th and 76th minutes to record their third win of the season
They have moved to the 16th spot with 13 points from 12 games but the loss by the Flying Antelopes see them slid to the seventh spot with 19 points from 13 games.
The home win is no doubt a relief to Barau FC head coach, Ladan Bosso who has seen his job brought under scrutiny following the Maliya Boys impressive start to the season.