Sports
2015 AFCON Qualifier: Nigeria In Must-Win Clash In Sudan
Nigeria must beat Sudan
in Omdurman tomorrow to be back in contention for a place at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The African champions are third in Group A with a point from two games and behind Congo and South Africa, who have recorded six and four points, respectively.
The African champions therefore find themselves in a must-win situation in their next qualifying game tomorrow in Sudan.
The Eagles will be without Stoke City forward Victor Moses, who has suffered a recurrence of a thigh problem at his English Premier League club, and Ukraine-based winger Babatunde Michael, who is nursing a knee injury.
Questions rather than praise have greeted Keshi’s invitation for several uncapped players including China-based striker Aaron Samuel and Reading midfielder Hope Akpan.
Skipper Vincent Enyeama has however rejoined the squad after he stayed away to attend to what team officials said were “pressing personal problems”.
Nigeria will also have to cope with boiling temperatures and a late switch for the game to be played on an artificial pitch in Sudan.
”Personally, I prefer playing on natural grass pitch, but we just have to adjust, be smarter and work on our timing when we play on astro turf and we will be okay,” said Monaco defender Elderson Echiejile, who will be visiting Sudan for the first time.
”And as for the weather, we are first and foremost Nigerians and born in Africa and so we should also be able to cope on the day.”
Middlesbrough defender Kenneth Omeruo said there will be no margin for error against Sudan in both games.
“We are aware of the task ahead and so we have resolved to work hard to pick the available 12 points in our remaining qualifiers,” said Omeruo.
”The response of the players from the first day of training speaks loud of our intention ahead of the games. All we ask of Nigerians is their support.
“We also know there are no minnows anymore in African football.”
Both countries have clashed 11 times and Nigeria have won six of these meetings, drawn four times and lost once to the Sudanese.
The only Nigeria loss to Sudan was in 1963, when they fell 4-0 in a 1964 Nations Cup qualifier, while the last meeting was in a friendly in 2008 which Nigeria won 2-0.
Nigeria ran away 4-0 winners on their last visit to Sudan in a 2002 World Cup qualifier 13 years ago with Yakubu Aiyegbeni grabbing a brace.
Sports
Bundesliga: Kane Scores Hat-Trick As Bayern End Winless Streak
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Sports
Dosu Survives Ghastly Accident, Again
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Sports
Sports Development Going Down In Nigeria – Ex-International
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor
-
Rivers22 hours ago
IAUE Students Win 2024 Campus Debate
-
News20 hours ago
You’ll Emerge As General In Politics, Jonathan Tells Fubara
-
News22 hours ago
Nchaka Festival: Monarch Drums Support For Oba
-
News1 day ago
Army Destroys 34 Illegal Refineries, Arrests 11 Oil Thieves In N’Delta
-
Business21 hours ago
NCDMB, ICPC Set To Mark Anti-Corruption Day
-
Rivers22 hours ago
Commissioner Seeks Improved Collaboration For Women’s Development
-
News20 hours ago
Tinubu Leaves France, Heads To S’Africa For Bilateral Talks With Ramaphosa
-
News22 hours ago
Council Boss Vows To Unify People Through Sports