Sports
Nigerian Hotshots Move To North Africa
Three strikers who shone
in the Nigeria premier league last season have joined top clubs in the Maghreb this month.
Emem Eduok after a transfer controversy joined Esperance of Tunisia, Ighodalo Osaguona sealed a four and half year deal with Raja Casablanca (Morocco) and Peter Ebimobowei joined Al Ahly(Egypt).
The leagues in these countries are better organised and pay players better than what obtains in Nigeria, and this may well explain why these Nigerian talents cannot resist the lure.
Having fulfilled their dreams of playing outside Nigeria, do they have what it takes to excel in those countries with mounting expectations from fans, the media and even the clubs?
Tidesports source x-rayed their chances to excel as they face a new challenge in their career.
Ighodalo Osaguona
The big striker proved to be a prolific goal scorer at Enugu Rangers last season after he struggled for goals at 3SC the previous campaign.
He netted 16 goals in the Nigeria top flight league and has been capped at full international level by Nigeria.
Osaguona is a direct striker with power and aerial prowess. He has good techniques for a big man and will therefore be expected to do well in Morocco.
The tempo of the game is higher in Morocco and he will face tougher defenders, who have more experience than those he faced in Nigeria as most of their players are better exposed.
Osaguona’s showing for the Super Eagles has underlined the fact he has what it takes to also shine in Morocco especially if the club play to his strengths.
Emem Eduok
After the controversies, he has inked a deal with Tunisian giants Esperance. Emem equaled Jude Aneke’s 20-goal record in a season in the colours of Dolphins.
The left-footed Emem is an all-round forward who could play from the wings or as top striker.
He is strong, quick, has good positioning and he is one of the most dangerous strikers in Nigeria league around the box.
The former Flying Eagles star, who was the first player to score six goals in a league game in history of Nigeria in Dolphins 6-1 win over Nembe City, will be the hottest bet of the other Nigeria strikers off to the Maghreb to shine as Esperance has proved to be a favourite hunting ground for the lies of other Nigeria stars like Garba Lawal, Michael Eneramo and Julius Aghahowa.
Peter Ebimobowei
He has been a consistent goal scorer in the Nigeria league, but joining the best club in African football history Al Ahly of Egypt will come with added pressure.
How well and quickly he copes with this pressure will define his time at the Cairo Red Devils.
Al Ahly are a massive club and the Bayelsa United star must adapt quickly as there won’t be much time for him to do that going by the high demands from the club’s fans.
He has joined a team who are undergoing a major transition following the exit of some of their ageing top stars like Wael Goma and Mohamed Aboutrika.
He is a powerful striker with good techniques, who has proved clinical in front of goal.
He scored 18 goals last season to help Bayelsa United escape relegation.
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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