Sports

Fans Call For Okwaraji’s Immortalisation

Published

10 years ago

August 14, 2015

Twenty six years after the
sudden death of ex-international, Samuel Okwaraji, sport enthusiasts this week urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to institute an annual programme in his remembrance.
They said in separate interviews that the late player should be properly immortalised.
Okwaraji slumped in the 77th minute during a World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Angola played at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos State, on August 12, 1989 and was later pronounced dead.
The result of an autopsy carried out on his corpse revealed that the 25-year-old player had an enlarged heart and high blood pressure that resulted to congestive heart failure.
A former Super Eagles player, Bright Omokaro, said that it was unfortunate that the memory of the player was fading away from the heart of Nigerians.
Omokaro noted that a sports’ facility should be named after Okwaraji in order to give the present crop of footballers the push to want to represent the country well.
“It is very unfortunate that we lost Okwaraji, 26 years ago and don’t get to hear anything about his contribution to football when he was alive.
“This was a man that played professionally outside the country but travelled to Nigeria at his personal expense to represent the country during which he met his untimely death.
“Twenty six years gone and no single stadium or sporting event was named after him, and we expect the present footballers to be committed when playing for Nigeria,’’ he said.
Another ex-international, Etim Esin, said it was pathetic that nothing had been done to appreciate the family of Okwaraji since his untimely demise.
Esin noted that Okwaraji death was a peculiar case because he died while representing the nation, compared to other ex-football or sports men who have passed on due to old age.
“Rashidi Yekini was celebrated in far-away Portugal when he died but we cannot celebrate a man that died on active duty and 26 years after his death, there is nothing to show for it.
“Many of our colleagues have passed on over the years without anybody knowing about it, I hope things will change for the better,’’ he said.
Also, a former Super Eagles player, Friday Ekpo, told newsmen that a charity match should be played annually in Okwaraji’s honour.
He said that such honour should cut across all sports to remember past heroes who had contributed to the development of football and sports generally in the country.
“A competition or match should be organised in his memory so that generations yet unborn will know that there was once a football legend by the name Sam Okwaraji who played passionately for Nigeria,’’ he said.
The only significant thing in memory of Okwaraji was a bust erected in his honour at the National Stadium, Lagos.
The late midfielder, who had eight appearances for the national side, also played professional football for Dinamo Zagreb FC of old Yugoslavia, VfB Stuttgart FC of Germany and SSV Ulm FC of Germany.

Sports

Gyokeres Situation, Transfer Under Cloud At Sporting

Published

4 days ago

June 12, 2025

The Tide

Sporting have not received an offer for striker Viktor Gyokeres and there is no gentleman’s agreement for him to leave for £59million, says club president Frederico Varandas.
Sweden international Gyokeres, 27, has been heavily linked with Manchester United and Arsenal after scoring 97 goals in 102 matches during two seasons in Portugal.
He has a 100m euro (£85m) release clause in his contract.
It has been widely reported that, after staying at Sporting last summer, Gyokeres and Sporting agreed he could leave for 70m euros (£59m) this summer.
However, Varandas said the club’s only promise to Gyokeres was that they would not demand his full release clause.
“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.
“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres, neither today nor last season.”
Gyokeres spent three seasons with Coventry City in the Championship before joining Sporting under Ruben Amorim.
Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana was sporting director at Sporting last summer, when Gyokeres’ agent sought assurances about his leaving if a suitable offer arrived.
“One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,” said Varandas.
“He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now.
“For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m eurors or 90m euros.
“In that same meeting the agent wanted to anchor the exit to a value. I said this sentence: ‘It’s not worth us setting a value because I don’t know what will happen in a year’s time. I don’t know if it will be 40m euros, 60m euros or 80m euros. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand 100 million euros.’”

Sports

Concacaf Opposes 64-Team W’Cup Plans

Published

4 days ago

June 12, 2025

The Tide

Concacaf President Victor Montagliani has criticised a proposal to expand the 2030 men’s World Cup to 64 teams.
The plans, put forward by South American governing body Conmebol, have also drawn opposition from Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The tournament will be hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, after the opening matches are held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The 2026 World Cup, which will take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, has already been expanded from 32 to 48 teams.
But Conmebol said it wanted to add more participants to mark the competition’s 100-year anniversary.
“I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players,” Montagliani told Tidesports source
“We haven’t even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so personally, I don’t think that expanding to 64 teams should even be on the table.”
Concacaf is the governing body of football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The decision to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams was taken in 2017 following a unanimous vote at a Fifa congress.
Fifa’s 75th congress will be held in Paraguay on 15 May, when Conmebol’s proposal could be discussed.
If the proposal is accepted, the 2030 edition would consist of 128 matches, double the number played under the 64-game format used from 1998 and 2022.
In March, Ceferin described the proposal as a “bad idea” while AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa said it would cause “chaos”.
“If the issue remains open to change, then the door will not only be open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams,” said Salman.
“But someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams. Where would we end up then? It would become chaos.”

Sports

Brazil Edge Paraguay, Book W’Cup Spot

Published

4 days ago

June 12, 2025

The Tide

Brazil qualified for the 2026 World Cup this week with a 1-0 win against Paraguay in South American qualifying to give Carlo Ancelotti his first win as manager.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jnr scored from close range in the second half, finishing after fine work from Manchester United-bound playmaker Matheus Cunha.
The victory, Ancelotti’s first after a 0-0 draw against Ecuador on his debut last week, means Brazil has now qualified for every edition of the World Cup.
“We needed to win and qualify for the World Cup,” said Vinicius Jr.
“Now the coach will have more time to work. Of course today wasn’t one of our best performances, but the important thing is always to win.
“Now it’s time to celebrate qualifying.”
Elsewhere, World Cup holders Argentina played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires.
Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring with a fine individual goal, dancing through three defenders before finishing past Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Argentina was reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes remaining when Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a high-boot challenge on Colombia’s Kevin Castano.
But Lionel Messi’s side found an equaliser nine minutes from the end through Lyon’s Thiago Almada, leaving Colombia four points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela.
Ecuador, Argentina’s nearest challengers, booked their spot at next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States after a 0-0 draw away at Peru.