Sports

No Regrets Hiring Oliseh-Pinnick

Published

10 years ago

April 4, 2016

Oliseh

President of the Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, on Wednesday, in Abuja, said he had no regrets hiring Sunday Oliseh as the Super Eagles’ Head Coach.
Pinnick told newsmen in Abuja at a news conference that Oliseh, who quit his job last month, came under high recommendation.
“When we brought the last coach (Oliseh), we brought him first because he is a Nigerian and he came highly recommended.
“In addition to this, I don’t also have any regrets saying he was a ‘Pep Guardiola’ of Africa.
“When we employed him, we gave him a four-year plan, and if you look at the contract we also talked about building capacities.
“But he resigned at the end of the day even at a difficult time, a month to crucial qualifying matches,’’ he said.
The Tidesports reports that Pinnick spoke in the wake of the team’s ouster from the qualifiers for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday.
The Tidesports recalls that Oliseh, a former Super Eagles midfielder, who later captained the team, took over from former teammate Stephen Keshi as the team’s Head Coach on July 14, 2015.
He later quit on February 26, citing lack of support from the NFF, thus leading to the drafting of Samson Siasia to the team as Interim Coach.
On whether he would advise on a foreign coach for the team, as he had earlier been reported to have said, Pinnick said it was up to the NFF executive committee.
“We hired a coach and I was called upon to come and reverse the decision of hiring a coach.
“ I was called into the highest seat in the land to reverse the decision.
“Never again will I want to do anything that will be looked at or remotely perceived not to be justifiable.
“That is why the entire executive committee will sit down and look at the pros and cons and take everything into consideration.
“The position we will take will not be by Pinnick, but by the NFF executive committee and we will communicate it to the Minister of Youths and Sports,’’ he said.
Pinnick said the NFF executive committee would hold a consultative forum on April 5 with the minister for a clear direction on the technical crew of the Super Eagles.

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.