Sports
Zesco Not Intimidated By CAFCL Opponents
Zambia national team
coach George Lwandamina is insisting that Zesco United does not feel threatened by any team in the CAF Champions League.
Speaking to The Post of Zambi Tidesports source, the Chipolopolo mentor said it’s a good challenge for the Zambian Premier League side to meet the continent’s big guns in the CAFCL this season.
Zesco will face the likes of Nigeria’s Enyimba, Egypt’s Al Ahly, ES Setif (Algeria), Zamalek (Egypt), AS Vita (DR Congo), Wydad (Morocco) and Cote d’Ivoire’s ASEC Mimosas in the group stages of this years competition.
The Zambian side is the only team among the eight that has never won the title with Egyptian side Al Ahly being the most successful team with eight titles, followed by rivals Zamalek who have five titles to their name.
“It’s a good challenge to go as underdogs, even them (the other seven teams) were underdogs at some point, they also attempted to win just like we are and eventually won it,” said Lwandamina.
“They are just teams like Zesco and they will not pose a threat to us.”
Echoing the coach’s sentiments is the club’s general secretary Justin Mumba – urging the players to beat their showing in 2009 CAF Champions League where they finished third in the group.
“Those teams that have won the title first had to qualify before winning…we are going through a phase that they too went through before winning,” added Mumba.
“We will work within our own record, to beat our record of 2009 where we finished third.
“On paper, the teams look stronger but they are beatable, we have players that are fighting the hunger for glory and a coach who is experienced.”
CAF will conduct the group stage draw on May 24 with the eight teams set to be drawn into two groups of four.
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.
-
Business11 hours ago
Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice
-
Rivers10 hours ago
MBA Forex Trial Adjourn To June 3, Amid Bereavement … As Court Declines Cost Application
-
Featured5 hours agoWASSCE: RSG Distributes Science Materials To Secondary Schools
-
Aviation11 hours ago
Passengers Stranded As Delta Airline From Atlanta Route Back Eight Hours After
-
Nation4 days agoEducation Commissioner Seeks media Collaboration In Rivers
-
Nation4 days agoRSUBE Holds Training For 1,000 New Teachers To Strengthen Basic Education
-
Politics10 hours ago
2027: Bayelsa Senator Gets Critical Endorsement For Second Term
-
Politics9 hours agoINEC Sets Rivers South-East Senatorial By-Election For June 20