Sports
As Real Bamako Laments Lack Of Tactics
Mali’s AS Real Bamako have admitted they were held back by the tactics of Nigerian club Rivers United after both teams played out a scoreless draw in a CAF Champions League tie at the weekend.
A tactical masterclass by Rivers United coach Stanley Eguma proved to be catalyst for the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club to peg back their Malian hosts AS Real Bamako to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their preliminary round CAF Champions League game.
Meanwhile as Real Bamako coach, Pascal Pons who blamed his side’s failure to win on their lack of knowledge of the Nigerian side has promised a better performance in the return fixture in Port Harcourt.
“It (the result) was okay even though we played a 0-0 draw. We could not really understand the tactics and system of our opponents,” said Pons.
“We showed good skill but it was difficult to tell exactly how our opponents (Rivers United) would play since we didn’t know much about them.
“We have a week to prepare and in the next one week, we will be well prepared.”
Eguma, on the other hand, maintained it was not yet time to celebrate as there was still one more hurdle to scale as the teams prepare tomeet again in the evenly-poised tie in Port Harcourt, next weekend.
United had better to win the game but for in the contest decided at the Stade Modibo Keita de Bamako.
Lukman Mohammed missed one of the best chance of the first period when he headed over from close range after he was tactically set up by Nzube Anaezembe whose inch-perfect cross needed the slightest of touches to make the net bulge on the stroke of half time.
The hosts also came close in the first half through right back, El Hadji Salim Bah who overlapped admirably only to see his fierce drive fly inches wide off Femi Thomas’ left hand post inside the first quarter hour.
The second half was a more technical affair as defences dominated most parts.
Real’s best attacking moment arrived in the 72nd minute when Abdramane Traore’s effort hit the side netting with Thomas well positioned to make a block.
The visitors enjoyed the clearer openings with Kuemian and Ovoke coming extremely close to breaking the deadlock late on.
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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