Sports
W’Cup Qualifiers: Uganda’s Goalkeeper Dares Egypt
Uganda captain Denis Onyango has warned Egypt to expect “fireworks” during their 2018 World Cup qualifier in Kampala tomorrow.
The last time the two sides met, Egypt beat Uganda with an 89th minute goal at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
The Cranes’ goalkeeper says it adds extra spice to their Group E tie.
“It’s going to be fireworks in Kampala because they know what kind of a team we are,” Onyango told Tidesports source.
“They beat us at the Afcon in the last minute of the game, I think it shows their experience and we lost concentration at the back.
“Winning the home game will set the pace for us before we travel for the return leg in Alexandria on September 5th,” said Onyango, who plies his trade in South Africa with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Egypt, record seven times African champion is currently top of Group E following wins over Congo Brazzaville and Ghana.
Uganda is second in the group, two points adrift, following a victory over Congo Brazzaville and an away draw with the Black Stars of Ghana.
“I think we started off well against Ghana and got the result against Congo in Kampala and it’s an opportunity for us to go top of the group if we get the results against Egypt,” said Ongyango.
Onyango, who was named as the Africa-based Footballer of the Year in January, says although the Cranes are in confident mood, they are fully aware of the danger the Pharaohs pose.
“We know how strong they are going forward because they’ve got very good attackers who are very experienced and very quick.
“For us we just need to be very patient at the back and avoid mistakes because they don’t need a lot of chances.
“They’re capable of scoring with the likes of Mohamed Salah, so for us it’s a challenge but to play at the highest level we must face very difficult teams like Egypt,” Onyango added.
Speaking about life after the departure of head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic – who guided them to the Nations Cup finals for the first time in 39 years – the goalkeeper admitted it was a big blow but life had to continue.
“In sport, coaches come and go and the same happens to players.
“We must adjust to the coaching staff available and we simply do what is expected of us,” Onyango said.
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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