Sports
Kick Off World Cup Preparations, Amiesimaka Advises Nigeria
A member of the 1980 African Cup of Nations winning squad, Adokiye Amiesimaka last Sunday urged Nigeria’s football authorities to kick off preparations for the 2018 Russia World Cup.
The former left winger gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
He said that the youthfulness of the players played an important role coupled with their dedication.
These, he said, remained the driving force of the team and should be sustained during the World Cup.
“I congratulate the team for qualifying for the World Cup, they worked hard for it and the result is evidence of the effort put into it; they have the energy and they utilised it well.
“We now need to pay attention to the next line of action, which will also depend on the teams that will qualify for the tournament; we know them and we should start studying them.
“We need to study and understand their strength and weaknesses, that’s important, you need to assess the strength of your opponents so you can strategise to neutralise them.
“Then you can capitalise on their weaknesses, so I think that’s the most important thing that should be done,’’ he said
Tidesports gathered source that some of the countries that have qualified for the FIFA 2018 World Cup are Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, England, Germany, Russia and Spain, Costa Rica, Mexico and Brazil. The former Enugu Rangers Football Club player further emphasised that Nigerian teams had always underestimated the need to study their opponents in international competition.
“What has been happening in the past more often than not is that we do not bother to look at the teams of our opponents, that’s a big mistake.
“We shouldn’t wait for the World Cup itself to start before looking at those issues, you do that over a period of time before the competition starts.
“That will give you a better idea of what to expect, if you know the psychology of a team, then you are in a better position to know how you are going to play against them,’’ he said.
According to Tidesports source, the 2018 Russia World Cup is scheduled to hold between June 14 and July 15 in Moscow.
Amiesimaka, a former Chairman of Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt, also urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to organise regular top-grade friendly matches before the World Cup.
“What they need to do, if it can be arranged, whatever opportunity we have to put them together for friendly matches should be utilised so they can play together often.
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.
-
Featured3 days agoWASSCE: RSG Distributes Science Materials To Secondary Schools
-
News3 days ago
Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Lives More Important Than Foreign Investment – Oshiomhole
-
Rivers3 days ago
MBA Forex Trial Adjourn To June 3, Amid Bereavement … As Court Declines Cost Application
-
News3 days ago
ActionAid Demands Probe Of Govs Using Public Funds For Campaign
-
Aviation3 days ago
Passengers Stranded As Delta Airline From Atlanta Route Back Eight Hours After
-
Business3 days ago
Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice
-
Politics3 days ago
2027: Bayelsa Senator Gets Critical Endorsement For Second Term
-
Politics3 days agoINEC Sets Rivers South-East Senatorial By-Election For June 20