Sports

‘I Can Win W’Cup For England’

Published

8 years ago

April 4, 2018

Bournemouth forward Jermain Defoe has said he can lead England to World Cup glory if he is on the plane to Russia in June.
Defoe has struggled for game time at Bournemouth, though the 35-year-old scored a last-gasp equaliser in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Watford in the Premier League.
The 57-cap international has not started a Premier League match since December and while he admitted the situation is frustrating and far from ideal, Defoe is confident he can make an impact for England if called upon by Manager Gareth Southgate.
“I would come on and win the World Cup, it’s as simple as that,” Defoe said.
“You come on for one minute, two minutes, and if there’s a chance you score. At a tournament, it is not just about the players who start, it’s about the squad. It has been a stop-start season for me but I can’t sulk.”
“No-one wants to sit on the bench,” Defoe said. “If you get to the point where you accept sitting on the bench, then, you shouldn’t be playing. I know there are still a lot more goals in me.
“I came here [in the summer] as an England player. I worked so hard to get back in that squad.
“I have missed the last three squads because I am not playing. I spoke to the manager a few months ago and it’s as simple as that – you have got to be playing and scoring goals.
“I understand I have got to be playing. You can’t just assume you are going to get in the squad because of what you have done over the years.”

Sports

Keves Football Competition Opens Registration, Increases Prize Money

Published

12 minutes ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The registration has opened for participation in the Keves Global football competition in Rivers State, and the deadline for submission of entries will be Wednesday, 16th July 2026.

Speaking in a media briefing at the Rivers State Football Association (RSFA) office, NUJ Moscow Road premises on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the sponsor of the competition, Chief Ikenna Okafor, said sponsoring sports competitions was part of the company’s social responsibilities.

Chief Okafor, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Keves Global Leasing Limited, said one of the priorities of the company is building on human capacity development.

According to Chief Okafor, who was represented by the company’s head of Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (QHSSE), Donald Elijah, said in this fourth edition, the prize has increased to a total record of N7 million for the amateur and All-Stars categories, excluding the individual prizes.

He stated that sponsoring sporting competitions and tournaments like football, swimming, golf, tennis, and table tennis was with the view to take youths away from the streets and catch them young.

“One of the ways we are taking youths from the streets and empowering them is through sports, not only football but also other sports. This is not the first edition; it is the fourth edition of this championship.

“So the company loves sports so much; we see sports as one of the key social responsibilities of bringing people together.

“We sponsored golf tournaments that brought over 14 international sportsmen from within and outside Africa. We equally sponsored swimming classics, tennis, and table tennis.

“We are here this year to have a better football championship so that at the end of the competition we are going to have the Ronaldos and Messis.

“This is an investment aimed at youth development and strengthening the sports ecosystem in Rivers State,” Chief Okafor said.

Also speaking, the vice chairman of the Rivers State Football Association (RSFA), Akubo Benjamin, said that he has received assurance from Chief Ikenna Okafor that the Keves Global Football Competition will be staged annually.

He explained that the funding of the competition has grown steadily since inception, adding that the total prize has risen from ?3.5 million in 2022 to ?7 million in 2026, making it a 100% increase over three editions.

“In the amateur clubs category, the winners will go home with ?2,000,000, the 1st runner-up with ?1,400,000, and the 2nd runner-up with ?1,000,000.

Meanwhile, in the All Stars category, the winner will receive ?1,000,000, the second position ?600,000, and the third position will receive ?400,000.

Also, there will be individual awards to outstanding players in different categories during the tournament.

A total of 32 clubs will compete in the amateur clubs category, while eight teams will feature in the All-Stars category.

“And the venue of the competition will be Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt,” Benjamin said.

Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Super Eagles Ranks 2nd Among W’Cup Absentees

Published

2 weeks ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Nigeria’s Super Eagles are the second-highest-ranked team not participating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as they remained 26th in the latest FIFA men’s World Ranking.

Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.

“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.

“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.

Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.

Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.

Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.

Sports

NCF picks Squad For Namibia Tour Tri-Series

Published

2 weeks ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.

Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.

The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.

Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.

The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.

The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.

Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.

Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.

The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.

The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.