Connect with us

Sports

Why Nigeria Failed At WAFU Cup – Boboye

Published

on

Nigeria’s assistant coach Kennedy Boboye is unimpressed by the team’s performance at the 2019 West Africa Football Union Cup of Nations and admitted it as a failure.
The Super Eagles did not win a game in Senegal before they were knocked out of the biennial competition after defeats to Togo and Cape Verde.
The early exit came as a disappointment for Nigeria who were finalists in the 2017 edition in Ghana.
Boboye described the country’s outing in Thies as awful and he cited various reasons for the underwhelming display.
“It was awful because we came here with the thinking of getting something in this tournament but it didn’t work out the way we planned,” Boboye told Tidesports source.
“I think it is a learning process for us to go back and re-strategise in many aspects of the department that we failed. For me, as far as I am concerned, I think we failed in this tournament.
“The reason we find ourselves in this position was because we did not take our chances in front of goal because we missed so many chances and we conceded some stupid goals that we are not supposed to, which cost us dearly.
“First thing is most of the players are making their first appearance in a big tournament like this. It is a different thing being in a club and being in the national team.
“You can not bring the club attitude to the national team. The tournament is once you are out, you are out it is unlike a league where you can still play the same opponent again. I think we did not take our chances and we were wasteful in front of goal”, he said.
A 2-1 loss to Togo in their opening fixture condemned Nigeria to the quarter-final of the plate competition.
However, they were stunned by Cape Verde who held them to a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation time and later came out victorious with a 3-2 win via penalty shoot-out.
He said: “Anybody that watched the game would know that Cape Verde were no match to the Nigeria team,” the former Sunshine Stars and Plateau United coach continued.
“We played better and we were in control of the game until that equaliser came in.
“Sometimes you lose grip, you cannot be on top of your feet for the whole of 90 or 120 minutes. Sometimes you make mistakes and when it happens, they punish you for it.”
Following the Super Eagles’ defeat to Togo on September 29, head coach Imama Amapakabo revealed the objective in Senegal was to build a team for the future.
The team is largely dominated by the Olympic Eagles who are preparing for the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Egypt next month and Boboye is optimistic they will fly the country’s flag high in years to come.
“We’ve got some quality players from this tournament that we think in the next three of four years, they will be better players in the national team. Sometimes, the biggest problem from where we come from is patience,” he said.
“We don’t have patience in building with one instant result. Most of the teams in this tournament have been together for quite some time. We just assembled these players in two or three months and where we come from, they still want magic. These players are like tomorrow’s players for the Super Eagles.”
The early exit might come as a blessing in disguise for Nigeria who now have time to prepare for the return fixture of their clash against Togo on October 18, after a 4-1 loss in Lome last month.
Boboye, a former Nigeria Professional Football League title-winning coach, revealed the tasks ahead of the team as they look to make fans happy again.
“We have two tasks ahead of us now. We lost to Togo in Lome and we have the return leg next week. That is a must-win game for us to take us back to CHAN,” he added.
“The second one is for us to go to Egypt for the U23 Afcon and make sure we qualify for the Olympic. Those are two big tasks for us and I don’t think we will have any distraction than to go back and prepare very well.”

Continue Reading

Sports

European Giants Circle For Osimhen

Published

on

Victor Osimhen will be the centre of attention as several of Europe’s biggest clubs send scouts to yesrerday’s Intercontinental Derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with the Nigerian forward set to play a decisive role in the Super Lig title race

Representatives from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Juventus were expected to be present at Rams Park, underlining the scale of interest in both the fixture and its standout performers.

Reports in Turkish media indicate that the derby will serve not only as a key moment in the domestic title race but also as a platform for transfer discussions and strategic collaborations between clubs.

According to those reports, top European sides have secured places at the stadium with a dual purpose.

“Europe’s leading representatives will be present at the stadium within the framework of both player transfer and cooperation,” ,” Milliyet reported.

“Real Madrid, Barcelona, among many clubs, including Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Napoli and Juventus, have made reservations for today’s match.”

Osimhen was expected to be among the primary players under observation, alongside teammates Baris Yilmaz and Gabriel Sara, with scouts closely monitoring their performances in one of the most high-profile fixtures in Turkish football.

The report further noted, “Victor Osimhen, Yilmaz and Sara were at the top of the watch list and that the interest would mainly be in these players.”

It also highlighted broader discussions beyond player recruitment, stating, “Apart from this, ideas will be exchanged for strengthening relations between the clubs and new joint agreements.”

The Nigerian striker’s presence came at a crucial point in the season, with Galatasaray holding a four-point lead over second-placed Fenerbahce and knowing that victory would all but secure the league title with three matches remaining.

Osimhen recently returned from injury, making a brief appearance in the cup defeat to Genclerbirligi after missing four games, a period during which Galatasaray’s form showed signs of inconsistency.

His absence coincided with a mixed run of results in April, where the league leaders recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat, including a loss to Trabzonspor and a draw at home to Kocaelispor.

Defensively, Galatasaray have also shown vulnerability, conceding in each of their last six matches across all competitions, a concern ahead of a fixture that could define their campaign.

The derby follows disappointment in the Turkish Cup, where Galatasaray suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat to Genclerbirligi, while Fenerbahce were also knocked out after a 1-0 loss to Konyaspor

Continue Reading

Sports

Tennis Event Boosts Grassroots Development Push

Published

on

A tennis tournament held in honour of Olusola Odumosu, Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps FCT Command, has been described as a major step towards grassroots sports development and youth engagement.

The three-day competition, staged at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, began midweek , last week and ended on Friday, attracting young players across different categories.

On the court, top-ranked player Canice Abua won the men’s singles title after a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 victory over Lucky Danjuma, who is ranked fourth nationally.

In the boys’ category, Unity Alex defeated Khaleed Dalha in straight sets to win the title, while Salvation Alex triumphed over Opeyemi Olademeji to win the girls’ singles event.

Odumosu, who marked his birthday with the event, said the initiative was designed to uncover young talent and strengthen the foundation of tennis development in Nigeria.

Continue Reading

Sports

W/Cup Qualifier: Flamingos In Impressive Opener

Published

on

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, opened their preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers with a dominant 6-0 victory over Generation Next in Abuja as head coach Akeem Ishola Busari continues to shape his squad.

The emphatic win came during a 60-minute friendly at the Goal Project at the weekend, where the Flamingos took control early and led 4-0 at half-time before the match was halted in the 54th minute due to heavy rain.

Goals were spread across the squad, with Shavih Istifanus opening the scoring inside the first minute, followed by a brace from Tobiloba Sarafa in the 10th and 23rd minutes.

Harmony Chidi added the fourth in the 28th minute, while Aminat Adebisi struck just before half-time and Precious Paul completed the scoring early in the second half.

The match forms part of a busy training camp in Abuja, where Busari has invited 36 players as Nigeria step up preparations for their second-round qualifier against Guinea.

Continue Reading

Trending