Sports
CAFCC: Rivers United Advances To First Round
Rivers United Football Club of Port Harcourt, has qualified for the first round of CAF Confederation Cup competition, as they edged out their visitors, Futuro Kings of Equatorial Guinea, through penalty shootout.
The Pride of Rivers, as United is fondly called had to rely on the lottery of penalty shootout to advance after beating the visitors 2-1 in regulation time at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, yesterday. The full time result saw both teams tie on 3-3 aggregate after Uniteds, 2-1 reverse in the first leg.
In the ensued shootout, Rivers Unitd converted two of their kicks, while Futiro Kings failed to score any of their first four kicks.
In his reaction shortly after the game, Coach of Rivers United, Stanley Eguma, said his club was destiny to win.
“The game was not an easy one, but we thank God we won. We scored two early goals before our opponents scored their goal.
Meanwhile, Rivers United defender, Ifeanyi Anaemena says the lack of competitive matches in the domestic scene is one of the reasons Nigerian clubs don’t go far in CAF competitions.
Anaemena played the entire duration of the 2-1 defeat to Futuro Kings FC in the first-leg of their CAF Confederation preliminary round fixturon hand to help his team oustquatorial De from the competition via penalty shootout yesterday.
Kano Pillars and Plateau United also suffered first-leg defeats to AS Jafaar and Simba SC respectively, but Enyimba recorded a narrow away victory against FC Rahimo in Ouagadougou last weekend.
Speaking on why Nigerian clubs struggle to make meaningful impact on the continent, Anaemena said the late kick-off of the NPFL has to be one of the major reasons.
“It’s quite unfortunate for the past five or six seasons now our teams have always kick off the continental campaign before the NPFL season,” Anaemena said.
“Although Covid-19 contributed to the delay this season, but it’s always important to go into the continent at the back of six, seven or eight matches in the league in order to be match fit.
“This has also affected us and other clubs on the continent, but I’m optimistic Rivers United will have a good season,” he concluded.
Kano Pillar and Plateau United exited their respective continental assignments after failing at the first hurdle, while Enyimba and Rivers United had to dig deep to advance on narrow margins.
By: Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor
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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