Sports
CAFCC: Coaches Praise Eguma Over Team’s Good Performance
Coaches in Rivers State have praised the impressive performance of Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt, following the team’s thrashing of Bloemfontein Celtic of South Africa 3-0 last Saturday.
The encounter was the second leg of CAF Confederation Cup (CAFCC) played at Porto Novo in Republic of Benin, as United’s home ground.
The pride of Rivers State, won their first leg against their opponents 2-0, making it 5-0 (aggregate) home and away.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Tidesports, the Head Coach of Ajagu Football Academy of Port Harcourt, Olaliye Owolabi, said he was delighted with the performance of Rivers United FC in the continental competition.
He noted that United was currently doing a great job both in the continent and league game.
“Watching them play against Kwara United FC and Heartland FC in the Nigeria Processional Football League, (NPFL) the team is really in good form,” Owolabi said.
The former Nigeria international further commended the technical crew of the club for a job well done.
“ I know with the addition of some experienced players in the team, they will do much better in both competitions in future,” he stated.
He pointed out that with the present form of United FC they have got an edge over Enyimba FC of Aba.
Speaking, the Head Coach of Wilbros Football Club of Port Harcourt, Adedoni Adenika, said the current performance of Rivers United FC was high, saying that all the departments were working well.
“The retainership of 90 percent of their players could be secret behind the success of the team.
Rivers United has some good players from the goal keeper to the strikers, who have experience in continental engagements,” he stated.
He praised the attitude of Stanley Eguma, towards the team performance and current form.
“They have done a great job as they are making Rivers State and the country at large proud.
Also speaking, the Head Coach of Macjef Football Academy of Port Harcourt, Ndubuisi Ihejirika, said he believed that presently Rivers United had a good team that can represent the country in any level of competition.
“Winning away and home is a good result and they should keep it up,” Ndubuisi said.
By: 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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