Sports
Super Eagles Return To Lagos, March 30
Nigeria’s largest city Lagos will host a competitive men’s senior football match for the first time in 20 years on March 30.
The Super Eagles will take on Lesotho in their final 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Teslim Balogun stadium.
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials say that the number of fans that would be allowed in to the stadium to watch the match depends on the Confederation of African Football’s Covid-19 protocols at the time.
The last competitive game Nigeria played in Lagos was a 1-0 Nations Cup qualifying win over Zambia in January 2001, while 10 years later there was a 2-1 friendly win over Sierra Leone at the Teslim Balogun venue.
March’s game could see Lagos once again becoming a permanent home for the Super Eagles, according to Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, who is keen to refurbish the dilapidated National Stadium in Lagos.
“This city is excited to host the country’s first competitive fixture in 20 years in a place where the team rarely lose,” chairman of the Lagos State Sports commission, Sola Aiyepeku, told news men.
“Everything is geared towards making Lagos the home base again, because there’s a presence that this place has and demand that the fans have towards the opposition that puts them in fear.
“We want the Nigeria fear factor that this city has to return and put that in the hearts and souls of teams that come here.”
The city is also confident that it can put in all the necessary measures for the game despite the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s an unprecedented time to host the national team but wherever you go there is still the coronavirus, so it will definitely dampen probably the number of people,” NFF vice president and Lagos FA boss Seyi Akinwunmi added.
“Despite the huge logistic problems that comes with these challenging times, Lagos state has proven that it can manage the pandemic more than most states in the country.
“The state has all the capacity, the hotels, state of the art ambulances, hospitals and everything which is an added reason for the country to come to Lagos.
“It’s been a challenging year for the world in terms of football, but the country’s most famous state is delighted to welcome the Eagles back home where they’ve enjoyed a remarkable success.”
The Super Eagles have been playing their internationals around the country since the end of the 20th century when the cash-strapped Nigerian Football Association (now NFF) decided to approach cities interested in hosting international games.
Financial support, usually provided by the governors who host the national team in their states, saw the Eagles move around to Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kano, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Delta State.
The Abuja and Lagos National Stadiums, as well as dozens of others that dot Nigerian cities, have become white elephants further emphasising a sad reminder of Nigeria’s poor maintenance culture.
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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