Sports
Our Athletes Can Spring Surprises In Tokyo – Amunike
Gold medal list in the football event of the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics and former Super Eagles assistant coach Emmanuel Amunike said any of Team Nigeria athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics can spring a surprise and win a medal for the country.
,According to Him, that the U-23 team, which won gold for Nigeria in 1996, were not given any chance, but they shocked the world to emerge victorious.
“Our chances are bright, the good thing is that apart from football, we have other athletes that are going to participate in the Olympics. But the reality is that it depends on the level of preparation because other countries also have prepared their athletes and they would also be in a position to compete.
“But we just have to be confident in our athletes and those representing us have to believe in themselves. There’s the possibility of doing something for themselves. In 1996, nobody expected that Nigeria would win the football gold medal, this was also the same with Chioma Ajunwa, who also won a gold medal. So, there’s hope and there’s a possibility, but it all depends on the level of preparation and the level of confidence,” Amunike said.
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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