Sports
Academy Coach Solicits Support For Grassroots Football
The Head Coach of Medal lion Football Academy of Port Harcourt, Johnson Daniel, has called on Rivers State Government and former international football players to come and support grassroots football by sponsoring competitions at the local level.
He stated that, if the youth are purely engaged in sporting activities in the local levels it will take their minds off negative activities, adding that lack of activities today in the grassroots has pushed the youth into different things.
Daniel made the call on Wednesday in a chat with Tidesports, briefly after their training session at the number one field football pitch, old Port Harcourt Township.
According to him, some of the coaches who are coaching in the grassroots today are not doing it because of finance, but they are doing it in the interest of children.
“The government and ex-internationals should come out fully to promote the grassroots football by sponsoring competition.
Some of us are not doing it because of the money, but we are doing it in the interest of the children.
My main aim is to take their (children’s) focus off the street and to engage them to something meaningful in the society.
Today, a lot of youths had turned to some social vices, but if there are tournaments going on around them, I think their attention will be focused on the tournament,” Daniel said.
He commended the Rivers State Government for bringing Real Madrid Football Academy to the state, saying that it is a plus to the state.
“ I think the Rivers State Real Madrid Football Academy is a plus to the children in the state.”
It is a step in the right direction I commend Gov Nyesom Wike that great move,” he concluded.
By: Kiadum Edookor
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.