Sports
2022 W’Cup Qualifier:Rohr Hopeful Of Good Outing Against Liberia
Nigeria has ‘small injuries’ and will do a good job against Liberia in today’s 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier, according to coach, Gernot Rohr.
The Super Eagles are hoping to qualify for the global football showpiece, nonetheless, they must first negotiate their way past the Lone Star, Cape Verde and Central African Republic in Group C.
To avoid a tortuous route to qualifying, the three-time African kings would be gunning for all three points against Peter Butler’s side, who are hoping to reach the World Cup for the first time in their history.
And ahead of the encounter billed for the Teslim Balogun Stadium, the German tactician is upbeat that his team would be set to rumble despite the injuries in his squad.
“Concerning the shape of the players, we judge based on the games at their clubs,” Rohr told media.
“We monitored some of them this weekend and most of them did well in their clubs, some could not play so much, there was a red card for (Victor) Osimhen and we have small injuries but not serious.
“So, the group we have will be able to do good work and be ready for this very important match of this World Cup qualifiers on Friday (today).”
The former Gabon, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso handler also gave an update about the team’s training so far.
“The light workout was okay,” he continued.
“We had players who travelled, played games and are a bit tired so we wanted to do something fun with good football technique so we have the new balls from FIFA which is a little bit different since we had to feel the balls.
“The session was to start in the gym then we had to go out and continue with the exercise.”
After their match against Liberia, Nigeria will head to Estadio Municipal Aderito Sena, Mindelo four days later to take on Bubista’s Blue Sharks.
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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