Sports
NFF To Name New Eagles Coach Before AFCON
If everything works according to plans set out by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), a new foreign coach will lead the Super Eagles to the Cameroon 2022 African Nations Cup.
The competition kicks off on January 9, 2022, in Cameroon.
NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, said during an interactive session with sports editors, yesterday, in Lagos, that the Federation has reached an advanced stage in its bid to recruit a new technical adviser for the Super Eagles, adding that the new man, a European, barring any unforeseen hiccup, will be unveiled sometime next week.
“We have our own internal process and we are working closely with the ministry of sports and our lawyers to ensure we tidy up the situation soon.
“We have spoken to three top coaches and next week, the Federation will announce the name of the new manager.”
Pinnick revealed that the NFF has interviewed the three coaches, who made the shortlist of candidates for the job.
“The thing is that every top coach wants to coach Nigeria, but our emphasis is on discipline. We have looked at the coaches’ antecedents and the technical and executive committees of the Federation have chosen from the three.”
Tidesports source gathered that among the three coaches considered for the Super Eagles’ job are Jose Peseiro and Mladen Krstajic, the latter, who, however, has joined Israeli side, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
”We want a coach that is ready for the challenge immediately. He must be somebody that the players will respect.
“I had an interface with Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho on our search for a new coach. The sports minister also spoke with Mourinho,’ he said.
“Our last coach stayed up to five years, which shows that we are a steady country. We don’t want to be going back and forth. We want everything in a near-perfect situation.”
The NFF boss dispelled insinuations that the Federation does not value its Technical Director, Austin Eguavoen, saying the former Super Eagles captain has a vital role to play in the system.
“We know that Eguavoen can do the job expertly, but we also know that he will be more useful controlling the technical department. However, if we cannot get the coaches to start work immediately, we will empower them to take the team to Cameroun. And if Eguavoen wins the Nations Cup, we might have a rethink. In that case, the foreign coach will now become the technical director, while Eguavoen takes the position of technical adviser.”
On the Federation’s relationship with the sacked coach, Gernot Rohr, Pinnick said the NFF is in touch with the German, adding, “In the next few days, we will clear all debts owed Rohr because we want to start on a clean note.”
Pinnick revealed that NFF recently signed a partnership with Stanbic IBTC, which is now the official insurer as well as the banker of the Federation, explaining that the partnership is player-based.
“Every player is insured in a deal worth N2.3 billion, which translates to N30 million per game,” he added.
Pinnick also revealed that the NFF wants to build a centre of excellence in Abuja, which he called a technical centre that will have a camp for the national teams and football fields, among other facilities.
“To do this,” he added, “we will also have to upgrade our secretariat to make it as modern as others across the world.
“FIFA is supporting the project, but we are also talking with our partners for counterpart funding. I want it to be my legacy when I leave office.”
On his rumoured desire to continue in office at the expiration of his second term, Pinnick said he has been under immense pressure to contest for a third term, adding, however, that the decision rests with his family.
Isaako All Stars FC of Opuoko and Khana Khana AllStars Football all in Local Government Area of Rivers State will tomorrow engage in a friendly football match at Opuoko Mini Stadium.
Chatting with Tidesports in a telephone interview yesterday the Chairman of Khana All Stars Saro Tap-le said that the encounter is not going to be an easy game in spite it is an AllStars game.
He express his side readiness for the encounter stating that the opportunity as come for them to showcase their talents.
However, the chairman explained that AllStars game is not about winning but the excitement, love, unity and friendship it creates is more important.
” Tomorrow game is not going to be an easy one despite is a AllStars game. We are going there in a full force to do what we know how to do best and to showcase our talents.
“As Chairman of Khana All Stars I believes we have an edge over the Isaako All Stars be we are training so hard for the encounter” Tap-le said.
Also speaking the Chairman of Isaako All Stars Mina Zaasi Iloori sees the match as an opportunity to build relationships.
” My brother it is an AllStars friendly game I think winning is not important but the paramount thing is the relationship we are going to create among both teams and my community at large
” We are training hard because of the encounter because I will not be in my house and somebody will rob soap in my eyes.
” As I speak with you we are just coming from back training ground to ensure all my players are fit for the match.
” I am using this medium to call on football fans to come en mass to Opuoko Mini Stadium tomorrow and enjoy the best of round leather game.
I promise the game will be an exciting display of football talents and sportsmanship”, Iloori said.
Kiadum Edookor
Thierry Henry has called for the return of the away goals rule in the aftermath of the bombastic Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The visitors at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys came within milimeters of clinching the first leg of the final-four clash after former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted late in the second-half.
But the linesman was quick to raise his flag, and semi-automated offside ruled out what would have been a thrilling conclusion to the high-octane 3-3 draw.
The hosts came from behind twice to share the spoils, chasing Inter Milan from the first minute of the game after Marcus Thuram stunned the Barcelona faithful into silence with his neatly flicked goal.
Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead 20 minutes later, but it took just three more for the Blaugrana to finally get on the scoresheet courtesy of a moment of magic from teenage starlet Lamine Yamal.
Ferran Torres drew Barcelona level ahead of the break, but Lamal was forced to play catch-up again in the second-half after Dumfries scored his second.
In light of the impressive effort from Inter, Henry wondered if the team should have got more from the fixture ahead of the second-leg at the San Siro.
‘I know it’s been like that for a very time, and we have to accept it,’ Henry said of the removal of the away goals rule, ‘But off air I was talking to Jamie (Carragher), and I was like, “how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”
‘Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home,’ Henry shrugged.
UEFA took the decision to scrap the rule which gave goals scored away from home the ability to act as a tiebreaker in the case of level scorelines ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger claimed during his time as Arsenal manager in 2015 that the away goals rule ‘encouraged the team at home not to attack’ and that ‘the weight of the away goal (was) too big today’.
Without the rules, the tie at San Siro will go to extra time and penalties to decide which teams books their spot in the Champions League final.
But based on Wednesday evening’s performance, Henry seemed to give Inter a fighting chance against the newly minted Copa del Rey champions.
The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.
A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.
“The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race,” he said.
“It is also the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.”
The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year’s race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.
Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women’s race in a world record for a women’s only field, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men’s event.