Sports

Women’s W/Cup: ‘S’Falcons’ve A Chance’

Published

3 years ago

October 25, 2022

Five-time African player of the year, Asisat Oshoala, has welcomed Nigeria’s 2023 Women’s World Cup draw, which pits them against co-hosts Australia and Olympic champions Canada.
The ever-present Super Falcons will also face the Republic of Ireland, who will be making their tournament debut in Group B.
“I think we have a really good group. It’s the World Cup and it’s not meant to be easy or a walk in the park. With the group we have, I feel we have a chance,” Barcelona forward Oshoala told news men.
The tournament will begin on 20 July next year, with Nigeria opening their campaign against Canada in Melbourne on 21 July before facing Australia and the Republic of Ireland in Brisbane.
All three countries sit above Nigeria in the world rankings, with Canada seventh, Australia 13th and the Republic of Ireland in 24th, some 21 places above the West Africans.
The nine-time African champions played two friendlies against Canada in April, losing 2-0 before a 2-2 draw, but the World Cup fixture will be the third meeting between the two nations at the tournament.
Their first encounter was a 3-3 draw at the 1995 World Cup in Sweden, followed by a 1-0 win for Nigeria in a dead rubber at the 2011 global showpiece, while the West Africans lost 2-0 to Australia in the 2015 event.
“We get to play Canada, a team we know very well, and of course Australia,” Oshoala added.
“It won’t be easy against the Republic of Ireland, but we had Australia in our 2015 group. We lost to them 2-0. It’s a good opportunity for us to come back and also prove that we’ve improved from the team they played seven years ago.
“We have a very good group and are really excited for the tournament.”
Continental giants Nigeria are the only African team to have played in all eight Women’s World Cups since 1991, but the Super Falcons have failed to translate their continental dominance on to the world stage.
Their best performance at the World Cup came when reaching the quarter-finals in 1999, while they also reached the knockout stages in 2019, losing 3-0 to Germany.
After making scoring appearances at both the 2015 and 2019 finals, Oshoala is targeting a place in coach Randy Waldrum’s squad next year.
“I hope I get picked to go to the tournament because it’s the coach who makes the World Cup selection,” she said.
“If I get an opportunity to play for the national team during this tournament, I would give 100%. I’m really looking forward to it. Really excited for this one and let’s see what 2023 brings to us.”
South Africa may have claimed their maiden continental title this year but the team has struggled since, after being outclassed in friendlies against Brazil and Australia.
For their second appearance on the global stage, South Africa have been paired in a tricky group G against Sweden, Italy and Argentina.
But coach Desiree Ellis said Banyana Banyana are in a “reasonable” group and feels confident her side can progress to the last 16.
“I think it’s a reasonable draw. We’ve played Sweden before but we haven’t met Italy and Argentina,” she told the South African FA website.
“It could have been a tougher one, so we are happy with it. When it comes to Sweden, we have played against the Netherlands and they are similar.
“And with regards to Argentina, we have played against Brazil and they are similar. Italy are from the same continent as the Netherlands, but maybe they are different types of teams.
“Now the planning and preparation starts – the analysing of teams and making sure that we have as much information as we can – and also getting the right friendlies.”
World Cup debutants Zambia stunned Nigeria in a play-off encounter to finish third at this year’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco.
They have been handed the task of facing 2011 world champions Japan, Spain and Costa Rica in Group C.
“There are no easy teams in women’s football at the moment. For us, it’s just important to be here, especially as this is our first time,” coach Bruce Mwape told Fifa.com.
“The whole country is behind us, supporting the team, and our achievements recently show that there has been a lot of improvement in Zambian football.”
Africa’s other representative Morocco have been drawn to face two-time World Cup winners Germany, Colombia and South Korea in Group H.
Meanwhile, possible opponents have also been drawn for Cameroon and Senegal, who will feature in the 10-team intercontinental play-offs to reach the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Should they pick a ticket in New Zealand, Senegal will come up against European champions England, Denmark and China in Group D.
Seeking a third successive appearance at the Women’s World Cup, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon could end up facing record four-time winners and holders USA, Vietnam and the Netherlands in Group E.

Sports

NDG: Rivers Coach Appeal To NDDC In Talent Discovery

Published

3 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Chess coach Nnamso Umoren has appealed to relevant authorities, most especially the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to provide funds for scouting of hidden talents at the grassroots.

He stated that lack of funds is hindering most coaches from doing what they are expected to do; hence, they don’t have enough money to travel to rural areas to discover talents.

Umoren made the appeal in an exclusive interview with Tidesports yesterday, in Benin, Edo State, shortly after the second edition of the Niger Delta Games drew her curtains closed.

According to him, without coaches no athlete can perform better, as coaches are the ones that teach athletes the techniques and rudiments of every sport.

“I appeal to the commission to support the coaches with funds to enable them to go to the areas and discover talents. Lack of funds for coaches limits the extent to which they can move around within the state in search of talents.

“I am of the general opinion that without coaches, athletes cannot perform better; hence, the coaches teach them the rudiments of the sports,” Umoren said.

The Chess coach called on the Rivers State government to organise tournaments in the State to know the strength of athletes discovered, saying that will improve sporting activities in the State.

However, he commends NDDC, who are the major sponsors of NDG, and Dumamis Icon Limited for close to perfect organisation.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Rivers Sports Director Rates Niger Delta Games High

Published

3 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Director of Sports, Obia Inyingikabo has that the just concluded second edition of the Niger Delta Games, held in Benin, Edo State, was very impressive and well organised.

She commended both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dumamis Icon Limited for the sponsorship and organisation respectively.

According to her, the problem of the team was the epileptic situation of shuttle buses, which was not under the direct control of the sports council.

Inyingikabo said this in a telephone interview with Tidesports yesterday; she confirmed that apart from the poor transport system for athletes, every arrangement went successfully as planned.

The director praised her athletes for making the State proud by winning gold, silver, and bronze medals during the games. She assured the people of Rivers State that in the next edition they will perform better and also used the opportunity to commend Rivers State promoting sports in the State.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Treat Bees, Silkworms As Valuable Resources – Don

Published

3 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Applied Entomology and Pest Management, at the Federal University of Technology Akure,(FUTA), Olufunmilayo Oladipo, has said insects such as bees ,houseflies silkworms and similar species should be seen and treated as valuable resources whose careful management could enhance food security, generate income, support industrial applications, and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic diversification.

Prof. Oladipo made the remark while delivering the 193rd Inaugural Lecture of the institution on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

Citing the honeybee as a prime example, Oladipo noted that beyond honey production, bees provide beeswax, royal jelly, propolis and venom used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, while their pollination services significantly increase crop yields and biodiversity.

She also referenced silkworms, whose silk supports textile industries and export earnings, as well as black soldier flies and houseflies, locusts, grasshoppers, mealworms and crickets which are increasingly used in the production of high-protein livestock and aquaculture feeds, thereby reducing dependence on expensive imported feed ingredients.

Speaking on the topic, “Six-Legged Arthropods: Food Security, Health and National Economic Development,” Professor Oladipo highlighted the multiple contributions of insects to national development in a monolithic economy like Nigeria, where over-dependence on crude oil has limited diversification.

She pointed out that insects serve as food for humans and feed for livestock, provide income for households through apiculture, sericulture, and insect-based enterprises, and supply raw materials for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. Beneficial insects also enhance food security through nutrient recycling, biological control of harmful species and weeds, and pollination of crops and horticultural plants, resulting in bumper harvests and increased biodiversity.

Professor Oladipo further mentioned termites and dung beetles for their role in nutrient recycling and soil aeration, improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Ladybird beetles and parasitic wasps, she explained, serve as natural biological control agents, reducing populations of destructive pests without harming the environment.

In the area of public health, Oladipo declared that though “the economic toll of insect vectors is staggering, stretching from the household to national economy, thereby undermining productivity, draining family resources, and constraining national growth, certain insects negatively affect agriculture, public health, and livelihoods”.

The professor pointed to the importance of understanding mosquitoes and other disease vectors such as tsetse flies, whose management is critical in combating malaria, yellow fever, dengue, sleeping sickness and other vector-borne diseases that weaken workforce productivity and strain national resources.

She cited data showing that malaria alone costs Africa over 12 billion dollars annually in healthcare expenditures, lost productivity, and reduced investment. Beyond mortality, she emphasized, insect-borne diseases also contribute to morbidity, chronic disability, and reduced workforce efficiency, imposing heavy burdens on families, health systems, and national economies.

She referenced maggot therapy, currently practiced in teaching hospitals in Kano, as a safe and effective treatment for chronic diabetic wounds adding that bioactive compounds from fungus-insect complexes such as Bombyx batryticatus and Beauveria bassiana, which have been developed into medicines with anticonvulsant, anticancer, antifungal, anticoagulant, and hypolipidemic properties.

Weaver ants, bee venom, and cantharidin from blister beetles, she stated, also possess therapeutic value, including immune-boosting, anti-diabetic, anti-arthritic, and antiviral applications. She maintained that strategic government investment in entomotherapy could strengthen healthcare delivery, reduce pharmaceutical import dependence, save lives, and support national economic diversification.

According to her, these examples demonstrate that insects are not merely pests to be eradicated but strategic biological assets that, if properly managed, can enhance food security, strengthen public health systems, generate employment, and support Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

The Agric expert noted however, that certain pest species continue to pose threats to agriculture and public health, thereby negatively affecting economic growth. She stressed that proper management, rather than indiscriminate eradication, is key to maximizing the benefits of these six-legged resources.

Professor Oladipo advocated integrated pest management strategies that prioritize environmentally friendly approaches, including botanicals, pheromones, biological control agents, growth regulators, and semiochemicals, while minimizing the use of broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides.

She warned that excessive reliance on chemicals has resulted in resistance, environmental pollution, and harm to non-target organisms. She also called for stricter regulation of pesticide importation and usage under professional supervision, and for stronger surveillance by regulatory authorities to prevent the introduction of exotic pest species.

To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in entomology, she urged the government to support insect rearing and the conservation of beneficial species and to establish more Departments of Entomology in universities.

On the benefits of insects, she stressed the need for shifting societal perceptions and promoting sustainable practices, calling for stronger linkages between universities and industries to translate research findings into practical applications and commercial opportunities.

Professor Oladipo further appealed for increased funding for research and for targeted support for brilliant but indigent students in science-based disciplines, emphasizing that nurturing the next generation of entomologists and agricultural scientists is critical for national development.

Presenting the inaugural lecturer, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, FAS, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Professor Sunday Oluyamo, described Professor Oladipo as a distinguished scholar whose research has significantly advanced the field of entomology and strengthened FUTA’s academic and research profile.

The Vice Chancellor who described the lecture as ‘timely’, given Nigeria’s challenges in food security, public health, and economic diversification, commended the inaugural lecturer’s scholarly depth, resilience, and dedication to mentoring students, reaffirming FUTA’s commitment to research that addresses pressing national development priorities.