Sports
NLO: SKE Coach Optimistic To Win Ereme Jackson FC, Today
The Head Coach of SKE FC of Port Harcourt, Tonye Omualabo, has expressed optimism that his team will defeat Ereme Jackson FC today in their second game at the ongoing 2022/2023 Nationwide League One (NLO) in Port Harcourt.
According to him, they have disovered the grey areas in the team after they lost 2-1 to Willbros FC in their opening match on Wednesday, saying that they are going to approach the game with different formation, hence, the errors have been corrected.
Omualabo said this last Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Tidesports shortly after he lost 1-2 to Willbros FC in their first game of NLO at the Sharks Football Stadium in Port Harcourt.
He praised the impressive performance of his boys (players), adding that their intention was to win or get a point from the game and attributed the loss to lack of concentration.
“ Good performance but it did not reflect on the table.I think they tried their best to win the game or get at least a point but one moment of lack of concentration caused our defeat today.
“ I think my players did what they could but it was not really good enough. As I told them, they should leave the loss behind them and look forward to the next game.
“ It was a good outing, they have proved that they can do better than their next outing.
“ We just have to rest and see how we can approach our next game differently,” Omualabo said.
When asked that his boys looked younger than their opponents, he said he did not think that size or age matters so much in football.
He further explained that they created several scoring chances, played good football and did everything they could do but the result did not favour them.
Meanwhile, Ereme Jackson FC defeated Khana FC 1-0 in their opening match.
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.