Sports
Amodu, Ezeugo Praise Federation Cup Standard
Super Eagles coach, Shaibu Amodu and one time international mid fielder Emeka Ezeugo have praised the standard of the Federation Cup final match played on Sunday between Sharks of Port Harcourt and Enyimba FC of Aba, saying both teams displayed high level performance.
Enyimba won the match courtesy of a goal scored in the 40th minute by Musa Mustapha.
Amodu who observed the final as well as the preceding third place match between Lobi Markurdi and Bayelsa Utd from the technical area told newsmen that he was impressed by the enthusiasm and atmosphere around the final.
However, Amodu who was apparently at the stadium to shop for prospective materials for the national team, said that it is only when professional league matches are played on good turf and television friendly environment that local players could be truly adjudged to be ready for national team.
“It was a good match that was played at a high tempo by both sides, though the third place match was slightly more entertaining than the final that was to be expected because tactics would be a factor. However, I still want to insist that to assess the readiness of home grown players for international look in, we have to expose them to good pitches as we saw on Sunday as well as television friendly environment where they can display their natural potential,” Amodu said.
Ezeugo who played for the Eagles at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul as well as the FIFA World Cup in USA in 1994, also shared the same view about the quality of the final.
The hard marking midfielder observed the quality of the Teshim Balogun Stadium pitch allowed good and flowing soccer which was savoured by the spectators.
“The pitch was fantastic. If you watch that on TV, it will look like a premier league match. The two sides were also great with formidable tradition. They played a tight game – what else can we ask for”, he said. Though he agreed that fewer chances were created in the match he noted that the reason for such was in tune with the character of most cup finals where the emphasis is mostly on cautious approach.”
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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