Sports
CHAN: S’Eagles Target Winning Start Against Niger, Today
Nigeria will hope to get
off to a winning start in the 2016 CHAN against next-door neigbours Niger on Monday.
Kick-off time is 5pm Nigerian time.
Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh said it was crucial to start the 2016 CHAN on a winning note.
“We have a very good team to do well, but we pray for a good start in the tournament,” said Oliseh, who faces his first major championship since he was appointed the country’s coach in July 2015.
Christopher Madaki and goalkeeper Femi Thomas said they are seeking victory in the opening game in Rwanda.
“It’s victory we are going for against Niger Republic. Opening games are important in competitions and we are looking forward to start the CHAN on a winning note,” said Giwa FC defender Madaki.
Enyimba goalkeeper Femi Thomas said he believes a two-week training camp in Pretoria, South Africa, has been worth it and this will be evident against the Mena of Niger.
“Our camping in South Africa helped us, it brought us together as a team. We are like a family in camp with high spirit. Victory is our target,” Thomas said.
Nigeria will be buoyed leading up to Monday’s game after they defeated the same team 2-0 in a friendly in Port Harcourt in September.
Skipper Ahmed Musa gave the Eagles an 11th minute lead from the penalty spot, before Moses Simon doubled the advantage five minutes from time.
It was a very physical game with Niger most uncompromising in the tackles. It could be a repeat on Monday in Kigali.
Ghanaian-born Kofi Dan Kowa will be one of the most experienced players for Niger today having being an international since 2008. He featured at both the 2012 and 2013 AFCONs for his adopted country.
He has posted foreign stints in Tunisia, South Africa and most recently India.
The daring central defender could also play as a defensive midfielder and scored in both legs of the qualifiers against Togo.
Both West African countries are featuring for the second time in this competition.
Niger made their debut at the 2011 tournament in Sudan and reached the quarterfinals, where they lost on penalties to the hosts.
As it were, Niger stopped Nigeria from the 2011 competition after they overcame coach Daniel Amokachi’s team in Kano.
Nigeria first played at the CHAN two years ago in South Africa, where they finished third.
Niger eliminated Togo to qualify for Rwanda 2016, while Nigeria saw off Burkina Faso.
Chairman, South-South, SWAN and Chairman, Main Organising Committee (MOC), Go Round/SWAN Secondary School Athletics Championship, Mr Honour Sirawoo (middle|), Chairman, Publicity and Sub-Committee, Mr Gabriel Nwanetanya (right), and Mr Giga James, member of the MOC, during a press briefing at Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Port Harcourt, recently.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.
-
Niger Delta17 hours agoWarri Airport Manager Disputes Air Peace Bird Strike Claim
-
News20 hours agoNigeria Won’t Surrender Any Territory To Criminals -Tinubu
-
News20 hours agoFG Begins Trial Of Over 600 Terrorism Suspects
-
Rivers17 hours ago79th IAUE Inaugural Lecture: Prof Anero Advoctes Tuition-Free Education For Children
-
Politics17 hours agoParties’ Deregistration: How Justice Lifu Overruled Appeal Court Justices
-
Politics17 hours agoADC: Okonkwo Rejects Amaechi As Presidential Running Mate, Withdraws Support
-
Politics17 hours ago
2027: Rivers PFN To Mobilise 600,000 Votes
-
Politics17 hours ago2027: Tinubu’s Projects Give APC Edge In South East – Yilwatda