Sports

Broos Expects More From Cameroon

Published

9 years ago

February 22, 2017

Cameroon won their fifth Africa Cup of Nations title recently in Gabon but coach Hugo Broos thinks there is still room for improvement.
Vincent Aboubakar’s excellent 88th-minute strike clinched a 2-1 victory for Cameroon, who had cancelled out Mohammed Elneny’s first-half opener through Nicolas N’Koulou’s header.
Broos’ preparation for the tournament was hampered by seven players, including Liverpool’s Joel Matip, turning down a place in the squad, while he has come in for criticism for deploying a number of young players.
But having claimed the tile, the Belgian felt vindicated and insisted his side can continue to grow and reach new levels.
Broos told a media conference: “it’s true that when I came to Cameroon a year ago I found a group of players who were not motivated so I had to change that.
“They were coming not to play for the national team but because they had to, because the coach asked them to come. So I changed the group a little bit and put some young payers in and we started working and doing a good job.
“We have a team that is still not on the highest level. We can be better, but I think it is only the beginning.
“I am happy for the group, for the players. This is not a group of football players, this is a group of friends. That’s why the players who are on the bench keep being motivated. Against Senegal, against Ghana and against Egypt, these players made the difference.
“What really matter to me is results. I am delighted that we have won this trophy. This shows we have worked well, especially during the last months.
“What I told people when I came to Cameroon was that people have to be patient and correct and fair.
“I have no problem when a journalist criticises my choices, but when you are criticising you have to be objective so I hope that now we have won the trophy, I hope our relationship) Broos and the media) will be correct”.

Sports

Super Eagles Ranks 2nd Among W’Cup Absentees

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Nigeria’s Super Eagles are the second-highest-ranked team not participating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as they remained 26th in the latest FIFA men’s World Ranking.

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.

Sports

NCF picks Squad For Namibia Tour Tri-Series

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

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.

Sports

Otu Top Seeds Into CBN Senior Tennis Championship’s Second Round

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

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.