Sports
The Tales Of Festus’ Football Career
It was beyond the imagination of many people that the round leather game called football would be so attractive, viable and lucrative in recent times.
The notion conceived by majority of world population before now was that football was played by illiterates, school dropouts and wayward people. This misconception no doubt slowed down the pace of development of the game in Africa, most especially in Nigeria.
I may not be wrong to say that some parents disowned their child or children because he or she developed interest in playing football.
In fact parents often times beat up their children mercilessly just because of playing football after school hours or as the case may be. This action taken was not to say they hated their wards but have the fears that they might get injured.
But now people have realised that sports is one of the best unifying factors in the world and they go into sporting activities with different intentions, some do it for physical fitness, passion, while some go into it as career to enable them earn their living and make their state and country proud.
Austine Osaretin Festus is one of the best footballers in Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), was born January 31st 1989, into the family of Osemwenkhae, in Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo State.
He went into sports particularly with the intention to develop and promote the game of football.
Festus, attended Ivory Primary School before he proceeded to Baptist High School all in Benin, Edo State and obtained his Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE).
The former Golden Eaglets player started his football career in 1999 with a youth team called Bocas Football Club and later joined Paulson Academy, in 2004.
Following his impressive performance in the Paulson football academy he was selected to play for his state in the football event of the National Sports Festival (NSF)in 2005.
After his enviable outing in the NSF he was called for national assignment to play for Golden Eaglets in the same year. Shortly after that , the then management of Bendel Insurance FC , contested with other clubs before they could sign him in 2006.
The coach did not regret the rigorous process he went through to get the consent of Festus, because he contributed immensely towards the success of Insurance.
Festus, shortly became the beautiful pride in Bendel Insurance and Nigeria where almost all the of clubs scrambled to sign him.
In the midst of the dozens clubs that were struggling to get his nod, he carefully agreed to put pen on paper for Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt, in 2008.
Dolphins FC Technical Adviser, Stanley Eguma, who saw his potentials did not make mistake to contest with other clubs to bring him, because just three years he assisted the club to win Nigeria Premier League, in 2011 and same year he was called for the second time to serve the nation in the All African Games and emergy FA Cup runners up in 2014.
In 2015, following the relegation of Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, to lower division as its sister Club, Dolpins FC Rivers State government decided to amalgamate both clubs that is now known as Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt.
In the following year he secured a continental ticket under the new name, in Rivers United as they occupied second position on the log and won the Super Four championship.
The most significant thing about him is that he is always committed and determined to ensure that Rivers United becomes one of the best clubs in Africa and also win NPFL and the ongoing African Confederation Cup.
Apart from the fact that Festus is a good player, he also has the attribute of a good leader, with high sense of humility, which earned him the pioneer captainship of the club.
He has several times expressed worries over the absence of grassroots sports development programmes in the nation.
According to him the inability of the states to live up to standard expected of them at various national and local competitions could lead to failure to effectively tap and groom talents in the rural areas.
“ I am appealing to federal and state governments to come with a blue print on how to develop and promote sports in Nigeria. I mean all sports and not football alone.
My major worry is that we have the potentials but we can’t explore them. Most of the big names we hear in sports started at the age of five”, Festus said.
The number one player in Rivers United said his dream in his career is to play in one of the biggest clubs in the world, like Barcelona, Real Madrid , Bayern Munich etc.
He used the forum to advise upcoming young footballers to be dedicated, determined, focused and believe in themselves to achieve success.
‘ As a footballer before you excel you must be disciplined both in and out of the pitch, believe in yourself and commitment”, he stated.
Tonye Orabere,
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that the Premier League leaders must win trophies if they were to be remembered like the “Invincibles” side that last won the title for the Gunners in 2004.
Arsene Wenger’s side romped to the title 22 years ago without losing a single league game.
Arsenal headede into last night’s clash at home to reigning champions Liverpool with a five-point lead at the top of the table after Manchester City and Aston Villa dropped points against Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, respectively on Wednesday.
Arteta’s men, runners-up for the past three seasons, have two more points and four more goals than Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ managed after 20 games.
But the Spaniard said those stats matter little unless Arsenal go on to win the league.
“No, because ‘the Invincibles’ won a lot,” Arteta told his pre-match press conference on whether his side can be considered better than Arsenal’s last title winners.
“They won consistently, and they created a history and a legacy, and we have to do that.”
The lone major piece of silverware won by Arsenal in six years under Arteta remains the 2020 FA Cup
“There are a lot of stats, but in the last two or three years we have managed more points and more goals than ever before. But at the end, we have to translate that to major trophies,” he added.
“Probably doing what we are doing now would have been enough (in 2004), but now it’s not, and we have to make the margins even bigger.”
Arsenal lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Anfield back in August in what was billed as an early showdown between title rivals.
The defending champions headed to the Emirates 14 points off the top after a difficult second season for Arne Slot, but Arteta insisted the Reds remain a superb side.
The Gunners were without sidelined defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera but were“monitoring the load” on Kai Havertz as the Germany forward intensified his training while continuing to recover from a long-term leg injury.
Nigeria sharpshooters Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will provide a stern test to the flawless record of Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, a son of French football icon Zinedine Zidane, in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals in Morocco.
Zidane is the only first-choice goalkeeper amongst the eight quarter-finalists to have kept a clean sheet in all of his tournament matches so far, but the task facing him in Marrakesh tomorrow will not be easy.
Former African player of the year award-winners Osimhen and Lookman have tormented defences during the tournament, scoring three goals each.
Zidane, 27, kept clean sheets in group matches against Sudan and Burkina Faso before being rested against Equatorial Guinea.
He was recalled for a last-16 clash with the Democratic Republic of Congo and once again was unbeaten during a dramatic extra-time victory.
Former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, his Spanish wife and another son have been among the crowds in each match Luca played for the Desert Foxes.
“It is special when your family come to watch,” said Luca Zidane, who began his career with Real Madrid B in 2016 and now plays for Spanish second-tier side Granada.
Born in France, Zidane represented his country of birth at five age-limit levels. Under FIFA rules he could also play for Spain or Algeria, where his grandparents were born.
Zidane chose Algeria, debuting in a 2026 World Cup qualifying victory over Uganda last November and, when an injury ruled first choice Alexis Guendoez out of the AFCON, he was promoted.
“I am proud to represent Algeria and play in the Africa Cup of Nations. It is a great experience,” he told reporters.
“I try to be myself, to build my career on my terms, step by step,” he said.
Algeria have been an AFCON bogey team for Nigeria, winning four and drawing two of nine meetings, including a 5-1 drubbing of the Super Eagles en route to winning the 1990 tournament at home. But the current Super Eagles appear to be in the mood to get this one over the Algerians.
The Desert Foxes have put successive group-stage exits behind them under Bosnian coach Vladimir Petkovic and substitute Adil Boulbina unleashed a thunderbolt to eliminate DR Congo.
Nigeria are the 12-goal leading scorers in Morocco with Osimhen, Lookman and Akor Adams forming a potent frontline.
But coach Eric Chelle will be concerned that the three-time champions have conceded four, the most among the eight title hopefuls.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has said that the club would sell captain Marc Guehi this month if his asking price is met.
The England defender is out of contract in the summer and Manchester City have emerged as contenders to sign him during the January transfer window.
Palace blocked a proposed £35m move to Liverpool last summer but risk losing the 25-year-old for nothing at the end of the season.
City’s interest in Guehi has progressed following injuries to defenders Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias during Sunday’s draw against Chelsea.
“I’m not naive,” said Glasner, as reported by Tidesports source. “If a massive offer comes from City and Marc wants to do it, it will happen.”
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are among the European clubs to have shown an interest in signing Guehi on a free transfer, and he can sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club from this month.
“If you’re just valuing sports, everyone in the club will say Marc has to stay,” Glasner added. “The chairman will tell you the same. But it’s not one-dimensional. If you see the financial situation, it’s very important.
“If somebody comes, there will be a moment when the club says ‘now the financial issue is more important than the sports issue’.
“There will be a threshold where the club has to say it will happen, as long as Marc says ‘I want to leave’, because the final decision is always with the player.”
Guehi helped Palace finish 12th last season and win the FA Cup to qualify for Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
The Eagles then won the Community Shield in August, beating Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties, and are 14th in the table and through to the knockout phase play-offs in the Uefa Conference League.
“The chairman rejected many offers in the summer because we want to play a successful season and wanted to win the Community Shield,” Glasner added. “Therefore, Marc is important, and then he rejected the offer.
“The threshold at that time, the money we got offered was not above it. Maybe it was close, but it was not above.”