Sports
Ghana U-17s Ready For USA Challenge
Ghana will chase a second successive victory at the U-17 World Cup when they face United States at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi today.
The West Africans got their tournament off to a strong start when they defeated Colombia 1-0 in their Group A opener on Friday, with Sadiq Ibrahim scoring the only goal of the game.
Yet the Black Starlets coach Samuel Paa Kwesi Fabin was not entirely happy with his team’s display and will want to see an improvement for their match with the USA.
“I’m a bit disappointed in the play because that’s not how we play. We keep the ball and pass it around but it looked as if we abandoned our style and we were trying to play long balls like the Colombians and it was not working for for us,” Fabin explained.
“But I’m happy because it’s the group stage and to have taken three points in your first match, it’s good, it’s very good, so I’m happy for that.
“I’ll give credit to our goalkeeper and the defence, I think they did tremendously well.”
The defence may need to be at their best again on Monday, as the USA looked a potent attacking force in their 3-0 win over hosts India. Josh Sargent, Chris Durkin and Andre Carleton scored the goals for coach John Hackworth’s side.
Ghana and USA have met twice before in the U-17 World Cup, with the Black Starlets claiming 2-0 wins in both 1995 in Quito and 1999 in Auckland.
Meanwhile, Debutants Niger made history on Saturday by winning their first match at the Under-17 World Cup in India, but Guinea were beaten in their opening group fixture.
Niger were 1-0 winners over North Korea in Kochi to record a victory in their first Group D match.
Salim Abdourahmane struck Niger’s goal in the 59th minute to seal the win.
Brazil is top of Group D after a 2-1 win over Spain.
Niger will next play Spain tomorrow.
In Goa, Guinea fell 3-1 to Iran in their first match of Group C.
After a tight first half, Iran raced to a 3-0 lead in the final 30 minutes of the match with goals from Allahyar Sayyad, Mohammad Sharifi and Saeid Karimi.
Guinea got a consolation goal in stoppage time through Fandje Toure.
Iran are top of Group C followed by Germany who beat Costa Rica 2-1.
Guinea, who is bottom of the standings, faces Costa Rica next tomorrow.
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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