Sports
Watch Your Back, Disu Warns Rohr, Lauds NFF
Former Technical Director, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Tunde Disu has warned Super Eagles Coach Genor Rohr to watch his back over variant issues as regards the preparation of the team for Russia 2018.
Disu, who gave the warning in an interview with newsmen, added that the team needed to be wary of the numbers of international friendly games for the Eagles.
Tidesport source gathered that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has lined up about five friendly games for the Super Eagles in preparation for the mundial in Russia.
NFF said that the Rohr’s men would have two games lined up for March 23 against Poland and would also face Serbia four days later in London.
Nigeria is also expected to play a farewell game against Congo at the Abuja National Stadium, where President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to be in attendance on May 28.
After that, the Eagles are expected to have a high profile date against the Three Lions of England to be played at the Wembley Stadium on June 2.
The last match for the Eagles according to NFF will be a clash against Czech Republic on June 6.
Assessing the lined up friendly games, Disu said that it was good to have them but there must be a constraint on the number of matches to avoid injuries.
“It is good that we have all this friendly games to prepare well ahead, but it is also good to consider the technical aspect of it too.
“The point is that too much playing time could lead to injuries considering that these players might have just finished from a long season from their respective clubs.
“Players such as Mikel Obi needs to be protected from injuries and others too because they may have played many games before coming to the camp.
“Super Eagles need players that are fit to play well in the World Cup and not tired legs, maybe the coach will need to rotate the team in assessing them,’’ he said.
Disu, however, commended Rohr for injecting young footballers into the team, adding that Eagles would go far in the mundial.
“I must also commend the coach Rohr for his spectacular job in the team; he has been able to put the needed young players in the team.
“I think the coach knew what he wanted and I am grateful to the leadership of NFF for giving him free hands to manage the team.
“What I am saying is not criticism but a technical advice for the team to also be wary of injuries which might ruin the team’s chances during the World Cup.
“The team has done fantastically well and the coach is also on point but there are other issues to manage like injuries and injecting discipline in the team,’’ he said.
Disu said that the national team would not be seen as underdogs when they play in Russia, adding that Eagles would be a team to beat.
“Our national team will not be seen as underdogs during the World Cup considering the way we qualified and our friendly match against Argentina.
“For now, Super Eagles is in the eye of all the teams that will be in Russia 2018 because we may count beating Argentina as a plus to us, but technically, this has put more eyes on us. “I am particularly happy that NFF President Amaju Pinnick is now in the FIFA executive. This is a big plus for us because aside from the on field play, off the field politics is also important”, he added.
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.
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