Sports
Sierra Leonean Keeper Wants To Break Barriers
A young Sierra Leonean goalkeeper, who dreams of playing in the English Premier League, says it is much easier for an outfield African player to make it in Europe than it is for a goalkeeper.
Al Hadji Sesay recently signed a professional football contract with English championship side Bristol City, and the 19 year-old believes that a lack of prominent African goalkeepers in European leagues has made it difficult for younger players to be recognised.
“It’s been tough for someone like me who is from Africa to come to a championship club,” said Sesay who was spotted by Bristol City while playing for a social club in London.
“Deeply inside it worries me a lot. There was a time when I thought I was not going to make it.”
Sesay’s journey to the top has been like that of many other young African players.
He started his career in Sierra Leone with Kallon FC, a team owned by former Sierra Leone and Inter Milan star, Mohammed Kallon.
He then moved to London to join his mother who wanted him to work in a shop and help out with family expenses rather than pursue a football career.
Sesay impressed the Bristol City scouts and earned himself a two-year contract with Lee Johnson’s team as he chases his dream to play in the Premier League and the European Champions League, but he argues that it is harder if you play in goal.
“There are black goalkeepers in other leagues but in the Premier League there are no black African goalkeepers.
“I am always thinking, am I going to make it or not,” Sesay said.
Despite the difficulties, he says his mother is now on board with his chosen career and has become a big fan.
“Everything has changed. When I came to this country my mother wanted me to work to help her.
She wanted me to work for a Nigerian shop which sells African food. I went there for one day and said I am not doing that,” said Sesay.
“When she found out that Bristol City wanted to sign me she was so happy. Now I take care of her and everything is good.”
Sesay is yet to make his first team debut for Bristol City but trains with the first team while playing regularly for the under 23 side.
Other African goalkeepers in Europe include Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama who plays for Ligue 1 side Lille, Cameroon’s Andre Onana who is with Ajax Amsterdam, Morocco’s Yassine Bounou of Spanish La Liga side Girona and Nigeria’s Carl Ikeme of English Championship side Wolves.
Sesay says the Brazilian goalkeeper Marcos and former Spain and Real Madrid star Iker Casillas are his main inspiration and that his dream is to follow in the footsteps of his idols and win the European Champions League and the World Cup despite the difficult road ahead.
Sesay has a chance of realising his dream of becoming a Premier League player if Bristol City can clinch promotion at the end of the season.
Sports
Chess Championship: Dan-Jumbo Emerges Best Female Player
The third edition of Naphtail Chess Open Championship which ended on Wednesday in Port Harcourt saw Rivers State born Queen Dan-Jumbo emerged best female player in the tournament following her impressive performance.
It was clash of the Titans as top Chess players in Nigeria gathered to chase honours.
The three days competition was held at Vee Hotel, Trans Amadi ,in Port Harcourt and over 80 players in Nigeria registered for the tournament this championship was recognised by International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Speaking with Tidesports in an exclusive interview on Saturday, Dan-Jumbo said her dream was to become Grand Master in Chess worldwide.
According to her, she started playing Chess at the age of 15 but went into it professionally in 2009 as she represented Rivers State in National Sports Festival (NSF) in Kaduna, the same year.
“I started playing Chess in the early 2000s. I picked the interest through my my elder brother as him and his friends always play Chess in our compound so I began to learn it.
” In 2009 I went to National Sports festival in Kaduna represented Rivers State and I won a silver medal on my board.
“In 2011 and 2012 NSFs I won two Gold medals each hosted by Rivers and Lagos States respectively. While in Edo NSF I won bronze medal” Dan-Jumbo said.
The Asari-Toru, in Rivers State born Chess player use the forum to advice upcoming Chess players to be focus, saying losing a game is part of every competition but the most important thing was that you don’t lose hope.
“My advice for upcoming chess players was that don’t lose focus. Even when you lose, find a way to adjust and get back out”, she added.
Tonye Orabere
Sports
Siasia Blames NFF Over FIFA Ban
Former Super Eagles Coach, Samson Siasia says the Nigeria Football Federation supported FIFA to have him banned for alleged involvement in match-fixing in August 2019.
In a recent interview with Athlist, the 56-year-old, whose ban ends in a few months, said the NFF not only refused to support him but also carried out FIFA’s instruction not to let him know he was under investigation by the world football body.
“Nigeria abandoned me at that time of need; that’s my own take on how this thing played out,” the former Eagles striker and member of the 1994 AFCON-winning squad, said.
“It’s an allegation; they said bribery. What is bribery? Is it not when money changes hands? Was there any proof of that? There were none.
“I spoke with someone who was trying to hire me as a coach in Australia. I didn’t know the guy was a match-fixer, but FIFA knew this guy. Why would they allow him to be around any FIFA tournament?
“So, when they found out through emails, our correspondence about how this guy would take me to Australia, I played in Australia, so I felt it would be nice to go back there.
“We talked about how much salaries, transfers, bonuses, and sign-on fees were, and that was all.
“When FIFA was looking for me, I didn’t even know. I am not affiliated with FIFA; their affiliation is with the NFF. So, they went to the NFF and told them not to let me know that they were investigating me. But if they didn’t tell me, how was I supposed to defend my self Siasia added, “Then they sent me a letter, but it went to my spam. It was two days before the ban that I found out that FIFA was looking for me.
Siasia added, “Then they sent me a letter, but it went to my spam. It was two days before the ban that I found out that FIFA was looking for me.
“Then we started to see how we could communicate with them to see how I could have a hearing. But they said the time had elapsed and I should go to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport).
Sports
WADA Plans Review Of Failed Tests
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will launch an independent review after 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance.
WADA has said it was not in a position to disprove an assertion from the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) that contamination was the source of the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) for which the swimmers tested positive.
Findings of the independent investigation, led by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier, are expected to be delivered within two months.
“WADA’s integrity and reputation is under attack,” said Wada president Witold Banka.
“WADA has been unfairly accused of bias in favour of China by not appealing the CHINADA case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“We continue to reject the false accusations and we are pleased to be able to put these questions into the hands of an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor.”
United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Chief Executive Travis Tygart said WADA and CHINADA had swept these positives under the carpet, claims WADA described as completely false and defamatory while adding that it had referred the comments to its lawyers.
Aquatics GB said it was extremely concerned by the allegations, which it said threatened “potential loss of trust and reputational damage to sport”.
WADA was notified of CHINADA’s decision in June 2021, ahead of the delayed Games, and said it had no evidence to challenge China’s findings and that external counsel had advised against appealing.
In addition to the independent investigation, WADA said it will send a compliance audit team to assess the state of China’s anti-doping programme and invite independent auditors “from the broader anti-doping community” to join the trip.
WADA director general Olivier Niggli said: “While not one shred of evidence has been presented to support any of the allegations made against WADA, we wish to deal with the matter as quickly and as comprehensively as possible so that the matter is appropriately handled in advance of the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Details of the positive tests were revealed by the New York Times, which shared reporting with German broadcaster ARD.
China won six swimming medals at the Tokyo Olympics, including three golds.
-
News2 days ago
FG Flags Off PH-Aba Train Service
-
Featured2 days ago
Draw Up Futuristic Policies To Strengthen Governance, Fubara Tells NISS Team …Says Rivers’ll Deploy AI To Drive Dev, Tackle Political Crisis
-
News2 days ago
Drama As Senators Jostle For Seats In Newly Renovated Chamber
-
Niger Delta1 day ago
Diri swears in 14 Commissioners, Revenue Chairman
-
Nation2 days ago
VCDF in Partnership with LDSVA Sensitise Women on Gender Equality, Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship
-
Niger Delta1 day ago
Obaseki Approves N70,000 Minimum Wage For Workers
-
Sports5 days ago
Chess Championship: Dan-Jumbo Emerges Best Female Player
-
Niger Delta2 days ago
Ministry Of Health Decorates Odu As End Malaria Champion In Rivers