Sports

Mixed Reactions Trail Rohr’s Provisional 30-Man List

Published

8 years ago

May 18, 2018

Mixed reactions on Monday trailed Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr’s 30-man provisional list for the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.
The Tidesports source reports that Coach Rohr’s 30-man Provisional squad was released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday.
Rohr named Captain Mikel Obi, goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Abdullahi Shehu, Elderson Echiejile and Leon Balogun in Nigeria’s 30-man provisional list.
Others were midfielders Ogenyi Onazi, Oghenekaro Etebo, including forwards Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses.
The list also includes Spain-based goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, defenders William Troost-Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo and Olaoluwa Aina, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Joel Obi and John Ogu as well as forwards Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon and Alex Iwobi.
Chelsea wingback Moses was Nigeria’s top scorer in the qualifying campaign with three goals, while Captain Mikel, Iwobi, Simon and Iheanacho weighed in with two goals each.
A cross section of football enthusiasts who spoke to Tidesports source noted that there was nothing really new about the list, while others expressed doubts about the goalkeeping and defence departments.
Nduka Ugbade, an ex-international and former assistant coach of the Nigeria under-17 national football team said he was satisfied with Coach Rohr’s selection.
“I think the list is made up of the usual suspects and these are the players that we should indeed be taking to the World Cup.
“Looking at our options upfront, I think the likes of Ighalo, Moses and Iheanacho should be able to keep their jerseys barring any injury worries.
“I am also so thrilled to see Lokosa’s name on that 30-man provisional list. He truly deserves it especially having scored 18 goals in 20 games for Kano Pillars in the NPFL so far this season.
“I think he needs to be encouraged and let’s see how far he can go in competing for a shirt and it will be a major surprise if the young man makes it to the World Cup.
“However, even if he does not make it to Russia, the experience in the Super Eagles camp and training will be very good for his growth and development,” he said.
Emmanuel Babayaro, former Super Eagles goalkeeper and Atlanta ’96 Olympic gold medalist, also noted that the names were purely based on merit, adding that Junior Lokosa’s call up was the biggest surprise in the list.
“I think the list is okay. Seriously looking forward to see if we can finally break that last 16 hurdle and get to the quarters for the very first time.
“I think this is long over due and hopefully Russia is where history will be made.
“I am delighted that at least three home-based players namely; Dele Ajiboye, Junior Lokosa and Ikechukwu Ezenwa made the provisional list and my guts tells me Lokosa will make the 23-man final list.
“He is the surprise package for me.
“The goalkeepers however need to train thrice harder and work more on their confidence. I tip Uzoho for first choice,” he said.
Godwin Bamigboye, the Chairman, FCT Football Coaches Association said the inclusion of the country’s biggest goal contributors in the list was a welcome development.
“There were really no major surprises in the list as the country’s biggest goal contributors namely; Ahmed Musa, Victor Moses and Kelechi Iheanacho are destined for Russia.
“Also, the partnership of the China-based players namely; Odion Ighalo and Mikel Obi will yield a lot of goals for the Super Eagles. I can’t wait for the tournament to start already.
“My advice however to those whose names were missing is that they must dig their heels in, do better than their previous best and make it impossible for the Coach to overlook them for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2019,” he said.
Emmanuel Amakiri, the proprietor of Amakson Football Academy said he wasn’t completely satisfied with the list, adding that the goalkeeping and defence departments still looked weak.
“For me, the list is not bad, but I feel our goalkeeping and defence department are weak and how Rohr sets up the midfield will be crucial.
“I still don’t know what Ezenwa and Echiejile are doing in that squad? They better not make the final list.
“Ezenwa isn’t the best goalkeeper in the NPFL so I am wondering what informed his selection.
“So sad for the likes of Brown Ideye and Henry Onyekuru whose names were omitted from the list as they have both struggled in their efforts to get back to fitness ahead of the World Cup.
“Some however discovered their form when it mattered most, such as Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa who had to go back to Russia to begin to command attention once again,” he said.
The Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup finals is scheduled to kickoff from June 14 to July 15.

Sports

Rivers’ SWAN Score: Momimichelle High on Stadium Renovation, Appeal for Office

Published

4 days ago

July 3, 2026

The Tide

The prayers of Rivers people, mostly the sports fraternity, are coming to fruition as the Port Harcourt Liberation Stadium, now known as the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, will be completed and handed over to the Rivers State government in one month’s time.

Yakubu Gowon Stadium is currently undergoing total renovation after being in a dilapidated state for close to fifteen years.

It is the present administration led by Sir Siminialayi Fubara that saw it necessary and imperative to renovate the stadium with deliberate intentions to develop sports in the state; hence, one of his priorities was to develop sports and never to allow significant infrastructures to rot away under his watch.

The governor took a bold and significant step to contract the total renovation of the stadium to a very reputable, world-known sports facilities and construction company called Monimichelle.

It is worthy to note that the chief executive officer (CEO) of Momimichelle, Chief Ebi Ezekiel Egbe, is a Nigerian precisely from Bayelsa State.

He is also a FIFA-licensed match agent and stadium construction expert. Monimichelle specializes in building and maintaining football pitches/stadiums—they did the Remo Stars Stadium hybrid turf that got FIFA quality certification in 2025.

It is on record that Monimichelle Sports Facilities & Construction Company has constructed and delivered over 10 CAF/FIFA-standard stadium in Nigeria.

The company is known for her diligent and neat jobs. The company does not compromise quality, regardless of the contract value. The company’s priority is quality and contract duration to deliver. In the records of the company, it has not failed to deliver on the contract date.

Note that Stadium (Yakubu Gowon) was once a beautiful pride in the South-South region of Nigeria, as it was one of the venues that hosted the 1999 Junior World Cup. The stadium was built to FIFA standards and has all facilities to host the World Cup.

After 1999 the magnificent stadium then was hosting other important local and international games, including Nigeria Super Eagles matches, before it became dilapidated over time courtesy of a lack of adequate maintenance.

According to Chief Egbe, while conducting the executive of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Rivers State Chapter, led by Cyril Dum Wite, round the stadium on Tuesday, 9th June, 2026, the stadium pitch will be hybrid synthetic, which is currently in vogue all over the world.

He reiterated that the renovation will be completed in a month’s time, as all the equipment and facilities to be used are right on the ground.

“You see the job; it is almost completed, and I believe in a month’s time the whole work will be completed and handed over to the state government.

“As you can see, the stadium has CAF/FIFA standard facilities; it has two training pitches, a water sprinkler system, an eight-lane track, two ice spar rooms, VIP and VVIP areas, and a pitch panel control room.

It equally has a VAR control room with eight cameras, a modern electronic scoreboard, floodlights, a commentary room, a TV room, a mix zone, four changing rooms, three dressing rooms, a dope room, offices for doctors and nurses, and a physio room, including a general medical room.

“This space you see here is for motorized carts an access way to take a player out of the stadium in case there is an emergency. It has ?offices for both home and away coaches, CAF match commissioner and coordinator offices , media gallery and technical & control operations. It will be connected with free WiFi during match days.

“We are also making available 40 public toilets and a natural grass training pitch,” he said.

In their reaction after inspecting the facilities of the stadium, the chairman of SWAN in Rivers State, Cyril Dum Wite, and members of the executive expressed satisfaction over the quality of work done, mostly the originality of the facilities put in place.

The SWAN commended the speed with which the job is going with efficiency, saying when completed, the stadium can host international games and mostly serve as the official home ground of Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt, as it has modern facilities.

He used the opportunity to also commend Monimichell for its commitment and determination to complete it in the stipulated time frame.

The SWAN equally praised the government led by Sir Siminialayi Fubara for taking the bold step to renovate the stadium that is almost rotting away.

He again passionately appealed to the governor to approve and build a befitting SWAN office within the stadium that will allow sports writers to carry out their functions effectively and efficiently.

“The entire executive and members of sports writers passionately appeal to the governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, to approve and build an office for SWAN.

However, we are not in doubt that the governor, who is a sports-loving person, will surely do it for us. Sir Fubara has contributed immensely to sports development, and we will always remember him for that,” Dum Wite said.

Also a veteran sports journalist and National Ex-officio of SWAN, China, Acheru, who was also in the facilities tour, appreciates the level of work being done so far and advised Momimichelle to build facilities that can stand the test of time.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Six Nigerians To Play For NBA Teams

Published

1 week ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Six Nigerians are among the over 10 players of African descent selected into various clubs in the 2026 NBA draft held on Saturday at the Barclays Centre, in Brooklyn, New York.

Among the new NBA draftees are Felix Okpara, Ebuka Okorie, Zubby Ejiofor, Otega Oweh, Tobi Lawal and Ugonna Onyenso.

Felix Okpara (selected 46th overall by the Orlando Magic) and Ugonna Onyenso (selected 53rd overall by the Houston Rockets) marked the second time that two players from Nigeria were selected in the same NBA Draft.

Onyenso is the third NBA Academy Africa alumnus and 15th NBA Academy alumnus overall to be drafted into the NBA.

Ebuka Okorie of Stanford University was the 17th overall pick by Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a planned trade.

In the arrangement, the Thunder will send the draft rights to Okorie to the Memphis Grizzlies who will send his draft rights to the Detroit Pistons).

Zuby Ejiofor was drafted from St John’s University as the 23rd overall by the Atlanta Hawks, just as Otega Oweh of the University of Kentucky was selected as the 41st overall pick by the Miami Heat, as part of a planned trade, which will see the Heat sending the draft rights to Oweh to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oweh was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the league’s coaches in both seasons at Kentucky (2024-25, 2025-26).

He led the Wildcats in scoring (18.6 ppg) and steals (1.8 spg) as a senior in 2025-26 and also scored a career-high 35 points vs. Santa Clara in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. He is also the brother of Washington Commanders defensive end Odafe Oweh, a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Felix Okpara of University of Tennessee, who was selected 46th overall by the Orlando Magic, earned 2025-26 SEC All-Defensive Team honors as a senior in his second season at the University of Tennessee.

He ranks second in programme history in blocks per game at 1.6 and is one of four Tennessee players to record multiple 50-block seasons.

Okpara finished third in the SEC in blocks during the 2024-25 season, averaging 1.7 per game, and ranked seventh in 2025-26 at 1.5 per game.

Prior to Tennessee, Okpara played two seasons at Ohio State and was in 2023-24, ranked 11th nationally in blocks, averaging 2.4 per game.

Okpara grew up playing football in Nigeria and picked up basketball shortly before moving to the U.S. in August 2018.

Tobi Lawal of Virginia Tech, who was selected 48th overall by the Dallas Mavericks, did not pick up a basketball until he was 16, growing up in London and starring for the City of London Academy before crossing the Atlantic.

At Lee Academy Prep, he was dominant, averaging 14.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.0 steals while shooting 67 per cent from the floor.

Ugonna Onyenso of the University of Virginia was selected 53rd overall by the Houston Rockets, but the Rockets will send his draft rights to the New York Knicks, who will then send his draft rights to the Detroit Pistons, marking the second time that two players from Nigeria were selected in the same NBA Draft.

Onyenso spent three years at NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, making him the third NBA Academy Africa alumnus and 15th NBA Academy alumnus overall to be drafted into the NBA.

At 17 years old, Onyenso became the youngest player ever to suit up for the Nigerian senior national team. The Owerri-born center first picked up basketball after a local coach pulled him away from soccer, then attended NBA Academy Africa before relocating to Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut.

Also in the latest NBA draft are AJ Dybantsa, who has ties to the Republic of the Congo and Jamaica, Nate Ament of Rwanda, who is the second player of Rwandan heritage to be drafted into the NBA after Frank Ntilikina, selected eighth overall by the New York Knicks in 2017.

Ghana’s Jack Kayil and Narcisse Ngoy of the Central African Republic are also among the new NBA intakes.

Sports

NPFL Warns Newly Promoted Clubs

Published

1 week ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), on Friday, warned newly promoted clubs that failure to meet the league’s licensing and infrastructure requirements could bar them from playing at home or even jeopardize their participation in the top flight.

The NPFL recalled that some clubs were relocated from their home venues last season after failing to meet the required standards.

The Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL, Davidson Owumi, disclosed this in Abuja, during an orientation and induction programme organised for the owners and general managers of the four newly promoted clubs ahead of the 2026/27 NPFL season.

He said the programme was designed to acquaint the clubs with the league’s operational procedures and club licensing requirements before the new season begins.

According to him, the early engagement provides clubs with enough time to address any shortcomings before the commencement of the season.

“The purpose is orientation and induction, to ensure they are acquainted with the basics of what we do in the NPFL and to break down the club licensing process so everyone understands what is expected.

“We still have plenty of time before the league starts. This is the appropriate time to acquaint them with what they will be facing. Those who cannot meet the requirements will know early enough.”

Owumi added that the league had yet to assess the newly promoted clubs for specific deficiencies, explaining that the current exercise was focused on education rather than evaluation.

“We are just interacting with them for the first time. We have not tested them in any way. After this education, if they are unable to meet the requirements in the coming weeks, then we will know those that are deficient.”

The NPFL chief stressed that the league would continue to enforce strict compliance with infrastructure standards, including stadium, security and medical requirements.

“Any club that does not meet the standard requirements will be moved from its home ground. We have always enforced these rules because professional football demands the right infrastructure.” Owumi said.

Speaking on behalf of one of the promoted clubs, Chairman of Sporting Lagos, Godwin Enakhena, described the orientation as timely and beneficial, saying it exposed participants to important aspects of the league’s operations that many may not have been aware of.

He said while some club officials had previous experience in the NPFL, the seminar remained valuable because learning in football administration is continuous.

Expressing confidence in the readiness of the promoted clubs, he noted that Sporting Lagos, Wikki Tourists, Barau FC and Doma United were not newcomers to the top flight and understood the demands of competing in the NPFL.

Enakhena said: “The day you stop learning and reading, then there’s a big problem. Even for me, there were issues discussed today that opened my mind. I would have been ignorant of those things if I wasn’t at this seminar.

“You don’t struggle to gain promotion and then you’re not ready for the battle. Based on my conversations with the other club managers, I can assure you the four teams are ready.”

Enakhena also welcomed the increasing number of privately owned clubs in the NPFL, describing it as a positive development for Nigerian football.

He said the success of privately run clubs would encourage more investors to enter the game and expressed hope that they would eventually make up the majority of clubs in the top division.

“I’m seeing more private clubs getting to the Premier League. Let’s have 70 per cent privately owned clubs and 30 per cent government clubs. That would be a fantastic development for Nigerian football.”