Sports
Angels’ Coach Tips Eagles To Win W/ Cup Ticket
Following the barren draw recorded by the Super Eagles against Tunisia, in Tunis in the 2010 World Cup qualifying match, many Nigerians have reaffirmed confidence on the chances of Nigeria to participate in the World Cup scheduled to be hosted by South Africa.
Coach of the Rivers Angels FC of Port Harcourt, Mr Whyte Ogbonda believes that the Super Eagles are presently doing well, having over come the antics of the carthage Eagles of Tunisia to secure a barren draw.
“I am sure that the authorities concerned would live up to their promises to the players so that they will be motivated to give out the best in them when the Tunisians come visiting for the return leg of the game in Abuja.
He said that there is no doubt the Eagles will qualify for the World Cup in South Africa, given the advantage of quality players in the squad.
“Coach Shaibu Amodu should see reason and inject more new young players who are in good form to assist the old reliable players in order to achieve good results, said coach Ogbonda.
He commended the Eagles for securing an away draw against Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in the crucial World Cup game.
“Even though the situation looks dicey as it stands, I can stick out my neck to predict that the Eagles will qualify for the mundial at the end of the play”, he said.
In a related development, team manager of the Socothem FC of Onne, Ibrahim Yusuf has advised the Eagles not to rest on their oars but to continue striving to win all her remaining matches in order to guarantee qualification ticket to be in South Africa next year.
He, thus urged Nigerians to continue to support the team, noting that, the barren draw against the Tunisians has brought the team back into serious contention for the sole World Cup ticket of the group.
Yusuf noted that with the goalless draw in Rades, the Eagles now have their fate in their own hands towards the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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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