Sports
Libya Revels In Qualifying Miracle: 2012 Nations Cup
Libya’s national team headed for home on their charter plane on Sunday, basking in the glory of improbable qualification to next year’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Their jet set off on a 10-hour journey from Ndola on Zambia’s Copperbelt to Tunisia, after which they plan to cross the border home and embark on a victory tour of Libya’s embattled capital Tripoli. The side will be feted as heroes after completing a remarkable campaign unbeaten, setting off huge celebrations across a country still mired in conflict.
Libya’s 0-0 draw away against Zambia in Chingola was not enough to win their group, but it was good enough to see them finish in one of the two best runner-up berths. The Libyans had been aware of their potential to slip through into the 16-team field for next year’s tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, with their Brazilian coach Marcos Paqueta cognisant that a draw might be enough, provided they could hold out against an attacking Zambia side on home soil.
There were some hair-raising moments for the Libya defence, but goalkeeper Samir Aboud and central defender Ali Salama in particular put in heroic performances that ensured a goalless stalemate that left the side on 12 points, one behind their hosts. But it was not yet mathematically certain that Libya would go through when their match at the Nchanga Stadium concluded, even though they wasted no time beginning their celebrations.
Paqueta looked almost bewildered by the achievement at the end of the game, while the hero of the hour, veteran goalkeeper Aboud, stood serenely to the side of his team-mates who were feverishly hugging each other in congratulations. “It is unbelievable what these players have done, even if we didn’t play so well today,” the much-travelled Paqueta said after the game in which the hosts rattled the woodwork twice. “We believed in our mission, and we have gone through a lot together.”
Aboud, who at 39 was making an unlikely return to a much revamped line-up, called qualification a win for “all the Libyan people, not only the team” before adding emotionally: “We have gone through a lot, but we have stayed true to our job and this victory is for all of us.”
Libya had high ambitions when they started the qualifying campaign last June, hiring the former Saudi Arabia coach on a four-year contract. “I had seen this Libyan team play on television before, and so I was intrigued by them,” said Paqueta. “When they proposed a contract with me, I made a huge plan of work, not only for the national side but also the junior teams and to help the club structures. The Libyans liked it, and so I signed.”
His tenure started successfully with a draw away in Mozambique in the first of the Group D qualifiers and then a home win last October over Zambia. “But they were not easy games. The match in Mozambique came in the middle of Ramadan and the players were fasting. They were physically weak because of it,” Paqueta explained. “Against Zambia, our team doctor had a heart attack and died in the hotel the night before the match. He was very popular with the players.”
Shortly before their next game at the end of March came the start of the country’s revolution. It meant the game against the Comoros Islands had to go ahead in neutral Mali but the Libyans still won comfortably in Bamako. By then, their domestic league had stopped and organised football ground to halt. It had taken a matter of weeks for the situation to change entirely.
By June, the conflict left the team in ruins, and Paqueta had only players from the capital Tripoli to choose from for the return game, away in the Comoros. It ended 1-1 draw after a late goal by the hosts. By the time the qualifiers resumed in September for the penultimate group game, the situation was even more fluid and the ‘home’ match against Mozambique moved to Cairo. But Libya won to keep alive their seemingly improbable hopes, and then completed an unbeaten campaign by drawing in Chingola on Saturday.
“We have had a big challenge, but I told my players we need to focus on the football first,” said a proud Paqueta. “We don’t have to always mix the problems of the country with football, and to their credit they have kept concentrating on the task ahead.
Now the coach will turn his attention to preparing for the Cup of Nations finals. He is seeking to find more players of Libyan descent in Europe to strengthen the side and wants to give more home-based youngsters an opportunity. He is hoping to fix several training camps to keep his players competitive. It will be only the third time Libya are represented at the Cup of Nations but, whatever result they achieve, they have already far exceeded expectations. The hero Aboud summed up the warm feelings in the team by describing the qualification simply as “a miracle.”
Team Nigerian have started their quest for tickets to all five relay events of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in other countries at the World Athletics Relays, which began last Saturday in Nassau, Bahamas.
The two-day global event was suspected to feature 893 athletes from 54 countries vie for slots at the centenary games last Saturday and Sunday, as confirmed by World Athletics.
The event serves as a qualifier for the Paris Olympics, with the top 14 teams in each event at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 qualifying automatically for places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The remaining two places in each discipline will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period (December 31, 2022, to June 30, 2024).
Team Nigeria is currently ranked second in Africa after Kenya and 16th best in the world after clinching gold in the 4x100m, bronze in the 4x400m, one fourth and fifth place finish, and three seventh place finishes for a total of 29 points at the World Relays.
The women’s 100m hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan, headlines the list of 29 athletes confirmed to represent Nigeria at the event.
Amusan has been instrumental to Nigeria’s recent success in the women’s 4x100m relay, securing gold at both the African Games and Commonwealth Games, the latter being rescinded due to a doping infraction by another member of the relay team.
The 26-year-old is joined by Nigeria’s 200m record holder Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Justina Eyakpobeyan, Tima Godbless, Elo Blessing, and African Games double sprint medalist Olayinka Olajide.
A surprise omission from the men’s 4x100m team list is Favour Ashe, Nigeria’s fastest man this year with two sub-10 second finishes (9.96 seconds and 9.99 seconds)
The 21-year-old Auburn University undergraduate has been in excellent outdoor form, yet his name was left out of the final entry list released by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
No reason has been provided for his exclusion, though sources suggest the sprinter was not released by his university to be in the Bahamas.
With this development, Godson Oghenebrume and Udodi Onwuzurike will lead Nigeria’s charge in the men’s 4x100m, alongside Alaba Akintola, Karlington Anunagba, Consider Ekanem, Seye Ogunlewe, and Israel Okon Sunday.
Their goal is to secure a top-14 finish and earn a coveted lane at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, a feat Nigeria has not achieved since the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Rivers State Government has reiterates its commitment to host schools sports competitions in August this year, to boost grassroots sports development with the view to discover hidden talents.
The State Commissioner of sports Barrister Christopher Green, disclosed this on Saturday, in an interview with sports journalists, at the final of Strata base open national Karate Championship, held at Alfred Diete Spiff Sports Complex, Moscow road in Port Harcourt.
He said the intention of the State was to bring back sporting activites, as it used to be back in the days.
“ Our intention was to catch them young and groom them to stardom. Three months from now we are going to organise school sports, where we can identify talents.
“In those days the likes of Oriji and Ken Saro Wiwa Cup were avenues to discover talents, we are now going back to organise such competitions.
“ Apart from that we are also going to host Public Service games, this is coming up in November this year too”, Barrister Green said.
According to him, every corporate organisation that sponsored any sports competition would have something in returns.
“ I want to say that since the inception of this administration led by Sir Siminialayi Fubara the State have being doing well tremendously and sporting activites is almost at the peak” he stated.
By: Tonye Orabere
The Coordinator of the Rivers State Referee Academy in Port Harcourt, Coach Ere Dokubo says he foresees a situation where the academy would produce international referees in eight years to come.
According to him, their target was to get the best in their early age that will officiate in FIFA organised football competitions.
Coach Dokubo made the assertion at the weekend in a chat with Tidesports in Port Harcourt , saying that students admitted into the academy are between eight and 13 years bracket.
He explained that Nigeria have not produced referees to officiate World cup games was because most of the referees did not start on time but believed that the academy would produce referees of that standard.
“ We admit them in their early age between eight, nine and 13, the first phase just ended because it was an holiday programme as most of them are students.
“ We are targeting to produce FIFA graded referees in the future.
“ I believe in eight years to come some of these ones we are bringing up today will be FIFA graded referees out of them, some will officiate in the highest league that is Nigeria Professional Football League ( NPFL), why some will officiate in the lower league ( NLO).
“ I am optimistic that we must produce FIFA graded referees from the academy” Dokubo stated.
By: Kiadum Edookor
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