Sports
‘Yobo, Mikel Rift Inspired Eagles AFCON 2013 Victory’
The rift between former Super Eagles captains Joseph Yobo and Mikel Obi at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa inspired the team to their third African title in South Africa, Ogenyi Onazi has revealed.
The Eagles, under late coach Stephen Keshi, started the tournament on a shaky note, recording 1-1 draws against Burkina Faso and Zambia in their opening two group games but they bounced back with a 2-0 win over Ethiopia courtesy of a brace from Victor Moses in their last game of the group.
Their qualification for the next round saw the Eagles draw huge tournament favourites Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals, a tie which saw them team tagged ‘underdogs’ by many football enthusiasts.
But against the run of play, the Eagles defeated the star-studded Ivorians 2-1 to reach the semi-final of the competition.
Tournament top scorer Emmanuel Emenike opened the scoring with a long-range shot that sailed right through the arms of Ivory Coast goalkeeper Boubacar Barry two minutes before half-time.
The late Cheikh Tiote equalised early in the second half with a header as he stole in unmarked at the back post.
Sunday Mba then scored 12 minutes from time to hand Nigeria a shock 2-1 quarter-final win and knock favourites Ivory Coast out of the tournament.
The Eagles went on to win the title for a third time following a 4-1 win over Mali in the semi-final with goals from Elderson Echiejile, Ahmed Musa, Ideye Brown, and an own goal from Momo Sissoko.
In the final against Burkina Faso, a solitary strike from Mba secured the title for Nigeria in Johannesburg.
Speaking with Tidesports sources, Onazi, who made five appearances at the tournament revealed that Yobo took a swipe at Mikel during a team talk prior to the Eagles quarter-final game against Lesotho.
“Something interesting happened before the match against Ivory Coast,” Onazi said.
“The Big Boss (Keshi) had a meeting with the team after our lunch and when he finished, Joseph Yobo, the captain, said we should all wait.
“He had been having this little issue with Mikel. So immediately, the coaching staff left, he took a swipe at Mikel immediately, saying, I know I have some issues with Mikel, but that’s okay. We have a very important game (against Ivory Coast) ahead of us and I know I am not starting this game, but I know you guys in there will do us proud.
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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