Sports
NPL: Dolphins, Sharks Seek Return To Winning Ways
Expectations are high in Port Harcourt today as Rivers State teams, Dolphins and Sharks FCs chase home points against Kaduna United FC and Jigawa Golden Stars at the Liberation Stadium and Sharks Stadium, respectively.
The fixtures are the third of the season but week two dates postponed as a result of the recent nation-wide strike in Nigeria.
No doubt, today’s encounter are very crucial as the host teams need the maximum points to soothe their losses at the weekend, away to Kwara United and Enyimba, respectively.
Dolphins Coach, Stanley Eguma was worried over their 1-0 defeat by Kwara United on Saturday, consequently, the players have vowed to win today’s match to enable them regain confidence and ground as the early pacesetters on the league table.
There are indications that Dolphins have gone back to the drawing board after their loss, as the players expressed determination to go for good results henceforth.
Today’s encounter id expected to be explosive and highly competitive because Kaduna United will not want to be trampled upon.
Overtime, the opponents have proved to be a difficult side to beat, especially with their defence marshalled by home Eagles stalwart, Papa Idris, they would be difficult to break down.
But the onus lies on Coach Eguma and his boys to find ways to overcome the opposition and make their fans celebrate at the end of 90 minutes.
Also, Sharks would want to beat Jigawa Stars to arrest the run of two consecutive losses in the nascent 2012/13 league season.
Consequently, today’s match is a must win game.
Coach John Obuh and his wards will have no excuse if they fail to come out of today’s encounter unscathed.
Tonye Orabere
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.
-
Niger Delta2 days agoWarri Airport Manager Disputes Air Peace Bird Strike Claim
-
News3 days agoNigeria Won’t Surrender Any Territory To Criminals -Tinubu
-
News3 days agoFG Begins Trial Of Over 600 Terrorism Suspects
-
Rivers2 days ago79th IAUE Inaugural Lecture: Prof Anero Advoctes Tuition-Free Education For Children
-
Politics2 days agoParties’ Deregistration: How Justice Lifu Overruled Appeal Court Justices
-
Politics2 days agoADC: Okonkwo Rejects Amaechi As Presidential Running Mate, Withdraws Support
-
News3 days agoRivers Judges Commence Annual Vacation, July 20
-
Politics2 days ago2027: Tinubu’s Projects Give APC Edge In South East – Yilwatda