Sports
Mixed Reactions Trail 3SC’s Relegation
A former coach of the
Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan, Adegboye Onigbinde, has expressed disappointment at the relegation of the Ibadan side from the Glo Premier League.
Onigbinde, who coached the then IICC Shooting Stars in the mid-1980’s, told newsmen, in Lagos that the club was like his “baby’’.
He said that he was not therefore, in the best position to advice on steps that could be taken to reposition the club, but added that the management was in a better position to do so.
It would be recalled that this would be the second time that the club would be relegated in the last seven years.
3SC first got relegated in 2006 and eventually gained promotion back to the premier league in 2009.
“Well, as a lover of the team, the team is like a baby to me. I’m not happy that the team is going on relegation.
“As for what to do to resuscitate the team, let the technical people and the administrators meet and think of what to do to change the fortunes of the club,’’ Onigbinde said.
In the same vein, Taiwo Ogunjobi, a former 3SC defence stalwart, also expressed sadness at the club’s relegation to the lower division.
Ogunjobi, who was also a former General Manager of the club, urged the Oyo State football authorities to ensure that only knowledgeable individuals were appointed to revive the club.
“The 3SC story is a sad one and it’s a concern to all of us from that area. It is so sad that they are relegated.
“But I think they must have learnt one or two things and there is need for us to put our house in order.
“Then we can start thinking about getting it out of the messy situation next season, I believe that the right people should be in the right places so that the club can redeem itself,’’ Ogunjobi added.
In his own reaction Mutiu Adepoju, the immediate-past General Manager of the Ibadan side, urged the management to look inwards and put their acts together.
“Its very sad to see Shooting Stars in this situation. I don’t know what went wrong, I believe the management of the team and the players are not happy about this.
“I’m sure that with their cooperation, they will weather the storm,’’ Adepoju said.
Felix Owolabi, a former player and board member of the club, said that the once iconic club that held the nation spellbound with its exploits, had lost its pride of place.
“Shooting Stars had an identity and was a brand of the Yoruba race, when I was playing. “The club, as far as I know today has lost its pride of place,’’ Owolabi said.
Meanwhile, Fatai Amoo a former coach of the Ibadan side, declined to comment when contacted.
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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