Sports
Kano Pillars To Redeem Image Against Road Safety
The Sai Masu Gida defender has implored his teammates to make mincemeat of their next opponents in a test game, Road Safety for their fans
Kano Pillars’ Jimoh Ismail has implored his teammates to use Friday’s friendly fixture to warm themselves back into the hearts of their fans.
Sai Masu Gida were beaten 3-1 by Kaduna United about two weeks ago in their last test game organised in honour of the chairman, Kano Football Association, Sharif Inuwa.
A message from the media department of the former league champions hinted that the game would be played at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofarmata, Kano.
Reacting to their Friday fixture with the Abuja based Road Safety, Kano Pillars central defender, Jimoh Ismail said that they see the game as an ideal test for them and that they are ready for the game.
He said there were so many things that led to their loss to Kaduna United but that their fans should expect renewed Pillars on Friday because they do not have any issue to worry about again.
“We shall play against the Road Safety team on Friday and we are looking forward to the game because we want to use it to change our fans’ impression of us,” Ismail told Goal.
“We have actually played some matches against academies in Kano but we have not played any high profile game since our defeat to Kaduna United. We are hopeful of a better performance that will endear our fans back to us.
“Pillars are set to reclaim their lost pride and a good mid-season build-up will help us achieve that. We started the season very well before some poor results threatened our season. We have managed to put ourselves back in reckoning before the break.”
Ismail who joined Pillars from Heartland of Owerri during the mid-season transfer says he expects them to have the support of their fans back after the game with Road Safety.
“Our fans were not happy with the way we lost to Kaduna United and they will need a good performance from us against Road Safety to clear their doubts,” he continued.
“We are set to put back smiles on their faces. We shall do our very best to come up with a complete performance,” he said.
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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