Sports
Falcons Maintain Unbeaten Record
Another brace from Perpetua Nkwocha helped Nigeria keep up their 100 percent record at the African Women’s Championship.
The Super Falcons claimed a 3-0 win over Tanzania in their final group game, ensuring they top the group with an unblemished points haul.
South Africa joined Nigeria in the semifinals with a 4-0 win over Mali, who needed to win to upstage the hosts.
Tanzania had already been eliminated after two losses, but we’re hoping to restore some pride by going home with at least a point.
It was the wrong choice of opponents for such lofty ambitions, and for the first 10 minutes, they barely got past the centre line as the Falcons applied the squeeze.
It came as no surprise when they went behind early. Ulunma Jerome, who has assisted all but one of Nkwocha’s goals so far, was on hand again.
Her corner kick was not properly cleared and the ball broke to her for a second bite at the cherry. This time, she hung a cross inside the box, and when the goalkeeper flapped, Nkwocha made no mistake with her header.
Her seventh goal of the tournament was as a result of more defensive frailties. Stella Mbachu’s cross was made a hash of by two defenders, and Nkwocha, again, was on hand to fire home from six yards.
With a potentially difficult semifinal in view, coach Uche Eucharia took off her leading striker, who was getting the lumps kicked out of her by the east Africans.
But it made little difference, as a fine team passing move was finished off by Ugochi Oparanozie. Rita Chikwelu’s effort was beaten away by the goalie, Mbachu was first to pounce, and her cutback was turned in by Oparanozie right on the goal line.
Nigeria will now await the second-placed team in group B, while South Africa will play the group winners.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor
The President of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Ibrahim Gusau, has decried the state of playing pitches in Nigeria yesterday saying only one stadium can host grade A matches in the country.
The NFF President, who spoke yesterday shortly after accompanying Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State to inspect ongoing total rehabilitation work at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi, expressed delight over the standard of work being done by the contractor.
He commended Governor Alia for undertaking the total rehabilitation of the stadium noting “I am very impressed with what am seeing on ground.
“You all know that for now, you can play grade A match, which is Super Eagles matches in Nigeria only in Uyo stadium. It is becoming a major source of worry for me and other Nigerians that in a country like Nigeria, we have only one stadium where we can play grade A matches.
“So when I heard that the Governor has awarded contract for the upgrade of facilities at the Aper Aku Stadium, I hurriedly came to talk to him to see the extent to which we can come in to assist and I must confirm that I am really happy with what I have seen on ground.
“We have our Technical Director here who will be working hand in hand with the contractors to ensure that everything is done correctly so that in the nearest future, we can have an alternative stadium for Super Eagles matches and that alternative should be Makurdi.
“With the commitment of the governor I know it is going to be possible and by the grace of God, we will do everything to support him to achieve the dream.
On his drive to resusitate grassroot football development, the NFF President said, “part of my campaign promises was to see how we can develop football at the grassroots and part of the process to develop grassroots football is to organise under 15 and the under 17 Governors Cup Competitions and it is not only in Benue State.
