Sports
Ikhana Slams NFF Over Confederation Cup Ticket
The Technical Manager of Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, Kadiri Ikhana has described the decision of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to award the second slot for the Confederation Cup competition to Warri Wolves, instead of Sharks as an error of judgement.
Ikhana, who spoke in a telephone chat with Tidesports yesterday said that the decision that overlooked Sharks FC which are runners-up in the Federation Cup is “one man decision which not taken in the interest of the country.”
The Sharks FC boss said that a precedent exists in the situation and that Sharks’ case should not be different.
He noted that there was still hope for Sharks FC stating that the matter was not concluded yet.
The media officer of the club, Confidence Idaa in a related development, said the report is controversial and expressed worry why the ticket should be given to Warri Wolves instead of Sharks FC.
Waa continued that the decision to over look Sharks was political and that it remains an unfortunate and unhappy development for Nigerian football.
Tidesports however gathered that the NFF may have been informed through intensive lobby to give the continental ticket to the Warri team.
A Football Federation source told Tidesports that according to the statutes, neither Sharks nor by their positions in the league and Federation Cup and there is no law to form the basis for a fool proof decision.
“Warri Wolves may have lobbied better than Sharks,” the source stated.
Wolves ended fourth in the Globacom Premier League while Sharks ended as runners up to Enyimba in the Federation Cup.
Kadiri Ikhana
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
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