Sports
Nigerian Referees Deserve Commendations – Wigodo
A renowned retired grade one football referee in Rivers State, Barrister Innocent Wigodo has dismissed insinuations that referees kill joy in Nigerian football.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Tidesports in Port Harcourt, Wigodo said that Nigerian football referees deserve to be commended for doing their best in ensuring that the game is played according to the rules. He however noted that soccer fans were misconstruing them as being biased in their officiating during matches.
“It is high time people understand that referees are human beings and are prone to mistakes, and should not be crucified for being unable to oversee every infringement during the course of a game,” he said.
Speaking on the poor turnout of soccer fans to the stadium, the one time treasurer to the Rivers State Referees Council attributed it to poor quality of play exhibited by players in most matches.
“Honestly, I can assure you that most Nigerian soccer fans often prefer staying on Television than going to the stadium to watch Nigerian league that could not boast of quality stars” he remarked.
He stated that the chances of the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, were huge.
The Eagles, according to him, would qualify for the mundial considering the new spirit in the team and the array of tested players in the squad.
“The Eagle players would not like the episode of 2006 to repeat itself. They know how important the World Cup is to Nigeria and would be the greatest beneficiaries if at the end of the day Nigeria qualifies for the mundial in South Africa.
The retired referee would not be surprised the Eagles throw everything they have into the remaining matches to ensure that they overhaul Tunisia and grab the sole World Cup ticket available in Group B.
Wigodo advised the national team to be cautious in their approach to the home match against Tunisia and away to Kenya.
He called on Nigerian soccer lovers to remain steadfast in their support of the Super Eagles and continue to check them despite the shaky note on which they started the final World Cup qualifying campaign.
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