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Nigeria Doesn’t Need Foreign Technical Director –Amodu

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Former Super Eagles coach, Shaibu Amodu, has called on football administrators in the country to shelve the idea of appointing a foreigner as technical director.

Amodu, while speaking with journalists, said the problem with Nigerian football lay in the hands of all stakeholders and “no foreigner is required”.

“The problem of our football rests in our hands and until we become very sincere with ourselves by putting the right person in the right place, we will not get it right.

“Even if we go out 20 times to bring the best foreign coaches or technical directors, it won’t change any situation.

“If the Nigeria Football Association (NFF) has the intention of bringing in a foreign technical director, as it is in the pipeline now, I think it should shelve that idea,” he said.

The association is expected to name a technical director soon and some foreigners have had discussions with officials of the football house.

Amodu said if the association eventually appointed a foreigner, it would amount to disrespect for the numerous experienced Nigerian coaches who are now coaching resource persons.

“I don’t know why they will neglect the coaching resource persons in this country and go out for a foreign technical director.

“That is a measure of lack of respect for all that we have done for our football and that is not being fair.

“I have said it before that we don’t need a foreign person to help the NFA’s Technical Department to right the wrongs of our football.

“The football administrators have to get real down to business to make sure that they put the proper plan in place and put the right people in the right position.

“They will also have to fund the game at the grassroots level and we will begin to get the results”, he said.

The former Super Eagles coach described the NFA’s move as a repetition of history which the country should have learnt from.

“I think what they are trying to do again is a repetition of what we have always done to show more respect to a white man than to a black man.

“As I said some years back, it’s been a problem of inferiority complex on the part of our administrators and I say it’s generic.

“It has repeated itself times without number and each time they want to blindfold Nigerians, they try to bury this foreign person thing around it.

“The psychology seems to be sticky that we think things are going to be right if we see a white person.

“Not until things go wrong again, we begin to say the person was not right for us and he should leave. But he will have no regrets because he must have taken our money already.

“History has not taught us anything as a nation and that is why we keep on making mistakes,” Amodu said.

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African Games: Umoafia Claims Three Gold In Weightlifting

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Weightlifter Edidiong Umoafia was the cynosure of all eyes at the 13th on-going African Games in Accra after he won three gold medals in weightlifting event to boost Team Nigeria’s medal haul.
He lifted a 135kg in snatch and 165kg in clean and jerk to record a total of 300kg which secured the three gold medals for team Nigeria.
His feat scaled Nigeria’s Weightlifting medal haul to eight after King Kalu (two bronze medal and Favour (two silver and a bronze medals) set the ball rolling on Sunday.
Meanwhile, President of Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF), Dr Olakunle Musa Oshodi, has expressed optimism about the chances of Team Nigeria judokas to win medals at the African Games.
He disclosed in Accra that Team Nigeria’s judokas are in good shape and ready to go for gold in both male and female categories.
“We are in Ghana to compete with the favourites but I must tell Nigerians that we are not only in Ghana to compete but to go for gold in all categories. Our coaches and judokas are ready, and I believe that they would make the country proud at the end of the Games,” he said.
Oshodi also explained that the spirit in camp was high and urged the judokas, coaches to remain focused throughout their fights.
“What I saw among our athletes and coaches show that they are fully ready to win medals for Nigeria. It was unfortunate that we did not win medals in the last African Games although I was not in charge then but this time around, we want to surpass out last performance by reaching the medal zone and win it,” he said.
Nigerian judokas would begin their quest for medals today at the Africa’s flagship multi sports event as
10 judokas are billed to represent the country in the various categories.

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Nigeria Wins More Medals In Men’s Freestyle Wrestling

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Though not as dominant as their women’s counterparts that made a clean sweep of the six available gold medal in wrestling on Sunday, Team Nigeria’s men wrestlers yesterday secured six more medals including three silvers and one bronze.
Ashton Mutuwa lost 12-0 superiority to Youssif Hemida of Egypt in the 125kg final to settle for silver medal while Simeon Enozumini also clinched silver medal after suffering defeat in the final to Egyptian Gamal Mohammed in the 57kg.Ditto for Izolo Stephen in the 65kg who got silver following 10-0 superiority loss to Mourad O. of Egypt.
In the 86kg Harrison Onovwiomogbohwo settled for bronze after a walkover against Egypt Ahmed Khaled while Braveman Oyeinkeperemo lost his 74kg bronze match to Mukendi A. of Congo.
It would be recalled that Team Nigeria’s women wrestlers produced incredible display by winning the available six gold in as many as events at the African Games.
Yesterday’s result means that Team Nigeria won six gold medal, three silver and two bronze in total through wrestling.

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Igali Urges Fed Govt To Review Reward System For Athletes

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The President, Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) President, Daniel Igali, has urged the Federal Government to review the reward system of other sports athletes and make it at par with footballers or even more.
He said the sportsmen and women representing Nigeria at the ongoing African Games in Ghana, have excelled in their various events consequently should be recognised just like the Super Eagles were adequately rewarded despite only finishing second at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote ‘d’Ivoire.
The former Olympic champions noted that other sports athletes deserved to be treated better as he called on the Federal Government to reward them fittingly once the African Games is over .
“Let’s treat everybody equally. We cannot treat super millionaires differently from our athletes,” Igali stated matter-of-factly in an interview with Brila FM. “We had footballers that went to the AFCON and won a silver medal and we gave them houses, plots of lands and national honours.
“Replicate the same favour to these athletes too. They didn’t win silver, they won gold medals,” he added.
Speaking after Team Nigeria women’s wrestlers won the six available gold medals on Sunday, Igali called on the sports ministry and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid as unavailability of funds may scuttle their desire to participate at this weekend African Championships and the Olympic Games Qualifiers in Alexandria, Egypt.
“I want to appreciate the girls. They were fantastic. I hope they are able to replicate it at the Olympic qualifiers in Alexandria, Egypt,” he continued. “But as I am speaking to you, we don’t know if we are going to be there because we do not have funds yet. We are expected to leave on the 15th of March because we have to attend the African Championships which is the criterion to feature at the Olympics trials. ”
He added: “We are 12th times African Champions in the female wrestling. We lost that briefly three years ago when we only went with six women to the African Championships and Tunisia came with all theirs.
“We will like to go with a full team of our female wrestlers so that we can become 13th time African Champions and then give of the female wrestlers have the chance to qualify for the Olympics.
“We are to leave on the 15th March, the competition starts on the 17th March and the Olympic qualifiers is from the 23rd to the 26th in Alexandria, Egypt. “

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