Sports
2014 W/Cup:NFF Delighted, Warns S’Eagles
Nigeria Football Federation, NFF General Secretary Musa Amadu was delighted to see Nigeria drawn against Ethiopia for the final round of 2014 World Cup qualifying, but says there will be no complacency.
Ethiopia are the lowest-ranked team in the draws, and Amadu admits it was the best possible draw for the Super Eagles.
“I actually think we couldn’t have had a better draw,” he told newsmen
“We got the lowest ranked team in the draw. They are number 25 in Africa and 93 in the world, and we getting to play the first leg away from home. It is really the best we could have got out of the draw.
“Having said that, we need to be well prepared.
“Last time we were in Ethiopia for an African Nations Cup qualifier, we had to scrape to get a 2-2 draw.
“We can’t take them for granted. They qualified from a difficult group including Botswana and South Africa and we really must prepare very well against them.”
Amadu also pointed to the high altitude at Addis Ababa and the heaving support of their fans as major factors that the Eagles will have to be wary of.
“We have to also consider that they are a high altitude country. We know how passionate their fans can be and having come this far, I’m sure this is the closest they have come to qualifying for the World Cup, they will give it their all and we have to be very careful.
“But it’s a very good draw and we will take it like that and work towards qualification.
“We won’t under rate them. They gave us a tough run in South Africa at the Nations Cup so we know they are skilful and pacy and having come this far, will feel that they themselves have a very good chance of qualifying for the World Cup.
“So there will be no complacency and we will take it like we are playing Egypt, or CIV or Ghana or any other country and ultimately qualify for the World Cup.”
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.
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