Sports

Why Nigeria Failed At WAFU Cup – Boboye

Published

6 years ago

October 11, 2019

Nigeria’s assistant coach Kennedy Boboye is unimpressed by the team’s performance at the 2019 West Africa Football Union Cup of Nations and admitted it as a failure.
The Super Eagles did not win a game in Senegal before they were knocked out of the biennial competition after defeats to Togo and Cape Verde.
The early exit came as a disappointment for Nigeria who were finalists in the 2017 edition in Ghana.
Boboye described the country’s outing in Thies as awful and he cited various reasons for the underwhelming display.
“It was awful because we came here with the thinking of getting something in this tournament but it didn’t work out the way we planned,” Boboye told Tidesports source.
“I think it is a learning process for us to go back and re-strategise in many aspects of the department that we failed. For me, as far as I am concerned, I think we failed in this tournament.
“The reason we find ourselves in this position was because we did not take our chances in front of goal because we missed so many chances and we conceded some stupid goals that we are not supposed to, which cost us dearly.
“First thing is most of the players are making their first appearance in a big tournament like this. It is a different thing being in a club and being in the national team.
“You can not bring the club attitude to the national team. The tournament is once you are out, you are out it is unlike a league where you can still play the same opponent again. I think we did not take our chances and we were wasteful in front of goal”, he said.
A 2-1 loss to Togo in their opening fixture condemned Nigeria to the quarter-final of the plate competition.
However, they were stunned by Cape Verde who held them to a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation time and later came out victorious with a 3-2 win via penalty shoot-out.
He said: “Anybody that watched the game would know that Cape Verde were no match to the Nigeria team,” the former Sunshine Stars and Plateau United coach continued.
“We played better and we were in control of the game until that equaliser came in.
“Sometimes you lose grip, you cannot be on top of your feet for the whole of 90 or 120 minutes. Sometimes you make mistakes and when it happens, they punish you for it.”
Following the Super Eagles’ defeat to Togo on September 29, head coach Imama Amapakabo revealed the objective in Senegal was to build a team for the future.
The team is largely dominated by the Olympic Eagles who are preparing for the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Egypt next month and Boboye is optimistic they will fly the country’s flag high in years to come.
“We’ve got some quality players from this tournament that we think in the next three of four years, they will be better players in the national team. Sometimes, the biggest problem from where we come from is patience,” he said.
“We don’t have patience in building with one instant result. Most of the teams in this tournament have been together for quite some time. We just assembled these players in two or three months and where we come from, they still want magic. These players are like tomorrow’s players for the Super Eagles.”
The early exit might come as a blessing in disguise for Nigeria who now have time to prepare for the return fixture of their clash against Togo on October 18, after a 4-1 loss in Lome last month.
Boboye, a former Nigeria Professional Football League title-winning coach, revealed the tasks ahead of the team as they look to make fans happy again.
“We have two tasks ahead of us now. We lost to Togo in Lome and we have the return leg next week. That is a must-win game for us to take us back to CHAN,” he added.
“The second one is for us to go to Egypt for the U23 Afcon and make sure we qualify for the Olympic. Those are two big tasks for us and I don’t think we will have any distraction than to go back and prepare very well.”

City Crime

‘NFF Conducted Federation Cup Draw Fairly’

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2025

The Tide

The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.

Sports

Act Sports Signs New Teqball Specialist Contract In Nigeria

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2025

The Tide

A new contract that will see Act Sports Di Oyibo Limited managing the career of Nigerian teqball specialist, Victor Oyemade, has been signed in Lagos.
The deal gives exclusive rights to Act Sports to manage, and exercise power of attorney over issues relating to the player’s welfare as it concerns his transactions, engagement for professional, promotional, sponsorships, endorsements, and exhibition purposes.
In signing the document, both parties also agreed that proper safeguards would be put in place to protect and promote the player’s interest at all times.
Director of Act Sports, Di Oyibo Limited, Pastor Samuel Robinson Oyibo, excited about the deal, said it would benefit both parties in the area of spreading the message of the sport, as well as laying a firm foundation for his new client’s future.
“Teqball is one of the world’s fastest-growing ball sports, and Victor Oyemade is the face of the sport here in Nigeria and Africa. That is why we are excited about this partnership that gives Act Sports official authorisation to manage his career, just as it will lay the foundation for its rapid growth in our country,” Pastor Oyibo said.
Oyemade was no less excited about the deal, saying it would help his growth in the sport.

Sports

Nigeria Name Handball Squads For Zonal Champs

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2025

The Tide

Coaches of Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that commenced yesterday to end 24th of this month.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, for close to two weeks and departed for the competition on Thursday.
Coach John Uzor of the national U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy alongside right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo make the cut, amongst other players.
In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside, her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters.
Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew, who is also based in Benin Republic, keep their places.
Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously at the U-18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology, insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examinations.
“We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports. We have other players who are also students and they got a release from their schools but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release. It’s sad and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal in making Nigeria proud in sporting events”.