Sports
Could LA Move Help Troost-Ekong Lead Super Eagles into Successful New Era?
Plenty has been written about Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, and many heads are still being scratched as to what exactly went wrong during qualifying.
Some of those questions have been answered with the sacking of Augustine Eguavoen and his coaching staff, and so the Nigerian Football Federation will now need to oversee a rebuilding operation that gets the right head coach in.
Of course, the players have to take some responsibility for the failure to qualify for Qatar too, and nobody has shouldered that burden more than the captain, William Troost-Ekong, who has apologised for the Super Eagles’ dismal efforts.
The 28-year-old’s own future in club football has come under scrutiny after it was reported that Los Angeles Galaxy was interested in signing the defender from his current employer, the English Premier League side Watford.
Would that be a wise career choice for him? There are critics of Major League Soccer (MLS), who claim it is of low quality or sees it as a footballing retirement home for faded stars. But in LA, Troost-Ekong could join the likes of Mexico international Javier Hernandez and former Bayern Munich and Juventus attacker Douglas Costa, to name just a few.
And so it would be wrong to suggest that his game would suffer, especially as so many of the successful United States and Canada national teams – both of whom have qualified for the World Cup – play their club football in the MLS. The leading betting sites, such as bet365, give the US odds of 100/1 to win in Qatar, which is roughly the same as the likes of Switzerland, Senegal, and Serbia. But these bookmakers also offer prices on each team to qualify from their group, and they believe that the United States is an even-money shot to make it out of Group B.
Once the Premier League season is over, Troost-Ekong will have to decide on what his future holds – will he stay at Watford, who are likely to be relegated from the Premier League, or pack his bags and try his luck in America?
If he opts for the latter, don’t write the Super Eagles captain off – the standard of play in the MLS is improving with every passing year.
Out of the Hornets Nest?
Troost-Ekong is just one of three Nigerians to ply their trade at Watford, with Peter Etebo and Emmanuel Dennis also flying the Super Eagles flag with the Hornets.
Like their international captain, both will have big decisions to make if/when Watford are relegated to the Championship, and in Dennis’ case in particular you suspect there will be no shortage of interest in his signature.
The 24-year-old has contributed ten goals and five assists in 30 Premier League outings so far this season, and that is a tremendous effort given just how badly the Hornets have struggled.
What’s more, he has achieved those attacking feats despite featuring in the starting eleven of two defence-minded coaches – first Claudio Ranieri, and then Roy Hodgson when the former was sacked back in January.
Eagle ???pic.twitter.com/5qD0cQJYk2
— DENNIS BLESSED (@dennisblessed42) March 28, 2022
Dennis, who was born in Yola and played his junior football at the Kwara Football Academy in Kwara State, would be one of the most saleable assets at Watford should they decide to balance the books following relegation – it has been reported that the club could be as much as £139 millionin debt, a situation exacerbated by being demoted to the second tier.
The striker only cost the Hornets an estimated £3.5 million when he joined Club Bruges in the summer of 2021. Dennis had already scored goals in the Champions League against Real Madrid, so he clearly has the ability to play in football’s top tier.
But current club Watford is unlikely to be able to offer him that chance in the 2022/23 season, so is a move away now a formality?
A transfer to a higher quality team could not only improve the 24-year-old’s game but also help Nigeria in the future, and as the Super Eagles look to begin their rebuild it is Dennis who they could and perhaps should use as the lynchpin for the next generation.
City Crime
‘NFF Conducted Federation Cup Draw Fairly’

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

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
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”.
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