Sports
AFCON Qualifier: Who Leads Eagles Against Selecao?
Nigeria is set to play São Tomé and Príncipe in their final game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Sunday, September 10, but the big question ahead of the build-up to the game is who leads the Super Eagles when they face the Selecao.
The Eagles booked their spot in next year’s AFCON after a dramatic 3-2 win over Sierra Leone in their Group A clash at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Monrovia, Liberia in June with a game to spare.
After finishing second in the group, Guinea-Bissau is also through to the AFCON, while Sierra Leone and Sao Tome are eliminated from the tournament.
With nothing to fight for, the game between Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe is a dead rubber clash.
However, the issue of who sits in the dugout when the three-time African champions host the Falcons and True Parrots has been the major concern among football faithful in Nigeria.
Jose Peseiro has seen his contract come to an end and while there is the belief that talks are ongoing, nothing concrete has been agreed between the Nigeria Football Federation and the Portuguese.
There were also purported reports that the football governing body had opted not to hand the 63-year-old a new contract, bringing an end to his reign as head coach of the Eagles.
Vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, foremost Sports Marketer and founder of Okpekpe Road Race, Mike Itemuagbor and top Sports Journalist and Media Strategist, Mitchel Obi have lent their voices in support of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).
The personalities with backgrounds in sports administration, marketing and media spoke separately in commendation of the festival, an initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with Dunamis Icon as consultants.
“This is a positive addition to the evolving sports business ecosystem because it is not just a springboard for identifying talents, it also offers a platform to truly hone the skills of those already discovered”, remarked Obi, who served as Special Advisor to a former Sports Minister, late Anthony Ikhazabor.
He said the festival will be a flagship event in the region that would trigger interest in sports among the youths and people of the region.
Edo State-born Itemuagbor commended the NDDC for the decision to add sports in the list of their intervention projects in the region, adding that: “This speaks directly to the problem of youth restiveness which is of great concern to our people.”
Raphael Onyedika has now emerged as a major doubt for the Super Eagles’ must-win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.
The midfielder was forced out early from last week’s league game against Standard Liege.
He has not recovered from the injury and so will miss today’s league match against Gent and may also miss a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Aston Villa yesterday.
The Super Eagles take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, before they face Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later in crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Al-Khalood defender, William Troost-Ekong, has shared his experience on the difficulties of winning the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) while describing it a must win trophy.
The former Watford FC defender has competed in the tournament three times but has yet to lift the trophy.
“I’ve been there three times now, bronze medal, silver medal, but I haven’t had the chance to win it. That remains my ultimate goal,” he told Tidesports source.
“It means so much to me and all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria.”