Sports
As Alimi Laments Harassment After 3SC Clash
Remo Stars striker, Sikiru Alimi has lamented the poor treatment meted out to him by Shooting Stars fans during their Nigeria Premier Football League Southwest derby clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan last Sunday.
The striker, who was on the roster of 3SC last season, was sent off for a second bookable offence as Remo lost 2-0 courtesy of a brace by former Heartland man, Christian Pyagbara.
The defeat and sending off was, however, made worse for the 27-year-old, who bemoaned his nightmarish experience on his return to Ibadan.
“I don’t know what you were told or what you all heard, but the harassment was really unnecessary and uncalled for to a former player,” Alimi posted via his X account after the game.
“I have been a professional footballer for 10 years and thank God I have also played in different countries and derbies. I know the bants and boos are also part of the game, but tonight, I was ‘physically harassed’,” he said in another post.
Remo Media Officer, Dimeji Oshode also affirmed that the player was treated inhumanly by the fans of his former club.
“The embarrassment was much, to the extent that some of their fans had to spit and pour him water. Disappointed! You got your victory, move on. Victory you haven’t gotten over your rival since 2017,” Oshode also wrote on X.
In a viral video that was also reposted by the player, 3SC fans were also heard chanting, “Alimi, ole!” repeatedly. Meaning ‘Alimi, thief!,’
Meanwhile, 3SC captain, Malomo Taofeek, apologised to Alimi.
“I was not happy about that either. So sorry. Remember you’re loved by many. Goodluck in the next game, goal poacher,” Malomo wrote.
Alimi will now miss Remo’s visit to Gombe United on Sunday and that could see him left behind again in the NPFL golden boot race.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor