Sports
Coach Targets U-20 Women’s W’Cup Title
The head coach of the Nigeria U-20 women’s team, Christopher Danjuma, believes Colombia 2024 provides his team the brightest chance to lift the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after finishing as runners-up in 2010 and 2014.
Speaking confidently about the team’s mission at this year’s edition, running from August 31 to September 22 in Colombia, Danjuma said he and his charges have just one objective in mind, which is to lift the trophy.
“I think we’re closing in on our goal. As Africans, we have a spiritual perspective. We are confident that now is the right time to emulate the opportunities and events of 2010 and 2014. I am certain Africa will stand at the top of the world for the first time,” he told FIFA.
“I’m certain we’re on the right track. Every tournament, we showcase top players such as Asisat Oshoala, who was our star performer at the 2014 U-20 World Cup. I am confident that at least one other ‘Agba Baller’ (football legend), as our fans call her, will emerge in Colombia,” added Danjuma, who is approaching his 61st birthday and has invested everything since taking over in 2017.
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210Danjuma believes the competition has been a learning curve for him, having learnt a great deal from their 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands at the 2022 edition in Costa Rica.
He said, “Of course, we categorically refuse to go through a similar situation again. We’ve worked a great deal on our efficiency in front of goal, as that’s what was missing two years ago. Our opponents were no stronger than us, but they knew how to handle decisive moments better, and that made all the difference.”
Nigeria will begin their campaign in Group D alongside Germany, Venezuela, and South Korea, which Danjuma believes gives his team an added advantage because all three nations are keen to develop women’s football.
“All three nations are keen to develop women’s football, so being in the same group is a privilege and promises to make for some closely fought encounters. As ambassadors for women’s football in our country, we are proud to be going to Colombia to showcase our talent and our players’ skills.”
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