Sports
We Must Restart Positively – Wikki Tourists’
Idris Sabo says it will be vital for Wikki Tourists to start the second half of the 2016/17 Nigerian topflight on a positive note.
The Bauchi Elephants will look to improve on their form when they lock horns with Abia Warriors in their first fixture after the league’s restarts.
“Going into the Abia Warriors’ game, we know very well that we are indebted to our supporters who want nothing but a win after enduring a below average form in the first round,” Sabo told newsmen.
“But we know we will be faced with a tough battle against Abia Warriors, because they have proven to be a competitive side in this season so far.
“And there is no doubt they go to the match with more determination, as they also look to fight for vital points to finish the season on a good position on the log.
“The first game of the second round is very important considering our current position in the table. Three points will put us in the groove.”
Ovoke Targets CAF Cup
Bernard Ovoke says that Rivers United are targeting
CAF Confederation Cup success.
The Pride of Rivers have endured an uninspiring start to the season both domestically and on the continent.
But were given a second chance in Africa’s second-tier club competition after being ousted from the CAF Champions League. And Ovoke says that they are going for glory.
“First, I will like to thank God for making it possible for us as a team to make it this far. It has not been considering the expectations and fixtures but like I said, it has been God,” Ovoke told newsmen.
“On the continent, we have made the group stage and now the only target before us is to win the trophy.
“The first round of the league and the battle to stay up on the continent was challenging. It became really tough after that loss in Sudan but we picked up the pieces and so far, we have kept our heads up high.
“My expectations in the second round is to leave where we are at the moment and move to the top because that’s where we belong,” he concluded.
Kano Pillars Will Fight
To End-Isa
Danladi Isa strongly believes that Kano Pillars will
fight till the end as their aspiration is to lift the Nigeria Professional Football League title.
Pillars find themselves in 13th spot in the NPFL standings and sit 10 points behind leaders Plateau United.
“One thing that is certain is; Kano Pillars are champions, the fans and everyone at the club believe so and it is one major component that has kept us going on,” Danladi told newsmen.
“We won the league title thrice in a row, that’s exceptional. It doesn’t just happens, the belief system at Kano Pillars propels us to fight till the end and we shall do that to lift the league trophy this season.
“The fans will see more of that from the team when the second round of the league resumes,” he added.
On his injury, the shot-stopper said, “As for me, I am back, fully fit and I’ve been in action in the Kano State FA Cup. I was in goal in the semi final where we won the match via penalties
“We shall play in the final on Sunday and I hope to be called upon as I will always give my best at all times.”
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
