Sports
Forget Failures, Plan For AFCON Qualifiers, Ex-Stars Tell Eagles
Ex-internationals have urged the Nigerian Football Federation not to dwell on the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup but focus more on preparing the team for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which kicks off in June.
The Eagles lost the World Cup ticket on the away goals rule after Ghana held the three-time African champions 1-1 in the second leg in Abuja, March 29. The first leg in Kumasi four days earlier ended goalless.
Former Eagles goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu, said the players must rededicate themselves to the team and ensure such setback do not happen again.
“I am confident the Eagles will bounce back, but they must show courage to do that when the AFCON qualifiers start.”
Another Ex-Eagles star, Garba Lawal stated, “I did not think the NFF should still be thinking of Nigeria’s failure to qualify for Qatar 2022 when we know that the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will commence soon.
“Yes, it is sad that the Eagles will not be at the World Cup, however, we don’t have the time to start crying over spilled milk.
“Eagles will rise again in a matter of time and I know the team will make up for their mistakes.”
Tidesports source reports that former Eagles left-back, Ifeanyi Udeze, believes the team needs a bit of reorganisation to excel.
“The team needs a bit of reorganising. It is unfortunate that the team failed to qualify for the World Cup and that is in the past now. We must put that behind us and help the Eagles excel again.
“The AFCON qualifiers will start soon, so the boys and the NFF must start preparations to avoid another setback. The players themselves must show character when playing for the country.”
The Eagles will know their group opponents in the qualifying series for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast after the Confederation of African Football last Friday announced that the draws for the phase would hold April 19.
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.