Sports
Super Strikers FC Eliminates Jeocasters On Penalties: Mega Soccer Tourney
An underrated Super Strikers Football Club of Borikiri has eliminated Jeocasters FC, a pro-league club at the ongoing Mega Soccer tournament at Number six field play ground, Port Harcourt Townshiplast Sunday.
Spectators, especially fans of Jeocasters FC, who came to watch the match were greatly disappointed at the end of the encounter.
The Super Strikers surprised their opponents with an early goal which gave them the initiative and forced Jeocasters to struggle through out the match.
Jeocasters, however, secured the equalizer in the first half but failed to grab the winner before the end of the half.
In the second half, Jeocasters dominated the game with their well articulated artistry in attack but failed to convert their scoring chances due to the domineering influence of Super Strikers’ goalkeeper, Eyak Samuel, who was tagged “Man of the Match” as he kept the score line on 1 – 1 till the end of 90 minutes.
In the penalty shootout, pre-match favourites, Jeocasters FC were denied qualification into the second round of the competition after conceding a 5-3 goal aggregate to less fancied Super Strikers FC of Borikiri.
In an interview shortly after the match, the goalkeeper of Super Strikers, Samuel was grateful to God as they eliminated a professional league team from the competition.
“Though I was scared when they equalised the lone goal, bu when I remembered what I used to do in the past seven years in goal keeping I immediatedly regained my confidence and believed that God would guide me through and in the end we triumphed above our opponents,” Eyak said.
On Monday SPAC FC eliminated Model Boys FC 2-0 to enter into the second round of the competition which kicked off yesterday.
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.”