Sports
Derby Clash: Sharks, Dolphins’ Fans In War Of Words
The war of words have been on in Port Harcourt between fans of Dolphins and Sharks as the derby day approaches.
Both teams go head to head on Sunday at the Sharks FC Stadium in a game that will have a role to play in whether both sides remain in the Nigeria Professional Football League next season.
Both sides need to win the game, but a draw will favour Dolphins more since they are the away side and currently above Sharks on the log.
Telema George who says he has been a fan of Sharks all his life declares that only one result is possible on Sunday which will be a win for his side.
“Sharks are in a bad position now and do not need to drop points at home. We need the three points badly to escape relegation and I am sure we will win on Sunday against Dolphins,” Telema George said.
A member of the Dolphins Supporters club, Agwu Augustus, however, is optimisitc that Sharks will lose on Sunday.
“We are going to beat Sharks. It’s a local derby and it is unpredictable but with the caliber of players we have, I am optimistic we will defeat Sharks,” Augustus said.
Looking at the recent exchanges between both sides, Telema George admits that Sharks should be wary of Dolphins but says he will pray to God so his side could win.
“We look on God and we are praying. We always have the fear of Dolphins because when you compare both of them, Dolphins have a better head to head record compared to Sharks,” Telema George said.
Agu Augustus on his part admits it will be a tough game, but Dolphins will win and escape relegation at the end of the season.
“It will be a tight match, but we will win. With the caliber of players we have I don’t see why we won’t win,” he said.
When both sides played at the Liberation Stadium in the first round of the league, it ended 1-1, Yusuf Jaiyeola opening scores for Sharks and Godbless Asamoah getting the equalizer with three minutes left to play.
Meanwhile, Six goal hero for Dolphins this season, Godbless Asamoah wants his seventh and maybe eight on Sunday in the Port Harcourt derby.
Asamoah did not play for Dolphins until Match Day 10 against FC Taraba in Jalingo.
He has also been out injured on two occasions totalling eight match days, yet has managed six goals for his side this season.
Now he wants to score the goals that will give his side maximum points against neighbours, Sharks on Sunday.
“Remember, my first ever goal for Dolphins was against Sharks at our home. Now I pray to God that I can do same at their home,” Asamoah said.
“It’s a local derby. Remember the last time I scored against Sharks was my first goal in the Nigerian league so I believe I can do same again as we continue on our way to escaping relegation,” the Ghanaian striker said.
After he made his debut for the club against FC Taraba, he expressed the the desire to either finish top scorer in the league or at least for the club.
“The league is still going on and I know if I cannot be league top scorer, then I can be for Dolphins, just like Emem (Eduok) did last season.
“Then after this season, I can continue my goals adventure next season,” he said.
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.