Sports

Corner Kicks Will Make Good Tie Breakers – Coelho

Published

7 years ago

July 2, 2018

A former FIFA World Cup final match referee, Arnaldo Coelho, says fair play as a tie-breaker at the tournament is not good.
The Brazilian thinks a corner kick count will be a better way of separating teams who finish level on points and goals.
Senegal became the first team in World Cup history to be eliminated on yellow cards after finishing level on points, goal difference and goals scored.
The African side picked up six yellow cards in their three games to Japan’s four, and they were eliminated at the end of Group H action on Thursday.
They had four points from a win, a draw and loss, just like Japan, at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Senegal had also scored four goals and conceded four, while both sides had drawn 2-2 during their meeting.
FIFA has however said it has no plans to change the rules.
Coelho, who also criticised the use of video assistant referees (VAR) in incidents such as handball, said tie-breakers should be decided by objective criteria.
“The problem is that a yellow card is subjective… and some referees tend to be stricter and give more yellow cards than others,” he said. “So, if a team plays in a match with a stricter referee, they will be at a disadvantage.
“For me there is another way… counting corner kicks. It’s a technical criteria and to win corner kicks you have to attack, you have to play football.”
Japan’s final match, a 1-0 defeat by Poland, ended in farce as they effectively stopped playing, thereby avoiding picking up bookings or red cards that would have jeopardised their second-place finish.
“They wouldn’t have done that if corner kicks had been used,” said Coelho, who ran commentaries for a Brazilian television station during the ongoing 2018 World Cup.
He said there was nothing match officials could do in such circumstances and added that he was speaking from experience.
The Brazilian was a linesman during the so-called “non-aggression” match between West Germany and Austria in 1982.
“I felt powerless,” he said, recalling Germany’s 1-0 win that sent the both teams through at the expense of Algeria after a soulless kick about.
Coelho, the first non-European to referee a World Cup final when he officiated at the Italy-West Germany match in 1982, said that VAR was a good idea in principle.
He however contended that its use should be restricted to objective decisions such as offside.
“In these cases, VAR is important to resolve problems, to help save the referee, it’s a parachute,” the former referee said.

City Crime

‘NFF Conducted Federation Cup Draw Fairly’

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2025

The Tide

The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.

Sports

Act Sports Signs New Teqball Specialist Contract In Nigeria

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2025

The Tide

A new contract that will see Act Sports Di Oyibo Limited managing the career of Nigerian teqball specialist, Victor Oyemade, has been signed in Lagos.
The deal gives exclusive rights to Act Sports to manage, and exercise power of attorney over issues relating to the player’s welfare as it concerns his transactions, engagement for professional, promotional, sponsorships, endorsements, and exhibition purposes.
In signing the document, both parties also agreed that proper safeguards would be put in place to protect and promote the player’s interest at all times.
Director of Act Sports, Di Oyibo Limited, Pastor Samuel Robinson Oyibo, excited about the deal, said it would benefit both parties in the area of spreading the message of the sport, as well as laying a firm foundation for his new client’s future.
“Teqball is one of the world’s fastest-growing ball sports, and Victor Oyemade is the face of the sport here in Nigeria and Africa. That is why we are excited about this partnership that gives Act Sports official authorisation to manage his career, just as it will lay the foundation for its rapid growth in our country,” Pastor Oyibo said.
Oyemade was no less excited about the deal, saying it would help his growth in the sport.

Sports

Nigeria Name Handball Squads For Zonal Champs

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2025

The Tide

Coaches of Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that commenced yesterday to end 24th of this month.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, for close to two weeks and departed for the competition on Thursday.
Coach John Uzor of the national U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy alongside right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo make the cut, amongst other players.
In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside, her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters.
Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew, who is also based in Benin Republic, keep their places.
Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously at the U-18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology, insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examinations.
“We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports. We have other players who are also students and they got a release from their schools but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release. It’s sad and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal in making Nigeria proud in sporting events”.