Sports
YSFON Trains 42 Football Coaches
The Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), yesterday in Kaduna, commenced the training of 42 grassroots football coaches drawn from states in the North-West.
The National Organising Secretary of YSFON, Abdulrazak Usman, said the training was aimed at improving the technical ability of the coaches, and adding value to grassroots coaching.
Usman also said that it would equip them with modern techniques and knowledge on talent hunt and management.
He said that the programme would take place in the six geo-political zones of the country.
“ We found out that for us to get it right, we need the coaches in the grass-roots because some of them have no idea of the coaching system.
“ If the foundation is wrong, we will all get it wrong and that is why we are doing this training under our programme tagged `train the trainer,”he said.
Usman said the progra-mme would add value to grassroots coaching in the zone, adding that certificates of participation would be given to participants at the end of the training.
He said the training would focus on the principle of coaching, emphasis on grassroots coaching, talents identification and management, laws of the game, psychology of coaching, first aid and nutrition, among others.
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.”