Sports

Rivers Hoopers Target 2025 BAL Final

Published

1 month ago

December 13, 2024

Rivers Hoopers coach Ogoh Odaudu has said the team’s ambition at next year’s Basketball Africa League is to go one better by reaching the final or even win the coveted trophy.
The Nigerian champions finished third at the last edition, setting a Nigerian record.
Having won their sixth national championship, beating Lagos-based Hoops and Read 71-54 to claim the 2024 NBBF Final 8 title, they have qualified for the 2025 BAL and also extended their unbeaten streak in the domestic league to 25 games.
Aside from their push at the club level, Odaudu revealed that BAL president, Amadou Gallo Fall, was impressed by the team’s outing at the 2024 tournament, charging them to build on it.
“Amadou Gallo Fall personally approached me and said, hey, you guys have to go and build on all of this that you just did, otherwise, it will all be a waste,” Hoopers coach Ogoh Odaudu told Tidesports source.
“This is why it is such a great feeling for us to know that we are going back. It means a lot to me because we didn’t want to miss out on qualifying. After all, then it would mean that whatever it is that we achieved the previous BAL was just a fluke. So we really wanted to go back and build on it.”
Odaudu also said the team are poised to keep their influential players like Kelvin Amayo, who won the NBBF Finals MVP, Will Perry, Peter Olisemeka and Devine Eke, now playing in the G-League.
“One of the things we are going to stick with is continuity. You find out that every BAL season, teams come with entirely different teams than they had the previous one.
“We are going to try and limit that as much as possible and come back with almost the same set of people that we used to prosecute the last campaign. It’s not guaranteed that we are sure of them, but we are in talks with them already,” Odaudu said. The only people we are sure of right now are Peter and Kelvin who came to help us qualify.
“Will, of course, was instrumental to our success, but he has a new contract with a team in Dubai, we don’t know what his season is going to end. But then I’m sure that if he is free, he will come and play for us.”
Going into the inaugural BAL tournament in 2020, Hoopers were favoured to do well but ended up eliminated in the group phase. The team now wants to be considered a force on the continent, not just a side that goes to make up the numbers.
“We don’t want to be seen as the usual thing that every time we go to the continent it’s just to come to participate and not to compete,” Odaudu said.

Sports

CAF Postpones CHAN To August

Published

2 days ago

January 15, 2025

The Tide

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the postponement of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), originally scheduled for February 1, in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, to August 2025.
The decision followed recommendations from CAF’s technical and infrastructure experts, who reported that more time is needed to bring the facilities in the host nations up to the required standards for a successful tournament.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, in a statement on yesterday, January 14, 2025, expressed appreciation to the presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda for their support.
He emphasised that the postponement is intended to ensure adequate planning and infrastructure readiness for the competition.
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to President William Ruto of Kenya, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda for their leadership, commitment and the good progress that has been made in building and upgrading the stadiums, training fields, hotels, hospitals and other infrastructure and facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for hosting a successful TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda 2024.
“I am impressed with the ongoing construction and renovations of the football infrastructure and facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. I am confident that the stadiums, training fields, hotels, hospitals and other infrastructure and facilities will be at the requisite CAF standards for hosting, in August 2025, a very successful TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (“CHAN”) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda 2024″, he said.
However, the exact date for the completion was not disclosed but the CHAN 2024 Draw is scheduled for Wednesday 15 January, 2025 at the iconic Kenyatta International Conventional Centre, Nairobi.

Sports

Chelle Sure To Qualify For 2026 W’Cup

Published

2 days ago

January 15, 2025

The Tide

New Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has expressed his desire to lead Nigeria to the ‘pinnacle of world football’ starting with the ticket to the 2026 World Cup as he takes the reign of the three-time African champions.
Chelle was unveiled on Monday at a brief ceremony at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja by the Nigeria Football Federation, one week after his announcement as the 37th coach of the Super Eagles.
He was handed a two-year deal with an option to extend if he gets the 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket.
Since his appointment last week, the NFF has constantly hammered the coach’s task of leading Nigeria to the tournament which will be played in the USA, Canada and Mexico despite the precarious situation of the Eagles in the qualifying series.
After four rounds of matches in the series, Nigeria are fifth in Group C with just three points having only drawn three and lost one.
To avert the danger of missing out on a consecutive FIFA World Cup, the Eagles must win all their six remaining matches in the group or even hope for favourable results in other ties – a task Chelle fronted at his unveiling.
Asked if he would take responsibility at the end of the qualifying campaign, the ex-Mali coach said, “If you want to be a great coach, you need to take some risks, you need to make some sacrifices.
“I want to be in the history. The first thing, I need to talk to the players. I will be a big brother. It is my prayer that we are going to the World Cup.
“I want to thank my agent, the NFF, the NSC and indeed all Nigerians for this big opportunity. Coaching the Super Eagles of Nigeria is an amazing job; I do not take this appointment for granted. I am elated and will do my utmost best.”
For most of the reactions that have trailed his appointment, the rallying point was his enterprising and attacking style with the Mali national team at the AFCON, which he emphasised he would be bringing to Nigeria.
“Football is about scoring goals, so I favour an attacking style. I know the expectations of Nigerians and I will settle down and work diligently with assistants towards the goal of qualifying the Super Eagles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
The 47-year-old also relished his long-time dream of getting the Super Eagles job, having been a fan of the Nigerian national team in his boyhood.
“Nigeria’s team is more than a team. When I was young, this was my favourite team. I owned a shirt; I watched all the games at the World Cup in France. I was in Marseille and it was my team.
“From this very moment, I am already hard at work. My goal is clear: to restore the Super Eagles to the pinnacle of world football, where they truly belong. This will require hard work, discipline, and a strategy that is both ambitious and realistic. I will rely on the exceptional talent of our players, whether they play at home or abroad, and build a team that reflects the unity, strength, and excellence of Nigeria,” the coach added in a social media post.
Chelle, who took Mali’s Aiglons within breathing distance of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, left his job at top Algerian side MC Oran – 1989 African Champions’ Cup finalists – to team up with the Super Eagles.

Sports

Gokana Chairmanship Cup Symbol Of Unity Peace – Chairman

Published

2 days ago

January 15, 2025

The Tide

Gokana Local Government Council, Chairman Hon. Monday Dumiye has said that 2024 Gokana Chairmanship Cup symbolises unity, peace and love for Gokana people.
Hon. Dumiye said this during the grand finale of the 2024 Gokana Chairmanship cup titled “Unity Cup” as the fourth edition of the Chairmanship Cup ended last Saturday at Kpor, the council headquarters.
He expressed gratitude to the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara for his tremendous support, most especially the peace Rivers people are enjoying including Gokana LGA.
He also applauded members of the local organising committee of the tournament and all those that contributed towards the success of the championship.
He hinted the huge crowd witnessed during the tournament shows peace has come to stay in Gokana,saying that it has been his intention to ensure that there is peace ,unity and togetherness among the people.
” Without peace we all know that there will be no meaningful development. I want to say that it is the first of its kind in the annals of the people to use the instrumentality of sports to develop talented Gokana youths.
“The mamoth crowd you are seeing here today shows our people have embraced peace. This is exactly what we intend to achieve uniting our people through sports.
On his part, former Super Eagles player and current coach of Rivers United, Finidi George, commended the Gokana Chairman for organising such a wonderful tournament for the youth.
He advised the chairman to form a formidable team from the tournament, admitting the unprecedented crowd that witnessed the championship shows that the chairman is on the right direction.
The Leader of the Simplified in Gokana, Hon. Friday Beema thanked the Chairman for his zeal to develop Gokana.
He also commended the Rivers Governor forgiving them well focused Chairman who reason like him.
The leader called on the people of the area to support Governor Fubara for the development of Gokana.