Nigerian Football
Onigbinde Looks Forward to MMM Saving Nigeria
BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA.
As Nigeria prepares for the destiny-shaping tie with Cameroon in the countdown to the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, former two-time Nigeria’s manager, Adegboye Onigbinde believes that the quick recovery of the injured duo of Mikel Obi and Victor Moses and the rediscovery of form by Ahmed Musa will be of great benefit to the Super Eagles.
The three ‘M’s will certainly form a potent strike force against Nigeria’s next competitive opponent, Cameroon in two month’s time.
Musa’s form has dipped in recent time as he had to play as substitute in the Super Eagles while not getting considerable match time in his Premiership club, Leicester.
Mikel and Moses last featured for Nigeria in the 3-1 defeat of Algeria last November in the World Cup qualifier. Incidentally, all goals for Nigeria were scored by the duo, with Chelsea’s Moses scoring twice.
Sports Village Square recalls that injury has been a major concern in the Super Eagles of late. First choice goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme was last in action for the team last October and had missed five matches in a row on account of recurring injury.
No reliable back up had been found for him. Victor Moses had been on and off in the Super Eagles for the same reason. Even though he featured prominently for Chelsea in the season just ended, he is reported to have been playing with injured toe and had to take strong analgesic injections to be able to play.
He therefore opted for an operation ahead of the coming English football season. Nigerians will only hope he recovers before the back-to-back World Cup encounters with African champions, Cameroon.
Reliable central defender, Leon Balogun missed the last Super Eagles’ fixture with South Africa also owing to injury, just like the captain of the squad, Mikel Obi who had to be operated on in London last April.
Chief Onigbinde told the Sports Village Square that Nigeria’s home loss to South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers was largely due to the absence of key players. He singled out that of Mikel Obi and Victor Moses.
Hear the chief: “Nigeria’s loss to South Africa was due to the absence of Mikel and Moses. I am not saying other players are not good enough to play for the national team, but the experience, the inspiration and leadership qualities of Mikel and Moses would have made the great difference.
“I noticed we lost due to lack of experienced players who can create chances with ease. I believe both Mikel and Moses can save Rohr’s job if they are available in the next match.
“I am confident that the Super Eagles will beat Cameroon, at least in the first fixture.”
A win in the match will give Nigeria a nine-point head start before going into the reverse fixtures of the World Cup qualifying draw.
“Rohr will certainly get more pressure should he lose his next game against Cameroon. I only pray he snubs inexperienced players who claim to ply their trade in Europe. He needs the hungry and adventurous players who can take on any opposition, especially a team that is very physical like Cameroon”, Onigbinde told Sports Village Square.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
The Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) gets to its climax this weekend, especially on Sunday, when the title could be won and one of the other two tickets for the continental competition could be confirmed.
Also, one or two other teams may get their visas to the lower league.
Remo Stars will become the Nigerian champions if they win their home match against Niger Tornadoes in their fortress in Ikenne.
History seems about to repeat itself. It was Niger Tornadoes that Remo Stars beat on 17 July 2022 to get their first ever continental ticket to feature in the following season’s CAF Confederation Cup.
This Sunday, Niger Tornadoes may again be Remo Stars’ launchpad into the league title. What a season it has been for the club that has led the Nigerian league for the longest duration.
They were leaders into Christmas 2024. They were leaders at the end of 2024 and leaders into 2025 as they became the first club to have a double after beating Akwa United home and away.
No team won more away matches than Remo Stars this season. They won five matches away from home. At home, they won 15 of their 17 matches, making Ikenne a fortress. Only Rivers United and Katsina United, who drew their matches, escaped defeat in Ikenne.
With 20 wins, no team has won more matches this season than Remo Stars.
With the title almost decided, and the runners-up awaiting confirmation, the battle zone is the contest for the third place where seven teams are in contest.
The most ferocious of the battle will be that of the surprise team of the season, Ikorodu City and rejuvenated Abia Warriors.
They occupy third and fourth positions respectively. Yet at the onset of the season, those positions looked unlikely. Ikorodu City were the punching bag for the other teams, losing home and away and got their first league point only after five matches.
Today, the continental door is invitingly open to them. What about Abia Warriors, who began the season with a 2-0 home loss to Remo Stars?
They looked like going for their pound of flesh when they suddenly went two goals up against Remo Stars in Ikenne. But Remo Stars fought gamely back to snatch a nervy 3-2 win.
Abia Warriors will be hosting the initial top three runners, Shooting Stars who suddenly slumped in fortunes. But a win by the Ibadan team may reignite their continental aspirations.
Also jostling for a possible top-three finish are the quartet of Bendel Insurance, Kano Pillars, Enugu Rangers and Enyimba.
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The Nigeria U17 women’s team has been given incentives to make it to the Women’s World Cup for the eighth time.
The team, Flamingos, who arrived in Algiers in the early hours of Wednesday aboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul, are highly inspired by the imminence of another FIFA World Cup ticket as well as further financial windfall from the Nigeria Football Federation and billionaire business mogul Kunle Soname.
Soname gifted the young players and their officials the sum of N4 million (one million naira for every goal) following their commanding win over the North Africans at the Remo Stars Stadium on Saturday, while the NFF gave out the sum of N2 million (five hundred thousand naira for every goal).
President of NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau and Soname have both confirmed that the same financial incentives are in place for the second leg in Blida on Friday.
“Our objective is clear – to win the FIFA World Cup ticket. That is the big motivation.
“Yet, we have been further incentivised by the monetary rewards. My girls will go all out on Friday night,” Head Coach Bankole Olowookere said.
Olowookere, who led the Flamingos to their last two World Cup ventures, will most likely rely on first-leg two-goal heroine Queen Joseph, lone-goal scorer Zainab Raji and Kaosarat Olanrewaju to start at the fore, with Shakirat Moshood, Muinat Rotimi and Philomena Isaiah supplying the passes from the midfield.
Goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma and defenders Azeezat Oduntan, Hannah Ibrahim, Christiana Sunday and Jumai Adebayo are also likely to start.
The Confederation of African Football has selected Cameroonian official Marie Noelle Etong to be the referee, with her compatriots Marcelle Teikeu and Innocentia Ntangti as assistant referee 1 and fourth official, respectively, while Chadian Ngarassoum Victorine will be assistant referee 2.
Oumou Souleymane Kane from Mauritania will be the commissioner, and Sabelo Maphosa-Sibindi from Zimbabwe will be in the role of referee assessor.
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Former president of the initially 15-member West African Football Union (WAFU), Chief Jonathan Boytie Ogufere, has expressed his heartfelt condolences over the recent death of former national team captain and coach, Christian ‘Chairman’ Chukwu.
He remarked that the erstwhile Enugu Rangers’ defence stalwart will ‘be dearly missed’. In a personally signed letter of condolence, Ogufere described Chukwu, who died on Saturday, April 12, in Enugu after a brief illness at 74, as a ‘hero of our time and a friend’.
The nonagenarian recalled with nostalgia how he nearly recruited the young Chukwu for his P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu, adding he was impressed with how the ‘Field Marshal Christian Chukwuemeka ‘Chairman ‘ Chukwu (MFR), conducted himself throughout his career as he led both the national team, the then Green Eagles and his beloved Enugu Rangers to many conquests.
“I join numerous others to mourn the transition of the legendary Christian Chukwu, a hero of our time and friend,” the Ugbugba of Okpe Kingdom wrote.
“As one of the young academicals discovered after the end of the Civil War in 1970, I tried to enlist into my club, the P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu but he was fair and frank in informing me that he had already joined Enugu Ranges Football Club, and I respected that attitude. From the rivalries between the two clubs, his exploits as a central defender were very visible.”
He continued: “Christian Chukwu emerged at the national level as a trustworthy and formidable captain of the national team who led by example.
“He was one of the heroes during the Golden age of Nigerian football when I was one of the Board Members of the Nigeria Football Association under the chairmanship of Chief Sunday Dankaro as Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980 for the first time where Christian Chukwu as captain of the Green Eagles was declared the best player of the tournament. He led the national team in several battles, which endeared him to millions of football lovers.
“After his playing days, he showed his talents through coaching in Nigeria and abroad.
“I express my sincere condolences to the family he left behind, the football family and the country in general. He will be dearly missed.
“May the good Lord grant his noble soul eternal rest,” he noted.
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