Nigerian Football

MY INJURY HELL IS OVER, SAYS DELE OLORUNDARE

Published

6 years ago

November 22, 2017

BY TOBI ADEPOJU.

Former Sunshine Stars forward, Dele Olorundare has declared he would soon be back on the pitch and scoring goals after finally finding a lasting solution to his persistent injury.

Olorundare, who once led Sunshine Stars to third place in the Nigeria Professional Football League and led the line as Sunshine Stars played on the continent for the first time has battled consistent knee problems for the past two years and his career has stalled as a result of the injury.

Olorundare, with 42 goals in 69 appearances, is arguably Sunshine Stars record scorer. His superb season form earned him a call-up to the home-based Super Eagles under late Stephen Keshi in 2013.

However, it appears he is certain the lingering problem has now being solved and is gearing up for a return to the league.

“It started two years ago when I felt something in my knee. I continued playing with it because I wanted to help my club but apparently, it was getting worse. When I fully broke down, I started looking for medical solutions to resolve it and that was where my problems began,” he says.

“One solution led to another but I wasn’t feeling any better and losing hope till I heard about Kasi Healthcare. Dr Salami and Dr Dayo Osholowu assured me they could finally resolve the issue and I decided to go with them as they seemed to know what they were talking about and I saw the technology they had.

“It has turned out to be the best decision I have made in my career. My knee is healing fast now and I will resume training very soon. I cannot wait to be back”, said Olorundare.

Speaking on player’s injury, Dr Salami, the Chief Surgeon at Kasi Healthcare said making the right diagnosis and confirming same with modern technology is fundamental to identify and plan for treatment of delicate sports injuries and ensuring that players make the best of their short careers.

“It is sad many players lose out on the best years of their careers because of inadequate care.

“Our team has extensive clinical experience managing sports injuries. Nigerian athletes can now gain access to diagnostic ultrasound and MRI scans reported by specialist sports medicine specialists and l radiologists, either same day or within 48 hours of their initial appointment.

“We offer a world class but local solution for injured Nigerian athletes. We have consolidated all our skills, expertise, and made the investment in the modern technology to create a world class sports medicine service here in Lagos Nigeria. That is our mission here at Kasi. I am happy for Olorundare; he deserves to be back on the pitch. He has been through a lot.

Salami is a Fellow in Arthroscopy at the Sancheti Institute of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Pune, India.

He is also a fellow of the West African College of Surgeons and member International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS); European Society for Sports Traumatology.

Also speaking on the issue is Head of the Kasi Healthcare Interventional Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation service Dr Dayo Osholowu who is a Diplomat of the FIFA Football Medicine Centre of Excellence Johannesburg and member of the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup Medical team and Former Team Doctor of Nigerian Dodan Warriors Basketball team said that the NPFL players, other Nigeria athletes all need fast diagnosis and full recovery.

“They want to return to their achieved levels of fitness and performance as soon as possible with minimal disruption.

“For even the most severe sports injuries such as a torn ACL (knee ligament) we offer advance keyhole and micro surgery including Laser treatments for Sports Injuries.

“We also offer Physiotherapy and individualized rehabilitation programmes to ensure full recovery from sports injuries and orthopaedic surgery.

“Our team is 100% Nigerian and trained at top Sports Medicine centres in Europe, USA, South Africa and India.

“We are here to provide the best quality specialist healthcare to this category of Nigerians. It is sad that in the past many have never fully recovered from these injuries which are completely treatable.

“We are happy, we are giving athletes and Nigerians hope by helping them recover from injuries.

“This year we have treated Terry Envoh, a former Nigerian international and he is on his way to fully recovering.

“Another Nigerian international, Segun Oduduwa who also got injured playing for the National U23 team has had his surgery and is strictly following our recovery plan.

“Segun will make a full and complete recovery and he will be back on the pitch soon. That’s what gives us pride, helping our people return to sports or any other endeavour and leading active, productive lives.”

Nigerian Football

Remo Stars close to winning their first Nigeria Premier League title

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Remo Stars on Friday inch closer to achieving their first ever title in the Nigeria elite division league after beating visiting Niger Tornadoes 3-0 to move second on the log and just a point behind league leaders, Enugu Rangers.

Remo Stars are now with 53 points and still have an outstanding home game to play.

Friday’s win which comes on the eve of the proprietor’s birthday has put the team back into contention for the title.

They have progressively become prominent in the Nigerian premier league having placed third two seasons ago and second last season.

Top finish this season will confirm their progression and also a third consecutive continental outing.

Top scorer, Sikiru Alimi launched them of victory path as his 28^th minute penalty kick heralded their return to high scoring ways.

It has been a while since they scored high in the league. Barely three minutes later, Sikiru, a contender for the top scorer award increased the tally to two.

Ahmed Akinyele completed the route in the 75^th minute.

Nigerian Football

Nigeria face tough defence as Burkina Faso lie in wait at U17 WAFU B AFCON qualifiers

Published

5 days ago

April 23, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Defending champions Nigeria have been handed a difficult path to the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations finals after being drawn in the same group as Burkina Faso for next month’s WAFU B qualifying tournament in Ghana.

The Golden Eaglets, who won the last edition of the regional championship in 2022, will also face Togo and Niger in Group B of the competition which runs from 15-28 May.

Hosts Ghana find themselves in Group A alongside Cote d’Ivoire and Benin in a tough-looking section of the competition to be played in Accra.

The draw was conducted by 1970s Ivorian football legends Kobenan Kouman and Die Foneye at the Ivorian FA headquarters in Abidjan on Friday.

Nigeria claimed their WAFU B U17 AFCON title by defeating Burkina Faso 2-1 in the regional final in Ghana two years ago.

However, they will need to overcome some familiar foes if they are to defend their crown and with the Burkina Faso finishing third at the last TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations, some exciting matches are expected.

Arch-rivals Nigeria and Ghana are among the two favourites and could meet in the final in Accra on 28 May, should they top their respective groups and make it through the semi-finals.

Ghana also have pedigree at this level, having the World Cup in 1991 and 1995 as they bid to reach the U17 AFCON finals on home soil.

The top two teams from the WAFU B tournament will qualify for next year’s U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Groups:

Group A: Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin

Group B: Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Togo, Niger.

Nigerian Football

Former Nigeria international, Onye recommends Amuneke-Siasia combo for Super Eagles

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Kingsley Onye, the left sided defender who was a member of the first Flying Eagles side to have a podium finish at the U-20 World Cup has suggested the employment of Emmanuel Amuneke as the coach of the Super Eagles.

He wants him to be assisted by Samson Siasia when the ban on the latter lapses in August. Alternatively, Onye pointed to Sylvanus Okpala as alternative to Siasia.

The Super Eagles are in dare need for a head coach as the clock ticks down to the Match day 4 and 5 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in which the team is trailing at the third position.

The two matches in early June are crucial for the Super Eagles to bounce back into reckoning as the team can not afford to drop any of the available six points in the duels with South Africa at home and away to Benin.

From this Monday, it is 41 days to the potentially challenging tie with South Africa, but the Nigerian national team has been without a coach since the expiration of the contract of Portugal’s Jose Peseiro shortly after the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

Without mincing words, Onye remarked: “Emmanuel Amuneke is the right man for the job of the coach of Super Eagles. He has been there before.

“He tasted it and had been fantastic with the Nigeria youth team, the U-17 by assisting Manu Garba to win the U17 World Cup in 2013 and as head coach, led the Golden Eaglets to win the cup again in 2015.”

Onye who played for the Enugu Rangers in Nigeria before venturing to the UK but had his career scuppered by freak injury pointed out that the solution to Super Eagles’ technical deficiency is the appointment of an indigenous coach and that Amuneke is the man.

In buttressing his assertion, he declared: “As a senior team coach, Amuneke qualified a long standing absentee team, Tanzania for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

“His record as a player is also very impressive. He played and won with the Super Eagles, the AFCON 1994. He played at the Olympic Games and was also the first Nigerian to score two goals at the World Cup.

“He has played at the African Games and also for top clubs in the continent as he was a member of the Egyptian giants, Zamalek. In Europe, he played for Sporting Clube de Portugal and then Barcelona before injury ended his playing career.”

Onye also looked at the personality of Amuneke in recommending him for the Super Eagles job.

His record as a player is also very impressive. He played and won with the Super Eagles, the AFCON 1994. He played at the Olympic Games and was also the first Nigerian to score two goals at the World Cup.

He has played at the African Games and also for top clubs in the continent as he was a member of the Egyptian giants, Zamalek. In Europe, he played for Sporting Clube de Portugal and then Barcelona before injury ended his playing career.