Governing Bodies
Will Peseiro be Nigeria’s first coach to lose debut game in 28 years?
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
New Manager, José Santos Peseiro, the first Portuguese to handle Nigeria’s national football team is set for his debut on Saturday as the Super Eagles face Mexico, a CONCACAF team they had faced five times since 1995.
No handler of the Super Eagles had lost a debut appearance since Amodu Shaibu led the team to a respectable 1-0 loss to England at the old Wembley Stadium 28 years ago on 16 November 1994.
Ever since, Nigeria’s worst results had been drawn games as recorded by Adegboye Onigbinde in his first match after his return. That was on 26 March 2002 in a London match against Paraguay when he fielded an entirely experimental side after he was named Nigeria’s coach a second time.
Coincidentally, he was named the coach in succession to Amodu Shuaibu on 18 February 2002, exactly 19 years after he made his managerial debut with the then Green Eagles who played a goalless draw with Egypt in Lagos.
Since the Onigbinde era, every succeeding coach averted a defeat in their debut except the late Chris Udemezue whose team was walloped 5-0 by Tunisia in a 26 September 1985 friendly match in Tunis.
Paul Hamilton, his successor had a goalless outing in an All Africa Games qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire in Lagos. His successor, Germany’s Manfred Hoener who incidentally shared the same 31 July 1941 birthday with him, won his maiden match for Nigeria – a 3-0 defeat of Kenya at the 1988 Afcon in Rabat, Morocco.
The first coach to lose a debut game since Onigbinde was Clemens Westerhof. Nigeria lost 0-1 to Cameroon in an Italia’90 qualifier in Yaounde.
When Bonfrere Johannes replaced Amodu Shuaibu in September 1995, his first assignment was the Afro/Asian Cup contest with Uzbekistan. Nigeria won the away match 3-2 as Nwankwo Kanu scored his first ever goal for the Super Eagles.
In March 1997, Philippe Trouiser was named Nigerian coach and won his first match 2-1, a World Cup qualifying game with Guinea. Daniel Amokachi scored the two goals and never scored for Nigeria since.
Monday Sinclair who was assigned on interim basis to handle Nigeria to an LG Cup duel in Tunisia won his first match in charge, a 1-0 defeat of Cameroon on 7 August 1997.
Journey-man, Bora Milutonivic made his Nigerian debut with a 1-0 defeat of Iran on 28 January 1998 in Hong Kong during the Carlsberg Cup. Patrick Paschal scored his last goal for the Super Eagles during the tournament.
Dutchman, Thijs Libgret.s took over after the France ‘98 World Cup. In his first assignment, he drew goalless with Burkina Faso in a later cancelled Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Ouagadougou.
Other coaches of the Super Eagles who averted defeat in their maiden games are Christian Chukwu (goalless with Angola) in 2002, Eguavoen (1-0 against Libya in 2005), Berti Vogts (1-0 against Uganda in Abeokuta), Lars Lagerback (0-0 with Saudi Arabia at Alpenstadion), Keshi’s team drew 0-0 with Botswana in Benin, the same result that Oliseh attained with Tanzania in Dar es Salam. Gernot Rohr won his first match with Nigeria, a 1-0 defeat of Tanzania in Uyo.
Will Peseiro also avoid a losing debut with Nigeria? The answer comes on Saturday when his team face Mexico in Dallas, United States.
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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