Great Organization, Magnificent Facility; Alexander Otasowie Praises Gymnastics Federation, Philip Shaibu

This is World Class Suspended Gymnasium":Board Member Gymnastics Africa Eulogies Edo State Government On Facility

As part of its manifesto in repositioning Nigeria Gymnastics sphere, the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria under the leadership of Prince Kelvin Erhunwmunse is currently on Day 5 of its week training, exposure of athletes, coaches and judges of the game as well as Gymnastics camp for West Africa countries ongoing at the ultra-modern gymnastics gym of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City of Edo State. 

The week-long camp, the first of its kind in West Africa, has seen the presence of FYG experts from Egypt train coaches, judges and technical instructors from about seven countries in Africa.

Amongst participants at the week-long camp is a former gymnast and an administrator, Alexander Otasowie who couldn't hide but registers his excitement on this landmark. 

"I started gymnastics from this State and I'm happy to be here not just for the fact that I'm a gymnast, but for the fact that my state is pioneering this for the country and this is something I take pleasure in."

"I also want to thank the president of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria who since he came on board as president has changed things. Himself being a gymnast is aiming to improve coaches, athletes and judges in the just concluded Level 1 course, a move to have a proper database to push the entire Gymnastics Federation forward."

"Nobody has ever believed this can happen in Nigeria, even the west African countries are amazed at what they have seen."

The excited Otasowie however heap praises on the Edo state government for putting in place the world-class gymnastics suspended gym.

"For the facility, this is the best we have in central West Africa and one of the best in another part of Africa. I'm a member of the UOG, the highest body for Africa and Edo state is pulling the whole of Africa and the whole world is monitoring. I'm amazed that this is happening in Nigeria."

"Now we are having this for the first time, bringing together the entire zone in West Africa. A big appreciation to the Government-Governor Obaseki and Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu for putting in place this structure to help raise more gymnasts who train with modern facilities."

"More completions, more games would be coming and now that the international bodies have seen it, it's a clear indication that we can stage as many competitions here."

"The very recent commissioning we had in the world was in Germany, 2019, this is exactly what's there-suspended gymnastics gym-which look impossible, which means that way happened in Germany is happening here. Not only Edo is benefiting from this or the whole country, but West Africa is also benefiting from it and Africa is happy to showcase this as one of the best they have."

"For Edo state, it's good and as a federation, we can see that it's one of the best and we are happy to have the best. This is the best place you can have the national team train, no other place in Nigeria has this facility," Otasowie added.

It's scary ending, protests but no surprises as CAF FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifiers enter a playoff

It's nervy endings and two protests as CAF FIFA 2022 World Cup qualification series enter the playoff with no upsets as all the ten countries that qualify lived up to pre-competition ratings. 

Nigeria, Senegal, Morrocco, Ghana, Cameroon, Congo Dr, Algeria, Egypt, Mali, and Tunisia left in the race, which started in August 2021 with all the 54 FIFA-affiliated football associations from CAF. 

There is no notable absentee from the list of qualified teams as Nine out of the remaining ten teams are in the top 10 brackets of Africa football based on the  FIFA ranking for November. 

Probably the only missing name in the top 10 rankings is Ivory Coast but they find themselves in the same group with Cameroon, of which Cameroon eliminated the Ivorians on the final day in Yaounde as the group winner needed just a victory to make it to the playoffs. 

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon needed Karl Toko Ekambi 21st minute goal to wade off all pressures mounted by Sebastian Haller, Nicholas Pepe, Aboubacar Sangare, etc to ensure a place in the playoffs. 

The Super Eagles of Nigeria also survived a scare from the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde, as the Super Eagles played 90 minutes of lustreless football to hold on to a 1-1 draw which guarantee the needed one point which is enough to keep their track in the race to Qatar.

The current African Champions Algeria were pushed to the limit by Burkina Faso as the Burkinababe came back twice and very close to causing one of the biggest upsets of the last day in the 2022 World Cup qualifier. 

But nearly wasn't enough as the Algerians held their nerve and ended the game on 2-2 which is enough for passage to the playoff and keep their unbeaten record of 33 games on the bounce since 2019. 

Tunisia was levelled on points with Equatorial Guinea going into the final day and needed victory to qualify. 

The Carthage Eagles made no mistake in Rades as they scored three first-half goals against Zambia to erase doubts as they ended the group on top after ninety minutes with the game ended 3-1. 

Equatorial Guinea ended their wild chase of a place in the place off by playing a 1-1  against Mauritania, in Antananarivo.

The Benin Republic also went into their final game against Congo Dr, needing only a point to progress but they left Kinshaha with nothing after losing the match by two goals to nil which is enough for the Congolese to secure their place in the playoffs. 

Ghana also edged South Africa through a disputed penalty in the 35th minute after Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey was adjudged to have been fouled in the box. 

The resultant penalty kick results in 1-0 for the Black Stars which is enough to topple the Bafana Bafana on the head to head and book their place in the final round.

Mali, Egypt, Morrocco and Senegal, all get the job done before the final day and save themselves from the drama of the final day. 

Morocco completed a flawless process in the qualifiers keeping their 100% record of winning all their games by taking Guinea to the cleaners with a 3-0 victory on the final day. 

Egypt also made it a good home ending as they defeated Gabon by 2-1 despite resting the majority of their first-team players having qualified on matchday five with the pulsating 2-2 draw against Angola in Luanda. 

Mali also defeated Uganda by 2-0 while Senegal bests Congo by 1-0 to end the series without losing any of their games. 

Protests 

The Federation of International Football Association has confirmed the protest of South Africa and the Benin republic. 

The South African Football Association, SAFA are praying that their match against Ghana is replayed. 

According to the SAFA, the penalty that decided their game was manipulated by the centre referee Maguette Ndiaye to favour the Black Stars.

FIFA has once ordered a replay between Bafana Bafana and Senegal in the 2018 World Cup qualifier after the referee was found guilty of match manipulation.

Also, the Beninoise Football Federation (FBF) is asking for the ejection of Congo Dr for violations of the rules of the game on substitution per match.

The appeal is about the fact that DR Congo made four substitutions on four separate occasions during Sunday's qualifier. 

Under current Fifa regulations for international games, teams are allowed to make up to five substitutes but only during three substitution windows in the game.  

Whatever decision the world football governing body, FIFA takes won't affect the draws for the playoff which will be held on December 18 2021 with the top 5 ranked teams in the FIFA ranking will be in a pot as the seeded teams and the second pot will have the remaining fine teams. 

The seeded teams are Senegal, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia. 

The unseeded teams are Cameroon, Ghana, Egypt, Mali and Dr Congo.

'Rohr must go' Nigerians roar on Facebook as Nigeria struggles against Cape Verde in Lagos

Nigerians on Facebook are asking for the sack of the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr despite picking the needed point to qualify Nigeria to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final round of qualifiers in Africa. 

The Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr was at the centre of attraction on Facebook just after the Super Eagles secured a place in the CAF 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs after playing a 1-1 draw with Cape Verde on Tuesday (16 November 2021) in Lagos. 

The greater number of people reacting to a poser by the 'Nigeria Football League' page wants the Nigeria Football Federation to sack the Franco-German tactician before the African Cup of Nations in January 2022. 

The poser is asking to know the impression of the page users about the performance of the team after 1-1 draw. 

Lots of the microblogging website users who commented under the thread believed the coach has nothing more to offer the team as he has failed to improve the team since 2017 hence the best alternative is for his employer to sack him now as the Super Eagles deserve a better tactician going forward. 

Coach Gernot Rohr has overseen 53 games for the Super Eagles with an Appearance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup where the team failed to progress out of the group stage. 

He also qualified the team for the 2019 African Cup Of Nations (AFCON )and finished third at the competition. 

He has qualified the country for another AFCON and is on the verge of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup with two more games to go in the playoffs. 

Here are some of the respondent's reactions. 

The Super Eagles topped group C which has Cape Verde, Liberia and the Central Africa Republic with 13 points with victories in four of the six games played, losing one of the games in Lagos and also playing another draw in Lagos.

You can have your say too, Rohr, to go or to stay?

NIG 1 vs 1 CPV: A poor second coming for Ighalo as Osimhen shines in Super Eagles' drab draw

Odion Ighalo delivered a poor performance on his Super Eagles second coming after almost 3 years of absence as Osimhen outshone him to help Super Eagles play a 1-1 draw against Cape Verde to qualify for the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Lagos on Tuesday (16 November 2021).  

Odion Ighalo is expected to lead the youthful Super Eagles attack with his experience but rather he struggled o match the pace of the younger Super Eagles led by Victor Osimhen. 

The Napoli FC striker took the initiative from the first minute to give the Super Eagles the lead only for the Blue Sharks to fight back in the sixth minute to restore parity.  

The lanky forward delivered a man of the match performance as he was torn in the flesh of the Cape Verde defence line, running down channels with the ball on his feet and taking up good positions off the ball. 

However, he lacks the support of Odion Ighalo who is supposed to be the second striker. 

Ighalo is always behind Osimhen, providing little or no support and this made going forward difficult for the team as the Super Eagles returning player faded with time as the match progressed. 

The highlight of the Al-Shabab FC striker performance on his Super Eagles return was the two scoring chances he missed in flying colours. 

The first was a sitter in the 25th minute after he was set up in the box only for him to shoot at goal but missed the ball. 

The second was in the air when he failed to connect a free header in the 33rd minutes when he was picked out by Victor Osimhen.

The two chances that he could have easily converted to give the Super Eagles a two-goal lead going into halftime and ease the pressure off the team.

It was a surprise that Ighalo could last one hour and a quarter minutes on the pitch as he was absent throughout the second half till he was subbed off in the 75th minute. 

His performance shows he might have seen his best time in the Super Eagles and it will be more honourable for him to have his testimonial match and concrete on his club career. 

He played a total of 35 games for the Super Eagles scoring 16 goals before he declared his retirement from the Super Eagles only for him to accept the coach's offer to rescind his decision to help the Super Eagles secure a playoff qualification in Qatar 22 race.

Prince Okumagba Birthday: Super Eagles Supporters Club ( SESC) describe him as Leader of Leaders

The Super Eagles Supporters Club wishes to congratulate the President of the most prestigious club Prince Vincent Okumagba on the occasion of his birthday celebration.  

Today, like always, we celebrate the impact of your rich life on the lives of so many others, within and outside SESC. Having dutifully followed your trajectory since the club was formed, we take cognizance of the influence of your courageous leadership on the human and material development of our dear Club. 

As you add a new year on earth, the leadership role you have continually played which has over the years produced more leaders easily attest to your unmatched ability to discover, harness and develop potent ls. On behalf of the teeming excos and members of defined, we are grateful to have a leader like you  in the space of SESC and Nigeria which have largely define the stability of our dear Club. 

It is our firm conviction that your birthday presents a unique opportunity to once again thank you for the sustained opportunities you have given to the weak and the powerless to also aspire to greatness. For being the inspiration and hope of many, we say thank you.

We thank you for your brave and selfless leadership over the years, and for always working hard and diligently on our behalf. We are very proud to call you our leader and role model, and we pray you have many more healthy years to keep up the good work.

Happy birthday celebration, Okumagba Gbera! 

102 caps: How Ahmed Musa added a new feather to his Super Eagles Legendary status

With another appearance for the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa hits another career milestone in Nigeria football history as he added a feather to legendary status in style. 

Ahmed Musa came in the 85th minute during the 2022 World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Liberia in Tangier, Morrocco to become the first Nigerian ever to play 102 international games for the Super Eagles. 

The captain of the Super Eagles surpassed the 101 appearances of former captains of the JosephYobo and Vincent Enyeama. 

He did it style, by scoring his 16th International goal in the match, the goal secured the three points for the Super Eagles as the Lone Stars of Liberia bow to the Superior firepower of the Super Eagles by 2-0. 

Musa coolly converted from the penalty spot in the 93rd  when Victor Osimhen was hacked down by the Liberian goalkeeper. 

He added this new feather to his legendary status in Nigeria football, a career spanning over thirteen years at the highest level and he has never stopped breaking and setting new records. 

The 29-year-old winger is the first player to score 18 or more goals in the history of the professional football league in Nigeria. 

He achieved this feat in the 2009/2010 season when he 18 goals in 25 appearances for Kano Pillars to break Ishaya Jatau haul of 17 goals in a season which was standing for ten years (1990) before Musa's broke it in 2010.

The talismanic winger also holds the record of being the only Nigerian to score two goals in a match at the FIFA World Cup. 

 He set the record in 2014 when he first appeared at the Mundial when he scored the two goals in the Super Eagles 3-2 loss to Argentina at the 2014 FIFA World Cup which took place in Brazil. 

He repeat the feat at the Russia 2018 edition when his two goals helped Nigeria to defeat Iceland by 2-0, which is coincidentally the only game the Super Eagles won at the World Cup.  

The four goals he scored in the two matches remained the highest number of goals scored by any Nigerian in the history of the FIFA World Cup.

This makes him arguably the most valuable Nigerian player ever to play at the FIFA World Cup judging by his extraordinary performance at the two world cups he attended. 

The Faith Karagamuk FC player is no doubt at the twilight of his career but he is not done yet with setting the records as he is in line to extend the number of his international caps. 

Furthermore,  he also stands a chance to become the first Nigerian to win the AFCON twice if selected for the 2021 African Of Cup Nations billed for Cameroon in January 2022, having won the competition in 2013 in South Africa. 

Ahead of CAF Confederation Cup: Enyimba hosts Rivers United in a friendly

 Nigeria representatives in the 2021/2022 CAF Confederation Cup will face off in a friendly as Enyimba FC host Rivers United at the Enyimba International stadium by 4 pm on Sunday ( 14 November 2021).  

The two remaining Nigerian sides will size up themselves in readiness for their upcoming crucial encounters in the CAF Confederation Cup ( CAFCC) as Enyimba will face Al Ittihad of Libya and Rivers United squares up Al Masry of Egypt.  

The first leg will be on November 28 while the second leg will hold on December 5. The winner of the games over two legs will proceed to the group stage of the competition. 

The friendly in Aba will be the second friendly between the two sides since the 2020/2021 season of the Nigeria Professional Football League ended with no resumption date in sight. 

The first which was played on October 10 2021 ended goalless at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Rivers State. 

Though it's just friendly, the two sides will love to go all out as bragging rights and prides is at stake as it will also serve as an exercise for both teams to be in a competitive mood ahead of the crucial CAFCC playoffs 

The rivalry between the two club side's was taken to another level during the 2019/2020 season when the season ended abruptly due to COVID-19 and the organiser favours Enyimba ahead of Rivers by adopting the weighted Point Per Game, (WPPG) format instead of Points Per Game (PPG ) which favours Rivers United,  hence allowing Enyimba FC pick up the last CAF Champions League ticket while Rivers United lost out.