Junior Lokosa joins Tunisian League side Esperance

Happy New Year and Happy new start, that is perhaps the best way to greet Kano Pillars forward Junior Lokosa after the 25 year old successfully sealed a two and half year contract with Tunisian giants Esperance on Monday.

The Tunisian club dished out a welcome message for the Badagry boy who emerged highest goal scorer of the Nigerian Professional football league last season.  His exploits just before the world cup in Russia triggered off 'Operation include Lokosa in the World Cup squad' campaign among soccer fans in the country. 

Although he was part of the shape up friendlies just before the last 23-man squad was released by Coach Gernot Rohr, he ended up not making the team to Russia with many insisting that he would have made a difference had he been given a chance. 

Excited Esperance are hoping that the coming of the Nigerian will boost their CAF Champions league campaign even as they prepare to take on FC Platinum of Zimbabwe on Friday. 

Esperance are in group B which also has Orlando Pirates of South Africa and Horoya of Guinea. The four teams in the group all boast of one point after pulling a draw in their opening matches.  

While Platinum played out a goalless draw against Orlando Pirates, Esperance held Horoya to a 1-1 draw in Conakry. Esperance host Platinum on Friday and has been tipped to pull a victory in that one.  

It is not however known whether they can unleash their new man Friday's tie. Esperance are defending champions of the CAF Champions league and have won the title three times, finishing as runners up four times.

CAF Award: Nigeria living on past glory –Peter Ijeh

Sweden based former international Peter Ijeh has declared that Nigeria is living on past glory and will have to change ways of doing things if she is to become a force to be reckoned with again in the round leather game

His submission is coming barely 24 hours after Confederation of African Football (CAF) rolled out names of winners of the prestigious African Footballer of the year award in both the men and women categories among other awards in Dakar Senegal.

Although Nigerian players have won the gong combined five times in the men's category and combined 10 times in the ladies category, Ijeh insists that the country is not making deliberate effort to discover and sustain talents good enough to compete at all levels.

Since the reign of late Rashidi Yekini according to him, consistency has been a teething problem." After Rashidi Yekini we have not had a goal machine that can really compete, we have had strikers that come up and fade  and that is because we have not been doing the right thing" he observed

The former Malmö and IFK Göteborg ace placed the blame on the door steps of the Nigeria football federation insisting that it will take a synergy between the football house and ex-internationals that have something to offer to adequately harness the talents at the disposal of Nigeria at home and in the diaspora.

"I will blame it on the football federation that is not ready to accommodate input perhaps believing they have monopoly of knowledge. When you call and even write to make contributions they will not even respond, so if you have ideas that can help and they are not ready to hear it there is nothing really you can do," he said.  Ijeh had earlier predicted that Liverpool forward Mo Salah will retain the award in Senegal.

The 41 year old who went into coaching after hanging his boot in 2012 boasts of Uefa advanced licensed certificate.

He made only one appearance for the Super Eagles in 2002.  His invitation to the national team then became inevitable after he emerged highest goal scorer in the Allsvenskan in 2002 with 24 goals.

Egypt to host 2019 first 24-team Africa Cup of Nations

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Egypt beat South Africa, the only other country to bid for the tournament. The land of the pharaohs reportedly beat the Rainbow nation 16 votes to one to clinch the nod. Cameroon were stripped of its hosting rights in November because of slow preparations. 

CAF had earlier said he decision would be made on Wednesday 9th January just a day after the CAF Award but made a U-turn last minute to announce the hosts before the award

Egypt will thus be making history as the first African Nation to host the expanded 24 team edition which will take place between June 15 to July 13 tournament.

The usual presentations by bidding countries was deemed unnecessary as both Egypt and South Africa, have representation on the executive committee.

The North African nation will be hosting the competition for the fourth time, having hosted the continent in 1974, 1986 and 2006.

The final round of qualifiers for the tournament will be held in March, with 14 nations, including Egypt, having already sealed their place at the finals.

 In terms of winning the championship Egypt remain the highest winners of the event haven won a record seven times including a triple in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

African coaches lack confidence declares Samuel Etoo

African coaches lack confidence in themselves despite having the needed qualifications to excel in the round leather game. 

Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o who made the submission opined that lack of confidence has limited the chances of most African coaches to reach the zenith of their careers.  

He equally noted that the non-progressive state of African coaches may have affected the psyche of African player many who ultimately decide against going into coaching after their playing careers. 

The former Barcelona ace told Canal+: 'some former black players don't want to become coaches, even if maybe they'd like to.

'Of course, there are many African coaches who have qualifications, but there's simply no confidence in them, unlike other coaches," he noted

The 37-year-old Eto'o, who also played for Premier League clubs Chelsea and Everton, and is currently plying his trade with Qatar Sports Club in the Qatar Stars League also noted that coaches of colour are unfortunately treated as second class citizens. He however hinted that he is ready to change the narrative when he ventures into coaching after playing.

'Coaches of colour have been disheartened because they're viewed as second-class citizens.'Still, I won in Europe as a player so I have to win in Europe as a coach," he enthused

That is indeed true with Eto'o winning the Champions League three times as a player as well as four domestic titles in Spain and Italy. 

He is keen to manage at the highest level once he hangs up his boots. The four time African footballer of

the year and two time Nations cup winner is among crème dela crème of sports legends that  hit Dakar Senegal for the Annual African footballer of the Year award.

Eto'o was a proud winner of the award in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010.

Etafia to Lobi Stars: Note that Sundowns are perennial attackers!

The Nation's flag bearers in the 2018/19 CAF Champions League Lobi Stars, have been told to wear maximum concentration as a toga as they face South African opponents Mamelodi Sundowns in their two legged group stage clash.

Former Super Eagles safe hand Greg Etafia who gave the advice, said attacking football is Sundowns stock in trade noting that the Pitso Mosimane tutored side are known to play with the same momentum whether at home or away.

"They are a team who like to attack both at home and away" he told FootballLive Nigeria.

The former Moroka Swallows goalkeeper who has lived in the Rainbow Nation since 2002 and has uncounted Sundowns in the course of playing for the Swallows in the South Africa's Premier Soccer League (PSL), said the 8-time premier league champions seldom give opponents breathing space.

This is however not the first time the former Nigerian international would be volunteering advice ahead of a crucial encounter between either Nigerian club sides versus their South African counters or between the national teams of both countries. 

Recall that ahead of the two legged AFCON 2019 qualifiers between Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana, Etafia had told Bafana Bafana to put an eye on Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi if they are to prevent a sudden break that could rattle their defence describing Iwobi who only few days ago missed the 3-man shortlist for African football of the year as an incredible player.

"The 22-year-old attacker has, since his international debut in 2015, made 23 appearances for Nigeria with five goals.  “Iwobi is the future of the national team. Everyone can see the incredible things he is doing at Arsenal,” Etafia told .South African publication, Sowetan.

The second leg of the tie interestingly ended 1-1 at the FNB stadium with the Eagles qualifying for AFCON 2019 despite losing the first leg 2-0 at home.

 Lobi stars who have been intensifying training since the group stage draw was made, will test strength against Mamelodi Sundowns next weekend at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium.

Nigeria’s ten sporting Achievements worthy of celebration in 2018

In a matter of hours 2018 will belong to history  and give way for 2019 a year packed with sporting action. What were the high points for Nigeria in 2018, check it out!

1. Super Eagles qualification for the 2019 Nations cup even with a game to spare against Seychelles in March 2019. After emerging champions in 2013 under late coach Stephen Keshi the team went comatose failing to qualify back to back for the 2015 and 2017 editions.

 So a return to the ring in 2019 is a relief and getting the qualification without forcing soccer fans in the country to experience hypertension first is tickling.

2. Super Falcons clinching of their 9th title at the African Women Nations Cup in Ghana and also qualifying for the FIFA Women's world cup billed for France in June. The qualification for the world cup could be said to be a semi birth-right for the team having been in every edition of the world cup since inception in 1991.So you could say it is like following the tradition. But their dominance in Africa is not in doubt and they proved it once more by emerging champions in Ghana.

3. Super Sand Eagles qualification for the Beach world cup in Paraguay after finishing as runners at the Africa Beach Soccer Cup of Nations in Egypt. Their qualification some say came from the never say die attitude of the Nigerian as they did not really prepare before heading to Egypt for the event. The lost to Senegal 6-1 in the final but picked a ticket to the world cup thus having an opportunity to appear at the world stage for the fifth time having been there in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

4. Golden Eaglets qualification for the African U-17 Nations cup in Tanzania where they have been drawn against hosts Tanzania, Angola and Uganda in Group A.  They stand a good chance of making it to the semifinals to pick a ticket for the World Cup in Peru. Interestingly Nigeria has won the world cup in this category a record five times, the last being the 2015 edition in Chile though the country failed to qualify for the 2017 edition in India.

5. Return of National Sports Festival: After six years in limbo the National Sports festival made a comeback in Abuja with a private firm partnering with the ministry of sports to make it happen.  After the Eko for show in 2012, Cross River was to take the baton, but that failed to materialise with funds cited as the main problem. Its return perhaps should mark a return indeed.  Delta of course ruled the event as usual even as the debate over the use of elite athletes continues. Why should athletes who have competed in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and etc, be participating in the National sports festival where the developmental is and discover aspect of it all?

Should up and coming athletes with practically no equipment to train be competing with opponents training abroad and having the best of facilities? Does that look like a level playing field? Anyway the return of NSF made the list with Edo to host the 2020 edition.

6. Anthony Joshua clinched the heavyweight unification bout against Joseph parker and has since become a bride that everybody would want to fight. Although he had predicted a knock out but nonetheless got the job by unanimous decision in front of 80,000 spectators at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Should we be counting it, well success has many brothers and as a Nigerian born British boxer we certainly have a stake in his progress.

7. NOC Election took place recently with Engr Habu Gumel emerging its President. It is not as if his election was the super melting point, but the election held with rancour.  It is usual here to fight after elections.

8. The qualification of Nigeria and Africa's first ever bobsled team for the winter Olympics was indeed huge medal or no medal.  US-based trio of Seun Adigun, the team driver and leader, Akuoma Omeoga and Ngozi Onwumere have qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after completing the fifth of their five qualifying races. It was a solo effort as Nigeria neither had a national team no a federation for the sport before they came on stage.

9. The women basketball team D'Tigeress, made it to the world cup in Spain and bowing out in the quarterfinals after losing 71-40 to USA., and eventually finished in the 8^th place in the classification matches .The team cannot be said to have done badly considering that the NBBF was engrossed in crisis for a greater part of the year.No man goes in pursuit of rats when his house is on fire. Putting crisis aside to do something is something.

10. Nigeria's amputee football team took part for the first time in the Amputee world cup in Mexico after three failed attempts due to financial constraints. 

Even the trip to Mexico did not come easy a lot of cajoling and begging had to be done before the money could be raised for the Goodluck Obieze captained team could make it. 

That they eventually made an appearance is a huge plus and a boost to the players.

Some of the dark spots of the year include NFF election crisis, the NBBF brouhaha and Super Eagles poor run at the World cup in Russia after being voted team with the best jersey as if the occasion was for fashion parade.

Southampton boss laments Obafemi's injury ahead Man City clash

Southampton coach Ralph Hasenhüttl is singing lamentation songs following injury picked up by Nigeria born striker Michael Obafemi ahead of their match against visiting Manchester City on Sunday. 

The former Ireland Republic under 19 star, picked up a knock in training, and missed the midweek defeat to West Ham, while midfielder Mario Lemina, who has also been sidelined lately, returned to play 85 minutes, but wasn't at full fitness.

Hasenhüttl confessed that the Obafemi will be seriously missed describing his speed as a majore asset that can be put into good use.

"Michael Obafemi's injury was picked up in training and is a real pity, because I need him. His speed can always make a difference," the manager confirmed.

The Austrian will however be hoping that the return of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, who rejoins the fold after serving his one-match suspension, can make an impact.

"Pierre is a very intelligent player, and he is very important for me. He reads the game very well and we need that."

Obafemi whose brother Afolabi is also a footballer has about six appearances for The Saints scoring a goal in the bargain.

The goal, his first professional goal was recorded in the 3-1 victory at Huddersfield on 22 December 2018 at 18 years and 169 days old, he became Southampton's youngest scorer in the Premier League. 

Manchester City will be going into Sunday's match fresh from two premier league defeats by Leicester City and Crystal Palace respectively. 

Southampton on the other hand are heading into the match with a win and loss in their last two matches.