Ochendo U-15 Cup Final: Umunneochi
Tackles Umuahia North
After about three months of hostilities two teams, Umunneochi and UmuahiaNorth have qualified for the final of the Ochendo/ASOPADEC U-15 football competition organized by the Abia State Ministry of Youth and Sports.
According to reports gathered by Trumpeta Sports Desk result of the two semi-finals played last week at the Umuahia Township Stadium that shows, Umuahia North pommelled Obingwa LGA 6-0 in a one sided affair to book a place in the final. Umunneochi however piped Aba South to the final via penalty shootout 5 4 after the encounter ended goalless within regulation time.
The competition which started on February has been described by the Abia State’s Director of Sports, Mr. Ejikeme Ikwunze (Mr. Football) as the type of recipe that can help discover and develop the younger talents that will one day take over from our established players.
In the same vein, Prince Udenze, a board member of the Abia State Oil Producing Area and Development Commission (ASOPADEC), maintained that his Commission will remain committed to programs fashioned to develop the Youths for a better tomorrow.
Continuing Mr. Football who is a seasoned sports writer, presenter and administrator revealed that the tournament has been a huge success that will in no small measure continue to un-earth talents from these twinkle-twinkles little stars that will one day become diamonds in the sky.
Meanwhile the Abia State sports council through their Public Relation Officer (PRO), Stella Ebede has assured of the council’s preparedness to do well in the forthcoming All- Nigeria U-17 Athletics Competition this year.
She however noted that the several Youth competitions organized regularly by its Council for their sports men and women who will tomorrow take over from today’s stars especially the games village is a sure way to success for our spots development.
Eight Confederation Cup Eagles In For Elephants
Eight players from the trip to Brazil will form the team that will play against Cote D’Ivoire as the Eagles seek their first CHAN tournament ticket.
Nigeria gaffer Stephen Keshi announced a strong squad for the country’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualification match against Cote D’Ivoire as the country seeks its first participation since the competition started.
The team will consist of eight players that made the trip to Brazil for the Confederations Cup recently.
They are goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, defenders Azubuike Egwuekwe, Godfrey Oboabona, Solomon Kwambe and Benjamin Francis, midfielders Emeka Eze and Sunday Mba and forward Muhammad Gambo who will be joined by 14 other players in next weekend’s first leg game against the Elephants.
The Nigeria Football Federation also announced that the match will be played at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Saturday, 6th July.
“We are happy for the favorable response from the Kaduna State Government, and we have also approached the National Sports Commission for permission to use the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna for the encounter.
“The grass is excellent and the entire facility is well maintained. The Super Eagles will find the place comfortable,” Barrister Musa Amadu, NFF General Secretary said.
Nigeria has failed on two different occasions to qualify for the tournament that is in its 3rd edition designed for African players plying their trade in their country’s League.
Nigeria was denied participation in the last edition by Niger Republic and will be expected to do everything possible to be in the next tournament.
LIST OF INVITED PLAYERS:
Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves); Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland FC)
Defenders: Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves); Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC); Kunle Odunlami (Sunshine Stars); Ezekiel Bassey (Lobi Stars); Umar Zango (Kano Pillars); Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars); Chibuzor Okonkwo (Enugu Rangers)
Midfielders: Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers); Ayo Saka (Enyimba FC); Olufemi Oladapo (3SC); Emeka Eze (Enugu Rangers); Mohammed Ajia (Bayelsa United)
Forwards: Muhammad Gambo (Kano Pillars); Obinna Nwachukwu (Heartland FC); Gomo Onduku (Bayelsa United); Ifeanyi Edeh (Enyimba FC); Anthony Okputu (Lobi Stars); Pius Samson (Ranch Bees); Festus Ajah (Union Bank); Etebo Oghene (Warri Wolves); Dele Olorundare (Sunshine Stars).
Time To Analyze Nadal’s Defeat
Rafa Nadal’s defeat at the hands of Steve Darcis on Court One was a shock for many people, me included.
I had him down as tournament favorite and I believed it, because he was in the best form. Since his return, he has lost two matches both in finals. He’s won Wimbledon twice and been in five finals (that’s a better record than he has in the Australian and the US Opens), and I’d say grass is his best surface after clay.
But he lost in the first round, and it’s time to analyze it, just as we did when Lukas Rosol stunned him at Wimbledon last year.
This latest loss worries me, because his knee appeared to be a problem. Did it bother him during the clay-court season? Probably it did I noticed in Monte Carlo he did not slide across the court to his right in quite the same way as years gone by and in fact, in the first week of Roland-Garros he was a shadow of himself. He seemed quite upset about the lack of time he had to recover before playing Fabio Fognini at the French Open perhaps it betrayed his physical concerns.
The second week he may have needed painkillers or anti-inflammatories to play the big matches but he cannot do that regularly.
Clay obviously suits him, because physically the higher bounce means he can stand taller and that eases the pressure on his knee, and mentally he has such a huge margin over his rivals on the surface that his margin for coping with a drop in performance is that much greater.
Evidently, grass, which requires him to bend low and subjects the knees to maximum pressure, does not suit him. It looked too painful, and he lacks the same natural movements that he makes on the clay to compensate.
I’ve written before about my surprise at Nadal’s schedule since his comeback. He started off on clay, then played on hard courts at Indian Wells (winning, admittedly) before returning to the European clay season. Nine tournaments in three months for a player in recovery always looked too much. It’s true that we’re talking about a player who is a compulsive competitor, but still, he might have managed his workload better.
Maybe Wimbledon is the price Rafa paid for exerting himself so much earlier in the year.
And without being too pessimistic, we do need to ask questions about his future.
Will he have to chop down his schedule? To me that seems obvious, even if he doesn’t say so.
Is the problem chronic and permanent? I’d have to say that’s the most logical assumption.
All of this makes him vulnerable in Grand Slams, if he’s not getting court time before they start. Wimbledon, coming after a heavy clay schedule and the French Open, will probably cause him the most problems.
