The Nation Newspaper

Tag: bronze

  • Bronze no more golden?

    The rain of bronze started in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia in 1976, when Nigeria started its good run in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    Nigeria, of Muda Lawal, Haruna Ilerika, Kunle Awesu (all of blessed memory), captained by the inimitable Christian Chukwu and backed by legendary goaltender, Emmanuel Okala, had defeated Zaire (now Congo DR) in the group stages.  It was a sensational 4-2 win, not unlike Madagascar’s 2-0 upset over Nigeria in the current AFCON. Zaire were the defending champions.

    Another bronze in Accra, Ghana, two years later, and the unleashing of the duo wingers of Segun Odegbami and Adokiye Amiesimaka, the one with the the precise skills of a scientific machine, the other as slippery as the eel, signalled Nigeria’s arrival on the AFCON scene.

    Though gold — and first AFCON win — would come at home in Lagos in 1980, followed by a couple of painful silver (final match defeats), that era was generally known, by appreciative local ball fans, as that of “golden bronze”.

    Nigeria just reenacted its golden bronze tradition with a third place finish 1-0 win over Tunisia.  It was a win that ripples with many fond memories.  Better to haul a bronze than face bitter final defeats!

    The memories!  First, Nigeria maintained a record of never losing a third-place match, winning all eight it had featured.  Also, Odion Ighalo’s five goals, in the current AFCON, equalled the great Rashidi Yekini’s five-goal feat in the all-conquering Eagles of 1994, at the Tunisia AFCON of that year.  That gang would proceed to post a memorable show at the USA 94 World Cup.  Memories!

    But after three wins (1980, 1994 and 2013) and a couple of silver in-between, the era of golden bronze is over.  Nigerian ball fans, who always want to win every game, are far less appreciative.  To them, Eagles’ bronze win of this year is tantamount to failure — didn’t minnows, Madagascar, lick them?  Someone, on Facebook, even dismissed the team as Super Chickens!  That’s, of course, is sheer crap.

    The fact is this team lost to Algeria, by far the best side in the present championship.  Yet, they were far from disgrace.  But for the Riyadh Mahrez last-second back-breaker, anything could have happened.  But it was a fair loss and the two top sides, Algeria and Senegal, are meeting in the final, with Algeria probably nailing it.

    But it’s time to look at the present team and it’s possible exciting future, while preparing for the Qatar World Cup of 2022.  Ighalo maintained his twin record as highest goal scorer in the qualifying series; and probably goal king after today’s final.

    Then, the exciting youngsters, coming through: Samuel Chukwueze,  Ola Aina, Alexander Iwobi, Chidozie Awaziem, Victor Osinhen, Jamilu Collins, Wilfred Ndidi and Francis Uzoho who, at 20 already boasts a World Cup experience.

    After the Madagascar loss, subtle media campaign started: lose or win, Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr, must go.  Perish that thought! Just as before the 2018 World Cup, the AFCON Eagles project a lot of promise.  It would appear the 1994 Golden generation Eagles, fierce and formidable, are coming all over again!

    Let Rohr continue his building process to climax in 2022.  Before then, there is another AFCON, which Cameroon hosts in 2021.

    Go for it.  Build a solid team.  Stop all the gathering-and-scattering of the past.

  • GOLDEN GRAND PRIX: Adekuoroye grabs bronze

    GOLDEN GRAND PRIX: Adekuoroye grabs bronze

     

    Nigeria’s wrestling sensation, Oduayo Adekuoroye once again did the country proud by winning bronze medal in the women’s 53kg freestyle event at the United World Wrestling (UWW)-organised Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan.

    The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medalist began her campaign at the Baku Sports Hall, venue of the event by defeating two-time world bronze medalist Jong Myong-Suk of North Korea 7-3 in the Round of 16. The Nigerian was however  shocked in the quarter final when the referee declared her opponent, Hellen Marolis of USA the winner despite the match ended on 6-6 score-line.

    The 2015 All Africa Games gold medalist was given a lifeline for a bronze medal fight with a Repechage match where she defeated Roksana Zasina of Poland 7-3. She then went ahead to beat Anjela Doroqan of Azerbaijan by 10-0 Technical Fall (TF).

    Nigeria’s other representative, Blessing Oborodudu could not get to the medal zone as she lost to Anastasija Grigorieva of Latvia 8-5 in the quarter final of the women’s 63kg freestyle event. Oborodudu had defeated Ukraine’s Yuliia Tkach 8-4 in the Round of 16.

    Aside from being the African champion in the women’s 53kg freestyle, Adekuoroye qualified to take part in the tournament as being among the top four in the world in the weight category, while Oborodudu qualified to take part in the competition following her triumph at the 2015 African Championship in the women’s 63kg freestyle.

     

     

     

  • African Games: Nigeria picks silver, bronze in basketball

    The Nigeria female and male team won silver and bronze respectively on the final day of the basketball event at the new Gymnasium, Makelekele.

    In the bronze medal game, the male team, D’Tigers beat Mali 57-55 in a game the Nigerian team squandered a 17 point lead and winning the game with a second to go.

    The Nigerian  team led 22-7 after the first quarter and maintained the lead as the second half also ended 30-17 with the Malians reducing the deficit by four points.

    However, complacency set in the third quarter as the Malians rained three point shot into the Nigerian team’s basket. The Malians had the Nigerians on their back and reduced the deficit to six as the third quarter ended 45-39.

    At the resumption of the fourth quarter the Malians continued to dictate the pace of the game and leveled scores 45-45 with five minutes left to play.

    The Malians led with five points with less than 30 seconds to go, but threw away the lead as Nigeria scored seven points, making the final basket with a second left to play.

    In the women’s final, the Malians were too much for the Nigerian girls as they dominated the game winning 73 57 to avenge their group stage loss to Nigeria.

    It was a game that nothing worked for the Nigeria team, while the Malians got their tactics right, leaving no one in doubt of their desire to win the game.

    The Malians also had massive support from their compatriots in Congo who NationSport gathered reside mainly in Makelekele.

  • Bronze is better than nothing – Siasia

    Bronze is better than nothing – Siasia

    NIGERIA Under-23 coach, Samson Siasia has said that despite the fact that he is not happy with the team’s performance at the 11th edition of the All Africa Games, a bronze medal is, however, a consolation.

    Dream Team VI in the third place game defeated host country Congo 5-3 on penalties after game ended  0-0 at the regulation period in a match held at the Masamba Stadium on Thursday.

    “A bronze is better than nothing, at least we’ll have something to show the world that we came to the All Africa Games,” Siasia told SportingLife after the game.

    “It was a terrible game, very bad. But still, it’s better to play bad and get a bronze medal than nothing. We are okay with this bronze medal for now but we have a lot of work to do to make sure our team gets into the level that we want them to be.”

    The Nigerian team still finds it difficult to convert their scoring opportunity, a situation which has continued to baffle the former Super Eagles star.

    “We hardly score goals these days, you’ve seen the last couple of matches, we cannot score, we cannot defend. So we have a lot of work to do to improve on. We are going to the group stage for the Olympics, we have to improve, we have to get new players, we have to get guys that can score goals for us because that is the biggest  problem we are having and we are going to work on them,”he added.

    Coach Siasia said the team will be given a break for one week before returning to camp.

  • Zenith Bank WBL: ‘This bronze is golden’

    Zenith Bank WBL: ‘This bronze is golden’

     

    Coach of First Deepwater Basketball Club, Lateef Erinfolami has described the bronze medal won by her team ‘as golden’ at the just concluded Zenith Bank Women Basketball League.

    Erinfolami, who has won four league titles with the Oil and Gas team, said he would cherish the third place finish his team achieved this season.

    When reminded that the team had won four titles previously, he said: “I am serious about this third place  as being the one I would cherish the most because when the season started and my best players left the team, I had thought we were not going to finish among the best three teams.

    Erinfolami also commended the girls for the feat and assured them that they would become better next season. “My assurance to our fans is that we will bounce back to winning ways next season as soon as we are able to recruit new players.

    Club chairman, Babatunde Babalola said that fans should expect to see better performances from his team very soon.  He promised that the challenges facing the club would soon be a thing of the past as the club looks forward to returning to winning ways from the 2015/2016 season.

    “We have paid our dues and our recent challenges have toughen. We will also strive hard to become a better club. I must praise the players and their handlers for believing in the management by remaining with the club in our trying moments and the only way to compensate them is to finish on the podium this season and hopefully come out better next season.

    “If you remember that before our formation in December 2008 and our participation in the league for the first time 2009, not many people gave us any chance because First Bank Basketball Club dominated the league. We did not only halt their 10 years reign, but went on to annex the league title four consecutive years between 2010 and 2013 and a third place finish at the 2011 FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women, which we also hosted in Lagos, Babalola noted.

  • 2015 AYC: Eaglets fail to win bronze

    2015 AYC: Eaglets fail to win bronze

    The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria finished fourth at the 2015 AYC after losing 3-1 to the Syli Babes of Guinea in a 3rd/4th place playoff match at the Stade Général S. K.

    Goals from Aboubacar Toure and Abdoulaye Keita in the space of five minutes gave the Syli Babes a 2-1 lead over the Golden Eaglets at half-time.

    The game was off to a predictably fast start, with both sides looking to win the third place match at the Stade Général S. K.

    After a couple of tame efforts, however, Eaglets had the lead 28 minutes into the game, when Victor Osimhen bundled in a superb team effort.

    Nigeria should have increased their lead not long after, when Abdullahi Suleiman was given far too much room but his header was saved by goalkeeper Moussa Camara.

    Immediately after Suleiman forced the goalkeeper to the save, Nigeria looked distinctly second-best, struggling to craft any moves and surrendering possession to Guinea as soon as they got the ball.

    Guinea did find their equaliser when Aboubacar netted an absolute beauty into the far corner over Akpan Udoh, stunning the Nigerian fans into silence.

    Just as Guinea’s goal appeared to deflate the Nigerians, the Syli Babes were in the lead Keita’s fantastic effort resulted in amazing goal.

    Nigeria was probably looking the more likely team to level as half-time drew closer, but the Guineans held on.

    After the break, Abdullahi wasn’t effective with his set-pieces as Eaglets struggled to create any clear-cut chance.

    With thirty-one minutes left to play Guinea made another breakthrough as Keita powered in his second goal of the day.

    Guinea almost made it 4-1, but it took the bravery of Udoh to deny Alseny Soumah from scoring.

    The Nigerian side lacked the energy to take the game to their opponents and couldn’t shrug off the disappointments of crashing out to South Africa in the semi final on Wednesday.

  • Nigeria bags another silver, three bronze in wrestling

    Nigeria bags another silver, three bronze in wrestling

    Nigeria’S wrestling team completed its campaign at the 2014 Commonwealth Games by adding a silver and three bronze to its medal haul for Team Nigeria in the final day of the wrestling event at Hall 3 of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow, on Thursday.

    Yesterday’s haul makes it a total of 12 medals (2 gold, 2 silver and 8 bronze) won by the country’s wrestling team at this year’s edition of the Games, as against the 13 medals (3 gold, 3 silver and 7 bronze) won at the 2010 edition in Delhi, India.

    Andrew Dick settled for the silver medal after losing to Canada’s Tamerlan Tagziev by 4-1 technical superiority in the Men’s Free Style 86 kg Gold Medal Match.

    Andrew, who won gold at the 2003 All Africa Games, defeated Kenya’s Peter Onyango Omenda 4-0 in the quarter-final, before overpowering Armando Hietbrink of South Africa also by 4-0 in the semi-final.

    Ifeoma Nwoye won bronze after defeating Joseph Essombe Tiako of Cameroon 5-0 in the Women’s Free Style 55 kg bronze medal finals.

    21-year-old Ifeoma beat 27-year-old Jeanne-Marie Coetzer of South Africa 4-1 in the quarter-final before losing to 32-year-old Brittanee Laverdure of Canada in the semi-final.

    Sampson Clarkson followed up with another bronze medal for Team Nigeria after defeating South Africa’s Terry van Rensburg 3-0 in the Men’s Free Style 65 kg Bronze Medal Finals.

    Clarkson, who qualified for the 2014 Commonwealth Games after taking part in the E.K. Clark Wrestling Open Championship held in Warri, Nigeria, last month, beat Jacob Jevon Balfour of Canada 3-1 in the Round of 16, before defeating Muhammad Salman of Pakistan by 3-1 technical point in the Repechage.

    Blessing Oborududu completed the bronze medal haul of the day when she defeated Chloe Spiteri of England 3-1 in the Women’s Free Style 63 kg Bronze Medal Finals.

    Blessing, who received the Best Female Wrestler award at the 2013 Commonwealth Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa, lost to Danielle Lappage of Canada 3-1 in the quarter final match.

  • Oboabona celebrates CHAN Eagles bronze

    Oboabona celebrates CHAN Eagles bronze

    • Alludes success to NFF, Keshi

    Super Eagles defence ace and Rizesport of Turkey Trojan in the middle of the pack, Godfrey Oboabona, has saluted the resolute display of the all-home based national team at the just concluded CHAN African Nations tourney.

    “I just left the country a few months ago and many of the players were calling me in the course of the tournament to get inspiration and support. Some of them were even saying I should have been there but I saw most of the games and my colleagues like Azubuike Egwuekwe and Kunle Odunlami, were simply fantastic”.

    While congratulating continental ruling body; CAF for initiating the tournament, Oboabona said the NFF and Coach Stephen Keshi should be thanked for discovering players like himself and members of the CHAN Eagles, adding that there are still more players in the country waiting to be discovered.

    “The NFF has been supporting our coach and his programmes and that has been the reason why we have so many players of international standard from Nigeria.

    I trust that at the next tournament Nigeria will win it, even as most people rightly agreed that we were the best team at the CHAN tournament.”

    On his club career, Oboabona, said it has been fair so far on him, its tough but we are surviving it and I hope to put up a good display this weekend to celebrate the CHAN Super Eagles”, he declared.

  • Keshi thanks NFF, players for bronze effort

    Keshi thanks NFF, players for bronze effort

    After a memorable six weeks with home-based Super Eagles players culminating in a bronze medal effort at the just-concluded South Africa 2014 CHAN African Nations Tourney, Head Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has anchored the success story of the team on the support he has received from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and by extension the Sports Ministry, the players and members of staff of the team.

    Addressing the team and its officials late Saturday night, Keshi said the NFF has been very supportive, the players have the opportunity to seek inclusion into Nigeria’s Brazil 2014 World Cup team and the staff of the team have been totally committed to the job of uplifting Nigerian football.

    From the players he singled out Ejike Uzoenyi, the Most Valuable Player of the CHAN 2014 for special mention, noting that at a point the player’s form dropped drastically but he listened to advice to improve, and today, he has become the MVP of a major championship in the world and particularly African football calendar. He thanked all his technical assistants for their invaluable advice.

    “From Amokachi to Shorunmu and Coach Valere, we spent hours together after dinner or games just strategising, and most times I come out to speak but they have been too supportive and I want to thank them.” Dayo Enebi Achor, the team’s administrator got the plaudits on the part of the staff, with Keshi insisting that but for the near perfect professionalism of the staff and their self denial for nearly two months, success, no matter how little, would never have been achieved.

    Keshi then made the following remarks: “It will be to my delight if four players from this team we have taken to CHAN can make it to the World Cup in Brazil, but you must be dedicated, respect your club coaches and make discipline your watchword”.

  • Fans laud Eagles for clinching bronze

    Fans laud Eagles for clinching bronze

    Football fans on Saturday commended the Super Eagles for their 1-0 victory over their Zimbabwean counterparts in the third place match of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

    Some of them who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the Eagles did well to clinch the bronze trophy after 1-4 semi-final loss to Ghana on Wednesday.

    NAN reports that Chinonso Obiozor’s 82nd minute goal was the decider for the two sides and gave the Nigerian side the victory.

    Victor Orji, the President of the Federation of Public Service Games Association (FEPSGA), said the team’s performance showed the normal Eagles’ fighting spirit.

    “Although the game saw only a goal, the players’ performance today showed the normal Super Eagles’ spirit. It was a compact game and they deserved the victory because it shows that we are growing. It is not all about winning by a wide margin’’, Orji said.

    “Although our league is not rated as one of the best, the boys proved that a Nigerian team can up its game anywhere. They were coordinated and disciplined throughout the tournament’’, Orji said.

    Erasmus Onuh, a former coach of ABS Football Club of Ilorin, said the players displayed resilience in spite of the fact that they did not qualify for the final.

    “Although everyone was out for them to reach the final which they didn’t, the team did not allow the last defeat to Ghana to weigh them down with what they played today. That shows how good the team and the technical crew are and they have done well to give us at least a bronze in their first appearance at CHAN’’, Onuh said.