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52 THISDAY•WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2015<br />
WEDNESDAYSPORTS<br />
Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe<br />
Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com<br />
Danagogo: Nigeria Cannot<br />
Afford a Foreign Coach Now<br />
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja<br />
Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo,<br />
has admitted that government<br />
opted to reappoint Stephen Keshi<br />
as the Super Eagles coach because<br />
the country was not in a position<br />
to hire a foreign coach.<br />
Danagogo was the biggest<br />
backer of Keshi whose bid to<br />
be reengaged as the national<br />
coach was frustrated by the<br />
Nigeria Football Federation<br />
(NFF) after he fell short in the<br />
task of guiding the Super Eagles<br />
to the last Africa Cup of Nations<br />
in Equatorial Guinea.<br />
The outgoing minister reasoned<br />
that Keshi, whose monthly salary<br />
is N5million, is a good bargain<br />
as Nigeria is not in position to<br />
cough out N30 million which<br />
is the least amount any foreign<br />
coach would be asking monthly<br />
to handle the national team.<br />
“So hiring Keshi was a reasonable<br />
decision because we can meet<br />
the payment of his salary. But<br />
the same cannot be said of the<br />
federation to sustain paying the<br />
monthly bill of a foreign coach.<br />
In addition to that, I don’t follow<br />
the bandwagon that said we<br />
should employ a foreign coach<br />
who in reality is no better than<br />
the coach of Enyimba of Aba,”<br />
Danagogo said.<br />
Aside the argument against<br />
a foreign coach, the minister<br />
said Keshi was the sentimental<br />
favourite to return as the Eagles<br />
coach as he did not consider<br />
any other indigenous coach to<br />
be better than the Illa-born<br />
former Anderlecht of Belgium<br />
defender.<br />
“That is also area where I<br />
held contrasting opinions with<br />
the Nigeria Football Federation<br />
(NFF). When they were looking<br />
for a local coach, I said none<br />
of the local coaches they were<br />
banding are better than Keshi in<br />
terms of exposure and knowledge<br />
and cannot be entrusted with<br />
the national team. The other<br />
good coaches- Samson Siasia<br />
and Manu Garba- are currently<br />
engaged with the national junior<br />
teams,” recalled Danagogo.<br />
Meanwhile, the President of<br />
the NFF, Amaju Pinnick, has said<br />
that the federation was considering<br />
transforming the FIFA Goal<br />
Project into a world-class hostel<br />
for the national U-17 team, the<br />
Golden Eaglets.<br />
“We want to turn the place<br />
around in addition to organising<br />
a training programme for the<br />
congress,” Pinnick said.<br />
The FIFA Goal Project was<br />
commissioned in 2009 at the cost<br />
of $950,000 under a development<br />
package given to developing<br />
nations.<br />
Chiamaka Madu (3rd left) and Yusuf Jaiyeola (right) of Sharks up against Gabros FC’s Thompson Emmanuel (2nd right) during their Match Day<br />
9 clash...last weekend<br />
Keshi<br />
CBN Open: Melissa, Mcleod,<br />
Agugbom Cruise on<br />
Russia-born Nigerian Melissa<br />
Ifidzhen made a winning debut<br />
playing in the country as she<br />
eased past Henrietta Ogude<br />
6-1, 6-1 to set up a second<br />
round clash with number two<br />
seed Sarah Adegoke as the 37th<br />
Central Bank of Nigeria Open<br />
Senior Tennis Championship<br />
hots-up at the National Stadium,<br />
Lagos.<br />
The 16-year-old made light<br />
work of her opponent hitting<br />
series of winners but admits she<br />
had to raise her game if she will<br />
have to go all the way.<br />
“I’m happy I won because<br />
historically this is my first match<br />
in Nigeria. I hope to play better<br />
Melissa<br />
in my next game,” she said.<br />
Standing between the former<br />
Russian U-12 champion and a<br />
place in the third round is Adegoke<br />
who brushed aside Ebere Fortune<br />
6-1, 6-2. Adegoke, incidentally, is<br />
Melissa’s doubles partner and the<br />
pair was scheduled to complete<br />
their doubles match a tie-break<br />
decider against Christy Agugbom<br />
and Blessing Samuel on Tuesday<br />
evening.<br />
Joining Ifidzhen and Adegoke<br />
in the second round is Aminat<br />
Quadri, who recovered from a set<br />
down to beat Christie Mbadiwe<br />
2-6, 6-3, 6-3 while Afolarin Akosile<br />
also matches on following a 7-5,<br />
6-2 winner over Ngozi Dirisu.<br />
Other players that progressed to<br />
the second round of the women’s<br />
singles are Kelechi Njoku, Aanu<br />
Aiyegbusi, Omotayo Osewa and<br />
Agugbom who will meet Angel<br />
Mcleod, a fast-rising teenager in<br />
the second round.<br />
In the men’s singles, Albert<br />
Bikom defeated Jonathan Okwudili<br />
6-2, 7-5 to move to the second<br />
round just as Ikechukwu Iloputa<br />
made a strong finish to beat<br />
Emmanuel Paul after losing the<br />
first set. Iloputa won 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.<br />
Emmanuel Sunday, Joseph Imeh<br />
and Mohammed Mohammed<br />
also advance after recoding wins<br />
yesterday.<br />
GLO PREMIER LEAGUE<br />
Top Three Teams in Tricky Games of Match Day 10<br />
League goes on break till June 14<br />
George Akpayen<br />
Midweek contests are back on the<br />
plate once more, and this time<br />
there will be tantalising match-ups<br />
in the Glo Premier League Match<br />
Day 10 today that will signal a<br />
three-week recess till June 14.<br />
The top-three teams, Sunshine<br />
Stars, Gabros FC and Wikki Tourists,<br />
are all tied on 17 points and<br />
they are up for some feisty games<br />
that could see them either win<br />
or drop points and potentially<br />
change the complexion at the<br />
top of the ranking.<br />
The Big Two, Enyimba and<br />
champions Kano Pillars, have<br />
thrown themselves back in the<br />
ring with victories on the road<br />
at the weekend and will aim<br />
to continue their push on the<br />
pacesetters in the top division.<br />
FIXTURES<br />
Sunshine Vs Kwara Utd<br />
Kano Pillars Vs Gabros<br />
Bayelsa Utd Vs Wikki<br />
Sharks Vs Giwa FC<br />
FC Taraba Vs Dolphins<br />
Enyimba Vs El-Kanemi<br />
Lobi Stars Vs Heartland<br />
Akwa Utd Vs 3SC<br />
Rangers Vs Nasarawa<br />
TOMORROW<br />
W’Wolves Vs A’Warriors<br />
League leaders Sunshine Stars<br />
return home after snatching a draw<br />
at Nasarawa United at the weekend<br />
from the jaws of defeat. But they<br />
have no fewer than seven teams<br />
on their tails and any slip up will<br />
see them drop off from the top of<br />
the table.<br />
Kwara United had the chance to<br />
rest at the weekend as Warri Wolves<br />
were on the continent in the CAF<br />
Confederation Cup. The Harmony<br />
Boys start the match day in 10th<br />
place. But they have not beaten<br />
Sunshine Stars since 2012 and will<br />
aim to halt that run of poor results<br />
against their rivals.<br />
With the number of away wins<br />
growing by every match day, many<br />
pundits now feel that Kano Pillars’<br />
invincibility at home spanning over<br />
11 years looks under threat. But the<br />
MILO B’BALL CHAMPIONSHIP<br />
Lagos, Oyo Rule Western Conference<br />
Ilupeju Grammar School<br />
Lagos and Yejide Grammar<br />
School Ibadan, Oyo State<br />
have emerged champions in<br />
the boys and girls’ categories<br />
respectively in the western<br />
conference of 17th edition of<br />
Nestle Milo Secondary Basketball<br />
Championships concluded at<br />
the indoor sports hall of Liberty<br />
stadium Ibadan.<br />
champions have recovered from their<br />
recent poor run on the road to claim<br />
1-0 win at Abia Warriors on Sunday,<br />
and are now poised for their 194th<br />
unbeaten run home.<br />
Gabros now stand between Pillars<br />
and the number 194. The Nnewibased<br />
club have done so well since<br />
returning to the top flight after 10<br />
years in the lower division. Gabros<br />
sit pretty in second place and will<br />
look to dare where most Nigeria<br />
Professional Football League (NPFL)<br />
clubs have stuttered though they<br />
have never won in Kano against<br />
Pillars in the premier league era.<br />
Bayelsa United were just 15<br />
minutes away from securing a draw<br />
at El-Kanemi and that stretched<br />
their run without a win to five. It<br />
will be one month, one day since<br />
Bayelsa United last won a game in<br />
To emerge victorious in the<br />
boys’ category, Ilupeju Grammar<br />
Lagos, out dunked Don Domingo<br />
Secondary School Warri, Delta<br />
State by 37-28. Coach Olayinka<br />
Oyewunmi of Ilupeju Grammar<br />
School revealed after the victory<br />
that his team had proven its<br />
capabilities by qualify for National<br />
final from Western Conference.<br />
In the girls’ final, western<br />
the league and will be all out to<br />
claim the full points under coaches<br />
George Ederekumoh and Samke<br />
Nyanabofa.<br />
Wikki have continued to grind<br />
out results since their return to the<br />
NPFL and quietly too. Their coach,<br />
Abdu Maikaba appears to be working<br />
magic with the Bauchi club who are<br />
in third place, but they will come<br />
up against a Bayelsa United side<br />
condemned to win their first league<br />
match in a month.<br />
It is three games without a win<br />
in all competitions for Giwa FC, and<br />
they are yet to score in two league<br />
games in the scoreless draw against<br />
FC Taraba at home and at Enyimba.<br />
But the Elephants of Jos are always<br />
capable of surprises like they have<br />
shown at Rangers, Lobi Stars and<br />
even at Enyimba.<br />
conference defending champion,<br />
Yejide Grammar School Ibadan,<br />
confirmed their berth in the<br />
national final after defeating<br />
Zeal College Otta Ogun State<br />
by 37-21.<br />
Captain of Yejide Grammar<br />
School, Ibadan Matthew Busayo,<br />
said after the match, “we are very<br />
happy to made it to national final<br />
in Lagos.
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