Leon Balogun signed for Brighton and Hove Albion just before the World Cup on a free transfer and made his debut in their pre-season friendly against Charlton Athletic last week.
In a chat with THISDAY from his base in the United States, former Nigerian international, Paul Okoku said he was not happy when he signed the contract in May.
“I have watched Balogun keenly and believe in his ability to become a world-class defender. So, when he signed for Brighton and Hove Albion before the World Cup I was not very happy because I was so much optimistic that he would do well in Russia, which would have earned him an improved contract or even a better club in England, Okoku said.
Continuing, the Nations Cup silver medalist said, “he is one of the most intelligent central defenders I have seen. His positioning and ability to read and avert danger are incredible. But how well he is able to cope with the pace of the English Premiership would earn him a regular shirt and stand him out in his new club.”
Okoku, who is a keen follower of English football said he has watched many good defenders struggle in England not because they are not good, but because they couldn’t withstand the pace of English football.
“Due to the pacy nature of English football, defenders don’t have all the time in the world to think and some of them don’t recover too quickly and this is what Balogun would have to contend with in England, unlike where he was coming from in Germany where their football is majorly based on tactics and less of speed,” Okoku noted.
Balogun will have to compete for a position in the central defence alongside Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy and the Super Eagles defender has stated he was not afraid of competition.
“It’s always good to have that competition; it will improve all of us as defenders and then we have to take it from there. I’ve seen the qualities of Lewis and Shane in the past week or so since I’ve been here. Both are very strong physically and you can tell that they’ve played here for a long time already, but I have qualities myself and I’ll put in my best and see what happens from there,” the 30-year-old told the club’s website.
Balogun played in all three of Nigeria’s group stage matches at this year’s World Cup but understands that his international achievements do not guarantee an automatic starting role at the club.
“The strikers in the Premier League will have a bit more quality than the World Cup, in my opinion, and I think the qualities of the offensive players in the division mean it will be an exciting challenge for me,” he added.
“I’ve come into a side where the two central defenders did very well last year – I just have to do my best, work hard and then you hope it’s enough. I can’t come in and say I’ve played in the World Cup and I should start – it has to be about me earning a place in the team.”
Balogun is however delighted to feature in his second pre-season game for Brighton and Hove Albion when he replaced Lewis Dunk in the 74th minute in his side’s 1-1 draw with the home side, Birmingham City last Saturday.
He had earlier played his first game for Brighton in last Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Charlton Athletic at the Valley.
“Nice to get some more minutes into those legs against @BCFC
#BHAFC #Seagulls,” Balogun wrote on his Twitter handle on Sunday.
It remains to be seen how much value Balogun’s move to England would add to his game.
“His transfer to England is a move in the right direction. It would definitely improve his game and importantly too, Nigeria football fans would get to watch him play more often than when he was playing in Germany, because of the kind of followership the Premier League commands back home,” Okoku said.
On why he chose Nigeria over Germany in spite of having played for the European country at age-grade competitions, Balogu said a telephone call he received from former Super Eagles boss was responsible for that.
“One night in March, my phone rang. It was a Nigerian number … it was Stephen Keshi, the then Nigerian National Team manager. I was sweating as soon as he introduced himself. I wanted him to say the words I had thought about for so long. He spoke for a while about how he wasn’t totally familiar with me, but he liked how I played.
“Then he said it: ‘I would like to invite you to be a Super Eagle.’
“Those words … they meant so much to me. It meant validation for every step of my footballing journey. It meant happiness for my family. Most of all, it meant an opportunity to go to Nigeria.
“And that … that was everything to me.
“I never supported the German national team, mostly because I thought they were arrogant and their football was boring to watch. Even in 2006, when Germany hosted and the whole country had World Cup mania — I secretly cheered for them to lose. Because I was a kid and I was rebellious. And because, even though I felt in my mind that I was just as German as all the other kids, a lot of people didn’t see me like that.”
Born to a Nigerian father and a German mother, Balogun was born and brought up in Germany with little knowledge about Nigeria.
“My grandma died when I was 16 years. Because I had never met her, my dad didn’t tell me right when it happened. He actually waited a few days — that’s how distant my relationship was from her. She only spoke Yoruba. So when we talked on the phone when I was little, my dad would try to translate for us. He had never taken me to Nigeria, for reasons he didn’t make clear to me, and I only ever saw photos of my grandma.”
The grief he felt over the death of his paternal grandmother led him to know more and reconnect with his Nigerian roots.
Can the Falconets Soar Where Eagles Fail to Fly?
JUST LAST MONTH, NIGERIA’S MALE NATIONAL TEAM TO THE 2018 WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA BROKE THE HEART OF MANY SOCCER-LOVING NIGERIANS AS THEY FAILED TO PASS THE GROUP STAGE. WITH THE FALCONETS SET TO KICK-START THEIR CAMPAIGN IN THE FIFA U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP IN FRANCE ON MONDAY, KUNLE ADEWALE ASKS IF THE TEAM CAN BRUSH ASIDE THE OPPOSITION POSED BY FEMALE FOOTBALL POWERHOUSE -GERMANY AND CHINA IN GROUP D TO BOOK A PLACE IN THE LAST 16 AND EVEN GO ALL THE WAY?
AFTER LOSING TWICE TO GERMANY (2010 AND 2014) IN THE FINAL OF THE FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP, THE FALCONETS OF NIGERIA ON THURSDAY DEPARTED FROM THEIR FINAL TRAINING CAMP IN TIROL, AUSTRIA FOR FRANCE WITH THE ULTIMATE AIM OF BETTERING ITS 2010 AND 2014 FEAT. BUT THE FIRST HURDLE IS GETTING PAST THE GROUP STAGE WHERE IT WOULD BE CONTENDING IN GROUP D WITH OLD FOES – GERMANY, CHINA AND HAITI.
The FIFA 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup will kick-off in France on August 5, but Nigeria would be starting its campaign on Monday with a big test against Germany in an encounter that would go a long way in determining if the team would book a ticket to the round of 16.
The Falconets remain Nigeria’s most successful team at the global level, winning silver at the FIFA World Cup twice in Germany 2010 and Canada 2014, bronze once in Japan in 2012, and reaching the quarter-finals in Thailand in 2004, Russia in 2006) and Chile in 2008.
To qualify for the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup finals, the Falconets walloped Tanzania’s U-20 girls 9-0 aggregate, brushed aside Morocco 6-2 on aggregate and pummeled their South African counterparts 8-0 over two legs in January.
The coach of the team has never hidden his resolve to go all the way in the competition. Speaking before the team’s departure from Abuja, he said they were well prepared for the tournament.
“We have a good chance of surpassing our best record at the tournament. The team is well prepared and I believe we won’t disappoint. We have studied our opponents and I believe we can deal with their strength,” Danjuma said.
Corroborating her coach’s confidence, Super Falconets’ Captain Kemi Abiodun said they are not be going to France to see the beauty of Paris but to make a statement at the tournament, just as she said the players had all it takes to succeed at the finals.
“We are going to France to do our best; we do not want to come back to Nigeria empty-handed,” she said. Her colleague Mary Saiki also buttressed Abiodun’s statement saying they have prepared well for the championship. “The team has played in the final of this championship before and we are going to make sure we keep to that record by going far and coming back with laurels,” she said.
As part of their resolve to do well in France, the Falconets hammered Austrian Women League top flight team, FC WackerInnsbruck 4-0 in their final pre-tournament friendly in Tirol last Saturday, with a brace from top scorer Rasheedat Ajibade and one each from Adebisi Saheed and Chinyere Igboamalu. The Nigerian girls had earlier spanked another Austrian top flight side, FC Bergheim 3-0.
Danjuma named a final list of 21 players last Friday during the team’s 12-day training exercise in Austria in preparation for the World Cup, consisting of three goalkeepers, six defenders, seven midfielders and five strikers.
It, however, remains to be seen if the Super Falconets can soar where the Super Eagles failed to fly as Nigeria soccer-loving fans are yet to overcome lacklustre performance of the male senior national team in Russia, where the team failed to go past the group stage.
Africa’s other flag-bearer, Ghana must negotiate a tough Group A against host France, New Zealand and The Netherlands. Group B has North Korea, England, Mexico and Brazil while USA, Japan, Paraguay and Spain fight things out in Group C.
NBF Appoints Hughley New D’Tigress Coach
Following the sack on Thursday of erstwhile senior women’s basketball team’s head coach, Sam Vincent, the Nigeria Basketball Federation has appointed Otis Hughley as an immediate replacement.
The appointment of the former NBA Coach was finalised after the NBBF leadership approved his programme for the D’Tigress’ participation at the World Cup in Spain.
NBBF President, Musa Kida, said the leadership of the federation settled for Hughley as it became apparent that he is the “most immediate available option.”
Kida emphasised that since Vincent was not sacked because of poor results but that based on issues surrounding conflicting professional engagements, it was wise to replace him with a coach that will be readily available.
“We needed to take a proactive step in the interest of the team who are preparing for the World Cup. We needed to fill the vacuum immediately and continue our preparation for Spain.
“For many, parting ways with Vincent at this time was not a good decision, but it was a difficult decision we had to take in the overall and long-term interest of the team.”
Otis who had previously led Mobile’s LeFlore High School, Alabama, USA to six state tournaments and one state title before getting hired as an assistant coach by the Sacramento Kings in the NBA will henceforth lead the D’Tigress team.
The federation is optimistic that Hughley will bring his wealth of experience to bear on the team as they prepare for their World Cup campaign.
“We still have about 50 days to train and get ready for the competition and we are confident that the time frame will be enough for any good coach to train and shape a team into a strong contender.”
The American will be assisted by Peter Ahmedu and Shola Shomala.
Paired in Group B alongside Argentina and Turkey, the current African champions will start their World Cup campaign against Australia on September 22.
Iwobi Signs New Long-term Deal with Arsenal
Alex Iwobi has signed a new deal at Arsenal as he continues his association with the Premier League club.
The 22-year-old Nigerian international came through the ranks with the Gunners and yesterday agreed on a fresh “long-term” contract at the Emirates Stadium.
Iwobi scored three goals in 26 league games under Arsene Wenger last season; although there was speculation he could be sold this summer following Wenger’s departure.
But, new head coach Unai Emery confirmed on the recent pre-season tour of Singapore that the forward was close to agreeing to fresh terms.
Now the deal has been announced, Iwobi wants to build on what he has already achieved at Arsenal, having made his debut in 2015.
“It’s always been my childhood dream to represent Arsenal,” he told Arsenal Player.
“To get an extended contract is an amazing feeling and I hope I’m doing the Arsenal family proud, as well as my family.
“I always realise that I have to be representing the team and giving 100 per cent at all times. It’s not just myself or my family I’m representing, I also represent the people and the younger generation as well.
“There’s always going to be pressure in football and it’s always amazing for young kids, especially at Hale End (where his shirt adorns the wall), to look up to me. So I’ll try and continue making them proud.”
Emery may not have been able to work up close with the forward since taking charge, but has seen enough to be happy with the new deal for Iwobi.
“I’m very pleased Alex has signed a new contract with us,” he said in the club’s announcement.
“He is a great example of a player who can succeed from the academy through hard work and I look forward to working with him and our other talented young players in the squad.”
West Brom Targets Ola Aina on a Loan Deal
With few days to the close of the transfer window, Nigerian international, Ola Aina will be farmed out on loan by Chelsea, with manager Maurizio Sarri omitting the defender from the Blues last two games against Inter Milan and Arsenal.
West Brom are in the market for a right-back after missing out on the signature of Yeovil’s Tom James and have switched their attention to Aina.
The Baggies are preparing to lodge a loan bid for the Chelsea fullback and they need to conclude negotiations before the next six days as the transfer window in England will close on August 9.
Aina impressed during his first loan spell away from Stamford Bridge, making 46 appearances in all competitions for Hull City, including 44 starts.
The 21-year-old was given false hope that he was in the plans of Sarri after hetravelled with the first-teamers to Australia for a friendly against Perth Glory, but has been training with the ‘loan group’ since the squad returned to the United Kingdom.
Central defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Fikayo Tomori are the other players of Nigerian descent linked with a temporary departure from Chelsea this month.
Edun Joins Ipswich on Loan
EFL Championship side Ipswich Town have confirmed the signing of Nigerian midfielder Tayo Edun on a season-long loan from Premier League new boys Fulham.
The 20-year-old’s paperwork has been completed and he is available for selection in The Blues Championship opener against Blackburn Rovers today.
Edun has made seven appearances for the first team of Cottagers since making his professional debut in a League Cup match against LeytonOrient.
He was a very key member of the England U-19 squad that won the 2017 UEFA European U-19 Championship and was included in the team of the tournament.
During his time at Portman Road, Edun will wear the number 25 jersey, made popular in Nigeria by Arsenal legend Nwankwo Kanu.
He joins defender Josh Emmanuel, midfielder Tom Adeyemi and young striker Ben Folami at Ipswich Town.
Trem Football Academy Soccer Clinic Kicks off August 8
This year’s edition of the Trem Football Academy free soccer clinic will hold betweenAugust 8-10 at the Aroromi Sports Development Centre, Gbagada, Lagos.
The soccer clinic, which is the fifth edition, is expected to attract about 1000 participants drawn from schools and football academies in Lagos and its environs.
According to a statement made available to THISDAY and signed by the coordinator, Reverend Dennis Kenkwo, “the programme is part of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, Corporate Social Responsibility to teeming youths in Gbagada, Lagosand Nigeria as a whole.”
Asaba 2018: Nigeria Wins Fifth Gold Medal
Nigeria’s women 4x100m relay team on Friday won the country’s fifth gold medal at the ongoing 2018 African Senior Athletics Championships in Asaba.
The News Agency Nigeria reports that the team of Blessing Okagbare, Joy Udo-Gabriel, Tobi Amusan and Rosemary Chukwuma won the race in 43.77 seconds.
Cote d’Ivoire finished in second place after a time of 44.40 seconds, while Kenya settled for the bronze medal of the event.
Reacting to Nigeria’s victory, Okagbare said she felt so great to be part of the winning team for the country.
“Winning is always a great feeling, regardless of everything. It’s an amazing feeling and we have so much to be grateful to God for.
“Relay is a combined effort and it is a great thing that we finished well and won for the country,’’ she said.
Also speaking, Chukwu said it was a great moment for her to have run the last leg of the race, especially as she was a bit frightened running alongside the Ivorian team.
“I am very happy we won. I was a bit frightened initially, but I managed to pull myself together. It’s a great feeling for me that we got the gold,’’ the winner of both the 100m and 200m events at the 2018 African Youth Games (AYG) in Algeria said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian team in the male version of the 4x100m race won the silver medal after finishing second behind the South African team in a time of 38.74secs.
South Africa, led by Akani Simbine who ran the last leg, won in 38.25secs, while Kenya finished third in 38.92secs.
NAN reports that Nigeria’s Ese Brume had won the gold medal in the long jump event earlier in the day with a jump of 6.83m.
Also, Chioma Onyekwere won the gold medal in the women’s dicuss throw with a throw of 58.09m.
NAN reports that Nigeria has so far won five gold, two silver and three bronze medals at the championships which end on Sunda
GOtv, Flykite Changing the Face of Boxing in Nigeria
Kunle Adewale
I
n the 60s up to the mid 90s boxing was one of the most popular sports in Nigeria. Names like Dick Tiger, Hogan Kid Bassey, Davidson Andeh, Hogan Jimoh, Obisa Nnwakpa, Joe Lasisi, Jeremiah Okorodudu readily come to mind whenever boxing is mentioned in Nigeria.
Little wonder, the country’s first medal in the Olympics came from boxing- a bronze medal, courtesy of Nojim Maiyegun at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
By the turn of the century, however, boxing had become a shadow of what we use to know. It was no longer an attractive sport and new boxers were not emerging until Flykite and GOtv came to the rescue- a mission to revive boxing in Nigeria.
At the first edition of GOtv Boxing Night, the Managing Director of Flykite, organisers of the tournament was very optimistic that with what his organisation and sponsors, GOtv had mapped out, the face of boxing in Nigeria would change in a short while.
And true to type in four years, GOtv Boxing Night had witnessed its 15th edition, with some of the products winning the African Boxing Union title and fighting for the International Boxing Federation title.
The General Manager, Marketing and Sales, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, however, said, “Boxing is a very good sport and we are proud to be part of the success story so far; however, were are not there yet, we have to keep going. We have to make necessary adjustments to push the boxers to be at their best and encourage upcoming ones to love the sport and be prepared to make their name in the industry.”
To ensure that there are no paucity of boxers, hence the idea of the GOtv NextGen was muted by Flykite.
“The NextGen programme was set to produce young boxers and no fewer than 100 amateur and semi-pro boxers turned up and use the Gotv platform to prove their worth and launch themselves to international recognition. Rilwan “Babyface’’ Babatunde, a prodigy of the NextGen programme has currently gone ahead to earn his bragging rights emerging the best boxer of the 11th GotvBoxing Night,” Alumona said.
After the successes recorded in Lagos with the GOtv Boxing Night, the organisers felt the need for another state to have a feel of the competition, hence, in March last year, the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan (formerly Liberty Stadium) was the venue and Ibadan fans did not disappoint as they trooped in large numbers to fill the Indoor Sports Hall of the stadium.
Encouraged by the successes recorded during last year’s edition, last Sunday’s edition, which was the 15th in the series returned to Ibadan and the fans showed they were true boxing lovers as they defied the heavy downpour that rained for several hours in the ancient city of Ibadan to troop into the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium.
“Ibadan people have demonstrated their love for boxing the last time GOtv Boxing Night was held there by defying the rain, but that does not say that we were not apprehensive that the heavy downpour that rained for hours could lead to a low turnout. But against all odds, the Indoor Sports Hall of the stadium was filled to capacity,” COO of Flykite, Bamidele Johnson told THISDAY.
Asked if he ever believes that GOtv Boxing Night would have gotten to the level it has reached now when it started four years ago, he reacted thus: “If we are not optimistic that we could revive boxing we would not have ventured into it in the first place. We realised that Nigerians love boxing but poor organisation and funding had always been the bane, and these are some of the things Flykite and GOtv had come to correct.”
Johnson, however, admitted that the competition had grown faster than the organisers had imagined but said it is still not yet Eldorado.
“GOtv Boxing Night has grown faster than we imagined but we are not satisfied yet, though we have seen a lot of progress. GOtv boxers winning Africa and West African titles, and just last Sunday, one of the standout boxer of the tournament, Waidi‘Skoro’ Usman, fought for an international boxing title in South Africa,” Jonhson said.
Meanwhile, the Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, who was one of the dignitaries that graced the Sunday’s GOtvBoxing Night said it would “become a centrepiece in Nigeria.”
“No doubt, GOtv boxing is contributing to the development of boxing in Nigeria. I commend that and appeal to other organisations that promote boxing to adopt this initiative,” Adeyemi said.
On a night in which fans were treated to great boxing entertainment, Nigeria’s Oto Joseph retained his African Boxing Union (ABU) Lightweight title by defeating Ghana’s Nathaniel Nukpe, while Ridwan Oyekola, a product of GOtv Boxing NextGenSearch, won N1million for emerging the best boxer of the night.
Oyekola defeated Prince Nwoye in a thrilling Lightweight challenge bout and was wildly cheered by the capacity crowd. Another GOtv NextGen Search graduate, Michael Godwin knocked out Idowu Okusote in a Cruiserweight contest.
Ibadan’s cult boxing hero, Akeem “Dodo” Sadiku, knocked out Franc Houanevgbe of the Republic of Benin in a Middleweight duel, while Olaide Fijabi defeated Kazeem Ariyo in a national challenge contest.
Unlike before when boxers looked shabby and unkempt, Nigeria boxers now look well fed and dresses well courtesy of good payday from GOtv Boxing Night and some of them are now acclaimed millionaires, courtesy of the Mojisola Ogunsaya one million naira prize money for the best boxer of the night.
National Youth Games: Team Lagos Ready for Zonal Elimination Contests
Ahead of the 4th National Youth Games (AYG) which is slated for Ilorin, Kwara State in September, Lagos State teams are battle ready for the South-west zonal eliminations that hold in Ogun State from Tuesday, August 7 to 11th.
Team Lagos will compete in seven team sports: cricket (male), handball, football (male), basketball, hockey (male), volleyball (female) and beach volleyball (female).
No fewer than 95 athletes will represent the state in the zonal eliminations.
According to the Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr. Kweku Tandoh, Lagos State athletes are fully ready for the zonal eliminations, thanks to the support of the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.
“We are quite certain that our team will do us proud especially as they have competed in various developmental programmes organised by the Lagos State Sports Commission and sponsored by the Lagos State Government as well as other national and international competitions,” Tandohstated.
Semenya Smashes 18-year-old 400m National Record
Team South Africa were off to the perfect start on day three of the 21st African Athletics Championships in Asaba yesterday with Caster Semenya winning gold in the 400m event.
Semenya stopped the clock in a national record of 49.96. The record, previously held by Heide Seyerling, had stood for 18 years.
Semenya now holds national records in the 400m, 800m, 1000m and 1500m events.
She was followed home by Christine Botslegwe of Botswana in second while Nigeria’s Yinka Ajayi took third.
Thapelo Phora also added to South Africa’s medal tally by taking silver in the men’s 400m race.
StarTimes Charges Falconets to Go for Gold, Assures Live Telecast
As the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup kicks off tomorrow, official broadcast partner of the completion- StarTimes have urged the Super Falconets to do the country proud by bringing the cup home.
The biannual tournament will last till August 24 as 16 teams battle for glory.
According to Startimes, all 32 matches will be brought to Nigerians live and in HD on StarTimes World Football and Sports Focus for the entertainment of its subscribers across Africa.
In a goodwill message to the Falconets, StarTimes urged the team to do Nigeria proud by bringing home the cup. The Falconets begin their campaign with a huge test against Germany at the Stade de Marville in Saint-Malo on Monday, August 6. Germany edged Nigeria to lift the trophy twice in 2010 in Germany and 2014 in Canada.
Non-subscribers are not left out as all the matches can be watched live and in HD on StarTimes mobile App, which can be downloaded from the Android and iOS app store with over two million downloads since it became available in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Group D opponents Haiti will be taking part in their first ever FIFA women’s tournament. The other African flag-bearers, Ghana were thrown into the same Group A as hosts France, New Zealand and The Netherlands.
Ghana will go up against hosts France in the tournaments opening match in Vannes on Sunday, August 5. Concarneau is the other city that host matches during the championship.
Group B is headed by Korea DPR and also has England, Mexico and Brazil, while USA , Japan, Paraguay and Spain will battle it out in Group C.
Yoruba Tennis Club Holds Public Lecture
Yoruba Tennis Club, Lagos, will on August 9, hold its annual Public Lecture, designed to chart a compass for the intellectual direction and upliftment of the society.
The lecture titled, ‘Current Security Challenges in Nigeria- The Way Out’, which will hold at the Greetings Hall, Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan Lagos, will be delivered by the former Director Military Intelligence and Fellow of the War College, Major General Adewunmi Ajibade (Rtd) .
In a statement signed by the club’s General Secretary, Mr.Tuned Osunsedo lauded the past contributions of the guest lecturer in military intelligence, training and security operations in the country.
He said the club has had the privilege of playing host to many prominent Nigerians and non-Nigerians over the years, who have made their mark both locally and internationally and their delivered lectures have always been a compass for progressive national development.
Discussants at the lecture include; Chairman/Founder SPACE FM and Convener Leadership and Peace Initiative, Chief DejiOsibogun; Head of News Television Continental (TVC), Mr. Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, as well as former Assistant Inspector General of Police, Tunji Alapini (rtd).
The Chairman of the occasion is Chairman Board of Trustees and former Federal Commissioner of Works and Housing, AlhajiFemi Okunnu, while the Special Guest of Honour is His Royal Majesty ,
Olota of Ota-Awori Land, Oba Abdul Kabir Adeyemi Obalenlege
The event will be hosted by the Chairman Yoruba Tennis Club, Professor Adetokunbo Fabamwo with the guests from the academia, royal fathers, civil society organisations, security organisations, students, members from sister clubs and heads of missions attending.
