By Daily Sports on October 1, 2018

This week dear readers, we will again give kudos to those that calmly deserved them. It is not hidden that in club football in Nigeria, only one football club has been widely deemed to have done better that others in continental football. It is no other than Enyimba International Football Club of Aba, Abia State. It would be recalled that the Peoples Elephant as the team is widely known has not only broken the country’s jinx in CAF Champions League football club summit which eluded the country for decades but did so in grand style winning it back to back.

It is instructive to note that no club except the same Enyimba International has reached a respectable stage after that fate. Other Nigerian teams have been like spectators to the competition. As it is, same Enyimba is on the march again, this time in the second tier of the continent’s club football championship, the CAF Confederations Cup. The experienced team from South East Nigeria recently dismissed its opponent with a wave of the hand thereby securing a quarter-final ticket after humiliating the loud- mouthed team from Kigali. It was sweet victory as the very experienced Enyimba boys made nonsense of the team.

Enyimba International by this victory is paired against Moroccan giants, Raja Casablanca. This is one of the pairings to watch out for and it will make huge difference as the competition swings again into action. It is anticipated to be a difficult quarter final game for both teams as they boast one of the big sides in the continent. Any match involving both won’t just be wished away.

However, the teams are strictly advised to be ready for the worst. Any slip will be costly especially at home where both legs will be won and lost.

Enyimba has a pedigree to march any side from Africa and their opponents of course will be ready and loaded to the teeth. Before now, the re-elected President of NFF, Amaju Pinnick knew the importance of the game against Raja Casablanca. It is believed that any of the teams that beat the other in the next stage – semi-final encounter stands the opportunity to lift the trophy because of the depth of the sides.

Reports reaching us from Enyimba City have it that the government of Abia State, management of the team, technical crew and players are in high spirits to make history. The team it was learned has been promised mouth-watering incentives if they go all out to secure semi-final ticket against their equally high riding opponents whose thirst for the Cup is dripping too.

They admitted that it won’t be an easy tie and are ready to go all out both home and away against Raja. Daily Sports wishes the team well and equally posit that vigilance, focus, determination and sundry would be the surest way to overcome the Moroccans.

I appeal to all Nigerian fans and football stakeholders to give the club necessary support to make us smile as they are the only Nigerian club left in continental club competition this year. I want to specially praise the efforts of the chairman of the club, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, who is a ranking Member of the NFF Executive Committee.

The man deserves honour as he has done so much for Nigerian football. I recall he has been with the team for the past 20 years and led them to two CAF Champions League titles they have won for Nigeria. Following a scoreless draw in Kigali a week earlier, the Aba outfit started appropriately, as an alert Augustine Dimgba slotted into the visitors’ net after capitalising on a defensive error in the 13th minute.

But Bonfils Caleb Bimenyimana equalised from a close-range effort 12 minutes later and the visitors were hopeful. Enyimba, winners of the CAF Champions League title in 2003 and 2004, regained control in the 29th minute as left back Utin Ikouwem finished brilliantly after picking up a loose ball. Two minutes after the re-start, Sunday Adetunji made it three for the homers, while Joseph Osadiaye, making up for earlier misses, scored the fourth in the 58th minute to take the home team out of sight of the visitors.

Not done yet, Enyimba kept the fire alive and Isiaka Oladuntoye scored the fifth goal in the 76th minute. The Nigerians will host Raja Casablanca, first winners of the CAF Champions League title in 1999, in the first leg of their semi-final fixture at the Enyimba International Stadium on Oct. 3, with the return leg in Casablanca three weeks later.

. . . And Now This . . .

It was a good heading for Nigeria’s Basketball at the World level as, Nigeria’s D’Tigress has gone down in history as an underrated 34th placed African and Nigerian team which came to a FIBA Women’s World Cup and ‘nullified’ all world rankings made by FIBA. Nigeria beat the 5th ranked Argentina, 9th ranked Greece and 17th ranked Turkey in three straight victories to emerge the 1st ever African team to play in World Cup quarterfinals.

Today, they are gallant losers to USA who are number 1 in the world. USA defeated Senegal 87-67, beat China 100-88, and thrashed Latvia 102-76 before their 71-40 victory over Nigeria. D’Tigress beat them 17-9 in the 1st quarter. That’s a record against a highly hyped American team. They struggled 27-23 in the second quarter before the Americans took over in the 3rd and 4th Quarter.

They scored the least points against D’Tigress and that says a lot about this Nigerian team. Call them dogged, rugged, determined, patriotic, selfless, disciplined . . . and indivisible unit . . . one big family!

These young basketball players with an average age of 26 are the face and future of basketball in Africa. They did not beat USA today but the Americans will go home nursing their hurting bodies because they met a team that will remain indelible in their playing history.

I wish to appreciate the #NBBF board led by Engr. #MusaAhKida for proving a resounding point. That when you put the right pegs in the right holes, you will achieve. The team with the Midas touch without much ado, everything they touched during the championship turned to great stride! The feathers on the team’s cap are now too many to count.

There was no controversy all through the competition, it was a fair play and the results are there and history would continue to show such and the anticipated steady progress of the team in the World ranking and championship especially the digital branding of the D’Tigress which would remain unparalleled.

To all Nigerians who supported and prayed for D’Tigress, may you never lack support when you need it. Daily Sports in her characteristics manner which has become our tradition use this medium to say big congratulations to D’Tigress as the team and her technical crew are home and savour the World Cup experience. It can only get better henceforth because you’re all now a bigger brand.

Thank you, Coach Otis Hughley. You’re highly appreciated. Nigeria, we hail thee!

Once again, I wish to appreciate the NBBF board led by Engr Musa Kida for proving a resounding point. Thanks to the man with the Midas touch who never allowed the huge distraction in the house to ruin this epic outing.  It is on record and it would be recalled that when he is on the saddle in NBBF, D’Tigress went that far; a step that would be built on enduringly. The girls showed zeal, focus, determination and promptness. Quicksilver like thinking was part and parcel of why the girls took the country and African continent thus far in the annals of FIBA World Basketball tournament. ‘Without apology’, everything you touch turns to gold! The feathers on your cap are now too many to count.

Kida, the girls and sundry that made this great journey to this level possible must have our pat on the back and also step forward to take a bow!

I don’t know if you took notice that the girls have come of age with time. Their composure tallied with their newly earned confidence even against the Americans. Their overall performance in my candid opinion was not bad however it showed there is a great room for improvement. Their game against Greece would remain to me memorable. Focused determination coupled with their never say die spirit and cohesion made it for us. You can see the narrow win. Nigeria was not after all dwarfed as was the case before now by the Yankees. The digital branding of the West African country’s team D’Tigress remains unparalleled. There is every need to look towards this direction in the next awards.

To all Nigerians who supported and prayed for D’Tigress, may you never lack support when you need it?  Once again, Congratulations D’Tigress! Go home and savour the World Cup experience. It can only get better henceforth because you’re all now a bigger brand. Again and again thank you, Coach #Otis Hughley for this marvelous turnaround of the D’Tigress team, we doff our caps and all and greatly thumb you up. Nigeria has come of age in sports.

Join us as usual on our social media platforms as we celebrate D’Tigress and urge them on for greater heights. The feat will continue to reverberate for a long time to come. As we celebrate, let us not forget that the road is still far. Until we subdue US and march on, we will count ourselves as still under performers. But the great girls did us proud. Keep shooting hard till next week!!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 1, 2018

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