By Daily Sports on October 22, 2018

One has finally come to believe that many that have been parading themselves as Sports Journalists are really idlers of the first order. To be honest with you, I don’t engage myself in part time or full time, vilifying people, no matter their colour or status. Aside from the fact that my parents of blessed memory brought me up well, the upbringing was reinforced by the journalism profession, made possible under very savvy editors and a crucible of fiery encounters.

Summing up these trajectories therefore in one solid background, one has boldly continued to ply his trade, not minding all the wide imaginations and unfounded venoms from these idlers in their spirited bring him Down syndrome.

I’m one that has also developed a thick skin against these odd years on my sojourn in journalism not being a loud professional. That is however not to be interpreted to mean that one is beating his chest! Far from that, but the hard-earned fact is that I’m grounded and foremost, always disposed to learning every day from my superiors and sundry that has all it takes to improve my knowledge. That has been my hallmark.

Dear readers, I’m even bored discussing this in almost every edition but I was taught in the profession that dog does not eat dog.  Whether such aphorism holds water in many quarters remain debatable but I have been sticking strictly to that age-old canon in journalism hence I will always mention my brushes with them without reeling out their names. Be that as it may, the piece on this page last week on Libya/Nigeria second leg game, which is now history, and the two stories we ran via an interview with the national chairman of Nigeria Eagles Supporters Club, Prince Vincent Okumagba on the above subject, as usual, had good number of traffic.

If you read them, you would have noticed that my stand on the column and the paper’s stand on the stories were unambiguously clear. I have made it abundantly clear in different fora that the petroleum mogul is my longtime friend and therefore we have come a long way. Notwithstanding, however, one cannot compromise the ethics of the profession even if my very beloved and unassuming wife is involved.

For those that read the conversation with Okumagba before and after the second leg encounter, there was nothing incriminating against anybody rather the anger of his critics and also against this reporter is why the chairman of the supporters club did thumb up the efforts of Amaju Pinnick led NFF so far and why the reporter dare report it as he said them.

These were parochial and myopic in all its ramifications and a typical case of shadow chasing which nobody will draw the reporter and the newspaper into at all. Mine is reporting accurately as it is, no more, no less.

As it is now, there is a glimmer of hope that Nigeria may likely be among the finalists that would hoist their flag in next year’s AFCON football summit hopefully in Cameroun if the team, technical crew and NFF did not lose track on the remaining two matches ahead. Fact is that the team played itself back to such reckoning in the just concluded doubleheader against the Mediterranean Knights of Libya which has seen Nigeria atop the group with nine points with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana hot on her heels, with eight points.

It is the real situation on ground presently and as it is obvious, only the fittest and the focused would breast the tape. Nigeria, judging from her last two games looks promising if nothing goes wrong along the line before and during the crucial November 16, return leg showdown in South Africa. Needless to emphasise here that already, bookmakers are falling over each other making permutations despite the pedigree of Nigeria over their South African counterparts over these years. We are keeping our fingers crossed because everything will be involved in what I will term as the winner takes all during the make or break a game, viz: the ticket, prestige, statuesque, etc which would make the encounter fierce, as the teams contest for every available space during the match.

As I did say from the beginning, this writes up would strictly be on the review as we proffer some few tips on how the Eagles can win or draw the game right in front of the Bafana Bafana fans come November 16. One prays that the recent form of the Nigerian side increases or continues to be upbeat as the team embarks on its homeward bound journey for 2019 AFCON. The curtain is set to be drawn after the remaining last two matches.

The Eagles I watched from the television in Uyo and in Sfax Tunisia all against Libya were on fire and if such would be repeated against South Africa, and then there will be a lot of positive impact being anticipated. It is also believed that if the team would concentrate and be focused on the task ahead, nothing will likely come between them and getting a good result in South Africa, right inside the FBN stadium where the game may likely hold.

If Gernot Rohr would stick to the winning team that may make way for the team captain John Mikel Obi, the lads are on the verge of playing as one. If Rohr would pay greater attention to the defence and twist the ears of Ekong and Balogun on the important need to always be on the alert throughout a particular match, then the Eagles side may probably be evolving gradually. If also Rohr and his crew would pay attention to ensuring that the boys are told in unmistaken language that football is a team game and therefore there would be no room for self-fish play, then the Eagles that would face Bafana Bafana will be one touch, one stop and direct at goal squad with precise mission winner takes all showpiece or worst case scenario, pick a point from the whole package.

There will be no hiding the fact that the game will be closely marked. Only a team that maintains its head cool and listens to the instruction of her bench coupled with taking quicksilver like decision on the field of play, even if half chance call, will laugh last. If the Eagles would not only re-enact but redouble its efforts in this much-anticipated game of wits and brawns, then the glimmer of hope would be within our reach

It would be recalled that Nigeria had had the upper hand against South Africa in past encounters but this time around, with resounding preparations in all fronts, the Eagles team will harvest equally good result in her next game. I have no doubt that the NFF leadership knows what is at stake and would, as usual, be very handy to solidly stand by the team, all in the bid to ensuring that it lacks nothing in prosecuting this once again all important game.

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 22, 2018

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