Roll call without Nigeria, by Patrick Omorodion
As a young Mass Server (or altar boy as they are called these days) at St. Christopher’s Catholic School on Ikot-Ekpene Street, near the famous Mile 1 market in the Diobu area of Port Harcourt, one song I loved so much in my Hymn Book back then was ‘When the roll is called up yonder’. […]
Amuneke, a destiny child
Before 1991, not many people knew about the young lad from Eziobodo community in Imo State, Emmanuel Amuneke. Even as a player with Julius Berger Football Club of Lagos, Amuneke’s name never rang a bell and seldom played on the lips of Nigerians.
Hello President Buhari, do it again
An example here is what happened to Nigeria’s U-16 squad of 1985 led by Nduka Ugbade which made history by winning the maiden edition of the FIFA/Kodak U-16 Tournament that year. After that historic victory of 1985, then Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari hosted the team where he promised to reward them. But before he could keep his promise, he was overthrown in a military coup.
Iheanacho’s troubled career
After the 2015 pre-season tour of Australia where he impressed, Iheanacho was drafted to the senior team.in July. One month after, on August 10, he made his debut as a first team player. From then on, he found favour with the club’s coach, Manuel Pellegrini and he didn’t disappoint the Italian.
Garrulous Rohr
From pre-Independence era till date, the national men’s football team has been known by several names. The first name they were known by was the UK Tourists who played on bare foot as we were told.
When IAAF challenges God
Despite the IAAF claims then, she was embraced in her home country – where she was declared “our girl”. She also reacted thus: “God made me the way I am and I accept myself. I am who I am and I’m proud of myself,” she had told a magazine.
Awaiting FIBA on NBBF crisis
Listening to the NTA a couple of days ago, I saw the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development beating their chest and saying that one of their achievements was the democratisation of the National Sports Federations.
The Rangers, Lobi Stars’ resilience
Critics of the LMC had predicted that Lobi Stars would not go far in the Champions League, again making it impossible for Nigeria to get her two slots in the competition restored in subsequent editions of the competition.
The EPL title chase
As at today, it is only the EPL that has the least number of points separating the top team from the second team. In the EPL, Liverpool top with 61 points from 24 matches while Tottenham toppled Manchester City from second position after pipping Newcastle United 1-0 yesterday from 25 games.
Cycling: Massari, living Iloh’s dream
The situation further deteriorated when the powerful wife of a top government official converted the velodrome, which ranks among the third best in the world and the best in Africa, into a warehouse for cooking gas cylinders she had bought to share to Nigerian women who she expected to return the then ruling party to power in the 2015 elections.
Between Samuel Ogbemudia and Bendel Insurance
Just when every Edo son and daughter and their friends were celebrating the grand return of Bendel Insurance Football Club, better known now as Insurance Football Club of Benin, a news item that could upset the entire fabric of Edo state filtered in from Aba.
