Head Coach of Nigeria’s U-19 girls volleyball team, Elishama Elam, yesterday, released a list of 14 players that will represent the country at the African U-19 Girls Nations Volleyball Championship, which spikes off today at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja. Nigeria is hosting the championship.

Elam will be assisted by Tina Azomani from the Delta Force Volleyball Team and NBVF’S new technical adviser, Alexander Boskovic.

Elam said the best players were selected after two months of camping and training at Ahmadu Bello Stadium (ABS), Kaduna State.

He said the players are ready to make Nigeria proud, adding that the team is prepared for any challenge at the championship.

“After six weeks of preparations, we are ready for the championship. The girls have been active throughout this year. Some of them played at the National Division 1 League; others played in several invitational championships, including beach championships.”

Elam was in charge of the country’s U-19 Girls when Cameroun defeated them in three games recently, but he said that ‘blip’ will not happen again. 

“Nigeria is better prepared and will put in her best at this year’s championship. In the coaching crew is the new technical adviser, Boskovic and I am sure his tactical experience will be the joker for us,” he said.

He named the full squad to include Miriam Usman and Aishat Abdulraheem from Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Spikers; Christiana Laban from Plateau Rock; Blessing Unekwe from Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mary Gana from Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Naomi Yaro and Marvelous Chilota from Kada Emeralds.

Others are Charity Joseph from Niger Raven, Gift Michael, Verity Onyegwu from the Queen VC, Ifeoma Mordi, Deborah Chukwua and Sarah Ali from Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Spikers and Joy Owoniyi from Phoenix.

The Championship will end on September 10.

D’Tigers are hoping to turn things around in the final qualifying window billed for February

Mfom Udofia, the Head Coach of Nigeria’s Men’s Basketball Team, is confident that the D’Tigers can still qualify for next year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup.

With only one victory over Guinea in the recently concluded fourth qualifying window in Abidjan, the D’Tigers are in a precarious position in the race for World Cup qualification next year.

While the chances appear bleak, the D’Tigers coach insists that his team’s season is not yet over, pointing out that there is still one more qualifying window to salvage things.

Coach Udofia, who is particularly disappointed that D’Tigers did not obtain the much-needed victory over Angola on Sunday, stated that he and his players will continue to work hard to make their dream a reality.

“It was a tough loss (against Angola) for us and I must say that the players fought hard but the victory did not come our way. It’s not over for Nigeria yet given that there is another window. We will keep playing and giving our best till the last day of the qualifiers.” the coach declared in an interview with FIBA.

While Nigeria hopes for a miracle, Cote d’Ivoire has already qualified as the first African nation for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which will be held in Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines.

The D’Tigers qualified far ahead of the Ivorians for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, but the tables have now turned.

The Elephants officially qualified for the World Cup after defeating Cape Verde 77-69 last Sunday.

The African Qualifiers resume in February 2023 with Window 5, but the Ivorians, Africa’s only undefeated team thus far, will have no need to break a sweat because they have already secured their second consecutive World Cup qualification.

CAF Security Chief, Christian Emeruwa was the first person to pick the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Presidential form on Monday.

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peterside Idah and Imo State FA Chairman, Amanze Uchegbulam were also seen in Abuja to purchase the form to contest for the vacant NFF top job position.

The form is now being sold for Four hundred thousand (N400,000) Naira, same price it was four years ago.

Long-serving Uchegbulam, 74, was NFF 1st Vice President to Sani Lulu between 2010 and 2014, while Peterside, who is now based in South Africa, has led an aggressive campaign to replace Amaju Pinnick as NFF President.

Emeruwa has been very visible since April 2022, when he declared his ambition to be the next NFF President.

Nigeria defender William Troost-Ekong is on the radar of Serie A club, Bologna.

Troost-Ekong has lost his place at Watford since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in February.

The centre-back was earlier linked with a move to Turkish Super Lig giants, Fenerbahce but Watford reportedly turned down the offer.

Bologna have failed to keep a clean sheet in Serie A this season and are looking to sign an experienced defender to shore up their defence.

Manager Sinisa Mihajlovic, according to Italian market expert Gianluca Di Marzio, is keen to lure Troost-Ekong back to Italy.

The 28-year-old played for Serie A club, Udinese between 2018 and 2020, making 66 appearances.

Presence of five local coaches at the World Cup a source of pride for Africa

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be historic for the African continent as all five nations which have booked a ticket for the quadrennial extravaganza will be handled by local coaches.

Morocco have appointed Walid Regragui at the Atlas Lions head coach and now, he will join a stellar cast of four other African coaches to lead their countries. This is a massive step for the growth of African coaches, who have now borne the courage to take over at the highest level.

Walid Regragui, Morocco

The 47-year old, a former Moroccan international who amassed 45 caps for the national team was recently appointed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) as coach of the Atlas Lions, taking over from Vahid Halilhodžić who had helped the team secure qualification.

He takes over the national team after a successful season in the Moroccan top flight where he led Wydad Athletic Club to the CAF Champions League title and the local championship as well.

For the World Cup, Morocco have been drawn in Group F and will face off with Croatia, Belgium and Canada.

Aliou Cissé, Senegal

Senegal, the reigning African champions, have had a local coach since 2015 when Aliou Cissé was handed the mantle. The decision paid off eight years later when the former national team captain led them to their first ever Africa Cup of Nations title and was also named the coach of the year at the CAF Awards in July.

He will lead the Lions of Teranga to a World Cup for the second consecutive time, having led them to qualification for the 2018 showpiece in Russia.

The Senegalese earned qualification after turning round a first leg loss to Egypt’s Pharaohs, then coached by Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz. They won 3-1 on post-match penalties following a 1-1 aggregate draw.

Rigobert Song, Cameroon

Appointed on February 28, 2022, Rigobert Song goes down in history as the second Cameroonian coach to have helped the Indomitable Lions qualify for the global showpiece.

The first Cameroonian to sail the team to the World Cup was the late Léonard Nseke, leading the team to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Song’s Cameroon qualified for Qatar after overturning a 1-0 first leg defeat at the hands of Algeria to win 2-1 in the corresponding fixture in Algiers and qualify on the away goals rule. Karl Toko Ekambi scored the vital goal in added time to take the Lions to Qatar.

The qualification for the World Cup proved to be the result he needed to silence the doubters who had already queried the decision to hire him.

Jalel Kadri, Tunisia

Local boy Jalel Kadri helped Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles to the World Cup for the sixth time in their history.

Kadri was appointed head coach of the Tunisian national team just after they were eliminated from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon by Burkina Faso. He embarked on a quick rebuild mission and helped Tunisia rise from that disappointment and qualify for the World Cup.

The Tunisians waded off the young side of Mali to qualify with a slim 1-0 aggregate score.

He becomes the third local tactician to help Tunisia qualify for the World Cup after Abdelmajid Chetali (1978) and Nabil Maâloul (1998).

Otto Addo, Ghana

Ghana’s Otto Addo showed brave coaching mettle to aid the Black Stars to the World Cup after victory over the highly fancied Nigeria.

The former International was named head coach of the Ghanaian team shortly after they were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations in the group stages, taking over from Milovan Rajevac.

A 1-1 draw in Abuja after a 0-0 draw at home in Kumasi earned Ghana a ticket to the World Cup against all odds.

The tactician, who is also an assistant coach at German Bundesliga club Dortmund managed to put up a perfect tactical plan to outshine a hugely talented Nigerian squad and now has everything to prove when he leads the Ghanaian side out in Qatar.

Who is Walid Regragui the new head coach of the Atlas Lions?

Born in Corbeil-Essonne, in the Southern suburbs of France, Walid Regragui, 46, started his career playing for several French clubs including Toulouse, Ajaccio, Dijon and Grenoble, He earned his caps for the Moroccan national team as well.

After retiring from football, Regragui began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Moroccan national team in 2012-2013 under Rachid Taoussi. He went on to become the head coach of FUS Rabat until 2020 when he moved to Qatar to coach top tier side Al Duhail.

In August 2021, he returned to Morocco and took over as the head coach of Wydad Club Athletic, helping them to the league title as well as the CAF Champions League in his maiden campaign.

The presence of the five African coaches at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar represents a giant step towards the development of African football.

This is enough proof that local expertise can also work well when and if given a chance. This will be an opportunity for the whole world to discover the ability of African tacticians and also a nod of approval to the training program for African coaches at the Pro License of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The program launched for the first time in 2018 aims to obtain the highest certification of the CAF coach education system, the qualification of top level coaches in the world.

The said license is strictly reserved for coaches actively exercising at a professional level, having demonstrated a certain level of performance and success, and having previously acquired a CAF A license or an equivalent qualification recognized by CAF.

More and more African coaches have shown enthusiasm at work both in CAF competitions with first division clubs or in the league, as well as in national teams.

US. Open – Flushing Meadows, New York, United States – August 29, 2022 Serena Williams of the U.S. during her first round match against Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic

Serena Williams signalled she is not quite ready for retirement advancing to the second round of the U.S. Open on Monday with a scrappy 6-3 6-3 win over Danka Kovinic.

The victory over the 80th ranked Kovinic, just her second this year, will be a confidence boost for Williams but the path to a record equalling 24th Grand Slam now gets treacherous.

Waiting in the wings is Estonian second seed Anett Kontaveit, who breezed past Jaqueline Cristian 6-3 6-0.

Williams indicated her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August, saying she was “evolving away from tennis” but never confirming the U.S. Open as her final event.

For tennis fans, however, the message was clear, the U.S. Open would be where she would take her final bow.

Could there be an encore?

The former-world number one has played coy even refusing to rule out next year’s Australia Open.

But in a strange post-match ceremony celebrating her career, which was not yet finished, Williams gave the clearest sign yet that the U.S. Open will indeed be her last tournament and expanded on that later in her press conference.

“It’s extremely difficult still because I absolutely love being out there,” said Williams. “The more tournaments I play, I feel like the more I can belong out there.

“But it’s time for me, you know, to evolve to the next thing.”

Pressed if the U.S. Open was definitely her last event Williams again stepped back from the brink.

“I’ve been pretty vague about it, right,” smiled Williams. “I’m going to stay vague because you never know.”

A montage of Williams career played before she appeared on court that left the door open a crack for a return some day, “if you ever decide to return Queen your throne will be waiting” ended the video.

A defiant Williams, however, made it clear she was not giving up that throne just yet.

SPECIAL ENERGY

There is always excitement on opening night at Flushing Meadows but on Monday the teeming stadium crackled with a special energy from the moment Williams appeared on court decked out in a shimmering black robe and specially designed diamond encrusted shoes.

The outfit may have sparkled more than the 40-year-old American’s play but it did not matter to a jam-packed Arthur Ashe Stadium as Williams’ fighting edge remained razor sharp even if her serve and ground strokes were not.

“It’s so important to give your all,” Williams told the adoring crowd. “I’ve been down and out so many times, in the public eye.

“I just want people to be inspired by my story.

“I’m from Compton, California… and I made it.”

Certainly there was no more fitting place to bring the curtain down on one of tennis’s most phenomenal careers than in a city that has been in her corner from the very beginning, fuelling runs to six U.S. Open crowns.

The magnitude of the moment was not lost on the 23,000 fans, including, former U.S. president Bill Clinton, designer Vera Wang, director Spike Lee and others who packed into Arthur Ashe not expecting to see greatness but to celebrate it.

Having been world number one for 319 weeks, Williams arrived in New York ranked below 600 and unseeded.

Even with Williams far from her best the odds were stacked against the 27-year-old from Montenegro.

Playing in her 21st U.S. Open, Williams has never lost in the first round and her victory over Kovinic was her 106th at Flushing Meadows.

While Kovinic has been enjoying the best Grand Slam season of her career reaching the third round of both the Australian and French Open, she had not won a single match since Roland Garros.

As play got underway it was Williams showing signs of nerves, piling up the double faults as Kovinic got in front 3-2.

But Williams, as she has done so many times, lifted her game when she needed to, sweeping the next four games to snatch the first set.

Now in charge, Williams would not let it slip away in the second set, breaking to go up 3-2, and with match point and the crowd on its feet, she danced in delight as Kovinic’s return hit the net.