International Football
BRYAN IDOWU IS NIGERIA’S 59TH SCORING DEBUTANT
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Bryan Idowu who scored the goal that shot Nigeria ahead in the Tuesday’s match with Argentina has become the 59th Nigerian international to find the net in first appearance.
Idowu, a defender with FC Amkar Perm in the Russian Premier League, was a second half substitute for Ola Aina who was having his third outing in Nigeria’s colours.
Fourteen minutes after his introduction, the defender surged forward to put Nigeria ahead after Alex Iwobi had levelled the score line for Nigeria.
His impressive performance could be an indication of what should be expected from him in the days leading to the World Cup that will be competed for in his country of abode.
A resident of Russia, Idowu is of Nigerian decent, having a full blooded Nigerian father and half Nigerian, half Russian mother. He was born and raised in Russia except for the period he was aged three to six when he lived in Owerri, Nigeria.
He may have compounded the selection headaches for Coach Rohr who will be seriously be thinking of how to accommodate the player that was not part of the qualifying series.
The impressive well-built defender with attacking instinct has now joined the rank of other notable Nigerian players – Obafemi Martins, Finidi George, Uche Okechukwu, Thompson Usiyan and Matthias Obianika among others who scored in the very first time they played for Nigeria.
It has been long that a previously uncapped player found the net. Peter Utaka and Osas Idehen did score for a second string Nigerian side of 2010 in the 5-2 demolition of Congo DR in a friendly tie in Abuja.
Iwobi too missed being a scoring debutant has his first goal for Nigeria after having been substitute in two previous matches with Congo and Cameroon in friendly matches played in Vise, Belgium in October 2015.
The first scoring debutant for Nigeria was Tesilimi Balogun, in whose name a stadium in Lagos is named. It was against Sierra Leone in both countries’ maiden international duel on October 8, 1949, that he achieved his feat.
The last time Nigeria presented the full complement of its national team in Lagos was 2001 in an African Nations Cup qualifier. Victor Agali, having his first cap, scored the solitary goal of the encounter.
Obafemi Martins was also another scoring debutant when he found the net in Nigeria’s 3-0 demolition of Republic of Ireland in a friendly game on May 29, 2004 in London.
Barely six months later, Ayodele Makinwa joined the exclusive club when he score Nigeria’s only goal in a 2-1 loss to South Africa on the occasion of Mandela Challenge tie in Johannesburg. That was the first time South Africa scored and beat Nigeria.
NIGERIA’S SCORING DEBUTANTS
PLAYER MATCH/ DATE VENUE
- Balogun Tesilimi Sierra Leone October 8, 1949 Freetown
- Okoh Friday – 2 goals Gold Coast October 20, 1951 Lagos
- Asoluka Cyril Gold Coast October 20, 1951 Lagos
- Anieke Peter Gold Coast October 20, 1951 Lagos
- Okere Titus Gold Coast October 20, 1951 Lagos
- Okwudili Daniel Gold Coast October 27, 1956 Lagos
- Longe Julius Gold Coast October 27, 1956 Lagos
- Ejoh Hubert Gold Coast October 27, 1956 Lagos
- Noquapor Patrick – 2goals v. Ghana October 27, 1957 Accra
- Ijeomah Isaac Ghana October 27, 1957 Accra
- Buraimoh Abudu – 2Goals v. Ghana October 25, 1958 Lagos
- Onyali Elkana v. Ghana October 10, 1959 Lagos
- Ohiri Christopher v. Ghana October 10, 1959 Lagos
- Chukwumah Egwuonu v. Tunisia December 10, 1961 Tunis
- Egbuonu Johnny v. Cameroon January 1, 1963, Yaounde
- Udemezue Chris v. Cameroon January 1, 1963, Yaounde
- Olatunji Lasisi v. Guinea July 27, 1963 Lagos
- Anieke Sunday v. Gabon August 28, 1965 Libreville
- Mordi Bobo v. Gabon August 28, 1965 Libreville
- Olowo-Oshodi Samsideen v. Congo November 5, 1966 Lagos
- Aghoghovbia Joe v. Cameroon December 10, 1968 Lagos
- Obianika Mathias – 2 Goals v. Upper Volta November 27, 1971 Lagos
- Oyarekhua Sunny v. Upper Volta November 27, 1971 Lagos
- Popoola Ben v. Cote d’Ivoire July 18, 1974 Lagos
- Ibeabuchi Ogidi v. Ghana August 24, 1974 Accra
- Usiyen Thompson v. Kenya February 7, 1976 Nairobi
- Godwin Iwelumo v. Benin February 14, 1977 Lagos
- Onwuachi Martins v. Benin October 14, 1978 Cotonou
- Boateng Leotis v. Tunisia July 12, 1980 Lagos
- Emmanuel Osigwe v. Tunisia July 12,1980,Lagos
- Nwokocha Chris v. Tanzania Dec. 20, 1980 Dar-es-Salam
- Ali Bala v. Upper Volta July 18, 1981 Lagos
- Adeshina Ademola v. Ethiopia March 7, 1982 Benghazi
- Omughele John v. Ghana October 30, 1983 Accra
- Sadi Dahiru v. Kenya April 20, 1985 Lagos
- Balarabe Abubakar v. Guinea April 9, 1989 Conakry
- Adekola Adeolu v. Guinea April 22, 1989 Ibadan
- Oyekanmi Taju v. Cote d’Ivoire January 25, 1990 Kaduna
- Okechukwu Uche v. Cote d’Ivoire January 25, 1990 Kaduna
- Lawal Dimeji v. Togo August 18, 1990 Lagos
- Finidi George v. Burkina Faso July 27, 1991 Lagos
- Taiwo Wasiu v. USA June 11, 1995 Boston
- Fatusi Tesilimi v. Czech Rep. Dec, 11, 1996 Casablanca
- Zeigbo Kenneth v. Cameroon August 7, 1997 Tunis
- Garba Ahmed v. Iran Jan. 28, 1998 Hong Kong
- Aghahowa Julius v. Morocco February 3, 2000 Lagos
- Ishola Shuaibu v. Malawi June 4, 2000 Kano
- Agali Victor v. Zambia January 13, 2001 Lagos
- Opabunmi Femi v. Kenya May 4, 2002 Lagos
- Ogochukwu Ileagwu v. Senegal October 12, 2002 Dakar
- Ogechukwu Uche v. Ghana December 15, 2002 Accra
- Akwueme Emeka v. Jordan April 28, 2004 Lagos
- Martins Obafemi v. Ireland May 29, 2004 London
- Makinwa Ayodele v. South Africa Nov. 17, 2004 Johannesburg
- Akabueze Chukwuma v. Kenya May 27, 2007 Nairobi
- Peter Utaka v. Congo DR March 3, 2010 Abuja
- Osas Idehen v. Congo DR March 3, 2010 Abuja
- Ehiosun Ekigho v. Sierra Leone February 9, 2011, Lagos
- Bryan Idowu Argentina, November 14, 2017
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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