International Football
A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK; ERNEST OKONKWO’S DAUGHTER, AMAKA TAKES TO SPORTS LAW
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
As if to remain connected to sports and maintain the glorious services the late Ernest Okonkwo rendered to sports commentaries in Nigeria, one of her five children, Amaka, a lawyer, has taken to sports law.
Amaka Okonkwo-Oboh informed www.sportsvillagesquare.com that she had worked in various organisations and law firms but currently with Delphi Law Advisory.
It is a reputable law firm with highly qualified and dedicated professionals, with a great team who are specialized in sports and entertainment law. In an earlier tribute to the late Ernest Okonkwo published in Complete Sports in 2017, Segun Odegbami, one of the most notable footballers Nigeria ever produced wrote about the affection Okonkwo had for Amaka.
“Why he (Ernest Okonkwo) nicknamed me ‘Mathematical’ I never knew. I wanted to ask him when we met and spent a few days together in 1989 in Scotland for the coverage of the 1989 Under-17 FIFA World Championship
“…I never got to ask him the question because he was an excellent story teller and spent most of the three days regaling me about everything under the sun – his travels around the world; his love for reading books and how he would one day write one about his own experiences; his love for his wife and children, particularly one of his daughters, Amaka, that has now become a mother of three wonderful boys and a very successful practicing lawyer in the city of Lagos.”
She told her story to the Sports Village Square, given further insight to the legend – Ernest Okonkwo.
“My
impressions about my dad are that he was a very kind hearted father as well as
a strict disciplinarian.
“He had a way of balancing both his family life and professional life. He was super dedicated to his calling as a professional and a patriot to the core. He was, and will forever be my hero”, remarked Amaka.
Ernest Okonkwo had five children. “We have professionals in various fields, however I am a legal practitioner who is into sports law.
“…That way I can be said to be working in his foot steps although his shoes are really too big for me or any other person to fit into however I am trying to carry on his legacy.
According to her, “people may have seen him as very sociable, outgoing person however, he never joked with the things of God.”
To illustrate that Ernest Okonkwo was a devout Christian, Amaka revealed that on his sick bed, Okonkwo said the Lord had healed him. We were looking at the physical manifestation of it.
“However it was more of the spiritual aspect of him in paradise which we have no doubt about. My late dad of blessed memory always used to say to us his children that a good name was greater than silver and gold.
“I was quite young when my father passed on. But as I grew older, I got to understand every aspect of my life.
“The more reason he is still remembered and will always be remembered for good even after twenty nine years of his passing to glory.
“His favorite quote was ‘The lives of great men all remind us to make our lives sublime and departing leaves foot prints on the sand of time
“Daddy indeed you were a great man and your foot prints will forever remain in the sands of time”, remarked Amaka Okonkwo-Oboh.
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- World Cup1 week ago
BREAKING: At last FIFA’s Axe falls on South Africa!
- World Cup1 week ago
South Africa to Appeal FIFA Ruling Over Mokoena Eligibility Case
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Super Eagles Set for Double Friendly Showdown with Venezuela and Colombia in USA
- World Cup1 week ago
Sport Minister Orders Probe into SAFA over Bafana’s Costly Points Deduction
- World Cup6 days ago
FIFA Sanction on South Africa Offers Super Eagles a Lifeline — But a Lesson from History Looms
- CAF Confederation Cup1 week ago
Asante Kotoko End Kwara United’s Confederation Cup Campaign in Abeokuta
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Two penalty appeal lost as Flying Eagles stumble at first hurdle
- World Cup4 days ago
Super Eagles Walk Tightrope as Nine Key Players Risk Suspension in World Cup Qualifiers