16022021 - Nigeria’s security architecture being re-jigged — SERVICE CHIEFS

30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
•Julian Nagelsmann
RB Leipzig coach Julian
Nagelsmann, has said he is
expecting a strong Liverpool
showing in the Champions
League despite their recent domestic
struggles, saying Jurgen
Australian
Open: Nadal
through to
q-finals
Rafael Nadal continued to
strengthen rolling the
dangerous Fabio Fognini 6-
3, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to his
13th Australian Open quarterfinal.
Fognini, who beat Nadal
from two sets down the last
time they met at a Slam back
at the 2015 US Open, got up
a break in the second but
otherwise Nadal had very little
trouble on a match that
lasted just over two hours.
“When you go on court
against Fabio you worry,”
said Nadal. “There can always
be problems. I was just
lucky that when he broke me
I responded immediately
and held the score. Today
was very humid and quicker
during the day, which I like,
but I have to adapt to every
condition.”
Nadal has now won his last
11 Grand Slam matches, running
off 33 straight sets. And
his back is getting better by
the day.
“First set, without a doubt,
was my best level in the tournament,”
Nadal said. “My
physical condition needs to
keep improving, but I think
match helps. I was not able
to practice the proper way
for the past 19 days, but yesterday
I started again to increase
the amount of work in
practice.”
During his press conference,
Nadal let slip that his
next opponent was already
decided, and it was. Matteo
Berrettini withdrew due to
an ab injury moving
Stefanos Tsitsipas into the
Wednesday showdown
against Nadal.
The much-anticipated Russian
quarterfinal battle between
Daniil Medvedev and
Andrey Rublev has been
booked after both cruised
into the final eight.
Medvedev won his 18th
straight match blasting past
the last American man, Mackenzie
McDonald, 6-4, 6-2,
6-3.
Champions League:
RB Leipzig won't
underrate struggling
Liverpool — Nagelsmann
Klopp "has the gift" as one of the
top managers in the business.
The Reds head into the clash on
the back of just two wins from their
last ten Premier League matches,
but Nagelsmann is wary of the
threat Jurgen Klopp's wounded
team will pose at Puskas Arena.
"Jurgen is one of the most successful
club coaches and has always
made a difference in his
Enyimba Football Club's
head coach Fatai Osho
has urged his side to prepare
for war in the second
stints in Mainz, Dortmund and
Liverpool.
"He took over Dortmund in a
very bad time and made it a top
club. He took over Liverpool in a
not very successful time and became
one very successful team
made with the Champions League
victory and the championship. He
has the gift of developing clubs
and moving people."
Confederation Cup: Enyimba prepare for
war against Rivers United
Nesiama
Former Athletics Federation of
Nigeria technical director,
Omatseye Nesiama has been appointed
by World Athletics to conduct
a Technical Education and
Certification System Level 1
Course for Ghanaian Athletics.
The course began yesterday in
Accra, the Ghana capital and will
run for two weeks. Ghana will
host the 2023 All Africa Games
and also planning to host more international
championships in Athletics
before that time.
Nesiama a retired Navy Commodore
is a World Athletics certified
lecturer, licensed Athletes
Manager and a member of the
Confederation of Africa Athletics
Technical and Competitions Commission.
Nesiama has officiated
in many International athletics
competitions at different times as
Competition Director and Techni-
•Rivers United
leg of the CAF Confederation
Cup tie after posting a slim win
over Rivers United in the first
leg last weekend.
Maja aims for more Fulham goals
Super Eagles player Josh Maja,
opened his goal-scoring account
with a brace, which earned
Fulham all points at Goodison
•Maja
A ten-man Enyimba side
managed to hold off Rivers
United fired up by the Rivers
state government’s promise
of a N20 million bonus. A
59th minute strike by Cyril
Olisema had given Enymiba
the lead, before they had a
player sent off in the 75th
minute.
“It was not really a bad result
bearing in mind the
standard of this Rivers United
team,” Osho told Enyimba’s
official website.
“We know they would be
coming for a war in the second
leg and we have what it
takes to fight anybody.”
The second leg will come
up on Sunday and the winner
will advance to the group
stage.
Nesiama trains Ghana technical officials
ahead 2023 Africa Games
By Ben Efe
cal Delegate. He is currently listed
in the CAA ITO Panel of technical
officials.
“It is gratifying to note that ones
modest effort is being recognised
both nationally and internationally.
“My being able to train and
certify Ghanaians in technical officiating
would further strengthen
the cordial relationship that has
existed between Ghana and Nigeria
especially in the area of
sports. Hopefully we are looking
to creating a West African Athletics
Circuit where athletes,
coaches and technical officials can
be engaged in exchanges via the
competitions we would be staging.
Since we train together, we
can easily share" Nesiama said.
Park last Sunday.
The win against Everton, according
to Maja, was a good start
for him and he was hopeful of
more of such performance to save
Fulham from relegation.
“I’m happy and the
team is happy and
hopefully we can continue,”
Maja told FFC
TV.
“It’s been a while
since I started a game
so I was happy to get
that and I’m hoping to
continue performances
like this.
“It is a weight off my
shoulders. I felt coming
in I would get opportunities
and I was glad to
take them.
“The performance is
important and I want to
give my best to the
team, not just goals.
“It gives us big confidence.
We know we
need to keep picking
up wins, we have been
drawing and losing a
few games, and we are
hoping to go into the
next few games confident we can
win”.
Klopp
dismisses
Liverpool
exit
speculations
Jurgen Klopp has dismissed rumours
he is ready to quit Liverpool,
insisting he doesn’t need a
break despite the Reds’ recent
slump.
Suggestions had spread like
wildfire on Merseyside over the
weekend that Klopp was set to
resign as manager. The rumours
had led to one group of fans hanging
a banner outside Anfield in
support of the German, while others
took to social media to get behind
the 53-year-old.
Speaking on Monday at a press
conference to preview Liverpool’s
Champions League last-16 first
leg against RB Leipzig, Klopp was
able to quash the stories completely.
He told reporters: “I heard
about both [the rumours and the
banner]. The banner is nice, obviously.
It’s not necessary. I don’t
feel I need special support in the
moment, but it’s nice, very nice.
“What was the other thing?
What was the word? That I could
leave? Did I get the sack or could
I leave myself? Neither nor. I don’t
need a break.”
8th Day Fidau Prayer for Sofoluwe holds at Row Park
...As Akanni speaks on endowment fund for ex-athletes
By Jacob Ajom
omorrow is the 8th day Fidau
Tprayer, an Islamic rite for late Yisa
Sofoluwe, who died in Lagos, Tuesday,
last week. The prayer which begins at
2 pm, holds at Rowe Park Sports Centre,
Yaba, Lagos.
According to Waidi Akanni, former
Chairman of the Lagos State Football
Association and a close friend of the
deceased, though the occasion, a
purely religious affair, would also witness
the attendance of non Muslims
like friends, former footballers, sports
administrators, ministry officials
among others who may not be necessarily
Muslim faithful.
Significantly, Akanni also said they,
friends and ex-internationals would
avail themselves of the opportunity
provided by the Fidau Prayer to sell
the idea of initiating an endowment
fund for ex-athletes; not just for ex-footballers.
Said, Akanni, “what we see is more
than what the NFF alone can handle.
We are talking about N5 billion endowment
fund for ex athletes. The federal
government, through the Ministry of
•Sofoluwe
Youth and Sports Development should
kick-start the take-off grant for the fund,
so that whenever a former athlete falls
sick, the fund would readily come to
the rescue.”
He continued, “we have seen how
bad the situation is with most of our
ex-internationals. I know how much
was spent on the late Sofoluwe alone.
Although help came from the Lagos
State government, the NFF, the Sports
ministry and a lot of goodwill from concerned
Nigerians, it came so late. Over
N800,000 was spent on tests alone. If
the money was there from the word go,
perhaps, Yisa, and many others that
have died could have been saved.”
We couldn't afford
Osimhen's transfer
fees – Leipzig boss
B Leipzig manager Julian
RNagelsmann has confessed that
the Bundesliga’s high-flyers were interested
in signing Super Eagles
striker Victor Osimhen following his
spectacular season at Lille.
But the respected tactician admitted
that Leipzig could not afford the 22-
year-old whose exploits in France
meant he would cost more than 50
million euros.
Osimhen followed a 20-goal season
in Belgium at Sporting Charleroi with
an incredible 18 goals in all competitions
in his maiden campaign at Lille,
raising his profile beyond the roof.
Nearly every major club across the
top leagues in Europe had the Nigerian
forward on their shopping list after
that feat.