Sports

Former Super Eagles player Peterside Idah urges talented defender Ime Okon to snub SA for Nigeria

Published

9 months ago

March 29, 2024

The battle between Nigeria and South Africa to secure the international future of Supersport United defender, Ime Okon, has become more intense, with former Super Eagles international goalkeeper, Peterside Idah, urging the promising talent to consider playing for the Super Eagles instead of the Bafana Bafana.

Idah who spent over 10 years playing in the South African league, made the call on Friday following intense pressure by South African sports personalities for the 20-year-old to commit his international future to Bafana instead of the Eagles.

Ex-Bafana Bafana captain, Thulani Hlatshwayo, first threw the gauntlet when he ‘threaten’ to stop helping Okon if he chose Nigeria over South Africa.

The former Orlando Pirates defender who said he has been impressed with Okon’s commanding performances in the league, explained why he thinks the youngster should pick his country of birth over the West African giants.

“I have told him he needs to stay in South Africa because it will be difficult for him to crack the Nigeria national team,” Hlatshwayo told reporters in a recent interview.

“To be able to crack the Nigerian national team, he needs to play in Europe, but we need him in Bafana Bafana.

“When you look at our centre backs, Mothobi Mvala has injuries, there is also Grant Kekana and Siyanda Xulu — and I read Siyabonga Ngezana had an issue with his travel documents, but I don’t know what is happening there. His father is from Nigeria and mother from South Africa.

“He grew up here, he studied here and coach Gavin Hunt took him from Randburg Football Club. He is South African and he speaks Afrikaans.

“He is a rebel; every time there is Afcon, when Nigeria is playing he is with Nigeria and when South Africa is playing against Nigeria we have a lot of banter in the team.

“I told him I am going to stop helping him if he chooses to play for Nigeria because there are things in his game that need to be polished.

“The more he plays, the more experience he is going to get and he will do well. I don’t know if it has something to do with him being young but he is quick and strong and we complement one another very well,” Hlatshwayo said.

Okon who was born in Johannesburg to a Nigerian father and a South African mother, is a central defender who made his debut in the Premier Soccer League only this season and has immediately turned himself into a regular with the team.

He was even entrusted with the armband in the Caf Confederation Cup match against Mordern Future earlier in March and impressed in the match that former Bafana Bafana defender, Andre Arendse, said he has the potential to become better than the legendary Lucas Radebe.

The young defender was named in Bafana Bafana’s 50-man provisional squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) but did not make the final 27-man list to the continental showpiece, which has further heightened the debate on his international allegiance as he is eligible to play for both Nigeria and South Africa.

The youngster himself is yet to publicly declare his international allegiance as he said he still undecided about his future.

In an interview recently,
Okon disclosed that he does not want to be pressured about his future, saying it will be a tough decision for him.

“I just don’t want any pressure, but I just keep my mind open to both and whatever comes first then we’ll see what happens because it’s quite a tough decision for me.

“South Africa is the country I was born and bred in, but Nigeria now is my home where my dad is from. I’d say for now it’s better with South Africa because with Hugo Broos sees us around. With Nigeria, it’ll be quite tough, but I just do my best to also get a call up there.”

Related Topics:Bafana Bafana.Featured Ime Okon Nigeria Peterside Idah South Africa Super Eagles

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Sports

Nigeria’s Lookman, Zambia’s Banda big winners at 2024 CAF Award

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigerian sensation, Ademola Lookman, has wrapped his footballing year with another win after being declared as the Men’s Footballer of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Lookman, who plays for Italian club side Atalanta, was the biggest winner at the star-studded 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech following 12 months with Italian side Atalanta and the Nigerian Super Eagles. He follows in the footsteps of compatriot Victor Osimhen, who claimed the award in 2023.

This is the first time Nigeria has had consecutive men’s award winners since nearly thirty years, when Nwankwo Kanu (1996) and Victor Ikpeba (1997) were awarded.

Other top African achievers recognized for their exploits during the event include South Africa’s Ronwen Williams and Zambia’s Barbra Banda. Banda was instrumental in leading Orlando Pride to the NWSL Shield and Championship in the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season in the United States. She scored the game-winning goal in the final against Washington Spirit.

Other winners include Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, who won Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second year in a row after another impressive season for French side Paris FC.

Sanaâ Mssoudy, a forward for AS FAR and Morocco, received the Women’s Interclub Player of the Year award after winning the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League Best Player title. Agile box-to-box midfielder, Lamine Camara of Senegal and Monaco, won the Men’s Young Player of the Year award for his outstanding performances for both club and country.

Doha El Madani, a 19-year-old Moroccan and AS FAR player, won the Women’s Young Player of the Year award after scoring six goals in five games to win the Golden Boot at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.

See the full winners list below:

2024 CAF AWARDS WINNERS

CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria / Atalanta)

CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Barbra Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)

CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)

CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)

CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)

CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Sanaâ Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)

CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Lamine Camara (Senegal / AS Monaco)

CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)

CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)

CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)

CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Cote d’Ivoire

CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Nigeria

CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Al Ahly (Egypt)

CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya)

CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)

CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue (Cameroon)

CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)

CAF GOAL OF THE YEAR
Mabululu (Angola)

Sports

Salah wins 6th EPL Player of the Month award

Published

3 days ago

December 15, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Egyptian national team captain and Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, was on Saturday voted the EA SPORTS Player of the Month for November 2024, making it his sixth POTM diadem in his career.

Salah, who has been in inspiring form this season, has scored and assisted five of Liverpool’s seven goals as the Reds won all three of their Premier League matches to stay top of the table.

Salah’s was November’s highest scorer in the Premier League and the Egyptian is now on 13 goals for the season, level with Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race.

The 32-year-old also has 21 combined goals and assists this season, the most in the Premier League, four more than Cole Palmer, who ranked second in the voting.

This award also puts Salah alongside Premier League legends like Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo, who also won the Player of the Month award six times, and is now just one win away from equaling the record of seven awards, held by Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero.