Bunmi Blair Sports Blog

  By Bunmi Blair Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Emmanuel Babayaro, says Nigeria should never worry about the availability of any of the Super Eagles players, ahead of world cup qualifier against Cape Verde. The Atlanta 1996 gold-winning goalkeeper, believes it is an opportunity for other players to prove themselves. English Premier League clubs had announced they will not release players for international matches played in so-called covid-19 “red-list” countries, because players travelling to red-list countries would have to follow UK COVID regulations upon their return, ruling them out of some club matches. Babayaro, while speaking on 95.1 Nigeria Info FM, Abuja, says this could be a blessing in disguise for Nigeria:  "I believe in every situation it creates another and even better opportunity.  If someone will not play, somebody else we play." "With all due respect, by now the Nigerian national team,  we should have two to three standby teams that people can walk i...

  By Bunmi Blair. 2013 FIFA U17 world cup winning team coach, Manu Garba, has hailed the goal scoring exploits of Union Berlin of Germany striker Taiwo Awoniyi. Awoniyi, who moved from Liverpool to the German side this summer, scored again over the weekend, as Union Berlin beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 in the German Bundesliga. He now has five goals in six games for the club in the new season. Manu Garba, a two time FIFA U17 world cup winner, could not hide his excitement at Taiwo's newly discovered goal scoring form. He also went down memory lane to recall how Awoniyi began his rise to stardom from the slums of Ilorin, a city in Kwara State, Nigeria. "That's a great goal from a great player that has a great future in the game. He wasn't part of the U17 screening process in Abuja and was drinking Garri at home in Ilorin and I called him to come and join us in Calabar and fight for a place in the FIFA U17 world cup winning team." Manu said. Awoniyi scored four ...

   A short story of Dennis' rise to fame... By Bunmi Haruna   Dennis Bonaventure Another Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, academy product Denis Emmanuel Bonaventure shines on his English Premier League, EPL debut. Dennis is the third graduate from the prestigious NFF academy, now known as the Future Eagles to sign for an EPL club in seven years.   Brought in as a skinny U15 boy in 2012, Dennis was just one of the many hugely talented young players scouted through the NFF's yearly U13/U15 tournament held across a country with over 200 million population.   But unlike another academy graduate, Kelechi Iheanacho, who won many man-of-the-match awards, Dennis was more of an exciting talent whose potentials were hidden in his many "leg-over" tricks. Most times used as a sub by the team handlers because he likes to hang on to the ball.   "Dennis Bonaventure was invited into the U15 program I think in the year 2012 if I'm not mistaken. NFF's Assistant Director, ...