Bunmi Blair Sports Blog

By Bunmi Blair. Bought for £25m‎, yet to score or provide an assist in four English Premier League, EPL games. The pressure is already mounting on Nigerian born Leicester City's forward Kelechi Iheanacho to start delivering for the club he joined this summer. ‎A breakdown of matches he has played so far this season shows that he has been used as a substitute in three of his four EPL appearances and played just 105 minutes of a possible 540 minutes in Leicester City’s first six games of the season. KELECHI IHEANACHO He rose to prominence as an offensive midfielder, in his days with Nigeria's national youth teams. Scored six goals and provided seven assists, which earned him the MVP award at the 2013 FIFA U-17 world cup. Kelechi has since been converted into an out-and-out striker by both club and country. ‎At a point in his first full season with Manchester City in 2016, Kelechi scored every 96 minutes, a statistic that showed he had the best goals-to-minutes...

By Bunmi Blair Super Eagles goalkeeper, Dele Aiyenugba, seems to have inspired his 10-year-old son, Daniel Ayenugba to follow in his footsteps. Dele Aiyenugba Dele, has 17 caps for the Super Eagles and helped Enyimba FC of Aba win the CAF champions league in 2003and 2004.  His son, Daniel Ayenugba, over the weekend in Abuja, helped Kwara state win the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Future Eagles U-13 championship (North Central Zone). Daniel in a chat with bunmiblair.blogspot.com.ng, in Abuja, says his father, who now plays for Hapoel Ashkelon of Israel, is his role model. Daniel Ayenugba “My father is my role model and he has been encouraging me to play football. “He corrects my mistakes and also buys me kits. “I’m happy we won this competition and I’m hoping to be a better goalkeeper so that I can play outside the country,” the Stephen Fountain Primary School, Ilorin, Kwara State, student said. Meanwhile, another goalkeeper, David Lucky, was argua...

By Bunmi Blair Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, a former PSG player who is widely regarded as one of the finest footballers to come out of Africa.  In an interview with BBC sports academy describes his rough and tough background as a young footballer growing up in the streets of Enugu, Enugu State Nigeria. “There were no grass pitches where we lived, so we used to play on the street corner, or wherever else we could find a space. “The pitches were very bad, but I think that helped me to develop a good technique. “Because the surface was so rough, you always had to be conscious of your ball control and how you passed the ball. “When I was 13, I started playing for my school team, the first time I had played under a manager. “I started realizing that I had to keep to my position and play with some discipline. Before then I was just playing for the sake of playing," the former Bolton Wanderers player said. Great footballers do not just appear from nowhere. Th...

By Bunmi Blair The Super Eagles of Nigeria look set to complete a double over the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and could become the first African side to secure a place at the Russia 2018 World Cup today. A win for Nigeria will take them to 12 points in a group that will also see Algeria host Zambia on Tuesday and with Algeria expected to win or pick at least one point in the game. If these happen, then the Super Eagles would have booked their place at the Russia 2018 FIFA world cup with two games to spare. But a draw or a loss for the Super Eagles means they will have to wait for their next fixture which is at home against Zambia on October 7, 2017, to try and secure a place in Russia. Super Eagles captain Mikel John Obi says why wait till next month when all they need to do is to beat Cameroon in Yaounde? “We are just very keen to finish what we started. We started a job in Uyo and it is time to finish it. If we can pick the World Cup ticket by Monday, why wait an...

Benitez compares Nigerian kid with Messi                    Rafa Benitez has invited ‎Ryan Hyacinth, son of former Super Eagles left back Celestine Babayaro to come train with Newcastle United's youth team and says he hopes the boy becomes the new Messi.  This was after the 10 year old emerged the most valuable player in a small sided football competition organised by Newcastle United's 1892 Foundation for schools at the Tyneside. ‎Ryan helped his school Cambois primary school Northumberland win the 1892 Foundation Cup and also impressed so much that manager Rafa Benitez picked him to start training with the Magpies’ youth team. “The idea is to keep the connection between the club and the community, it would be fantastic if the club did produce a player on the back of one of the Foundation’s courses. It’s not the main idea but at the same time you come across one talent nobod...

IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT QUIT, OBUH ADVISES EGUAVOEN. Former Super Eagles defender Augustin Eguavoen has been advised to quit coaching if he can’t handle the pressure associated with it. Augustin Eguavoen had on June 9, 2016 resigned as head coach of Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL club Sunshine Stars just 45 days on the job and had also insinuated that there were dirty politics going on in the Nigeria top tier league. Reacting to this, coach John Obuh a former Enugu Rangers manager in a chat with bunmiblair.blogspot.com. has advised the former Gent of Belgium defender to quit coaching if he can’t stand the pressure. "My brother you see, if you do not really want to kill yourself, if you cannot handle it, you quit. It is as simple as that. Don’t forget that he went for a rescue mission, maybe what he saw was not what he expected.” Obuh said. Obuh who is on the verge of leading Kwara United, back to the NPFL also admits it is difficult to coac...

Osimhen Will Soon Overtake Awoniyi Says Players’ Team Mate FIFA U-17 world cup Chile 2015 winning defender, John Lazarus of Nigeria believes that 2015 U-17 goal king Victor Osimhen in times to come will be a better striker than FSV Frankfurt of Germany forward Taiwo Awoniyi Lazarus who has played alongside both players in the past in an exclusive chat with our man Bunmi Blair thinks both strikers play the same style of football but admits that Awoniyi is a more experienced player for now. “ I wouldn’t say Osimhen is better than Awoniyi, because they play the same style of football, but the only thing is this, Awoniyi has more experience more than Osimhen for now but in times to come, I have the believe that Victor will be the best.” https://soundcloud.com/bunmi-blair/john-lazarus-november-26-mp3 Awoniyi and Osimhen both helped Nigeria win the FIFA U-17 world cup in 2013 and 2015 respectively and will fight for shirts in coach Samson Siasia’s led squad to the...

CBN Governor’s Cup is Dope Free: Hamid Abbo The Captain of IBB International Golf and Country Club, Hamid Abbo has described Golf as a gentleman’s game where doping cannot survive. Hamid while reacting to comments credited to Arsenal’s boss Arsene Wenger and world heavy weight boxer Tyson Fury who both believe that sports is losing the fight against doping, assures that all athletes that will be participating in the upcoming Governor’s golf tournament in Abuja are dope free. “Doping in golf? No! Golf is a game of gentlemen, ladies and even children, infact if you take a performance enhancing drug, you cannot even see the little ball to hit. Because I understand when you do doping, you are so high, but golf needs total concentration, so there is no place for doping in golf” The Captain said.” https://soundcloud.com/bunmi-blair/hamid-abbo-on-doping-in-golfmp3 International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach recently warned the US PGA Tour to adhere to World An...

Victor Osimhen will break into Siasia’s team………… Lazarus FIFA U-17 world cup Chile 2015 winning defender, John Lazarus of Nigeria thinks Victor Osimhen who has been named in the final 21 man squad of  Nigeria U-23 team to the upcoming CAF U-23 championship in Senegal has what it takes to break into the coach Samson Siasia’s first team. Lazarus in an exclusive interview with our man Bunmi Blair in Abuja describes Osimhen as a courageous player who has the mind to play the game https://soundcloud.com/bunmi-blair/lazarus-on-osimhen-november-25mp3  Lazarus also disagrees with FIFA on whom the best player in the just concluded FIFA U-17 world cup Chile 2015 is. The FOSLA Academy of Abuja player believes Victor Osimhen is a better player than Kelechi Nwakali. https://soundcloud.com/bunmi-blair/john-lazarus-november-25-mp3    Kelechi Nwakali won the Adidas Golden Ball for emerging the tournaments best player while Victor Osimhen was presented with...