Naija News
Ndubuisi Egbo: A Man Bracing the Hostility of European Football
BY ABIODUN MOHAMMED
Undeniably, many Nigerian footballers are known for cutting the Gordian knot in European football but little or nothing has been heard, until now of a Nigerian coach leading a team in Europe, not to talk of competing in the UEFA Champions League.
The name making waves across Europe is, Ndubuisi Egbo. Interestingly, during his playing days, Egbo hardly caught the eye of the football world as he played for several clubs in Africa and few others in remote European countries.
There is a school of thought that believes great players hardly become great managers. Perhaps, that notion galvanized the 47-year-old to saving the best for the last, becoming a great manager.
The former Julius Berger and Al-Masry goalkeeper burst onto the coaching scene in 2010 while he was still managing the pipes for KF Bylis in the Albanian Superliga.
Egbo retired in 2011 after making 52 appearances for Bylis, a development which helped him concentrate more on his role as goalkeeper’s trainer until 2014 when he joined his former club, KF Tirana as goalkeeper’s trainer.
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However, in 2015, the man who earned 12 caps while playing for Nigeria was asked to take charge of Tirana alongside another member of the technical crew after the team’s head coach, Shkëlqim Muça was sacked. Astonishingly, the 1.82-meter-tall coach guided his team to lifting the 2019/2020 Albanian SuperLiga, becoming the first Nigerian to achieve such feat.
As if that was not enough, Ndubuisi Egbo became the first African to qualify and lead a team in the UEFA Champions League before shocking skeptics by becoming the first African head coach to record a victory in Europe’s premier club football competition on 19th August against Dinamo Tbilisi.
Unfortunately, Egbo and his team could not advance beyond the second qualifying round of the UCL after they lost to Serbian side Crvena Zvezda.
Obviously, the word “first” is dominant on the resume of the man who has managed 21 victories in 32 games since 9th December, 2019, losing only 7 times during that period and many enthusiasts are impressed with his burgeoning record in European football and hope that someday such Nigerian export would help Nigerian football record unparalleled success on the global scene.
“Ndubuisi Egbo has been an outstanding coach, what we never valued before, he has put it straight and let us realize that he has something to offer,” Clement Oloruntoba said.
“I think he is eminently qualified to lead Nigerian teams, he is a Nigerian, he knows the chemistry of our boys so he will be able to do better than when you bring a foreigner into this country,” Ganiyu Oloyede opined.
“It is not time for him to come to the national team setup, he almost got into the Champions League, probably he would get into the Europa League if not this season, next season,” Usha Maidodo stressed.
“It is very good for us to have someone like that doing well in Europe. My prayers for him is to continue the good work and he should extend that good work back home here,” Patrick Pascal said.
At a time when stereotyping blacks is vigorously confronted across the world, outstanding performances like that of the Aba-born tactician would definitely help the course of “black lives matter movement”.
While coach Egbo continues to look out for more records to break in European football with KF Tirana, it remains to be seen if the former goalkeeper will not be poached by bigger clubs in Europe.
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Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, has approved the implementation of N30,000 as minimum wage for the workers in the state.
The secretary to the state government, Folashade Ayoade disclosed this on Tuesday after an extensive meeting with the organized labour in Lokoja
She blamed the delay in the implementation on the inability for the committee to meet regularly due to the covid-19 pandemic which has been overcome.
The SSG equally commended the organised labour for their understanding and patience, which she said has resulted into the signing of the implementation of the new minimum wage.
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Author: Eunice Johnson, Abuja
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has put Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) on notice that it will stop selling forex to them by the end of 2022. CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele made this known in Abuja on Thursday at the end of the Bankers’ Committee Meeting where he also introduced the RT200 Programme.
Emefiele said the time had come for the banks to go out there and source for forex by funding entrepreneurs with ideas. The CBN, Emefiele said, will support the banks by granting rebates and other support until the banks find their feet in sourcing their forex by themselves.
He also disclosed that the apex bank’s policies and measures have led to a significant improvement in diaspora inflow from an average of US$6 million per week in December 2020 to an average of over US$100 million per week by January 2022. He added that the CBN would be reviewing these intervention programmes going forward to ensure that they continue to achieve the desired results.
He said international bodies, including some embassies and donor agencies, have been complicit in illegal forex transactions that have hindered the flow of foreign exchange into the country.
Read Also: CBN Encourages Nigerians to Accept E-Naira
Author: Gift Wada, Abuja
The Comptroller General of Customs Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd.) has approved the deployment of 37 Comptrollers to various Units, Departments and Commands across the country.
This was disclosed in a release signed on Tuesday by the Customs Deputy National, DC Timi Bomodi for the Comptroller General of Customs.
Among those deployed are the present National PRO of Customs Comptroller Joseph Attah who will assume the office of Area Controller of Kebbi Command, Comptroller AAS Oloyede who shall be moving from ICT/MOD to Tin Can Island Port Command, while Comptroller SI Bomoi to FCT Command. Other postings are Comptroller BA Jaiyeoba to Oyo/Osun Command, Comptroller A Dappa-Williams to Eastern Marine Command, Compt. MA Umar Kano/Jigawa, Compt. KC Egwuh ICT/MOD, Compt. LM Mark Enugu/Anambra/Ebonyi, Compt. T Tachio CTC Kano, Compt. AA Umar Western Marine, Compt. M Dansakwa North Eastern Marine, Compt. AC Ayalogu T & T and Compt. KD Ilesanmi will assume duty as Comptroller Board among others.
Ali in postings released on 7th of February, charged the newly posted Comptrollers to justify the confidence reposed in them by NCS Management by bringing to bear their years of experience and training in trade facilitation and anti-smuggling activities on their new assignment.
Given the enormous expectations of government regarding revenue generation in the current year, the Comptroller General reiterated the need for all Area Controllers and Unit heads to take full charge of the affairs of their Commands by ensuring absolute compliance with extant fiscal policies while leveraging on the efficient management of data to optimize trade facilitation and revenue collection.
Furthermore, the CGC directed all officers to be extremely vigilant in protecting the lives and wellbeing of Nigerians by ensuring the full fortification of our borders against the incursion of smugglers and other cross border criminals.
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