Sports

I Am Ready To Serve In Any Capacity -Coach Ilerika

Published

5 years ago

April 20, 2022

Joel Ajayi

Newly appointed assistant coach to the under -17 national team, Usman Haruna Ilerika has stated that he is ready to serve in any capacity deemed fit by the Nigeria football federation.

He said has had the privilege to serve this country in different capacities at the age-grade level so giving him the opportunity to serve at the under -17 level is an added privilege.

The former FCDA FC, FC Abuja, and National Under- 15 coach stated this while reacting to criticisms that have trailed his appointment following the reports that he has better qualifications than the people being put ahead of him.

According to him, I am a coach and always ready to serve my country in any capacity whenever I am called upon.

“I have served at U-13 and U-15 for so many years, now I have been given the opportunity which is a rare privilege and I am ready to take it with both hands.

‘Being among the chosen ones in a country of over two hundred million people means so much to me and I am happy to serve.”

Haruna Ilerika is one of the most qualified coaches in Nigeria having acquired the requisite knowledge to handle any of our national teams.

He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with a first degree and later went to Nigeria Institute of sports, NIS where he bagged a diploma in coaching after studying for two years in a reputable institution.

Ilerika is also a CAF licensed coach and currently CAF and NFF instructor and has contributed immensely to the discovery of players like Taiwo Awoniyi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidera Eze, Taiwo Abdurahman, John Lazarus, and many others.

In 2014, he took Nigeria under 15 teams to African youth games in Botswana where he won gold in football, and in 2018 in Algeria, he won silver.

Though it is a big source of worry for many stakeholders after NFF named him the third assistant coach despite his achievements and qualifications like he said ‘I am ready to serve in any capacity.’

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Sports

Drogba, Amuneke, Eguavoen Lead African Legends’ Arrival in Lagos

Published

20 hours ago

November 7, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

With just one day to the much-anticipated Legends of Africa Football Game, Ivorian football icon Didier Drogba has arrived in Lagos, joining an impressive assembly of former African internationals already in the city ahead of Sunday’s star-studded encounter.

Drogba’s arrival further heightens anticipation for the game, which will bring together some of the continent’s most celebrated football figures at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.

Also in Lagos are Nigerian football greats Mobi Oparaku, Emmanuel Amuneke, Emmanuel Babayaro, Garba Lawal, Austin Eguavoen and Mutiu Adepoju, alongside other members of the legendary Super Eagles generations of 1994 and 1996.

The African contingent also features distinguished names including Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor, Senegal’s El-Hadji Diouf, Ghana’s Stephen Appiah and Cameroon’s Rigobert Song, among other former international stars.

The excitement will extend beyond the legends’ reunion, with popular Nigerian entertainers and celebrities preparing for a special Celebrity Match as part of the event. Yhemolee, Sheggz, Jeriq, Teddy A and Charles Okocha are among the personalities set to feature in the celebrity fixture, scheduled to begin at 1:30pm.

The Celebrity Match will form part of a wider programme of activities designed to give fans a full day of football, entertainment and celebration before the main legends’ fixture, which kicks off at 5pm. Gates open at 1:30pm.

Organized by Toptier Sports Management in collaboration with Afreximbank and CANEX as part of CANEX WKND 2026, the game will feature 15 Nigerian legends taking on 13 African icons in a celebration of the players whose achievements helped shape the history of football on the continent.

Beyond the match, the programme includes a football clinic involving 500 young players, entertainment and special recognition for the heroes of African football.

The Legends of Africa Football Game promises a memorable gathering of football royalty, bringing together generations of fans to celebrate the enduring legacy of the continent’s finest players.

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