On the Field with AFAS Sports

Justin Ehiogu

A hat-trick hero, a flurry of goals, deadlocked showdown, start of faculty team training, stalites and freshers’ call to action – AFAS Press sport writer keeps you abreast with happenings on the sports field.

Freshman Ibrahim scored all three goals as the newly come lads held the stalites to a scintillating three-all draw in the 2018/2019 AFAS freshers-vs-stalites football match, on Thursday morning, at the Students Union Building (SUB) Pitch. On the other hand, Sabaka, Okete, and Charles got a goal each for the seasoned stalites’ side. The draw ensures that the stalites remain unbeaten so far against freshers; yet, it is a promising result for the future of the faculty team – these freshmen, after all, will one day form the crux of the side.

Also, the faculty team training has fully commenced, with a view to building a strong side that will be form the real team in this session’s Inter-Faculty Competition. A friendly-cum-training was held on Friday against the Social Sciences, and another on Sunday where the standing team played against newcomers and those on the fringe.

The coach and former sub-dean, Dr Adams Akewula, enjoined all and sundry to take trainings seriously, particularly the stalites and freshers, as the core of the current team is constituted primarily by finalists. In other words, they need to be prepared, so that when this current crop of stars exits, they’ll be ready to make the step up.

Training with the faculty team is a win-win situation, Dr Akewula also suggested, as, in the event that making the team proves elusive, one would still be a prime choice for one’s departmental team.

Three Key Challenges for Daniel Sikuade, the Sporting Director

Justin Ehiogu

How well can he scale an FLC-sized hurdle? What plans does he have for the girls? How can he expand the sporting circle beyond football?

Three major challenges facing our sporting director have been highlighted. If he is to do brilliantly in office, he’ll need to get through them.

Perform despite encumbrance

A few days ago, a little bird crystallised what has for long been in my thoughts and that of most AFASites, or at least those interested enough to be concerned— the fact that the Faculty Legislative Council (FLC) is far more powerful than the executive. It is a pretty static situation, and is unlikely to change anytime soon. The FLC is slow in its decision- making, too authoritative in its stances. It exists for the good of the association, yes, and ensures that her finances are properly managed; but at any rate what we have most times is the pest control spilling over and affecting the growth of the good crops. It hinders execution. Our sporting director’s race towards a successful tenure will be slowed down by a cumbersome body. Take for instance: the faculty football team has no jerseys. How fitting is it that a whole faculty should try to borrow jerseys from its departments? Sikuade will try to buy jerseys; he’ll try to make other good moves too; but he’ll be encumbered.

Find a place for the ladies

There is always a sense of omission that accompanies the mention of football in a faculty containing both males and females. Even this piece is more likely than not to see very few female readers, if any at all. And why not? Football is hardly popular amongst them. But it is not a male-only faculty. Our girls should not be kept aloof. When we talk about a faculty football team, our girls should be able to talk about something else – something centralised that they can do, talk about, read about on the sports column, and get caught in the euphoria of AFAS sports culture. I’ve got no ideas but maybe the sporting director could be more innovative.

Diversify our sports

There is a sense, also, that any mention of AFAS sports is solely concerned with football. In fact, in this faculty, ‘sports’ and ‘Dean’s Cup’ are effectively synonyms for ‘football’. If Sikuade is to go down amongst AFAS legendary greats in terms of tenurial success, then he should redefine sports in the faculty. Besides, the upcoming Inter-faculty competition features many other sports besides football. The faculty football team has begun its training sessions. Isn’t it high time other sports began theirs as well?