SPORTS
‘England’s Defeat is Not End Of World’
England’s performance against Argentina was scrappy and frustrating.
They were inaccurate in their handling and, not for the first time, one-dimensional in their tactical thinking.
But, there has to be some balance and perspective.
The defeat by the Pumas is not the end of the world.
It may even help the team’s trajectory towards the rest of the autumn, the Six Nations and the Rugby World Cup next year.You could see from the start that England had a set idea about how the game was going to be played and the best way to win it.
They had seen the wet conditions and opted for low-risk rugby with the ball in hand. They trucked the ball up around the fringe with one-out runners, making use of their heavy-duty carriers.
Number eight Billy Vunipola had 15 carries, more than any other player. Prop Kyle Sinckler was not far behind on 12.
But it seemed to be an end in itself, rather than being used to open up space elsewhere.
Argentina’s team were perfectly suited to soaking up the wave of power attacks, with the likes of Marcos Kremer and Pablo Matera excellent.
There was plenty of ball and go forward, but England were inaccurate and lateral when it came to exploiting gaps elsewhere.
There was never a sniff of an overlap, you never felt the excitement of a wing being able to take on his opposite number.
That is at odds with how the club game has been going in the Premiership. Teams like Northampton, Saracens or Harlequins are ruthless at finding chinks in defences and making it count on the scoreboard.
If England were not going to be adventurous with the ball, it would have been better to play without it.
When they found they weren’t building enough of a cushion on the scoreboard, England could have switched up their kicking game.
Instead of looking to compete and regain the ball, they could have sacrificed possession for territory, kicked deep and asked Argentina if they could play out from deep in their half with a greasy ball.
That would create the chances for turnovers and penalties within sight of the line.
But, not for the first time, there was an inability to take the initiative and read the flow of the match mid-game.
England didn’t seem to be able to recognise the pressure they were coming under from the opposition and find a solution. They seemed to be waiting for instruction rather than taking the game by the scruff of the neck.
They had control of the game, but not the scoreboard and they sleepwalked into a dangerous situation where they were vulnerable to a lapse in concentration or a purple patch from the Pumas.
Coach Eddie Jones has talked about building resilience and adaptability. In September he visited US Navy Seals to learn about how they react to the unexpected and still get missions accomplished.
His England team still has some way to go on that.
Collectively it was a disappointing day, the result dictated that, but individually I think there were plus points.
Wing Joe Cokanasiga was the stand-out in the backs. He was busy, hungry for the ball, broke the line and linked well with his team-mates.
Debutant Alex Coles was dynamic and ran good, clever lines to get past that tight Argentine defence. His kick-off gathering was messy, but that was true of his team in general.
Overall it was a wake-up call to England. Mentally they didn’t look switched on enough, they were short of urgency and intensity.
This week, vice captain Ellis Genge has promised some “uncomfortable conversations” are going to take place ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Japan.
The Brave Blossoms will be another tricky opponent, New Zealand and South Africa will represent a step up.
At points in the game on Sunday, England looked like they needed someone inside the team to give them a verbal ‘kick up the backside’ to clear their heads and get them thinking clearly.
That defeat will have done the job just as well.
I’m not writing England off for this autumn, never mind the Six Nations or Rugby World Cup next year.
Matt Dawson was speaking to BBC Sport’s Mike Henson
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Handball stakeholders in Kogi State have called for a comprehensive leadership reform within the state’s handball association to restore the sport’s prominence.
Addressing journalists after a visit to the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Monday Aridaojo Anyebe in his office in Lokoja on Tuesday, the stakeholders outlined the achievements and setbacks of Kogi State handball since its inception in 1991, pointing the need for immediate change to revive the state’s handball culture.
They noted that Kogi State’s handball history includes significant accomplishments from winning national underage tournaments in the 1990s to representing Nigeria in international competitions.
Kogi’s under-15 boys’ team won gold in Italy in 1995, while local teams performed well in various national championships uptile 2019.However, the stakeholders noted a decline in participation and development initiatives, which they attribute to issues within the association’s leadership.
They revealed that since 2020, Kogi’s Confluence Stars, the state’s premier league team, has struggled to participate in the league due to financial constraints and a lack of support.
This situation according to them has led some players to seek opportunities with teams in other states, undermining team cohesion and player morale.
Additionally, the once-thriving Confluence Queens female team, which participated in national tournaments until 2020, has since disbanded”
Stakeholders attribute much of the sport’s recent decline to the leadership of Jibril Saidu, the current chairman of Kogi State Handball Association. They allege that Saidu’s decision to withdraw sponsorship, along with personal conflicts, has prevented Kogi from participating in critical national events. This includes the under-12 and under-15 championships held in Sokoto over the past five years, where Kogi teams were notably absent.
In response to these challenges, the stakeholders called for the dissolution of the current board, citing a lack of effective leadership and commitment to the state’s handball development.
They propose the formation of a new board that will prioritize regional representation, involvement from former players, and individuals with strong sponsorship capabilities.
The stakeholders also endorsed Okpanachi Mark Ogah as the next chairman, describing him as a capable leader who they believe can restore Kogi State’s handball legacy within two years.
Speaking during the visit, His Royal Highness, Oba Luke Oludoyi from Isanlu who is one of the handball Stakeholders appealed to the Commissioner to give them necessary support in making handball sporting activities in the state a laudable venture for the overall growth of the State Sports Sector.
On his part, Hon. Mark Okpanachi Ogah said he is ready to further the ideals of the stakeholders and rebirth a new and active handball sport in Kogi State.
He assured that if given the mandate, the Kogi State handball team will take its rightful place again as champion.
Responding, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon Monday Anyebe, noted that Kogi State Government is committed to ensuring that the sports sector in the state continues to receive the necessary support towards enhancing sporting activities in the state.
The Commissioner said under the leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo all sporting activities will be given adequate attention and Support.
He called on members of the handball stakeholders in the state to be united and continue to promote the activities of the handball sport in the state.
Also Present during the visit includes the Permanent Secretary of the state ministry of sports, Jibo Haruna Muhammed, the Director Kogi State Sports Council, Onipe Obakachi and other Directors of the Ministry.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Board has slammed Libya with a 50,000 dollars and also awarded Nigeria, three points from the botched Matchday 4 encounter of the 2025 AFCON qualification series.
The match earlier scheduled to be played by Libya and Nigeria in Benina on Oct.
15 was cancelled.This was after Nigeria’s delegation to the qualifier slated to hold in Benghazi on Tuesday, were left stranded for over 20 hours on Sunday.
This was following the diversion of their plane from Benghazi to Al Abaq airport, a three-hour drive away from their original destination in Benghazi; where the team were held hostage without food, water or internet services.
A statement by CAF Disciplinary Board in its ruling on Saturday, signed by the chairman, Ousmane Kane, said the Disciplinary Board ruled met and decided as follows:
“The Libya Football Federation is found to have breached Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
“The match No. 87 Libya v. Nigeria of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers 2025 (scheduled to be played on 15 October in Benghazi) declared lost by forfeit by Libya (by a score of 3-0).
“The Libya Football Federation is ordered to pay a fine of USD 50,000.
“The fine is to be paid within 60 days of notification of the present decision.
“All other and further motions or prayers for relief are dismissed,” the statement said.
The implication is that Nigeria is now poised to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with two matches to spare.
With the decision, the Eagles now have 10 points from four matches, four points better than second-placed Benin Republic, while Rwanda have five points.
Bottom-placed Libya have only one point and are out of the running for qualification.
Victory or draw against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Abidjan on Nov. 14 (a Matchday 5 encounter) will land the Super Eagles a ticket to the finals in Morocco, December 2025/January 2026.(NAN)
Arsenal needed an own goal to seal a scrappy 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday as they made it two wins out of three in the Champions League.
The win is is coming after the blow of their first domestic league defeat of the season at the weekend.
The hosts missed a penalty in the second half and squandered a number of decent chances, but the reality was they never found top gear and had to withstand some late pressure from their Ukrainian opponents.
Arsenal, who were beaten 2-0 by Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, made a fast start with Brazilians Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus both having good opportunities before a fortunate opener in the 29th minute.
A low shot from Martinelli rebounded off the post and off the back of Shakhtar keeper Dmytro Riznyk for what turned out to be the only goal of the game.
Arsenal would have doubled their advantage before halftime were it not for Shakhtar captain Mykola Matviyenko who hooked the ball off the line to prevent a diving Kai Havertz nodding in.
Leandro Trossard also missed a second-half penalty awarded by VAR following a handball in the box.
“We had four big, big chances (in the first half). We should have converted them and put the game to bed,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told reporters after the game.
The second half was difficult he added. “We looked tired and lacked sharpness with and without the ball.”
Shakhtar, who are yet to win in the Champions League this season, put more pressure on Arsenal after the interval.
The Ukrainian side went close to equalising, when substitute Pedrinho had a long-range effort superbly saved by Arsenal keeper David Raya in stoppage time.
“I think we deserved an equaliser” Shakhtar coach Marino Pusic told reporters. “We were chasing for an equaliser till the end of the game… we did our best”.
Victory lifts Arsenal provisionally into the top four of the new 36-team league phase before Wednesday’s fixtures with their next match away at Inter Milan.
Shakhtar will seek to bounce back in their next match at home to Swiss side Young Boys.(Reuters/NAN)
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