TheNewsGuru

Tag: head coach

  • Boston Celtics to appoint ex-Nigerian basketball star Udoka head coach

    Boston Celtics to appoint ex-Nigerian basketball star Udoka head coach

    NBA club Boston Celtics are finalizing an agreement with Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka to make him the franchise’s new coach, sources told ESPN.

    Udoka, a former Nigeria international will replace Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, who stepped down as coach earlier this month to replace Danny Ainge running the club’s basketball operations.

    The 43-year-old’s candidacy was boosted with strong recommendations from key Celtics stars — including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart — who played for Udoka on Team USA in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

    Udoka was an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs for seven seasons under coach Gregg Popovich.

    He left San Antonio to join Brett Brown’s staff in Philadelphia two years ago and moved on to Brooklyn under Steve Nash this season.

    He spent several years in pro basketball as a player, including stops with the Lakers, Blazers, Kings, Knicks and Spurs.

    Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and LA Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups had multiple interviews with the Celtics. Both were considered top candidates in the process, sources said.

  • Egypt appoint former Al Ahly coach El-Badry as head coach

    Egypt appoint former Al Ahly coach El-Badry as head coach

    Egypt have appointed former Al Ahly player and coach Hossam El-Badry as manager to replace sacked Mexican Javier Aguirre, the country’s Football Association (FA) announced on its website.

    Aguirre was dismissed in July after The Pharaohs’ shock home elimination in the last 16 round of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) they hosted.

    The 59-year-old former Egypt defender has completed three stints as head coach of Cairo-based Al Ahly, starting in 2009 and most recently from 2016-18.

    He has also coached clubs in Sudan and Libya.

    El-Badry will be the first Egyptian to coach the national team since Shawky Gharib in 2014.

    Argentine Hector Cuper was Aguirre’s predecessor.

  • Tanzania sack Emmanuel Amuneke as head coach

    Tanzania have parted ways with their once cherished coach and former Nigeria international Emmanuel Amuneke after what the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) dubbed poor outing at the ongoing Nations Cup in Egypt.
    Amuneke who made history by qualifying the Taifa Stars of Tanzania for the Nations cup for the first time in 39 years failed to win a match in the group stage where the team was pitched against Algeria, Senegal and Kenya.
    The team lost 3-0 to Algeria, 3-2 to Kenya and 2-0 to Senegal to exit the competition conceding 8 goals and scoring just two against Kenya.
    TFF in a release on Monday said “The Tanzania Football Association and the national team coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, have reached a joint agreement to terminate the contract,” the TFF wrote on their website.
    The Federation said a temporary coach would be appointed after their emergency meeting on Thursday, and he would lead them for the upcoming qualifiers for the African Nations Championship (CHAN). Tanzania begin the regional CHAN qualifiers against neighbor’s Kenya later this month.
    Amuneke who coached Sudanese club Al Khartoum SC before taking over the Tanzanian national team won the Fifa U-17 World Cup trophy for a record fourth time in the United Arab Emirates in 2013 for Nigeria.
    The former Barcelona ace within the short period he was with Taifa Stars was hailed by many fans who noted that he had injected life into the Tanzanian national team despite the poor run in Egypt.

  • Xabi Alonso appointed Real Socieded B team head coach

    Xabi Alonso appointed Real Socieded B team head coach

    Former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso has been appointed as the new head coach of Real Sociedad’s B team.

    The 37-year-old has signed a two-year deal with his boyhood club, where he made 124 appearances before joining Liverpool in 2004.

    Alonso joins Sociedad from Real Madrid, where he spent the season working as a youth coach. He replaces Aitor Zulaika, who has been sacked.

    Alonso won the Champions League and the FA Cup during his five-year spell with Liverpool, before moving to Real Madrid.

  • Tanzania appoints Emmanuel Amuneke as head coach

    Tanzania appoints Emmanuel Amuneke as head coach

    Former Nigeria international, Emmanuel Amuneke, has been appointed the new head coach of Tanzania.

    The 47-year-old signed a two-year deal to take over from Salum Mayanga who was shown the way out for poor results, reports Goal.com

    His first task will be to get the Taifa Stars’ Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign back on track after a faulty start.

    Before the appointment of the 1994 African Player of the Year, Tanzania had hired and parted ways with four different coaches since 2014.

    Amuneke will make his debut when Tanzania face Uganda in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash on September 7, 2018.

  • Darren Moore appointed West Brom head coach

    Darren Moore has been appointed as new head coach of West Bromwich Albion Football Club, the club said in a statement on its website on Friday.

    The 44-year-old was placed in charge of the team after the exit of Alan Pardew in April.

    Moore’s stewardship over the final six games in the English Premier League could not save the team as it got relegated to the championship division.

    Announcing the appointment, Chief Executive of the club, Mr Mark Jenkins, said the impression Moore made across all areas of the club delivered a powerful case for his promotion to head coach.

    “We are delighted to confirm Darren as our new head coach and we look forward to his continuing the excellent work we saw when he stepped into the role in an interim capacity in the first week of April.

    “He embodies the spirit of the club and the spirit of what we are striving to achieve in this new chapter ahead.

    “We conducted a thorough process of recruitment but Darren’s powerful impact on the pitch and across all areas of the club established him as the outstanding candidate.

    “We suffered a torrid season but if there was a redeeming feature it was to see Darren at work over those final weeks, galvanising the club and getting everyone positive again.

    “We all know we have a challenging summer ahead of us but from talking at length to Darren about his plans, they are challenges he is ready to meet head on,” said Mark.

    Moore’s effort in his most recent capacity saw him named as the Premier League’s Manager of the Month after that memorable sequence of results which brought victories over Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham.

    He will set about assembling his backroom team as a priority before finalising plans for pre-season and working closely with Technical Consultant, Giuliano Terraneo, over player recruitment.

    Reacting, Moore said this was an opportunity to move the club to the right direction.

    “I am obviously proud to accept this role and also extremely excited.

    “We have a big summer ahead of us, a lot of hard work we need to get in now. I’m going all out to try to get those plans and personnel in place to make sure we’ve got everything ready.

    “We need to be because this is a tough league packed with great clubs. But, what an opportunity for us to move the club in the right direction,” he said.

  • Fortuna Sittard sacks Sunday Oliseh as Head coach

    Second division Dutch club Fortuna Sittard has sacked Nigerian head coach Sunday Oliseh over actions not related to on-field performance.

    Oliseh, who left the Super Eagles head coach position in February 2016 after falling out with several players and the Nigeria Football Federation hierarchy, has led Fortuna Sittard from the brink of relegation last season to the play-offs for top flight promotion this term.

    But the club, who employed Oliseh in January 2017, insist Oliseh’s relationship with other personnel at the club left them with no choice but to let him go.

    “Fortuna Sittard immediately relieve Sunday Oliseh of his duties,” the club announced on their official website on Wednesday.

    “The club management makes this decision as a result of the repeatedly culpable actions for a long period by the trainer towards several persons in the organization.

    “Several attempts by the club to move the trainer to other behavior remained unfortunately without result, resulting in an unworkable situation as a result.”

    Fortuna Sittard have hit a slump under Oliseh, losing four straight league matches, but the club insist the losing had nothing to do with their decision.

    “The board of Fortuna Sittard emphasizes that the decision to disband Sunday Oliseh is not motivated by the current sporting performance,” the club added.

    “Because of his inadmissible actions, the coach has made the co-operation with many people within the organization impossible. From players to employees. Fortuna Sittard regrets the decision, but states that the club interest goes above all else.”

  • We’ll do all it takes to win NPFL title, Nasarawa United coach says

    We’ll do all it takes to win NPFL title, Nasarawa United coach says

    Kabiru Dogo, Head Coach of Nasarawa United Football Club of Lafia, says his club’s target for the new season is to do all it takes to win the league title.

    Dogo told TheNewsGuru (TNG) in Lafia on Wednesday that he would also do all he could to motivate his players to ensure this.

    TNG reports that the “Solid Miners’’ finished fifth in the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

    “I will do all I can to motivate the players to maintain a winning streak all throughout the season, starting from the first home match against defending champions Plateau United Football Club.

    “We did not do badly last season. Out of 20 clubs, we came fifth. The only thing was that we did not win either the league or secure a continental spot. I want to assure you that we will come out fighting hard this season.

    “Plateau United is a very good team and we are happy to be playing them first. They are our neighbours.

    “We know it will be a difficult game, but we plan to approach the game with a positive mindset so as to secure the three points and kickstart our journey towards the title,’’ Dogo said.

    The head coach added that, for the club to achieve its goal, preparation for the new season must be in full gear.

    He thereby appealed to the club’s management to give the team full support as it prepares to kickstart its 2017/2018 season at home against Plateau United in few weeks’ time.

    “I am not satisfied with the way we are preparing, and every success depends on good preparation.

    “That is why I am appealing to the management to give us full support, so that we can achieve our goal. Nevertheless, we will use what we have to get what we want,’’ Dogo said.

    He stated that the transfer of some of his players to other clubs would not in any way affect the team’s determination to succeed in the new season.

    The coach pointed out that while some players left, players from other clubs were also recruited to join the club for the new season.

    “The issue of football is all about movement in and out. Some people have to go, and some others will come in.

    “But I believe we have capable hands to replace those who left and handle every position in the team,” he added.

    Dogo therefore appealed to the Nasarawa state government, as well as the club’s management and supporters, to give the team their full support in the new season.

    He said this would boost the morale of players and officials to achieve the goal of winning laurels and earn a spot to play continental football.

    “The government has been trying for us, but we want more.

    “We want more from the government, management and from our supporters so that at the end of the season, we can achieve what we set out to achieve,”the head coach said.