Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo on Thursday in Abuja said kickstarting their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign on a winning note was very crucial.
First-half goals by Alex Iwobi and Victor Osimhen made the difference as the Super Eagles won 2-1 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
They struck back after Sierra Leone took a shock early lead in a display that was hardly the most convincing.
Aribo told newsmen at a post-match conference that their match day one victory against Sierra Leone was important.
He said it would help the team gain momentum ahead of their remaining fixtures in the campaign.
“I think it’s very important that we got off to a winning start in our first game because we want to take the momentum into the next game on Monday.
“So, kick-starting our campaign on a high and getting all three points in our kitty was very crucial,” the Glasgow Rangers player said.
On the team’s unconvincing performance against the Leone Stars, Aribo said the team would get better with each game.
“We know ourselves. We could have played better, but I think we will improve with the more games we play.
“It’s our first game at home together as a group with the new coach, but the team is going to improve as we continue to play together.
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“We are working with new tactics and philosophy. So, it is a gradual process.
“We are definitely going to get better and stronger in the games to come,” he said.
The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to their next match against Sao Tomé and Principe in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday.
English Premier League suspends TV deal with Russian broadcaster over Ukraine
The Premier League in England has suspended its six-year deal with Russian broadcaster Match TV.
The previous deal with Russian media group Rambler was suspended in March after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But a new contract with Match TV reported to be worth 43 million pounds (53.8 million dollars), had been set in place to cover the next six seasons.
However, with the conflict in Ukraine showing no signs of easing, the Premier League announced at its annual general meeting in Harrogate that the new deal has been put on hold.
No timeframe has been placed on when the suspension would be lifted and the matter was not voted on by the top-flight clubs before the announcement.
The League’s previous contract with Rambler expired at the end of the 2021/2022 season.
