By Aderonke Ojo
….NTF hails NSC leadership of Dikko, Olopade for support ahead of Morocco clash
Team Nigeria has settled down in Rabat, Morocco and has already hit the ground running ahead of the highly anticipated Davis Cup World Group II tie against the host nation.
The Nigeria Tennis Federation contingent, which departed Lagos in the early hours of Monday, has arrived and settled comfortably in the Moroccan capital ahead of the two-day clash scheduled for September 19-20 at the Union Sportive des Cheminots de Tennis du Maroc.
The team, led by the Secretary General of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Shammah Aliyu Makpa, wasted no time in kicking off its preparation routine. The early arrival is a deliberate strategy to allow the players to acclimatize to the weather, adjust to the court surface and get into the right frame of mind for the showdown.
The players in camp include Daniel Adeleye, Canice Abua, Michael Emmanuel and Yusuf Abubakar, under the guidance of Head Coach Benson Ishicheli. The team was initially expected to be boosted by US Open and Roland Garros junior star Oluwaseun Ogunsakin, however, his arrival to link up with the rest of the squad in Rabat is now doubtful due to circumstances beyond his control.
Team Nigeria had its first feel of the match court on Monday with a light evening training session at the Union Sportive des Cheminots de Tennis du Maroc. The tempo has since increased with daily morning and afternoon sessions lined up as the technical crew fine-tunes tactics and doubles pairings.
Speaking on the team’s readiness, Shammah Aliyu expressed confidence in the team’s mental and physical state ahead of the tie, while also appreciating the support from the nation’s sports authorities and private partners.
“I want to first of all, on behalf of the Tennis Federation, appreciate the leadership of the National Sports Commission, Chairman Malam Shehu Dikko and Director General Hon. Bukola Olopade for making this possible. They have been supporting us since day one. Their financial and moral support has been one of our motivating factors. I must admit that they are the main source of the improvement we are experiencing in our federation today.
I want to also appreciate the Country Club of Lagos for allowing us to use their facilities for over three weeks camping in Lagos,” he said.
He added: “Yes, preparations are in top gear now as you can see. The team is here early enough to prepare and acclimatize with the weather. The technical crew and everyone here are doing their work to ensure that the team is ready mentally, physically and emotionally before the clash.
We know it won’t be an easy task but we are also equal to the challenge. This is another opportunity for us to break the jinx because we have never defeated Morocco in the Davis Cup before.
If we can qualify for this stage after over 30 years of waiting, then I will say it’s still possible to defeat Morocco and qualify for the Davis Cup World Group I,” he declared.
The tie carries huge significance for Nigerian tennis. Having lost all four previous Davis Cup encounters against Morocco, the current squad sees this as a golden chance to rewrite history. Nigeria booked this World Group II playoff spot after a hard-fought victory over Uzbekistan back in February, ending over three decades of waiting to reach this stage.
Team Nigeria is determined to make the long wait count. As the build-up to match-day continues, the focus remains on discipline, unity and execution, as the team eyes a historic first win over the Moroccans and a ticket to the Davis Cup World Group I.
