Sports
Teams In 2015/2016 League Well Prepared – Iorfa
Keeper Femi Thomas (right) of Enyimba going for the ball
The Chairman of Lobi
Stars of Markurdi, Dominic Iorfa, on Tuesday said that the high level of competition by teams as the 2015/2016 Nigeria Premier Football League began showed their readiness.
Iorfa, who spoke to newsmen in Lagos, said their adequate preparation was responsible for the away wins recorded at the competition’s first matches.
Tidesports source reports that the opening fixtures of the premier league produced four away wins with Lobi Stars of Markurdi being among the teams.
The Benue team defeated their hosts 3SC at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan by a lone goal through Ajia Emmanuel.
The other away wins are MFM FC beating Nasarawa United at Lafia Township Stadium, while Wikki Tourist piped El-Kanemi at Sani Abacha Stadiun, Kano.
Ifeanyi Uba also got the victory over Giwa FC at the Rwang Pan Stadium in Jos.
Iorfa, who hails from Gboko town in Benue, said that most teams in the league had now realised what it takes to play in the competition.
He said that the league results across the country revealed the seriousness now attached to winning away matches by the clubs.
“The results clearly demonstrate that the teams are getting ready. Taking a cue from what happened on Sunday, you will see passion and determinations from the clubs.
“The pre-season preparation of some of the teams was fantastic. Most teams went on camping not within their area but to other states in order to curb distractions.
“This is how it should be; we have seen the preparations of most teams in the federation, many going to other parts of the country to adapt to their environment.
“They also travelled to avoid distractions from home people and that really gave big incentives to the team. The results of the games were fantastic,’’ he said.
Iorfa told newsmen that the teams playing in the premier league had come of age and that they were poised to win though not by all means.
According to him, the League Management Company (LMC) deserves credit for the good organisation of the competition.
He also called for adequate remuneration for the match officials.
“I think we have to thank the LMC for the hard work and equally Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for doing their best.
“It is unexpected to see four teams losing at home; it is a rare thing in the history of Nigerian football. This also shows that the referees are coming of age.
“The match officials and referees are trying to be stable in their officiating and not to favour any side. This is how the league should be played,’’ Iorfa said.
“Good officiating is what tilted most people to watch overseas matches at the expense of ours but I think the good times are here now.
“I hope the LMC will continue in this momentum and also see to the grey area of providing good incentives to the match officials to discourage biased officiating.’’
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.