Sports

Rashidi Yekini NPFL Award: Okpotu Bags Highest Goal Scorer Award

Published

8 years ago

October 23, 2017

Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi, Anthony Okpotu at the weekend Saturday in Ibadan, bagged the Rashidi Yekini NPFL’s Highest Goal Scorer Award for the 2016/2017 Season.
Tidesports source gathered that Okpotu bagged the award with N100, 000 after scoring 19 goals in the just concluded Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) 2016/2017 season.
According to Tidesports source the award organised by the Rashidi Yekini Foundation headed by Mr Jubril Mohammed, the late Yekini’s lawyer, was the third edition.
Okpotu described the late Yekini as a legend and all-time highest national team goal scorer who has not been celebrated enough.
He dedicated the award to his team mates and management, saying that the award would spur him to score more goals in the subsequent season. Okpotu called on sportsmen in the country to emulate the giant strides of the late Yekini, urging them to invest in their lives while they were still active.
“When you climb a ladder, you don’t have to push it down to prevent others from climbing, because you may still need the ladder when you want to fall,’’ he said.
Yemi, the daughter of the late Yekini, called on people to always ensure that they impart more on others in whatever they do.
She said that anyone who was ready to impart on others must be ready to make sacrifices, thanking all for coming together to celebrate her late father and his memories.
In the same vein, Mohammed, the Yekini’s lawyer, said that he would not relent in doing more for the late Yekini’s family, saying that he had a covenant with the soccer legend.
“ We have a covenant where he told me he never trusted anyone, but me.
“He presented to me a special Quran to which we both held to make the covenant.
“Yekini had a premonition of his death and he told me I should not betray the trust he reposed in me.
“He entrusted all upon me and I promised him that I will always be by his family,’’ the lawyer said.
Also, an ex-international, Felix Owolabi, urged sportsmen to always look after themselves while active, saying that many celebrated sportsmen in the country had been abandoned.
“When you are on the stage, people will love you for the services you rendered, but when you are no more on stage, they will turn against you.
“The feeling is that you have been paid for the services you rendered when you are active. Our people needs attitudinal change in this country,’’ he said.
Also Mr Abayomi Oke, the Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, appreciated the foundation for organising such a laudable project.
He said that it was good to celebrate our heroes while they were alive.
The commissioner also stressed the importance of education in whatever anyone does, saying that education usually gives leverage on every chosen career.
NAN reports that the event was attended by Justice Moshood Abas of Oyo State High Court, Mr Mike Idoko of Lobi Stars Football Club and Coach Festus Allen, former 3SC Coach.
Others were Mr Raheed Balogun, the General Manager of 3SC, Mr Niyi Alebiosu, Chairman, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo State Chapter and Mr Remi Olaniran, a gubernatorial hopeful in Oyo State.

Sports

IAUE VC Football Cup Final Holds In PH, Wed

Published

4 days ago

September 13, 2025

The Tide

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, in Rivers State, will be at the centre stage on Wednesday as the VC Cup final, both male and female categories will be played at the prestigious Stadium in the school.

The both final matches promises to be exciting, as arrangements have been concluded to watch one of the best VC football Cup finals in the history.

VC Cup tournament is an annual sporting event that involves all students in various facilities.

According to the Chief coach of the University football team, David Egbiri, the female will final will kick off 2pm between faculty of Human Kinetics and Management Sciences, while the male will kick off by 4pm between Social Science and Natural Applied Science

Egbiri, who was former coach of Abiola Babe FC and Concord FC, lauded the Vice Chancellor. Prof. Okechukwu Onuchukwu for releasing funds on sports development, saying that he has never also failed the School in terms of infrastructural development.

“The VC who is also a sports personality has not failed to release funds for this tournament, apart from that he has not also disappointed in terms of developing the school in all ramifications.

“I want to say that my major reason for accepting to coach the school football team is to develop the youth through sports”, Coach Egbiri said.

The former Eagle Cement Coach, explained that he was not encouraged the way and manner the young ones are going about sports because there is no discipline and so much quest for quick money.

” Honestly, the way young players are looking money was just too much. Looking for short cuts always to make money that is more reason some of them don’t go far and end up badly

” In our days we first of all think about how to make name and we are passionate about it. I went to school and saw myself in sports, while my initial intention was to read electrical engineering” he stated.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Gov. Decries Delta’s Poor Performance At 2025 NYG

Published

5 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

Pix: Team Delta State

The Delta State Sports Commission has come under scrutiny following the state’s disappointing performance at the just-concluded National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, where Lagos dethroned Delta to clinch top spot.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, visibly displeased with both the poor outing of Team Delta and the organizational lapses witnessed during the Games, summoned an emergency meeting with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) immediately after the closing ceremony.

Delta, which had dominated the NYG by finishing first in the last eight editions, only managed second place this time — a result the governor described as “totally unacceptable,” especially given the state’s significant investment in the event.

According to a reliable source privy to the meeting, Governor Oborevwori expressed deep disappointment, stressing that his administration had provided all necessary support to the Sports Commission and the LOC to ensure Delta retained its traditional top position.

In a decisive move, the governor demoted his Executive Assistant on Sports and former Director-General of the Sports Commission, Festus Owhojero, under whose leadership the Games were organized. Owhojero was reassigned from Executive Assistant (EA) to Senior Special Assistant (SSA) with immediate effect.

The governor’s action, our source revealed, reflects his zero-tolerance stance on incompetence and underperformance within his administration. Mr. Owhojero thus becomes the first high-profile casualty of the governor’s resolve to reposition sports in Delta State.

Furthermore, Oborevwori directed the Sports Commission and LOC officials to submit a detailed report on the Games, outlining what went wrong and providing recommendations for improvement. The governor emphasized the need for urgent reforms to restore Delta’s dominance, especially as the state is set to host the next edition of the Games under an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Sports

WCQ: NFF Denies Post Match Statement

Published

5 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

Pix: Super Eagles players in celebration mood.

The Nigeria Football Federation has distanced itself from a post-match statement that criticised some Super Eagles players following the team’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The statement, issued by the NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, singled out forward Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong for criticism.

It accused Dessers of being sluggish and faulted Ekong for the own goal that gave Bafana Bafana the lead.

However, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said on Wednesday that the statement did not represent the official position of the Federation.

“I saw the release just like everyone else did. Nobody in the Federation is happy with it,” Sanusi said.

“The NFF did not authorise that statement. We have great respect for all the players. Blaming an individual for a team result is unfair.”

He added that the Federation regards the South Africa match as a collective effort and will not support attempts to scapegoat any player.

“When we win, it’s a team victory. When we lose, it’s also collective. No player should be singled out,” Sanusi said.

He described the targeted criticism of Troost-Ekong as unjustified, noting that the defender had previously been celebrated as the Most Valuable Player at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.

“It was an unfortunate own goal. His intention was to clear the ball. Anyone who knows football understands that such things happen,” he said..

Sanusi also expressed confidence in the team’s unity, revealing that efforts were ongoing to regroup and refocus ahead of the remaining qualifiers and AFCON.

“Our house is in order. We’re preparing for the rest of the qualifiers and the AFCON in Morocco,” he said.

“There’s no problem with our players or coaching crew. Our relationship remains cordial. The government and the NFF are proud of the players’ efforts.”

The Federation had initially praised Calvin Bassey for his equalising goal and lamented the team’s failure to convert second-half chances.

But Sanusi made it clear that internal disciplinary action would be taken over the unauthorised release.

“I can assure you the NFF will take action on the matter,” he said.

Nigeria currently sit third in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers with 11 points from eight matches. South Africa lead the group with 17 points.

The Super Eagles must now win their remaining games against Lesotho and Benin Republic and hope other results go their way to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.