Sports
Onigbinde, Others Pay Tribute To Late Ogunjobi
Several prominent football stakeholders had so much to say on the late Taiwo Ogunjobi, a former Secretary-General of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA), as final burial rites for him began.
The football stakeholders paid their tribute on Wednesday in Ibadan at a symposium organised by the Western Nigeria Football Forum (WNFF) in honour of the former Nigeria international and football administrator.
Tidesports source reports that the symposium had the theme “Celebrating the Life and Times of Taiwo Ogunjobi’’.
It was part of the ongoing burial activities lined up in honour of the late Ogunjobi.
Seyi Akinwunmi, NFF’s First Vice-President, described the late Ogunjobi as a man of great virtue who contributed immensely to the growth of football in the country.
He said Ogunjobi’s achievements were numerous as a former player and skipper of the defunct IICC Shooting Stars Football Club, and a former player of the then Green Eagles.
“Ogunjobi was a great man who should be immortalised because of his contributions to the nation’s development in football,’’ Akinwunmi said of Ogunjobi, who was Chairman of Osun Football Association.
Adegboye Onigbinde, a former FIFA/CAF Instructor, said the late Ogunjobi had played his part very well, and called on everyone to always do good wherever they found themselves.
Onigbinde, who counseled all to embrace godliness, prayed to God to keep the late Ogunjobi’s soul in perfect peace.
Gbolagade Busari, the Board Chairman of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), said Ogunjobi was his hero, adding that he played a vital role in his return to the Ibadan-based football club.
Busari said Ogunjobi’s death was not a loss to only his family and 3SC, but a great loss to the country’s football family.
Rafiu Ladipo, President-General of Nigeria Supporters Club, described the late Ogunjobi as a man who was never ready to compromise the truth.
Ladipo, who said the country’s unity relied largely on football, called for the immortalisation of Ogunjobi for his immeasurable contributions to 3SC and football in Nigeria.
Bolaji Ojo-Oba, a former General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and Mohammed Sanusi who presently occupies that position, described Ogunjobi as an unassuming person.
“He was a peacemaker and bridge-builder,’’ Ojo-Oba said.
The duo urged other stakeholders to emulate Ogunjobi’s virtues, and promised that they would ensure that his legacies lived on.
Amanze Uchegbulam, Chairman of the Imo Football Association (FA), said the late Ogunjobi was his closest football friend in the country, disclosing that he was yet to recover from his demise.
“Ogunjobi occupied several positions to have an impact on his society. He is the first Chairman of Chairmen in Nigeria. He was very prayerful,’’ he said.
Felix Owolabi, an ex-international, said there were so many reasons to celebrate the late Ogunjobi, whom he said contributed immensely to the nation’s football growth.
NAN reports that the event was attended by Dominic Omeya, a former NFA Chairman, Fanny Amun, a former NFA Secretary-General, and Ibrahim Gusau, the Chairman of State FA Chairmen.
Also in attendance were ex-internationals such as Mutiu Adepoju, Ike Shorunmu and Dimeji Lawal, as well as some of the deceased’s children, Lanre, Deji and Omowunmi.
NAN reports that a candlelight procession was held after the symposium.(
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has said that criticism that he and other players chased money by moving to Saudi Arabia is wide of the mark.
The 33-year-old left Chelsea for Al-Ahli in a £16m ($21.4m) deal in 2023, and in May the Africa Cup of Nations winner helped his Saudi club win the Asian Champions League, making him one of the few players to win both that competition and its European equivalent.
But, like many others, Mendy has been criticised for playing for money rather than prestige in the lucrative Saudi Pro League.
When asked about such criticism, Mendy told a Tidesports source, “Al-Ahli’s project came along and they made me feel I had a big role to play.
“Two years later, we won the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. So yes, that validates my choice. And I hope the coming years will validate it even more.”
He added: “Some people will quickly jump to conclusions and say the only reason is money. From the start, I always said that when I left Chelsea, I knew I was joining another team where I could win everything , which was no longer the case at Chelsea.”
The Blues have since won the Conference League, Europe’s third-tier club competition, under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
But it comes after the regime’s trophyless first two years, a period which has frustrated some supporters after the success enjoyed under Roman Abramovich’s stewardship in the previous 19 years.
Mendy has also been celebrating what he describes as a historical win with Senegal against England at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, but days earlier he had been in Dakar delivering a different kind of win.
He is the sponsor of Yakaar, a school in Keur Massar, which seeks to improve funding and access to digital learning tools for local children from underprivileged backgrounds.
Famously, as Mendy grew up in France, he was unemployed, aged 22, while struggling to find a club, with members of his family still living on the outskirts of Dakar.
That is why Yakaar, a word meaning “hope”, was chosen, a word Mendy has carried with him in his career.
“Hope is what kept me going. When I was without a club, it was the hope of getting that first professional contract.
“Then the hope of playing for the national team. The hope of making my family proud by doing the job I had always dreamed of.
“Indeed, hope is the best word to describe my career.”
Mendy was also asked whether the responsibility of being an African goalkeeper had weighed heavily on him.
“Of course. When I was in England, there weren’t many African goalkeepers in top clubs,” he admitted.
“Whether nationally or internationally, I had that responsibility. It’s the same for other African goalkeepers like Andre Onana [Manchester United] or Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal).”
The entire refereeing committee has been fired by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), with structural reforms soon set to follow.
According to sources, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has dismissed the entire refereeing committee in response to mounting pressure from clubs demanding structural reform. A major shake-up aimed at modernising Spanish refereeing from top to bottom has now been set in motion.
Head of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), Luis Medina Cantalejo and Head of VAR, Carlos Clos Gomez, have been removed from their positions. They are joined by several senior officials, including Antonio Rubinos Perez and three vice presidents, who are also stepping down. A new leadership model will be introduced, led by a CEO and a sporting director, aiming to overhaul how refereeing is managed covering assessments, promotions, and daily operations. While the leadership changes are sweeping, the current pool of referees in La Liga and the second tier will remain, ensuring continuity on the field during the transition.
Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a new two-year contract with Al-Nassr that means he will stay with the Saudi Pro League club until beyond his 42nd birthday.
The Portugal captain, 40, joined the Riyadh-based team in December 2022 after leaving Manchester United in acrimonious circumstances, having criticised the club and said he had no respect for manager Erik ten Hag.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr deal had been due to expire at the end of June and there was speculation he could leave, but that has now been quashed.
In a post on X, Ronaldo wrote: “A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together.”
Although Al-Nassr have not added to their nine domestic titles during Ronaldo’s time at the club, they have benefited from a flood of goals from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo scored 35 times in 41 matches across all competitions last term and was the league’s top scorer for a second consecutive season.
He has managed 99 goals in appearances overall for Al-Nassr and is well on his way to reaching 1,000 senior goals in his career, with a current tally of 938 for club and country.
Having helped Portugal win the Uefa Nations League a little over two weeks ago, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid, Sporting and Juventus forward will almost certainly now be targeting a sixth World Cup appearance next summer.
Only a month ago, Ronaldo posted on social media to say “the chapter is over”.
That came after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al-Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again.
The comment fuelled rumours that Ronaldo was ready to leave the league where he reportedly became the best-paid player in football history with an annual salary of £177m when he joined.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino raised the prospect of Ronaldo joining a team involved in the Club World Cup after Al-Nassr failed to qualify for the extended tournament which is being held in the United States.
Ronaldo said he had received offers from participating teams but had turned them down.
The decision to stay until at least 2027, which is certain to be highly lucrative, appears to rule out any future prospect of Ronaldo returning to play at the highest level in Europe.