Sports
Mbachu Preaches Sustenance Of Aisha Buhari Cup Event
Nigeria women football great and Assistant Coach of Heartland Queens FC of Owerri, Stella Mbachu, has advocated that the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Tournament be sustained in the interest of women and girls in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
“Football has a way of driving home messages better and across wider territories, and you would be surprised at how far the messages can go. In this light, I am calling on the organisers and also the First Lady herself to see to the sustenance of the laudable project.
“It is usually easy to start a project, but here in Africa, sustaining it is always a challenge. I am appealing to the First Lady to sustain it even after she must have left office. It should not be allowed to die.”
The Aisha Buhari Foundation focuses on women and young girls as well as vulnerable people like widows, orphans and the disabled across the country. The programme involves training for entrepreneurial skills and provision of starter packs, conditional and unconditional cash transfers and provision of business tools.
Mbachu also said the tournament will help participating teams in their preparation towards the qualification race of the 2022 Women AFCON and the Championship proper.
“It is a good tournament and even has all the characteristics of the Women AFCON. It is a great opportunity for the teams involved to prepare for the major tournaments ahead.”
Meanwhile, former Super Falcons’ defender Adanna Nwaneri has connected the hosting of the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament with the other laudable programmes of the country’s First Lady, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari and declared that the tournament is in the interest of the girl-child across the African continent.
Nwaneri believes the Aisha Buhari Cup tournament has the capacity to contribute to the empowerment of the girl-child as the showpiece will create awareness in far-flung places and other terrain not really disposed to allowing women and girl-child to partake in the game of football.
“The tournament will further create awareness of women football especially in other parts of the country where the idea is not well-received for women to play football. Now, with a woman of the status and decency of the First Lady supporting such an idea, the idea will become well-received and the negativity will ebb away.
“Many things will change with the Aisha Buhari Cup. It will become clearer that football is for everyone that has the capacity and the talent to engage in it,” Nwaneri stated.
The Ardova Handball Premier League 2025, which began with the first phase in Benin City months ago, before the second phase in Lagos which ends with a finale that the Executive Chairman of Ardova PLC, Dr. Abdulwasiu Sowami, ably represented by the Deputy Managing Director, Ardova PLC, Mrs Abiola Babatunde-Ojo, described as delightful to watch in her speech.
For Safety Shooters, it was a historic moment as they clinched the men’s title for the first time since 2020, completing a dominant campaign that saw them finish top of the table with 57 points from 20 matches while Safety Babes also etched their name deeper into Nigerian handball history, winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive women’s championship, reaffirming their status as the league’s most dominant team, not just in the women’s category but in the history of handball premier league in Nigeria.
In the Men’s Safety Shooters finished the season in style, beating COAS Shooters 43–32 (20–10) to cap off a dominant outing in Phase 2.
Their final-day victory ensured they remained clear at the summit with an impressive 18 wins, one draw, and one loss, totaling a superb goal difference of +214 after scoring 638 goals and conceding 424.
The organisers of the Ikoyi Club Tennis Masters Tournament have earmarked N4 million as the prize money for this year’s edition.
?The Chairman of the tennis section of Ikoyi Club, Diran Famakinwa, stated this at a briefing, highlighting the activities for the second edition of the tournament.
?The tournament, which is in collaboration with MegaMound Investment Limited, is endorsed by the Nigerian Tennis Federation.
?According to Famakinwa, the male and female champions will receive N500,000 each, while the runners-up in both categories will go home with the sum of N350,000 each, with the remaining money to be shared among the semi-finalists and other participants.
?Sixteen players, which includes the eight top ?male and eight top female players, will feature in the one-week event, which started on December 5, and run till Saturday, December 13.
?The female final will be held on Friday, December 12, while the male final will take up on Saturday, December 13.
In a statement released on Saturday, the NSC described the defender as “Captain Fantastic” and praised his decade of distinguished service to Nigeria, highlighting a legacy defined by professionalism, consistency, patriotism and an unwavering commitment to national duty.
“After a decade of distinguished service to Nigeria, Troost-Ekong leaves behind a legacy defined by professionalism, consistency, patriotism and an unwavering commitment to national duty,” the NSC stated.
The commission noted that, as one of the most capped defenders in Super Eagles history with 83 international appearances since his debut in 2015, Troost-Ekong served as a pillar of leadership across multiple tournaments and qualification campaigns.
“His exceptional outing at the last Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored three goals and was named Player of the Tournament, remains one of the most remarkable achievements by a defender in AFCON history,” the NSC added.
The statement further emphasised that Troost-Ekong’s “Nigeria first” mindset, discipline and exemplary conduct set a standard for the next generation of athletes, with his influence within the national team extending beyond the pitch to inspire unity, resilience and professionalism among his teammates.
Meanwhile, Troost-Ekong has dismissed rumours that he was forced to retire by the country’s football administrators as punishment for leading a revolt against the NFF.
The 32-year-old’s announcement came less than a month before the AFCON, and he was named in the 54-man preliminary list. His decision sparked speculation, particularly as he had led a strike in protest against unpaid bonuses during the World Cup qualifying play-offs.
One fan speculated on social media, suggesting that Troost-Ekong was pressured to quit after exposing the NFF. The Al Khoolood defender offered a sharp retort, establishing that he unilaterally made the decision to retire.
“Not true! My own choice/decision and on my own terms. No one ever asked/tried to force me out. If anything, the opposite when I shared my decision. I wish the team all the best and support them together with all Nigerians for the upcoming AFCON to go all the way,” he wrote on X.
The NSC concluded by wishing Troost-Ekong the very best in the next chapter of his career and commending him for representing Nigeria with honour.
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