Sports
Globacom Threatens Legal Action Against NFF
Globacom have denied claims by the Nigeria Football Federation that they have defaulted in the payment of their sponsorship fees for the year, and have threatened legal action against the Glass House.
On Sunday, Idris Adama, the NFF’s Head of Marketing, told Tidesports’ source that the telecommunications company, who sponsor all the national teams to the tune of N150 million, were eleven months behind in their payment for 2009.
But Omodele Sarafa-Yusuf, the company’s Head of Sponsored Assets, described the statement as ‘a cheap lie calculated at diminishing Globacom’s investment in the nation’s football.’
Sarafa-Yusuf, in a statement on Tuesday, said: “Globacom has adhered strictly to the payment terms as specified in Clause 4.1-2 on page 4 of the contract signed in 2004.
“We urge the NFF to carefully study the letters of the section under reference. The clause stipulates that the 90 per cent cash component of the rights fee be paid in two installments at six months interval.”
The statement also reminded the NFF that in adherence to this clause and in response to the NFF demand letter of April 23, 2009, Globacom had through a letter dated May 8, 2009, paid N80 million to the Federation, representing over 50 per cent of the total sponsorship fee remitted through an Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB) cheque Number 00364518.
Furthermore, the company asked the NFF not only to retract the statement, but also to ‘caution the erring officer for the embarrassment caused the company’.
The company went on to catalogue what it described as ‘deliberate and consistent serial breaches of its rights to brand the National Teams’ training jerseys, exclusive branding of ball boys and escorts during National Teams’ matches and sector exclusivity by the federation and its agents’.
The statement said while these breaches have been brought to the attention of successive boards of the NFF since 2006, “we have not received any joy by way of actions to remedy the violations. Instead, agents of rival brands have been encouraged to ambush our rights even when we have fulfilled all obligations to the federation”.
“Globacom is the single highest financial corporate supporter of football at all levels in Nigeria since 2003 with over N6 billion committed to the development of the National teams and the Nigeria Premier League. We therefore find the recent statement from an NFF official to be in bad taste and a calculated falsehood aimed at diminishing our years of investment in football.”
The statement added that the company ‘may seek redress in court if the federation fails to retract the statement.’
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).
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.
Tagged “Boxing Jams Music,” the year-end edition will once again blend elite professional boxing with live musical performances. Fans can look forward to thrilling bouts across weight divisions and electrifying performances by some of Nigeria’s top entertainers.
Flykite Productions’ Chief Operating Officer, Bamidele Johnson, said the forthcoming edition will build on the event’s tradition of combining sport and music in a festival-like atmosphere. He assured fans of an unforgettable Boxing Day experience, with added entertainment elements planned.
“GOtv Boxing Night 34 will once again deliver the best of both worlds of top-class boxing and live music. We are committed to giving fans a truly memorable Boxing Day experience at Tafawa Balewa Square,” he said.
Over the years, Boxing Jams Music has grown into the country’s biggest sport-entertainment spectacle, hosting title bouts sanctioned by continental and global bodies alongside live performances by top acts such as Burna Boy, Teni, Mayorkun, Zlatan and Wande Coal.
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