Sports
Sharks Management Hails Coach, Player Over Award
Management of Sharks
fc has congratulated Gbenga Ogunbote and Christain Pyagbara for winning the League Bloggers Awards LBA for manager and player respectively for the month of April.
General Manager of Sharks, Okey Kpaluku who sent the congratulatory message onbehalf of the management of the club from Kenya described the award as timely and well deserved by the coach and player.
Kpaluku added that the award will go a long way to motivate the team to break more ground this season and consolidate on its good run so far in the league by not dropping point at home and picking valuable point on the road.
“Let me congratulate you on the award which did not come to us as a surprise because you truly worked for it and am sure this honour will spur you (coach and players) to do more in the field of play,” Kpaluku said
Responding, technical adviser of the club and coach of the month of April Gbenga Ogunbote who was excited with the award commended the League Bloggers Awards for recognising the input of coaches on the growth of the game in the local scene.
He, however, attributed the award to the commitment and dedication of the entire team to duty and used the opportunity to call on fans of Sharks fc to come out in their numbers and support the team to victory, stressing that the ugly incident after the match against Enyimba fc would not repeat itself again.
I’m am very happy with this award, it goes to show that somebody somewhere appreciates what we coaches are doing in our team’ and I commend the initiators of this award for doing a great job,” Ogunbote said
And player of the month of April Christain Pyagbara who expressed shock after he was singled out of the lots in the elite league for the award assured fans of the team that the award will ginger him to channel his energy into achieving the ambitions of the team this season.
“ I was shocked when I got wind of the award for the month of April and the much I can do now is do the best I can to ensure that Sharks FC wins a major silverware this season,” Pyagbara said
Gbenga Ogunbote emerged the manager’s award by edging out Kelechi Emeteole of Heartland, Salisu Yusuf of El-Kanemi Warriors and Paul Aigbogun of Warri Wolves, who were also shortlisted for the monthly award.
Ogunbote was honoured for guiding Sharks to the top spot of the league table and also masterminded their away win at Kaduna United while they went unbeaten in five matches from Match Day 7 to 11.
In the players category Pyagbara beat Saibou Badarou of Heartland, Osaguona Ighodaro of Enugu Rangers, Gbolahan Salami of Warri Wolves, Emem Eduok of Dolphins, Nnamso Edo of Akwa United and his teammate and goalkeeper, Danladi Isah to emerge winner.
Sports
European Giants Circle For Osimhen
Victor Osimhen will be the centre of attention as several of Europe’s biggest clubs send scouts to yesrerday’s Intercontinental Derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with the Nigerian forward set to play a decisive role in the Super Lig title race
Representatives from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Juventus were expected to be present at Rams Park, underlining the scale of interest in both the fixture and its standout performers.
Reports in Turkish media indicate that the derby will serve not only as a key moment in the domestic title race but also as a platform for transfer discussions and strategic collaborations between clubs.
According to those reports, top European sides have secured places at the stadium with a dual purpose.
“Europe’s leading representatives will be present at the stadium within the framework of both player transfer and cooperation,” ,” Milliyet reported.
“Real Madrid, Barcelona, among many clubs, including Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Napoli and Juventus, have made reservations for today’s match.”
Osimhen was expected to be among the primary players under observation, alongside teammates Baris Yilmaz and Gabriel Sara, with scouts closely monitoring their performances in one of the most high-profile fixtures in Turkish football.
The report further noted, “Victor Osimhen, Yilmaz and Sara were at the top of the watch list and that the interest would mainly be in these players.”
It also highlighted broader discussions beyond player recruitment, stating, “Apart from this, ideas will be exchanged for strengthening relations between the clubs and new joint agreements.”
The Nigerian striker’s presence came at a crucial point in the season, with Galatasaray holding a four-point lead over second-placed Fenerbahce and knowing that victory would all but secure the league title with three matches remaining.
Osimhen recently returned from injury, making a brief appearance in the cup defeat to Genclerbirligi after missing four games, a period during which Galatasaray’s form showed signs of inconsistency.
His absence coincided with a mixed run of results in April, where the league leaders recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat, including a loss to Trabzonspor and a draw at home to Kocaelispor.
Defensively, Galatasaray have also shown vulnerability, conceding in each of their last six matches across all competitions, a concern ahead of a fixture that could define their campaign.
The derby follows disappointment in the Turkish Cup, where Galatasaray suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat to Genclerbirligi, while Fenerbahce were also knocked out after a 1-0 loss to Konyaspor
Sports
Tennis Event Boosts Grassroots Development Push
A tennis tournament held in honour of Olusola Odumosu, Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps FCT Command, has been described as a major step towards grassroots sports development and youth engagement.
The three-day competition, staged at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, began midweek , last week and ended on Friday, attracting young players across different categories.
On the court, top-ranked player Canice Abua won the men’s singles title after a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 victory over Lucky Danjuma, who is ranked fourth nationally.
In the boys’ category, Unity Alex defeated Khaleed Dalha in straight sets to win the title, while Salvation Alex triumphed over Opeyemi Olademeji to win the girls’ singles event.
Odumosu, who marked his birthday with the event, said the initiative was designed to uncover young talent and strengthen the foundation of tennis development in Nigeria.
Sports
W/Cup Qualifier: Flamingos In Impressive Opener
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, opened their preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers with a dominant 6-0 victory over Generation Next in Abuja as head coach Akeem Ishola Busari continues to shape his squad.
The emphatic win came during a 60-minute friendly at the Goal Project at the weekend, where the Flamingos took control early and led 4-0 at half-time before the match was halted in the 54th minute due to heavy rain.
Goals were spread across the squad, with Shavih Istifanus opening the scoring inside the first minute, followed by a brace from Tobiloba Sarafa in the 10th and 23rd minutes.
Harmony Chidi added the fourth in the 28th minute, while Aminat Adebisi struck just before half-time and Precious Paul completed the scoring early in the second half.
The match forms part of a busy training camp in Abuja, where Busari has invited 36 players as Nigeria step up preparations for their second-round qualifier against Guinea.
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