Sports
Nigeria Targets Milo Football Tourney Title
The country’s representa
tives in the 3rd edition of the Nestle Milo African U-13 Football Championship have completed the first phase of closed camping at the Kwara State Football Academy, Ilorin.
The head coach of the team, Paul Odey, told newsmen in Lagos that the players were now ready for the tournament.
St. Barnabas LGEA of Ilorin won the national U-13 championship and will represent Nigeria at the tournament to be hosted in Lagos at the Campos Square Sports Centre.
South Africa, Ghana and Kenya are the other countries that will take part in the championship scheduled to hold from May 29 to 31.
“We have completed the camping exercise which was scheduled to last two weeks and the boys have been primed to face any opposition at their level.
“The important thing is that they responded very well to the drills we put them through and this can be seen in the number of friendly matches they played and won,” Odey said .
The coach expressed satisfaction with the depth of strength the boys have built up, saying that “we put them through three hours of football daily.
“It is significant that they played at the same strength and in fact, stronger in the second friendly match they played and winning both games”.
He said though the Ilorin camping programme had been completed, he would be working with the boys daily until they were called for the final closed camping.
“We just have to keep up with the boys so that they don’t lose the stamina gained during the period they were in camp.
“We will keep a close tab on them in the period they will be out of closed camping.
“The Nigerian squad is expected to undergo another camping exercise at the International Football Academy in Wasimi, Ogun State,’’ he said.
The biennial football event was first hosted by South Africa in 2010 and saw Nigeria’s representative Ashegun School, Oyo State lifting the trophy.
In 2012, Ghana hosted and won, while Nigeria was represented by St. Stephens School, Lagos.
Sports
CAFCC: Enyimba International In Pot 3 For Draws
African soccer governing body has released the pots for the qualified teams for the group stage of the Confederation Cup, Tidesports sources reports.
Enyimba International is among the 16 qualified teams for the group stage of the competition.
The People’s Elephant was placed in pot 3 alongside ASJaaraf, CS Constantine; Bravos Do Maquils, Lunda Suliat, Orapa United, Black Bulls, and Stellenbosch. Pot 1 consists of Zamalek, RS Berkane, Simba SC, and USM Algers while Pot 2 has ASEC Mimosa, Stade Malien, Al Masry, and CS Sfaxien.
Sports
AFCON 2025 Qualifiers : Super Eagles Host Libya, Oct 11
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will host the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matchday three encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Friday, October 11.
The two teams will clash in a matchday four encounter at the Tripoli International Stadium four days later.
The Super Eagles started their qualifying campaign with a 3-0 home win against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic.
The three-time African champions were held to 0-0 draw by the Amavubi of Rwanda in their second group game.The West Africans occupy top spot in Group D with four points from two games.
Libya are bottom of the group after amassing one point from two games.
Only the top teams in each group will advance to the tournament proper in Morocco beginning in December 2025.
Meanwhile, Libya has opted to host Group D leaders Nigeria at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium, in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Matchday 4 encounter. The facility is located in the city of Benina, some 19 kilometres outside the country’s second city, Benghazi.
Known previously as Hugo Chávez Stadium, the stadium is a 10,000-capacity facility with an artificial turf.
Both countries will do a Matchday 3 battle at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday, 11th October, before the clash in the city at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday, 15th October.
While the match in Uyo will kick off at 5pm, the battle in Benina will commence at 8pm Nigeria time.
Libya remain bottom of Group D after two rounds of matches, following a 1-1 at home to Rwanda (a game that was played at the Tripoli International Stadium) and a 1-2 loss to the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Abidjan.
Nigeria tops the pool with four points, after a 3-0 spanking of Benin Republic in Uyo on Matchday 1 and a scoreless draw with Rwanda’s Amavubi in Kigali on Matchday 2.
Sports
NYG: Kano Athletes Protest Over Allowances In Asaba
Kano State athletes, who participated in the concluded 8th edition of the National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, Delta State, last Friday called on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to address the issue of their poor camp allowances.
The athletes, speaking anonymously, expressed dissatisfaction with the daily allowance they received, claiming it was significantly lower than that of their counterparts from neighbouring Northwestern states.
“We were given less than N20,000 for ten days, while athletes from Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara received N50,000. Jigawa athletes were paid the highest, receiving N80,000,” one of the athletes said.
Despite the disparity in allowances, the athletes secured five gold, three silver, and one bronze in the competition.
They urged the governor to intervene and resolve the issue.
Also, the athletes commended the Kano State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, for supporting other athletes representing the state in sports like football and basketball and hoped for similar support.
The objective of the National Youth Games, initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013, is to promote unity, peace, and understanding among youths while addressing issues of restiveness and unemployment across the country.
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