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Committee Clears Seven, Others For NFF Elections

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Seven persons have been
cleared to vie for the Presidency of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) tomorrow  in Warri, Delta State.
The candidates gunning for the NFF Presidency are Ogunjobi Taiwo Joseph (Osun State), Yola Abba Abdullahi (Kano State), Mike Umeh (Anambra State), Pinnick Amaju Melvin (Delta State), Iorfa Mtem Dominic (Benue State), Shehu Dikko (Kaduna State) and Amanze U. Uchegbulam (Imo State).
According to a statement from the electoral committee, four candidates were listed for the 1st Vice-president position of the NFF.
They are Suleyman Muazu of Sokoto State, Inyama Emeka (Abia State), Adamu Shehu (Kaduna State) and Seyi Akinwunmi (Lagos State).
Musa Gusau Ibrahim (Zamfara) is the only candidate for the Chairman of Chairmen position.
For the ordinary membership of the board representing the six geopolitical zones of the country, there appears to be no consensus among the candidates from the regions as most of the candidates have entered the fray to test their popularity among the 44 membership of the NFF General Assembly.
From the North Central, four candidates are battling for the sole ticket for the zone. They include; Agara Silas (Nasarawa State), Suleiman Yahaya Kwande (Plateau State), Ahmed Yusuf (Fresh) (Niger State) and Bewarang Bitrus Yigol (Plateau State).
For the North East ticket, it is going to be battle royal between the five candidates that includes; Yahuza Adamu Haruna (Bauchi State), Abiso Alhaji Bashir (Bornu State), Modibbo Hussaini A. (Taraba State), Kachalla Baba Gana Kalli (Borno State) and Zira Emmanuel Stephen (Adamawa State).
The North West zone ticket is a three-horse race between Sharu Rabiu Inuwa (Kano State), Balele Aminu (Katsina State) and Babangida M. Tukur  (Kano State).
The South East fight to get to the board pitches incumbent,  Agwu Felix Anyasi (Abia State) with three others – Obikwelu Jude Benjamin Chukwudi (Anambra State), Okenna Chidi Ofo (Enugu State) and  Igbokwe Leonard Ikechukwu (Anambra State).
Chairman of the NFF technical committee, Chris Green, has  three others to battle in his bid to return to the Glass House in Abuja where he wielded so much influence.
Those bidding to upstage the Rivers man include Tenebe Jarrett Celestine (Edo State) and Oswald Atuake (Cross River State). The only addition to the race is Chairman of Edo FA, Abel Ehigie.
Like Green, Ayodeji Tinubu (Lagos) has three other candidates from the South West zone to battle in his bid for another term at the NFF board. Those also gunning for the ticket are Adepoju Emmanuel Olaleye (Oyo State), Sunday Dele Ajayi (Ondo State), and Majekodunmi G.A. Adesina.
The committee also listed Chris Giwa from the North Central Zone (Plateau State)  and Segun Odegbami South West Zone (Ogun) as two previously cleared presidential candidates who have failed to show interest in participating in tomorrow’s elections.
Others who were also cleared but have failed to show interest include Yahaya Adama – North Central (Kogi State), Farouk Yarma Adamu – North East Zone (Gombe State), Shema Mohammed Sani – North East Zone (Yobe State), Obinna J. Ogba – South East Zone (Ebonyi State), Johnson Etim Effiong – South-South Zone (Akwa Ibom State) and  Obuah Felix Amaechi – South-South Zone (Rivers State).FRED290914 SPO 26

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Football Pundit Lauds Chelle’s Effort In Monitoring Nigeria League Players

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A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.

Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.

“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”

He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.

“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”

“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.

“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.

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LGA Boss Pledges To Reintroduce School Sports 

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The chairman of the Khana Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, Bariere Thomas, has revealed that plans are underway to commence school sports at the primary and secondary school levels in the area.
According to him, school sports that were primarily used to discover young talents had become a thing of the past, adding that one of the ways to discover young talents is to organize programs that will expose talents at the grassroots level.
Thomas said this on Saturday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after a novelty football match between Khana All-Stars and council appointees.
The match was held to mark the birthday of Felix Ibor, the Supervisor for Education in Khana LGA, at the Bori Police Station field.
The LGA boss reiterated that organizing competitive sporting events in primary and secondary schools is one of the best ways to bring out the best in young people and help to achieve their potential.
“What we are doing in the Khana Local Government Area is to consolidate on the sports we know, which are wrestling, cycling, football, and others,” he said.
He added that he is concerned about the competitive nature of wrestling on the global stage; at Khana LGA, for instance, they are focusing on how to consolidate the sports they know more about.
Thomas described Felix Ibor as an academic whom he has known and worked with since before he became LGA chairman.
He commended both teams for the novelty match, saying that it was held to celebrate Ibor’s birthday.
Ibor thanked the chairman and both teams for celebrating with him, and he prayed that God would also bless them.
Meanwhile, Ibor also presented a set of Jessy to the chairman for the council team.
Kiadum Edookor
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Ezechukwu Eyes Double Gold In African Champs

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Teenage Nigerian sprinter Miracle Ezechukwu has set her sights on winning both the 100m and 4x100m relay titles at the 24th African Athletics Championships in Accra, while also targeting a new personal best in the process, Tidesports source.

Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.

The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.

“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.

“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.

Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.

She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.

“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.

The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.

Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.

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