Sports
Giwa Increases Sharks’ Woes In Abuja
Shuaibu Ibrahim has in
Abuja scored a brace to hand Giwa Football Club of Jos a vital 2-1 win against Sharks FC of Port Harcourt.
The match was a 2013/2014 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) rescheduled Week 33 match.
The game was rescheduled after Giwa FC was found guilty of failing to control their fans on October 16.
The fans had seen the match officials beaten up and a Sharks player injured at the Rwang Pam Stadium in Jos.
As a result, Giwa FC were ordered to play their next three home matches in Abuja and ordered to pay the sum of N200,000 to the assaulted centre referee, Samuel Akinwale.
In the rescheduled match at the FIFA Goal Project pitch, Sharks FC started the game on the front foot and they created a lot of scoring opportunities.
Salawu Ibrahim could have put Sharks ahead as early as in the 7th minute.
But he squandered the chance, with the Giwa FC goalkeeper, James Aiyeyemi, left stranded and an empty post at his mercy.
Fortune Omoniwari also wasted another lovely goalscoring opportunity in the 15th minute as his shot struck the post with only Aiyeyemi to beat.
Sharks were then left to rue their chances when a lovely cross from the left met Ibrahim of Giwa FC who wasted no time to stab home from close range in the 39th minute.
Omoniwari made up for his earlier miss after he scored through a powerful header for the equaliser, with barely three minutes later.
Ibrahim however got his brace and the winning goal for Giwa FC in the 60th minute with a clever chip which left Sharks FC goalkeeper dumbfounded.
Sharks FC had a rare opportunity to at least get a point from the game in the 90th minute, but it was another wasteful effort from Stowe Thompson.
Aminu Musa, the coach of Giwa FC, however told newsmen that his charges ably deserved their hard-earned victory against Sharks.
“We played as if we were playing on our home ground. Indeed the feeling of playing here today (Wednesday) was like playing home away from home,’’ he said.
The coach said they were looking forward to their next game against Nasarawa United after the League Management Company (LMC) ordered the two clubs to replay the game on Thursday.
“Our boys are not scared of Nasarawa United and by the grace of God we will get the deserved result to secure our continental ticket,’’ he said.
The Head Coach of Sharks FC, Gbenga Ogunbote, on his part said the result was not good for his side’s continental ambitions.
“Sometimes you cannot explain when you lose such a game, but my boys did their best under the condition which they played.
“You are aware that the team had been on strike for about eight days without training due to the non-payment of their allowances.
“This result may not be too good for us, but sometimes the situation cannot be helped,’’ he said.
Sharks are currently placed 11th on the NPFL log with 53 points from 37 matches, while Giwa FC are 9th with 54 points from 36 games.
Sharks FC in one of their Premier League games
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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