Sports
Buhari rewards 1985, 2015 Eaglets
The country’s no. 1 citizen
has rewarded the 1985 Golden Eaglets team and athletes who have done the country proud
President Muhammadu Buhari has given each member of the 1985 Nigeria U17 team the sum of two million naira with Emmanuel Amuneke’s boys receiving a sum of 1.2 million for their triumph in Chile.
The team handled by coach Sebastien Brodericks won the inaugural edition of the Fifa U17 World Cup staged in China.
The leader also honoured sportsmen and women who recorded success in various sports during his seven-month old administration.
Players and handler of the 2015 Caf U23 Championship got N500,000 each while N300,000 went to the assistant coaches and other officials.
N1.2 million went to players of the 2015 Fifa U17 World Cup winning Golden Eaglets in Chile, while head coach Emmanuel Amuneke got N900,000 and N600, 000 went to the assistant coaches while 300,000 each went to the team secretary and medical teams and other backroom staff got 200,000 each.
While lamenting the 2012 London Olympics’ poor outing, he pledged his government supports the upcoming Rio Olympic and urged the athletes to continue doing the nation proud in their various sports.
“It gladdens my heart to play host to our athletes who have made the nation proud at various international competitions,” said President Buhari.
“Nigerian athletes have defiled challenges and always demonstrated that the Nigerian spirit is indomitable.
“On behalf of all Nigerians, I wish to express my appreciation to our athletes and officials for their consistency, determination, willpower and commitment for success witnessed in recent times.
“I urge the managers of this sector [Sports] to keep up with the momentum. I wish to assure the federal government will not relent in its efforts to ensure our sports men and women continue to excel in international competitions.
“I’m particularly concerned about our participation at the forthcoming Rio 2016 Olympics Games. Our sour experience at the London 2012 Olympics Where Nigerian athletes failed to make it to the podium.
“This administration wants a change in the way we do things. We must strive to the in the way we manage our time, financial and physical resources to ensure we success in the next Olympics. We must aim for optimal performance in all international competitions.
“I wish to remark that this day event is special to me because God granted me the privilege to fulfill my promise in 1985 to all the winners of the maiden edition of the Fifa U17 World Championship.
“The reasons for the 30 years delay is well known. It is sad to note that a member of the team [Awa Ubare] is not here today.
“In line with our belief that the labour of our heroes past should never be in vain, we want to say thank to our 1985 Golden Eaglets for the success.
“As we are all aware that the financial of our nation since we took over last, it is a token appreciation for your effort and appreciation while competing for Nigeria,” he said.

Team Rivers female athletes in action
Sports
Gyokeres Situation, Transfer Under Cloud At Sporting

Sporting have not received an offer for striker Viktor Gyokeres and there is no gentleman’s agreement for him to leave for £59million, says club president Frederico Varandas.
Sweden international Gyokeres, 27, has been heavily linked with Manchester United and Arsenal after scoring 97 goals in 102 matches during two seasons in Portugal.
He has a 100m euro (£85m) release clause in his contract.
It has been widely reported that, after staying at Sporting last summer, Gyokeres and Sporting agreed he could leave for 70m euros (£59m) this summer.
However, Varandas said the club’s only promise to Gyokeres was that they would not demand his full release clause.
“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.
“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres, neither today nor last season.”
Gyokeres spent three seasons with Coventry City in the Championship before joining Sporting under Ruben Amorim.
Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana was sporting director at Sporting last summer, when Gyokeres’ agent sought assurances about his leaving if a suitable offer arrived.
“One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,” said Varandas.
“He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now.
“For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m eurors or 90m euros.
“In that same meeting the agent wanted to anchor the exit to a value. I said this sentence: ‘It’s not worth us setting a value because I don’t know what will happen in a year’s time. I don’t know if it will be 40m euros, 60m euros or 80m euros. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand 100 million euros.’”
Sports
Concacaf Opposes 64-Team W’Cup Plans

Concacaf President Victor Montagliani has criticised a proposal to expand the 2030 men’s World Cup to 64 teams.
The plans, put forward by South American governing body Conmebol, have also drawn opposition from Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The tournament will be hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, after the opening matches are held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The 2026 World Cup, which will take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, has already been expanded from 32 to 48 teams.
But Conmebol said it wanted to add more participants to mark the competition’s 100-year anniversary.
“I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players,” Montagliani told Tidesports source
“We haven’t even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so personally, I don’t think that expanding to 64 teams should even be on the table.”
Concacaf is the governing body of football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The decision to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams was taken in 2017 following a unanimous vote at a Fifa congress.
Fifa’s 75th congress will be held in Paraguay on 15 May, when Conmebol’s proposal could be discussed.
If the proposal is accepted, the 2030 edition would consist of 128 matches, double the number played under the 64-game format used from 1998 and 2022.
In March, Ceferin described the proposal as a “bad idea” while AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa said it would cause “chaos”.
“If the issue remains open to change, then the door will not only be open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams,” said Salman.
“But someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams. Where would we end up then? It would become chaos.”
Sports
Brazil Edge Paraguay, Book W’Cup Spot

Brazil qualified for the 2026 World Cup this week with a 1-0 win against Paraguay in South American qualifying to give Carlo Ancelotti his first win as manager.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jnr scored from close range in the second half, finishing after fine work from Manchester United-bound playmaker Matheus Cunha.
The victory, Ancelotti’s first after a 0-0 draw against Ecuador on his debut last week, means Brazil has now qualified for every edition of the World Cup.
“We needed to win and qualify for the World Cup,” said Vinicius Jr.
“Now the coach will have more time to work. Of course today wasn’t one of our best performances, but the important thing is always to win.
“Now it’s time to celebrate qualifying.”
Elsewhere, World Cup holders Argentina played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires.
Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring with a fine individual goal, dancing through three defenders before finishing past Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Argentina was reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes remaining when Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a high-boot challenge on Colombia’s Kevin Castano.
But Lionel Messi’s side found an equaliser nine minutes from the end through Lyon’s Thiago Almada, leaving Colombia four points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela.
Ecuador, Argentina’s nearest challengers, booked their spot at next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States after a 0-0 draw away at Peru.
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