Sports
MFM FC’s Fans In Emotional Farewell To Players
Supporters of Lagos-based MFM FC on Sunday gave their darling team an emotional farewell song as they wrapped up the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) with a comfortable CAF Champions League spot.
The Tidesports source gathered that MFM is now in a secured second spot on the league table and are still nursing the ambition of upsetting the table toppers, Plateau United to the league crown.
The crowning of the league winners is delayed owing to the recent slump by the league table toppers, Plateau United, who stumbled in their last two matches.
The Peace Boys from Jos should have wrapped up their winning of the league shield save a shocking home draw and an away defeat in the Matches Day 36 and 37 respectively.
The Kennedy Boboye-tutored side has of recent failed to sustain the tempo which saw them on the summit of the table as they could only manage a 2-2 draw against a spirited Rivers United.
The team also failed to win their last match as they also slumped to yet another defeat now in the hands of Wikki Tourist of Bauchi to whom they lost 0-1.
With the drop experience by Plateau United, second placed team, MFM, who has been on their trail are now confident of springing a last minute surprise to wrestle the crown away from the Jos team.
However, the diehard Lagos supporters were grateful to the team for bringing back the glory days of watching continental football which has been elusive for 13 years.
The high-flying MFM had sealed the continental ticket with a comfortable 2-0 win over visiting Nasarawa United at their Soccer Temple Agege Township Stadium on Sunday.
The win was enough to reward the fans for their unalloyed support to MFM that are just spending their second season in the elite division.
Also, the fans voted the Mercurial midfielder, Chukwuma Onuwa, as the club’s Player of the Year (POTY), defeating Stephen Odey and Sikiru Olatunbosun.
In a poll conducted on the club’s website, Onuwa polled 56 per cent, to beat Odey with 34 per cent and Olatunbosun with 13.8 per cent.
Speaking on the award, Onuwa thanked the fans for their votes and promised to deliver more in the coming years.
“MFM is a club in my heart, I am grateful for the support I have received so far. It has been a fruitful and rewarding year for me and the club.
“I promise to also give my all in the coming year as we prepare for the continental campaign,” he said.
A football pundit, Rotimi Arabi, said that the feat by the MFM was unprecedented in the history of league in the country.
“The team should be well commended for their efforts, they came just last season and they have secured a continental ticket, this is a rare effort.
“The team is a team to beat and if they continue in this fashion, they are going to be a club feared by all.
“The team is well organised and well managed and this accounts for their success,” he said.
Another fan, Tomiwa Babalola, said that MFM had done almost what may be termed as impossible, hence the team should be motivated well to do more.
“To many, it’s a distant surprise for a team like MFM to be rubbing shoulders with the league power horses.
“Many wouldn’t have giving them a chance but they have proved their mettle as a team well organised. I urge for more support to the team,” he said. (NAN)
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.