Sports
WNFF: Organisers Begin Governors’ Cup Football Competion Trophy Tour
A “trophy tour’’ of all states in the South-West zone by organisers of the forthcoming Western Nigeria Governors’ Cup Football Competition will begin on Monday, an official said last Tuesday.
Akin Akinbobola, the Executive Secretary of Western Nigeria Football Forum (WNFF), told newsmen that the organisers have already concluded arrangements on this.
“The Forum is fully prepared for this task ahead of it,’’ he said.
Akinbobola said the Trophy Tour would run from Monday to October 12.
“The Trophy Tour will start from Lagos State, and this is between Monday and September 26.
“The trophy will then move to Ogun, Ondo and Osun States with the state Governors expected to receive the trophy.
“The Trophy Tour will end in Oyo and Ekiti States on or before October 12.
The WNFF executive secretary said the Trophy Tour would involve officials of WNFF, the various state football associations and the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commision.
“Also, the state commissioners in charge of sports and their colleagues in charge of regional integration in the concerned states will be involved,’’ he said.
Akinbobola added that the Trophy Tour was aimed at carrying along the people in the various states, as well as the state governors, in the project named after them.
“We are fully ready for the Trophy Tour of all states in the South-West, because there is no way we can host such a multi-cultural integration football event without the people, and especially without the various state governors being involved.
“Their involvement is important, particularly as they have individually and collectively shown that they have tremendous interest in the development of football in the zone.
“The tour will also help in the sensitisation of the public to the importance of the competition, which will hold later in the year.’’
Akinbobola commended the chairmen and secretaries of the six state Football Associations (FAs) of the South-West Zone for their vision and cooperation regarding the Western Nigeria Governors’ Cup.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.