Sports
Dalung, Blessing Or Curse For Nigerian Sports?
Since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, the country’s sports have been manned by 14 ministers, even as popular opinion points to little or no impact on this important sector spanning over 16 years.
The sports ministers since 1999 include Damishi Sango, late Ishaya Mark Aku, late Steven Ibn Akiga, retired Colonel Musa Mohammed, Saidu Sambawa, Bala Bawa Ka’Oje, Abdulrahman Gimba, Sani Ndanusa, Alhaji Ibrahim Isa Bio, Taoheed Adedoja, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Tamuno Danagogo and Solomon Dalung.
Starting from 1999, Sango held sway as the first sports minister of the returned democratic setting. He served between 1999 and 2001, within which time, nothing much was achieved by Nigeria in the area of sports, except the FIFA U20 World Cup which the country hosted, but were dumped in the quarter final by Mali.
Then came the late Ishaya Mark Aku, who lasted only one year, superintending Nigeria’s qualification for the 2002 World Cup, even though he was relieved of the position in May, 2002, one month to the kickoff of the Mundial. Under Aku as the sports minister, D’Tigers finished fifth in the FIBA African Championship in Casablanca, Morocco in 2001.
After Aku, the late Stephen Ibn Akiga stepped in in a time that lasted 17 months. He was succeeded by retired Colonel Musa Mohammed. Mohammed stayed in office between 2003 and 2005, the time within which, D’Tigers won both silver and bronze in the FIBA Africa Championship in Alexandria, Egypt, and Algeria respectively. Within that same period in 2004, D’Tigress finished 11th in the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. That was after they had won the African Championship back-to-back in 2003 and 2005 in Mozambique and Nigeria respectively.
That same period in 2003, Grace Ebor, a retired Nigerian long runner, who specialised in the middle-distance events, won the gold medal in the 800m at the 2003 All-Africa Games, thereby setting a new record in a time of 2:02.04.
After Mohammed, Saidu Samaila Sambawa took over and lasted a year and quit the stage in 2006 before Abdulrahman Gimba took over. Under Gimba, the nation’s men basketball team finished fifth in 2007 and 2009 in FIBA African Championship in Angola and Libya respectively.
That was after D’Tigers finished in the second position in same championship held in 2003 and 2005. Also, under Gimba, the Super Eagles qualified and reached the second round of the 2008 FIFA World Cup in France in 1998.
After Gimba, Sani Ndanusa stayed on the position for a period between December 17, 2008 and March 17, 2010. He oversaw the qualification of Nigeria for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Super Eagles preparations were marred by crisis as a result of the authorities not meeting players’ demands.
Alhaji Ibrahim Isa Bio took over in 2010 and lasted till July 2011. Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman took over then and was relived of the position just after six months in charge before Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi took over in the same 2011. He later paved the way for Tamuno Danagogo, who was on the seat until President Muhammadu Buhari won the 2015 presidential election, where he later appointed Solomon Dalung as the nation’s sports minister.
During Dalung’s time, Nigeria recorded some milestone. The greatest was the national men basketball team breaking the jinx of FIBA African Championship. The D’Tigers won the championship, beating such continental heavyweights like Senegal and Angola on the road to breaking the jinx in the tournament hosted by Tunisia.
Also, within the period of Dalung’s stewardship as the sports minister, D’Tigress, the women national basketball team, finished third and first in AfroBasket Women in 2015 and 2017 and in Cameroon and Mali respectively.
Under Dalung, Nigeria made a return to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing two previous editions, even though the latter miss in 2017 was also under his superintendent. The Super Eagles also qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Despite some of the aforementioned cameo successes, the sports sector, recorded under Dalung, observers believe that all these pale into insignificance considering the crises that rocked the nation’s sporting sector since 2015, which he failed to handle appropriately.
First, it was during his tenure that players of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) had to stay at home for more than six months due to leadership crisis that threatened and still threatening the nation’s football hierarchy.
But in all the past administrations in the sports ministry as listed above, elections into the various sports federations did not witness such drama as those witnessed in the run up to federations’ elections in the past two years, in issues stakeholders blamed the minister for his shady handling of the impasse. In some quarters, he was solely blamed for favouring one candidate at the expense of the other.
For instance, in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) election, Dalung presented himself as a biased umpire when he allegedly and reportedly twisted both the Jos High Court and Appeal Court rulings to favour Chris Giwa, whom he wanted at the NFF secretariat at all cost.
His insistence on imposing Giwa on Nigerians even when the Supreme Court order merely directed the gladiators to go back to the root (Jos High Court) to relist the matter of who among the two is the authentic NFF President, almost led to FIFA banning Nigeria from global football matters but for the prompt intervention of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. This is because FIFA had repeatedly maintained that it recognises Pinnick as the authentic president of the football house.
The matter reportedly set Dalung against the presidency, who viewed the unresolved impasse at the NFF as giving Nigeria a negative image before international community.
Also, Nigerians blamed the minister for allowing the leadership crisis that rocked the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) to linger for so long a time. Just like what happened at the NFF following the outcome of the two congresses in Lagos and Delta, the basketball crisis crippled the domestic league that was and still is battling to find its form.
Tijani Umar and Musa Ahmadu-Kida were claiming the leadership of Nigerian basketball. While Ahmadu-Kida won the sports ministry and Nigeria Olympic Committee-backed June 13, 2017 NBBF presidential poll in Abuja, Tijjani won an unrecognised June 12, 2017 election in Kano.
Besides the above, Dalung is seen by majority of sports writers as a misfit. The sports journalists, while acknowledging the minister’s intelligence and bravery in some issues, openly noted that he was not the right man to advance Nigeria’s sports.
For instance, the minister obviously goofed after Team Nigeria to the last Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, turned in a very poor result in what could go as the nation’s worst outing in the multi-sport event in recent time. But for the bronze medal recorded by the Mikel Obi-captained U-23 football team, Team Nigeria failed to win a single medal.
He was quoted as saying that athletes do not need too much preparation to climb the podium in major events like the Olympic Games.
According to Dalung, while laying the blame of not winning anything on the doorsteps of the athletes, “the disabled athletes have shown that all you need is a winning mentality and not too much preparation, they trained under the same condition with their able bodied counterparts but they are winning medals now.”
With countries’ preparations for big events like the Olympic Games spanning over 10-years, such statement coming from the main custodian of a country’s sports was most unfortunate and presented him as the wrong person for that position. This is apart from some past utterances of the minister, which did not go down well with major stakeholders in the country.
Despite the above, analysts have averred that perhaps the greatest sin of Dalung remained the scrapping of the National Sports Commission (NSC), making same a directorate in the Ministry of Sports. Some stakeholders are of the view that Dalung scrapped the NSC because he was afraid that the commission was rivaling him and threatening his position.
Some Nigerians, who though thumped up the minister for the action, said that the existence of the NSC amounted to duplication of duty, emphasising that it served the interests of few and was a conduit for syphoning public fund, even as they admitted that the Sports Ministry could handle the jobs of the NSC.
NSC berthed three years after Nigerian gained independent and it was formed to entrench core Nigerian sports culture as against the colonial sports tradition. Late Pa Abraham Ordia was appointed as the pioneer NSC secretary, overseeing the core administration of the commission.
Liverpool’s season of abject misery worsened as they were beaten with embarrassing ease by a hugely impressive Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s Premier League champions were looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Manchester City, but instead ran into a Forest side revitalised under new manager Sean Dyche and looking back to their best.
Liverpool head coach Slot gave £125m British record signing Alexander Isak a start, but he was totally anonymous once more and only lasted 67 minutes.
Forest went ahead after 33 minutes when defender Murillo shot powerfully past fit-again Liverpool keeper Alisson to subdue an already anxious Anfield.
Igor Jesus had a second ruled out for handball, but Forest doubled their advantage 39 seconds after the break when former Liverpool defender Neco Williams set up Nicola Savona for a crisp finish in front of The Kop.
Liverpool could barely raise a response in a desperate display, Forest increasing their lead 12 minutes from time when Morgan Gibbs-White scored after Alisson saved from Omari Hutchinson.
It means Liverpool, who lie 11th before Saturday’s late fixture, have now lost six of their past seven Premier League games as Slot’s near £450m summer spending spree comes under further scrutiny.
Forest, meanwhile, are surging away from the relegation zone and are up to 16th.
Michael Olise scored twice and provided a hat-trick of assists as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich came from two goals down to thrash Freiburg.
The visitors stunned the defending champions by taking a 2-0 lead after just 17 minutes when Yuito Suzuki scored from close range and Johan Manzambi rose highest to head home Jan-Niklas Beste’s corner.
Bayern, who had not lost in the league since March, responded superbly and had restored parity by half-time.
Teenager Lennart Karl fired into the bottom corner from Olise’s pass in the 22nd minute and set up the Frenchman for a fierce finish in first-half injury-time, although Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu should have done better.
Bayern took control in the second period as Dayot Upamecano headed home Olise’s corner to put them ahead for the first time.
England captain Harry Kane netted his 14th league goal of the campaign on the hour mark, before Olise made it three assists when he threaded a pass through for Nicolas Jackson to finish at the first time of asking in the 78th minute.
Winger Olise completed a sensational afternoon with his second of the game six minutes later, driving at the Freiburg defence and curling into the far corner.
A 10th victory in the first 11 games left Bayern eight points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, while Freiburg remain 10th in the standings.
Vincent Kompany’s side visit Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday with both sides having a perfect record of four wins so far in the league phase of the competition.
AS FAR Morocco Win African Women’s Champions League (8)
AS FAR held firm to beat debutants ASEC Mimosas 2-1 in the African Women’s Champions League final and become continental champions for the second time.
Hanane Ait El Haj put the Moroccan club ahead from the penalty spot in the 13th minute after Safa Banouk had been tripped by Aboa Yapo.
ASEC Mimosas rallied after the break and Ami Priscal Diallo netted a fine header from Sopie Brou’s cross to drag the Ivory Coast club level 10 minutes into the second half.
But AS FAR were handed a second spot-kick in the closing stages when Noura Diarra committed a rash challenge on Sofia Bouftini.
This time it was Zineb Redouani who stepped up to stroke home in the 85th minute and restore her side’s lead.
Asastasie Gbehi came close to forcing extra time but she poked wide of the post in stoppage time, and the centre-back was sent off after the full-time whistle for dissent.
AS FAR move level with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns as two-time winners of the title, having first lifted the trophy in 2022.
The Rabat-based side will now take on Chinese’s Wuhan Jiangda on 14 December for a place at next year’s Fifa Women’s Champions Cup.
The winner of that match will face European champions Arsenal in the semi-finals of the inaugural competition early next year in London.
Barcelona moved to the top of La Liga on Saturday with an emphatic win over 10-man Athletic Club in their first match at the Spotify Camp Nou since May 2023.
Robert Lewandowski scored their first goal back in their iconic home, which had been closed for extensive renovations, in the fourth minute.
Ferran Torres then netted twice in the second half, each assisted by wonderful skill from Lamine Yamal, who was aged just 15 in his only previous Nou Camp appearance.
Fermin Lopez also struck in the 48th minute, while visiting midfielder Oihan Sancet was sent off for a crude challenge on Lopez just six minutes later.
Large sections of the Nou Camp remained closed for the game, which was played in front of a 45,157 crowd.
The rebuilding work, which was originally scheduled to be finished in November 2024, will eventually increase the stadium’s capacity to 105,000.
Barca moved to 31 points from 13 games and top on goal difference, but Real Madrid had the chance to replace them, if they won at Elche in their game in hand, late last night.
Poland striker Lewandowski got his side off to the perfect start when he drove his low shot in off the arm of Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simon for an eighth league goal of the season.
The home side extended their lead in first-half added time as Yamal’s superb pass off the outside of his foot set up Torres for a good finish.
Lopez made it 3-0 three minutes after the restart, drilling a shot past Simon from near the penalty spot.
Sancet’s tackle from behind on Lopez was initially deemed a yellow card, but upgraded to red after the referee consulted with the video assistant referee (VAR).
And just before full-time, Yamal twisted and turned before sending Torres away to claim his second goal, which was originally disallowed for offside but overturned following a VAR check.
It was a dream return to their ground, with the reigning Spanish champions having mostly played at the 55,000 capacity Olympic Stadium on the city’s Montjuic hill since renovations on the Nou Camp began in June 2023.
They were forced to play two matches at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium, home to their women’s team, this season after failing to get a permit for the Nou Camp through safety reasons.
Pogba Returns To Action In Ligue 1 (6)
Paul Pogba played his first minutes of professional football in more than two years as he came off the bench during Monaco’s 4-1 defeat by Rennes at the weekend.
The 32-year-old was introduced in the 85th minute at Rennes’ Roazhon Park, though his side were already four goals and a player down, following a red card for captain Denis Zakaria.
French World Cup winner Pogba broke down in tears when he joined Ligue 1 club Monaco last summer, after his four-year doping ban was reduced to 19 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
Pogba’s last competitive appearance was 811 days ago, when he featured for Juventus in a Serie A match against Empoli on 3 September 2023. He left Juventus by mutual consent in November 2024.
Pogba was provisionally banned from football for four years after a positive test for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in February 2024, following a doping test in August 2023.
Pogba maintained it was a mistake and that he was given a supplement without knowing it contained a banned substance.
The former Manchester United midfielder was permitted to return to football in March following the decision to reduce his ban.
Pogba watched from the bench as goals from Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas put Rennes out of sight.
Fellow substitute Mika Biereth pulled a goal back for Monaco in the 95th minute, but a second consecutive 4-1 defeat means Sebastien Pocognoli’s side drop to eighth in the table with 20 points after 13 games.
