Sports
Ebonyi Sports Ministry Faults Ogba’s Re-Election
The Ebonyi Ministry of Youth Development and Sports on Monday in Abakaliki said the state Football Association (FA) election held on Saturday was faulty.
Tidesports source reports that the election had seen the return of Sen. Obinna Ogba (PDP–Ebonyi Central) as a re-elected chairman
The furore generated by the election, especially the candidate’s emergence after a reign as chairman for more than 10 years, among other issues had led to a discontent.
This situation was in spite of the election’s conduct by officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Jonathan Okoronkwo, the ministry’s permanent secretary however, told newsmen on Monday that the election did not follow the stipulated guidelines for the conduct of state FA elections.
He said the ministry had sought the election’s postponement from the NFF as recommended by the review committee it set up and which he headed.
“We discovered that the electoral committee did not offer the contestants a `level-playing ground’ to contest, while the manner in which the delegates (electorate) emerged was faulty.
“The committee profiled the delegates and discovered that they are not engaged in football administration as stipulated in the guidelines and one of them belonged to a club owned by an interested party in the elections.
“There is no way such a person can be an unbiased voter and we further discovered that the electoral committee was set up in 2014.
“This electoral committee oversaw the 2015 state FA election and it is then clear that it has overstayed its required tenure of four years,” the permanent secretary said.
He further noted that the election was supposed to have been held at the Pa Ngele Oruta Stadium in Abakaliki but it was instead held inside a hotel in the town.
“The electoral guidelines stipulate that representatives of the ministry should observe and supervise the election and this fact is even contained in the programme of events for the election,’’ Okoronkwo added.
He then said the sports ministry would properly review events surrounding the conduct of the election, while advising aggrieved contestants to seek redress at the appropriate quarters.
The permanent secretary also faulted claims by NFF officials that the request for the election’s postponement amounted to interference by government, noting that such an assertion was “ill-informed’’.
“The ministry provides the logistics for the FA to operate in the state, such as office accommodation, among others, while the FA secretary is an appointee of government.
“These facts will not be seen as interference, but when the government insists that the right things be done to improve football in the state, it is termed interference” he said.
Chidi Okenwa, a member of NFF’’s Executive Committee who supervised the election, had said the federation viewed the request by the Ebonyi sports ministry as government interference.
He said it was an interference in the affairs of the FA board and congress in the state.
“The appeals committee has complied with the provisions of the Ebonyi FA statutes and guidelines for elections into the executive board and standing on this platform we are empowered to monitor this election,” Okenwa had said.
Chairman of the state FA Electoral Committee, Onyebuchi Ekuma, had said during the election that the committee was properly constituted while the elected officials satisfied all requirements to contest the election.
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CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
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FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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