Sports
Ekpo, Others Laud Ugwu’s Choice As Caretaker Coach
Ex-Nigeria international, Friday Ekpo, has lauded the management of Rangers International FC, Enugu for appointing Benedict Ugwu as the team’s Caretaker Head Coach.
Tidesports source reports that the management announced Ugwu’s appointment last Wednesday, following the expiration of Olugbenga Ogunbote’s contract as technical adviser in June.
Ugwu is expected to hold the position, pending the employment of a substantive technical adviser.
Reacting to the appointment in an interview with newsmen in Enugu yesterday, Ekpo described Ugwu’s appointment as “the best thing to happen to the club’’.
He said: “Ugwu, who we call `surugede’, is a player with the blood of Rangers flowing inside of him and he has the passion to make positive impact in the players.
“Rangers management has really done well to have a look in his direction.
“He has what it takes to deliver the goods with adequate support from his colleagues and management.’’
Also, Sunday Onuoha, a staunch Rangers fan told newsmen that the club’s management had done well to entrust the team to Ugwu and his colleagues.
“With the much I know about him, he will do well with adequate support from all.
“Sincerely, we need this kind of tasks thrown to our people to prove the stuff they are made of.
“Ugwu can do it as he has shown with the state football team during the 2012 National Sports Federation in Lagos.”
Onuoha also said that Ugwu distinguished himself, when he handled the Rangers’ feeder team before his elevation to the senior team.
Another ardent supporter of the Enugu-based club, Ifeanyi Okonkwo, also commended the club for recognising hard work and commitment in appointing Ugwu.
“We are happy with the management’s decision to put a square peg in a square hole.
“I know that Ugwu will not disappoint. He will deliver as he did with the club’s feeder team,’’ Okonkwo said.
It would be recalled that Ugwu plied his trade with Rangers and the defunct BCC Lions of Gboko FC during his active days as a footballer.
He spent 10 years playing for the “Flying Antelopes’’ and was a strong member of the team that won the National Challenge Cup in 1983 and 1984.
He helped the Gboko side to a national Challenge Cup in 1989 and the CAF Cup Winners trophy in 1990.
During the period, the then fullback maestro won the Best Player Award in Nigeria and third best player on the continent.
He also played for El-Kanemi Warriors and 3SC where he also excelled before travelling abroad.
Ugwu is a graduate of the National Institute of Sports, Lagos and holds the Confederation of African Football coaching licence.
The Delta State Sports Commission has come under scrutiny following the state’s disappointing performance at the just-concluded National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, where Lagos dethroned Delta to clinch top spot.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, visibly displeased with both the poor outing of Team Delta and the organizational lapses witnessed during the Games, summoned an emergency meeting with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) immediately after the closing ceremony.
Delta, which had dominated the NYG by finishing first in the last eight editions, only managed second place this time — a result the governor described as “totally unacceptable,” especially given the state’s significant investment in the event.
According to a reliable source privy to the meeting, Governor Oborevwori expressed deep disappointment, stressing that his administration had provided all necessary support to the Sports Commission and the LOC to ensure Delta retained its traditional top position.
In a decisive move, the governor demoted his Executive Assistant on Sports and former Director-General of the Sports Commission, Festus Owhojero, under whose leadership the Games were organized. Owhojero was reassigned from Executive Assistant (EA) to Senior Special Assistant (SSA) with immediate effect.
The governor’s action, our source revealed, reflects his zero-tolerance stance on incompetence and underperformance within his administration. Mr. Owhojero thus becomes the first high-profile casualty of the governor’s resolve to reposition sports in Delta State.
Furthermore, Oborevwori directed the Sports Commission and LOC officials to submit a detailed report on the Games, outlining what went wrong and providing recommendations for improvement. The governor emphasized the need for urgent reforms to restore Delta’s dominance, especially as the state is set to host the next edition of the Games under an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The Nigeria Football Federation has distanced itself from a post-match statement that criticised some Super Eagles players following the team’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The statement, issued by the NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, singled out forward Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong for criticism.
It accused Dessers of being sluggish and faulted Ekong for the own goal that gave Bafana Bafana the lead.
However, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said on Wednesday that the statement did not represent the official position of the Federation.
“I saw the release just like everyone else did. Nobody in the Federation is happy with it,” Sanusi said.
“The NFF did not authorise that statement. We have great respect for all the players. Blaming an individual for a team result is unfair.”
He added that the Federation regards the South Africa match as a collective effort and will not support attempts to scapegoat any player.
“When we win, it’s a team victory. When we lose, it’s also collective. No player should be singled out,” Sanusi said.
He described the targeted criticism of Troost-Ekong as unjustified, noting that the defender had previously been celebrated as the Most Valuable Player at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
“It was an unfortunate own goal. His intention was to clear the ball. Anyone who knows football understands that such things happen,” he said..
Sanusi also expressed confidence in the team’s unity, revealing that efforts were ongoing to regroup and refocus ahead of the remaining qualifiers and AFCON.
“Our house is in order. We’re preparing for the rest of the qualifiers and the AFCON in Morocco,” he said.
“There’s no problem with our players or coaching crew. Our relationship remains cordial. The government and the NFF are proud of the players’ efforts.”
The Federation had initially praised Calvin Bassey for his equalising goal and lamented the team’s failure to convert second-half chances.
But Sanusi made it clear that internal disciplinary action would be taken over the unauthorised release.
“I can assure you the NFF will take action on the matter,” he said.
Nigeria currently sit third in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers with 11 points from eight matches. South Africa lead the group with 17 points.
The Super Eagles must now win their remaining games against Lesotho and Benin Republic and hope other results go their way to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Tagged “Boxing Jams Music,” the year-end edition will once again blend elite professional boxing with live musical performances. Fans can look forward to thrilling bouts across weight divisions and electrifying performances by some of Nigeria’s top entertainers.
Flykite Productions’ Chief Operating Officer, Bamidele Johnson, said the forthcoming edition will build on the event’s tradition of combining sport and music in a festival-like atmosphere. He assured fans of an unforgettable Boxing Day experience, with added entertainment elements planned.
“GOtv Boxing Night 34 will once again deliver the best of both worlds of top-class boxing and live music. We are committed to giving fans a truly memorable Boxing Day experience at Tafawa Balewa Square,” he said.
Over the years, Boxing Jams Music has grown into the country’s biggest sport-entertainment spectacle, hosting title bouts sanctioned by continental and global bodies alongside live performances by top acts such as Burna Boy, Teni, Mayorkun, Zlatan and Wande Coal.
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