Sports

Amputee Footballers Task Minister On Unpaid Allowances

Published

5 years ago

November 11, 2020

The Captain, Amputee Football Team, ‘Special Eagles’’, Sarafadeen Olalekan has appealed to the Minister for Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare, to ensure the payment of the team’s allowances.
Olalekan told newsmen, yesterday in Lagos that many of the team members were facing a lot of financial challenges because of unpaid allowances.
“Other federations have received their allowances but for the Special Eagles, we are yet to receive ours before the pandemic lockdown.
“Up till this very moment, there has not been anything and it is already a year plus now that we went to Angola and came second, life has not been easy for most of the amputee footballers.
“Most of the players are out of their homes due to issue of money they owe their landlords and their sources of making a living was disrupted by the pandemic and protest,” he said.
According to Olalekan, one of the team member who had just nationalised as a Nigerian was part of the country’s success story “but he currently sleeps under the bridge.
“We have a Ghanaian who had just nationalised to Nigeria, he played for us till we got to the finals but has been finding life really difficult.
“He was asked to move out of the National Stadium where he resides so he had to start his life under the bridge.
“During the pandemic we did not receive any palliative at all, and most of the players have their own family that they are taking care of. I hope our plea would be attended to and our allowances are paid,” the amputee player said.
Austin Ugwu, the assistant captain, urged the Federal Government to place the amputee team members on monthly allowances.
He added that the allowance would go a long way in helping the players take care of themselves and stay in shape to perform for the country.
“I would appreciate if the government can consider us and place us on monthly allowances.
“Since the last championship we went for, we have not received anything from the government.
“This has affected a lot of the players, we are supposed to be in shape always but with the situation of things we are only working to survive,” he said.
Ugwu further said that some players had not been able to do anything because of the allowances that were yet to be paid.
“I have a tricycle that am running , that is why I can take care of myself a little, but for some others they do not have what they are doing.
“Some of the players feed from hand-to-mouth, they do not have anything doing. We are not like the able bodies.”
The Acting Technical Director, National Amputee Football Federation (NAFF), Pius Asaba said that the federation was yet to receive any funds from the ministry.
He pleaded with the ministry to ensure that the federation gets the funds so that they could pay the players.
“They have been promising us that we will be paid and I am aware that the federation is also doing its best to ensure it gets paid.
“The pandemic and protest has paralyze all our activities, we are supposed to go for a competition in Poland but it has been postpone, so for now we do not know exactly what will happen.

Sports

IAUE VC Football Cup Final Holds In PH, Wed

Published

3 days ago

September 13, 2025

The Tide

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, in Rivers State, will be at the centre stage on Wednesday as the VC Cup final, both male and female categories will be played at the prestigious Stadium in the school.

The both final matches promises to be exciting, as arrangements have been concluded to watch one of the best VC football Cup finals in the history.

VC Cup tournament is an annual sporting event that involves all students in various facilities.

According to the Chief coach of the University football team, David Egbiri, the female will final will kick off 2pm between faculty of Human Kinetics and Management Sciences, while the male will kick off by 4pm between Social Science and Natural Applied Science

Egbiri, who was former coach of Abiola Babe FC and Concord FC, lauded the Vice Chancellor. Prof. Okechukwu Onuchukwu for releasing funds on sports development, saying that he has never also failed the School in terms of infrastructural development.

“The VC who is also a sports personality has not failed to release funds for this tournament, apart from that he has not also disappointed in terms of developing the school in all ramifications.

“I want to say that my major reason for accepting to coach the school football team is to develop the youth through sports”, Coach Egbiri said.

The former Eagle Cement Coach, explained that he was not encouraged the way and manner the young ones are going about sports because there is no discipline and so much quest for quick money.

” Honestly, the way young players are looking money was just too much. Looking for short cuts always to make money that is more reason some of them don’t go far and end up badly

” In our days we first of all think about how to make name and we are passionate about it. I went to school and saw myself in sports, while my initial intention was to read electrical engineering” he stated.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Gov. Decries Delta’s Poor Performance At 2025 NYG

Published

4 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

Pix: Team Delta State

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).

Sports

WCQ: NFF Denies Post Match Statement

Published

4 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

Pix: Super Eagles players in celebration mood.

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.