Sports

‘Nigeria Can Excel Internationally With Adequate Support’

Published

4 years ago

April 7, 2021

Nigeria has all it takes to excel in football and to become the best on the African continent.
The Coordinator, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Club Secretaries Forum, Mr Chibuzor Nwogu, said this in an interview newsman on Monday in Abuja.
According to him, all we need to do is to bring all our potential to bear, and to create an enabling environment for football to thrive.
He noted that though, much was being done to improve the sport in the country, a lot still needed to be done for Nigeria to get it right.
“We have great potential in football, there are budding talents all across the country, we need to deploy our resources toward making sure we bring them on board,’’ Nwogu said.
Nwogu, who is also the secretary of Enyimba FC, said that there was the need for all hands to be on deck to ensure Nigeria became a country to reckon with in terms of football.
Speaking on Enyimba Football Club’s performance in the league season, he said that the club did not really play many matches due to the activities of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Nwogu, however, said that the club had achieved a lot, adding that the management of the club was putting measures in place to ensure the club excelled in the NPFL.
Commenting on the sack of former Head Coach of Enyimba FC, Usman Abdallah, he said that the management of the club felt he had been managing the club for a long time and there was the need to inject “fresh blood with new ideas’’ into the club.
According to him, Abdallah is a good coach any time, any day but has to move on to more adventurous ventures and he is doing well in his present assignment.
Tidesports source gathered that Abdallah was sacked after the club’s 0-4 loss to Plateau United on January. 3.
According to the management of the FC, after disappointing results, the club decided to remove the Head Coach Abdallah in order for it to regain its lost glory.
On the maiden edition of the NPFL Club Secretaries Forum Annual General Meeting/Awards, Nwogu noted that it was aimed at bringing together stakeholders in the sector to contribute and exchange ideas on how to move football forward.
He said that it was also to recognise and give awards to some governors and stakeholders who have contributed immensely to the development of sports in Nigeria.
The Enyimba FC secretary listed the governors to include Nyesome Wike of Rivers, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom, Simon Lalong of Plateau and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.
Other stakeholders he said are Sunday Dare, the minister of Sports, the President of the Nigeria Football Association (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, the General Secretary, NFF Dr Sanusi Mohammed, and the Chairman, League Management Compqny (LMC), Shehu Dikko among others.
Tidesports reports that the event which opened yesterday will end tomorrow.

Sports

Nigeria To Host 2026 Golf AACT

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

Nigeria has won the bid to host the next edition of the prestigious All Africa Challenge Trophy in 2026.
The AACT is a biennial continental ladies’ golf championship in Africa that had its inaugural edition in May 1992 in Zimbabwe.
Nigeria hosted the AACT in 1996 at the Ikoyi Club 1938, while in 2010, the AACT was played at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, in Abuja.
This would be the third time Nigeria will be hosting the championship.
Interestingly, the West and Central Africa Challenge Trophy (a regional version of the championship) was held for the first time in Nigeria at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estates and Resort, Lagos, in 2023.
Evelyn Oyome, the President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, who was the leader of the Nigerian delegation to the championship’s 16th edition in Morocco, said Nigeria emerged winner amongst the 20 countries that took part in the bidding process.
“Nigeria had earlier hosted the West, Central Africa Challenge Trophy in October last year at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate and Resort in Lagos, showcasing its outstanding golfing facilities, with no fewer than 10 countries participating.
“So, hosting that championship successfully last year gave us the edge amongst so many other countries that also bidded and winning was a huge victory for Nigeria,” she said.
Oyome revealed that the Federal Capital Territory would be the host city for the AACT 2026 edition, with no fewer than 30 countries expected to participate in the championship.

Sports

Musa, Shehu Ineligible For CHAN – Ilechukwu

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

Super Eagles B co-handler Fidelis Ilechukwu has revealed that Kano Pillars duo Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi were initially listed in the 30-man squad for the 2024 CHAN qualifiers double header clash against Ghana, but were dropped over their ineligibility.
Musa and Shehu, who made sensational returns to Kano Pillars this season, were conspicuously missing when the Nigeria Football Federation revealed the names of 30 Nigeria Premier Football League stars for the assignment.
The CHAN Eagles are currently camping in Ikenne, Ogun State. They will play the first leg of their encounter in Accra on Sunday, December 22 before returning to Uyo for the return leg on Saturday, December 28.
“I was told he (Musa) didn’t meet up with the conditions of playing in the CHAN tournament or qualifiers,” Ilechukwu told our correspondent.
“Ahmed Musa was on our list, there is no way we wouldn’t have included him in the list with his performances in the league but they told us to replace him due to eligibility.
When asked if the same applied to Shehu, the coach replied in the affirmative.
According to CAF regulations, only footballers playing in their country of birth are eligible.
While the above rule favours both Musa and Shehu, their participation was perhaps made difficult by another CAF regulation which says, “Only players with a permanent contract registered in a local club affiliated to their national association are eligible to participate in the African Nations Championship” – as both players are in the NPFL under the Elite Player Scheme.
According to section 9.91 of the NPFL Framework and Rules, “There shall be an Elite Player Scheme wherein each Club shall be allowed to register a maximum of two players who in the opinion of the NPFL will add value to the league.”

Sports

Nigeria Women Football League Set For Annual General Assembly

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

The Federal Capital Territory is set to host the 2024 Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
In a statement released yesterday, the Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, confirmed that all arrangements have been finalised for the AGA, which will take place at Fabino by Toprank Hotels, Abuja.
The AGA meeting promises to be a significant gathering in charting a way forward for the women’s football rising agenda and the women’s football leagues in Nigeria.
Key stakeholders, including board members and representatives of Premiership and Championship clubs, will review the successes and challenges of the outgone 2023/2024 season.
Notably, Edo Queens emerged champions of the NWFL Premiership for the first time, while Honey Badgers and Ibom Angels secured promotion to the Premiership from the NWFL Championship.
The AGM will also focus on sustaining the league’s growing credibility and improving operations while setting the calendar and start date for the 2024/2025 NWFL Premiership and Championship campaigns.
This pivotal meeting aims to further strengthen women’s football in Nigeria and lay the groundwork for the league’s continued growth.