Sports
Lobi Stars FC Slashes Manager, Assistants’ Salaries
Nigeria Professional Football League side, Lobi Stars, has placed technical adviser of the club, Kabiru Dogo, and his assistants on half salary after their Aiteo Cup round of 16 loss to Bayelsa United today in Owerri.
Bayelsa United, who plays in the Nigeria National League emerged 2-0 winners to book a quarter-final spot in the competition at the expense of their more illustrious opponents.
The club’s management, who frowned at the team’s performance, placed the coaching staff on half salary and a two-match pay-cut with immediate effect.
According to a statement by the club’s media officer, Austin Tyowua, the players face similar fate as they were given a two-match ultimatum with half pay.
Tidesports source gathered that, Lobi Stars vice chairman, Tama Aondofa, who addressed the players and officials in Makurdi, expressed concern over the poor away results recorded by the team and their recent ouster from the Aiteo Cup.
Aondofa also observed that there was lack of commitment to work by the technical crew and players, and urged them to sit up henceforth.
“Beginning with the match against Katsina United, if in the next two games there is no improvement the management will also place the players on half salaries,” Aondofa said.
However, the players risked having their salaries slashed in half after they played out a 1-1 draw away at Katsina United on Sunday.
The management had given the players a two-match ultimatum to change the fortunes of the team in terms of performance and results but a draw at Katsina might not be enough to salvage the punishment.
Lobi, who is currently eighth on the league table is billed to face in-form Nasarawa United in Makurdi, today.
Sports
Iwobi Optimistic On S’Eagles Qualification
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
Sports
ATLANTICBELL CEO ADVICE SPORTS WRITERS ON SPECIALIZATION
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
Sports
DEPUTY PRESIDENT EXPRESSES COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT SPORTS DEV, SWAN
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.
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