Sports
LSFA/Winners Golden Bet FA Cup Starts, Oct 26
The 2020/21 Lagos State Football Association/ Winners GoldenBet FA Cup, has been scheduled to start on October 26, 2021 in Lagos.
According to the Secretary of the Lagos FA, Akeem Rabiu Okikioposu, registration for the Lagos FA Cup which is meant for all registered players and clubs with the Lagos State Football Association has already started 11 days back, since September 21, 2021, and it closes October 14, 2021.
He noted that for proper documentation, the processing of licences shall commence on Friday, October 15, 2021, and close on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.
He stressed that the Media Conference/ Draws to herald the competition would hold on Thursday, October 21, while the competition kicks off on Tuesday, October 26, 2021.
Okikioposu said that the registration fee for the women’s clubs for the Lagos FA Cup has been fixed for N20,000, while that for the men is N35,000 and this should be paid to the Lagos State Football Association’s First Bank account only and same for other payments meant for the Lagos FA.
The Lagos FA explained that in all matches of the competition, players’ and officials’ outfits may carry advertisements subject to the approval of the LSFA.
The Lagos FA also warned that, in all matches, players’ and officials’ outfits must not carry competing brands of the LSFA existing and or prospective collaboration and sponsor brands.
All contract terms and conditions between clubs and sponsors must be forwarded to the LSFA for approval. And five percent of the total cost of the package shall be payable to the LSFA. Noncompliance with the commercial Rules 7 (a) and (b) shall attract a fine of N50,000 and N200,000 respectively, payable to the LSFA for every match played with an unauthorized jersey in addition to the five percent mentioned above.
The LSFA Secretary disclosed that late submission of registration forms attracts a fine of N100,000 during the period.
He warned that: “No player licence shall be completed with a biro, there shall be a fine of N10,000 per licence for defaulters.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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