Sports
We Have Put Our Loss Behind Us – Okon
Head Coach of Rivers Angels and Nigerian representatives of the on goingTotalEnergy CAF Women’s Champions League, Edwin’s Okon says the team has put the heavy loss they suffered in Saturday’s first group game against ASFAR Club behind them as they prepare For other encounter in the competition.
The Nigerian representatives lost 3-0 to their Moroccan counterparts and have one more match to play in the Group stage to stand a chance of qualifying to the final four of the Competition.
Okon says the team will go all out in Their remaining match and believes they can still get a win over the COSAFA Champions who won their opening game against Vihiga Queens.
“For now all is well with the team, we’ve rested enough and also had our first official training yesterday,” he stated.
“We will try to correct the lapses we had in our first game and ensure we give our fans back home a better performance subsequently.
“Saturday’s loss is now behind us and the focus is on the subsequent match, we don’t intend to make it any easier for any team going forward.
“Only way to get back our confidence is by getting the job done on the pitch and that will as well spur us into going further in this competition,”Okon added.
Also speaking, were Rivers Angels forward, Rose Ekong and goalkeeper, Charlotte Adjei.
The duo are optimistic that the team will make it out of the group to proceed to the next stage.
Ekong on her part said “I have a lot of confidence because as it stands now the group is still open for us and I believe that we’re going to bounce back.
“As a team we are going to do better in the next game which is very important and we wouldn’t want to miss that opportunity,” she said.
Adjei also expressed her confidence on the team’s chances of qualifying from the group.
“We are going to give it our all against the South African team and ensure we come out tops,” she said.
“It is not over until it’s over so we still have what it takes to win and advance. We already learnt our lessons from the last game and intend to approach other games differently.
“I am sure we are going to qualify to the next stage of this competition. We still have the quality and strength to execute this,” added Adjei.
By: Nancy Briggs
The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.
A new contract that will see Act Sports Di Oyibo Limited managing the career of Nigerian teqball specialist, Victor Oyemade, has been signed in Lagos.
The deal gives exclusive rights to Act Sports to manage, and exercise power of attorney over issues relating to the player’s welfare as it concerns his transactions, engagement for professional, promotional, sponsorships, endorsements, and exhibition purposes.
In signing the document, both parties also agreed that proper safeguards would be put in place to protect and promote the player’s interest at all times.
Director of Act Sports, Di Oyibo Limited, Pastor Samuel Robinson Oyibo, excited about the deal, said it would benefit both parties in the area of spreading the message of the sport, as well as laying a firm foundation for his new client’s future.
“Teqball is one of the world’s fastest-growing ball sports, and Victor Oyemade is the face of the sport here in Nigeria and Africa. That is why we are excited about this partnership that gives Act Sports official authorisation to manage his career, just as it will lay the foundation for its rapid growth in our country,” Pastor Oyibo said.
Oyemade was no less excited about the deal, saying it would help his growth in the sport.
Coaches of Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that commenced yesterday to end 24th of this month.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, for close to two weeks and departed for the competition on Thursday.
Coach John Uzor of the national U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy alongside right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo make the cut, amongst other players.
In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside, her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters.
Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew, who is also based in Benin Republic, keep their places.
Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously at the U-18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology, insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examinations.
“We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports. We have other players who are also students and they got a release from their schools but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release. It’s sad and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal in making Nigeria proud in sporting events”.