Sports
Grenada Promotion Delights Ighalo
Nigerian forward Odion Ighalo is ecstatic after helping his Spanish side Grenada into the Segunda Division with a strike in their 2-1 aggregate victory in the play-off.
The 20-year-old Nigerian youth international had been on loan at the Spanish team from Serie A side Udinese.
Ighalo scored one in the 2-0 first leg victory before Granada sealed an historic promotion place despite a 1-0 loss in the second leg.
Overall he scored 17 goals in 27 games which immensely contributed to Granada’s epic promotion after a tortuous 23-year wait.
“It was brilliant to get a goal in the play-off and even though I dropped two steps down I am so happy for what I have done here, coming here has helped me a lot.
“I couldn’t hold my joy as the people of Granada celebrated emotionally after a twenty-three year wait and that’s a long time.
“Being here has been highly rewarding for me and I must say that it is indeed a mission accomplished for me here.
Already Ighalo has attracted interest from top French, Spanish, Dutch and German clubs but Udinese want their man back.
“I have kept focused though, and my aim was always to get playing time which Granada afforded me so I could fight for my place at Udinese.
“This was very important for me, and I am happy that clubs are talking to my agent and Udinese.
“The underlying factor would be regular football in influenced his desire to play in the Spanish second division.
A morale-boosting performance after a forgettable FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt was vital for the former Julius Berger and Lyn Oslo man ahead of next season.
Ighalo added: “I heard several comments after the World Cup and when I moved to Spain but in life you do not let the past influence your unforeseen future.
“I have grown as a man, going down where no one expected has also taught me a lot about life because the people of Granada celebrated promotion like they have won the Champions League itself.
“Whether I go back to Udinese or another top division side, I will take with me lessons from Egypt and Spain with the hope that I will be a better man.”
Ighalo captained the Nigeria Under-20 side that crashed to Germany in the second round of the 2009 Fifa World Cup in Egypt.
He was also part of the Nigeria squad for their 2008 Olympic qualifiers but failed to make the final 22-man list to the 2008 Beijing Olympics Football event where Dream Team IV won silver.
Sports
NBF eyes Commonwealth Games redemption
The Nigeria Boxing Federation has set its sights on six gold medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as the body looks to recover from the administrative turmoil that undermined its preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
NBF Vice President Omonlei Imadu told our correspondent, “Our target is 10 medals, six gold, while others can come in silver and bronze colours. We are truly determined to make this a reality in Glasgow.
“We have moved focus now to the camping phase. Our aim is to ensure that the boxers are in perfect shape during and after the camping.”
Diaspora boxer Patricia Mbata, the African Games gold medallist based in the United Kingdom, was among the women’s finalists, while Kenneth Anigboro topped the men’s 90kg class. Other female finalists are Udoette Happiness and Gafar Fathia (51kg), Ajishola Kadijat and Gbadamosi Aishat (57kg), Sodipe Damilola and Ismail Abibat (65kg), Blessing Orakwe (70kg), and James Queen and Odoka Celestina (above 70kg). The male finalists are Ogunremi Michael and Habeeb Qazeem (55kg), Abdulwahab Abdulrahmon and Saliu Ridwan (65kg), Folly Hassan and Nwoha Precious (70kg), Daniel Joshua and Sharafadeen Fawas (80kg), and Anigboro Kenneth and Abiodun Adesoji (90kg).
National Sports Commission Director General Bukola Olopade, who attended Nigeria’s Commonwealth trials, also expressed optimism about Nigeria’s prospects.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that Nigeria have a successful outing at the Games, and the prospects in boxing truly excite me,” he said.
Nigeria’s push for improvement comes after the backdrop of a difficult period for the sport at the last Olympics.
Boxers who competed at Paris 2024 also raised concerns about poor preparation, with Zainab Adeshina stating there was no adequate equipment for training and Ifeanyi Onyekwere describing the build-up as a one-week camp filled with stress.
Nigeria also suffered a 4-3 defeat to Ghana in a Commonwealth Games warm-up friendly in Accra recently, a result Imadu acknowledged as a reminder of the work still required, while noting that the federation was in advanced talks with two other nations over additional preparatory fixtures before the Games.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from July 24 to August 1 at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, where boxing will feature across 14 events — seven men’s and seven women’s categories.
The NBF vice president also commended the board members for their commitment and altruism towards the welfare of the athletes.
“As a federation, we would like to appreciate these board members for their patriotism. This is an attestation of their dedication to the advancement of boxing in the country. As a body, we would continue to encourage the selflessness of our colleagues so we can collectively deliver on our mandate to revamp the squared ropes sports across the board,” he said.
The Yucateco boss further states the NBF’s readiness to deliver medals at the Games in Glasgow.
“Like I said previously, our focus has not shifted. We strongly believe that every boxer on the plane to Scotland must return with a medal for Nigeria, hence we took the lead as the only federation to call its athletes to camp ahead of time. 30 of our boxers have been in camp since April, and the federation has been solely responsible for their welfare since they commenced training,” Imadu added.
At the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, nine Nigerian fighters returned with four medals — one silver through Elizabeth Oshoba and bronzes for Cynthia Ogunsemilore, Jacinta Umunnakwe and Ifeanyi Onyekwere.
Sports
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Sports
Remo To rebuild After NPFL Relegation
Remo Stars were relegated on Sunday after a 1-1 draw against Bendel Insurance F.C. in Benin City.
The Sky Blue Stars initially looked on course for survival when experienced striker Victor Mbaoma gave them the lead on the stroke of half-time, but the situation changed dramatically deep into stoppage time when Chijioke Akuneto equalised for Bendel Insurance to secure a 1-1 draw.
The delayed fixture between Kun Khalifat F.C. and Wikki Tourists F.C. later confirmed Remo’s fate, with the newcomers winning 3-1 to preserve their top-flight status and condemn Remo Stars to life in the second division.
In the wake of a season that saw them garner just 47 points from 38 games, only one year after winning the league title, the Sky Blue Stars described the outcome as heartbreaking.
“We understand the disappointment and frustration this season has brought. We did not deliver the performances or consistency required to maintain our place in the division. We take full responsibility for that failure.’’
“To our fans who filled the stands, supported the team online and stood by us even during our darkest moments, thank you. Your loyalty means everything, and we recognise that we owe you much more than what this season produced.
“Our focus now turns towards rebuilding with purpose and determination. Important decisions will be made, and every effort will be directed towards returning this club to where it belongs.”
They became the first defending NPFL champions to suffer relegation since Bayelsa United in the 2009/10 season.
They also became only the fourth reigning league champions to drop into the second tier during a title defence campaign after Stationery Stores in 1993 and Shooting Stars in 1999.
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