Sports
Women Basketball League: Nassarawa Amazons Beat AHIP Queens
Nassarawa Amazons Women Basketball Club on Wednesday in Abuja recorded its first win at the on-going 2017 Zenith Bank Women National League, beating AHIP Queens of Kano 55-51
Tidesports reports that the match was the fourth game of the six-Match Day 3 games at the league’s Phase One, holding at the Abuja National Stadium.
Nassarawa Amazons, on Monday lost to First Bank of Lagos 22-89.
The team trailed by 8-13 in the first quarter but bounced back 25-24 in the second, leading with only one point.
It lost the third quarter 35-40 but finally won the last quarter 55-51.
Mustapha Dogo, coach of the team told Tidesports after the match that he was happy with the victory.
“This is our first win and I am satisfied with my players because they played to instructions; they gave me a good result.
“The game was tough but I thank God it ended with victory; we will still go back to the drawing board and work on our mistakes,” he said.
Coach of AHIP of Kano, Wilson Idanwekhai, said it was a good game despite his team’s unfortunate loss.
“The game was good, but it was not in our favour; my players had fatigue and it affected their performance.
“They missed a lot of their throws but I will correct all the mistakes, so that our next game will be better than today’s game,” he said.
Tidesports source reports that AHIP had won its first game against Taraba Hurricanes 87-31 on Tuesday.
In the first match of the day, Taraba Hurricanes lost 31-62 to First Deep Water of Lagos. In the second game Zamfara Babes beat Coal City of Enugu 48-16.
In the third game, Oluyole Babes of Ibadan lost to IGP Queens of Abuja 13-61 while in the fifth game, Sunshine Angels of Akure defeated FCT Angels 48-26.
NAN reports that 18 clubs, divided into three groups, are playing in the annual competition organised by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) in partnership with Econet Media Limited.
In Group A are First Bank, Nasarawa Amazons, Taraba Hurricanes of Jalingo, Plateau Rocks, AHIP Queens of Kano and First Deep Water of Lagos.
Dolphins, FCT Angels, Zamfara Babes of Gusau, Delta Force, Coal City and Sunshine Angles of Akure are in Group B.
Group C has Nigeria Customs of Lagos, GT 2000 of Kaduna, Oluyole Angels of Ibadan, Ekiti Angels, Benue Princess of Makurdi and IGP Queens of Abuja.
Tidesports also reports that the league’s Phase One, which began on April 10, is scheduled to end on April 17. (NAN)
The Delta State Sports Commission has come under scrutiny following the state’s disappointing performance at the just-concluded National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, where Lagos dethroned Delta to clinch top spot.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, visibly displeased with both the poor outing of Team Delta and the organizational lapses witnessed during the Games, summoned an emergency meeting with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) immediately after the closing ceremony.
Delta, which had dominated the NYG by finishing first in the last eight editions, only managed second place this time — a result the governor described as “totally unacceptable,” especially given the state’s significant investment in the event.
According to a reliable source privy to the meeting, Governor Oborevwori expressed deep disappointment, stressing that his administration had provided all necessary support to the Sports Commission and the LOC to ensure Delta retained its traditional top position.
In a decisive move, the governor demoted his Executive Assistant on Sports and former Director-General of the Sports Commission, Festus Owhojero, under whose leadership the Games were organized. Owhojero was reassigned from Executive Assistant (EA) to Senior Special Assistant (SSA) with immediate effect.
The governor’s action, our source revealed, reflects his zero-tolerance stance on incompetence and underperformance within his administration. Mr. Owhojero thus becomes the first high-profile casualty of the governor’s resolve to reposition sports in Delta State.
Furthermore, Oborevwori directed the Sports Commission and LOC officials to submit a detailed report on the Games, outlining what went wrong and providing recommendations for improvement. The governor emphasized the need for urgent reforms to restore Delta’s dominance, especially as the state is set to host the next edition of the Games under an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The Nigeria Football Federation has distanced itself from a post-match statement that criticised some Super Eagles players following the team’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The statement, issued by the NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, singled out forward Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong for criticism.
It accused Dessers of being sluggish and faulted Ekong for the own goal that gave Bafana Bafana the lead.
However, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said on Wednesday that the statement did not represent the official position of the Federation.
“I saw the release just like everyone else did. Nobody in the Federation is happy with it,” Sanusi said.
“The NFF did not authorise that statement. We have great respect for all the players. Blaming an individual for a team result is unfair.”
He added that the Federation regards the South Africa match as a collective effort and will not support attempts to scapegoat any player.
“When we win, it’s a team victory. When we lose, it’s also collective. No player should be singled out,” Sanusi said.
He described the targeted criticism of Troost-Ekong as unjustified, noting that the defender had previously been celebrated as the Most Valuable Player at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
“It was an unfortunate own goal. His intention was to clear the ball. Anyone who knows football understands that such things happen,” he said..
Sanusi also expressed confidence in the team’s unity, revealing that efforts were ongoing to regroup and refocus ahead of the remaining qualifiers and AFCON.
“Our house is in order. We’re preparing for the rest of the qualifiers and the AFCON in Morocco,” he said.
“There’s no problem with our players or coaching crew. Our relationship remains cordial. The government and the NFF are proud of the players’ efforts.”
The Federation had initially praised Calvin Bassey for his equalising goal and lamented the team’s failure to convert second-half chances.
But Sanusi made it clear that internal disciplinary action would be taken over the unauthorised release.
“I can assure you the NFF will take action on the matter,” he said.
Nigeria currently sit third in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers with 11 points from eight matches. South Africa lead the group with 17 points.
The Super Eagles must now win their remaining games against Lesotho and Benin Republic and hope other results go their way to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Tagged “Boxing Jams Music,” the year-end edition will once again blend elite professional boxing with live musical performances. Fans can look forward to thrilling bouts across weight divisions and electrifying performances by some of Nigeria’s top entertainers.
Flykite Productions’ Chief Operating Officer, Bamidele Johnson, said the forthcoming edition will build on the event’s tradition of combining sport and music in a festival-like atmosphere. He assured fans of an unforgettable Boxing Day experience, with added entertainment elements planned.
“GOtv Boxing Night 34 will once again deliver the best of both worlds of top-class boxing and live music. We are committed to giving fans a truly memorable Boxing Day experience at Tafawa Balewa Square,” he said.
Over the years, Boxing Jams Music has grown into the country’s biggest sport-entertainment spectacle, hosting title bouts sanctioned by continental and global bodies alongside live performances by top acts such as Burna Boy, Teni, Mayorkun, Zlatan and Wande Coal.
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