Sports
Al-Makura Donates N10m To Amazons FC
Governor Umaru AlMakura of Nasarawa State has donated N10 million to Lafia-based Nasarawa Amazons FC for clinching the 2016/2017 Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL) title.
The governor also ordered the prompt payment of the players sign-on fees worth N38 million. Al-makura made the donation at a brief ceremony held for the management and players of the club at the Government House in Lafia on Wednesday.
He said the team’s triumph was worth more than “silver and gold’’ and the only way to show gratitude which could not be enough for their efforts was to recognise and celebrate them.
“It is with the greatest delight that I on behalf of the government and people of Nasarawa State welcome our victorious Amazons home.
“What these wonderful queens have done is worth more than silver or gold.
“Today is one of the golden days of Nasarawa State because these great daughters of ours have done the state proud by winning the NWFL title.
“This makes me proud and I am appreciating them with a donation of N10 million,’’ he said. Al-Makura, who praised the Amazons for their feat, assured them that between Wednesday and today, their total sign-on fees worth N38 million would paid as a sign of the government’s commitment to their welfare.
“You are the single most exalted team among ladies in the country. I believe you are priceless. “What you have done for Nasarawa State cannot be quantified. We have already started reviewing your emoluments so that you can access them compared with other states.
“Also, I have already signed the N38 million documents for your sign-on fees. Today is Wednesday. I want to assure you that by Friday, your sign-on fees will be paid to you,” he added. The governor also revealed that the government had arranged for all necessary vehicles meant for the transportation and use by Nasarawa Amazons and Nasarawa United FC to be released to both teams on Wednesday.
“What you and Nasarawa United are doing is very encouraging and we will continue to play our part by ensuring that your welfare is always taken care of.
“I want to also inform you that we have also created a practicing pitch for your training just behind the government house,’’ he said.
He, however, urged the players to be patient with the government with regards to their emoluments compared to female footballers in Europe and other parts of the world. Al-Makura assured them that government was doing its best to develop sports to the level it should be. Thanking the governor, , the club’s Chairman, Alhaji Audu Nuhu expressed gratitude to the government for its support and assured that the team would work harder to ensure that it retained the title next season and win the Aiteo Challenge Cup also.
“I cannot say we have ever gone out without our allowances and I cannot also say that any other club enjoys the type of support we get from our state government.
“We are indeed very grateful for all the support you have given the team.
“We must thank you sir for the approval given for the prompt payment of the players’ sign-on fees.
“This is just the beginning of the laurels we are going to bring to the state. We will continue to do our best so that whatever efforts you make is seen,’’ he said.
Earlier, the team’s Captain, Mariam Ibrahim said: “I want to say a big thank you to our daddy, the executive governor of Nasarawa State for your support because without the support, we may not have achieved this goal.
“He has been very supportive and I pray God continues to protect him,’’.
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has said that criticism that he and other players chased money by moving to Saudi Arabia is wide of the mark.
The 33-year-old left Chelsea for Al-Ahli in a £16m ($21.4m) deal in 2023, and in May the Africa Cup of Nations winner helped his Saudi club win the Asian Champions League, making him one of the few players to win both that competition and its European equivalent.
But, like many others, Mendy has been criticised for playing for money rather than prestige in the lucrative Saudi Pro League.
When asked about such criticism, Mendy told a Tidesports source, “Al-Ahli’s project came along and they made me feel I had a big role to play.
“Two years later, we won the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. So yes, that validates my choice. And I hope the coming years will validate it even more.”
He added: “Some people will quickly jump to conclusions and say the only reason is money. From the start, I always said that when I left Chelsea, I knew I was joining another team where I could win everything , which was no longer the case at Chelsea.”
The Blues have since won the Conference League, Europe’s third-tier club competition, under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
But it comes after the regime’s trophyless first two years, a period which has frustrated some supporters after the success enjoyed under Roman Abramovich’s stewardship in the previous 19 years.
Mendy has also been celebrating what he describes as a historical win with Senegal against England at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, but days earlier he had been in Dakar delivering a different kind of win.
He is the sponsor of Yakaar, a school in Keur Massar, which seeks to improve funding and access to digital learning tools for local children from underprivileged backgrounds.
Famously, as Mendy grew up in France, he was unemployed, aged 22, while struggling to find a club, with members of his family still living on the outskirts of Dakar.
That is why Yakaar, a word meaning “hope”, was chosen, a word Mendy has carried with him in his career.
“Hope is what kept me going. When I was without a club, it was the hope of getting that first professional contract.
“Then the hope of playing for the national team. The hope of making my family proud by doing the job I had always dreamed of.
“Indeed, hope is the best word to describe my career.”
Mendy was also asked whether the responsibility of being an African goalkeeper had weighed heavily on him.
“Of course. When I was in England, there weren’t many African goalkeepers in top clubs,” he admitted.
“Whether nationally or internationally, I had that responsibility. It’s the same for other African goalkeepers like Andre Onana [Manchester United] or Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal).”
The entire refereeing committee has been fired by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), with structural reforms soon set to follow.
According to sources, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has dismissed the entire refereeing committee in response to mounting pressure from clubs demanding structural reform. A major shake-up aimed at modernising Spanish refereeing from top to bottom has now been set in motion.
Head of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), Luis Medina Cantalejo and Head of VAR, Carlos Clos Gomez, have been removed from their positions. They are joined by several senior officials, including Antonio Rubinos Perez and three vice presidents, who are also stepping down. A new leadership model will be introduced, led by a CEO and a sporting director, aiming to overhaul how refereeing is managed covering assessments, promotions, and daily operations. While the leadership changes are sweeping, the current pool of referees in La Liga and the second tier will remain, ensuring continuity on the field during the transition.
Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a new two-year contract with Al-Nassr that means he will stay with the Saudi Pro League club until beyond his 42nd birthday.
The Portugal captain, 40, joined the Riyadh-based team in December 2022 after leaving Manchester United in acrimonious circumstances, having criticised the club and said he had no respect for manager Erik ten Hag.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr deal had been due to expire at the end of June and there was speculation he could leave, but that has now been quashed.
In a post on X, Ronaldo wrote: “A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together.”
Although Al-Nassr have not added to their nine domestic titles during Ronaldo’s time at the club, they have benefited from a flood of goals from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo scored 35 times in 41 matches across all competitions last term and was the league’s top scorer for a second consecutive season.
He has managed 99 goals in appearances overall for Al-Nassr and is well on his way to reaching 1,000 senior goals in his career, with a current tally of 938 for club and country.
Having helped Portugal win the Uefa Nations League a little over two weeks ago, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid, Sporting and Juventus forward will almost certainly now be targeting a sixth World Cup appearance next summer.
Only a month ago, Ronaldo posted on social media to say “the chapter is over”.
That came after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al-Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again.
The comment fuelled rumours that Ronaldo was ready to leave the league where he reportedly became the best-paid player in football history with an annual salary of £177m when he joined.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino raised the prospect of Ronaldo joining a team involved in the Club World Cup after Al-Nassr failed to qualify for the extended tournament which is being held in the United States.
Ronaldo said he had received offers from participating teams but had turned them down.
The decision to stay until at least 2027, which is certain to be highly lucrative, appears to rule out any future prospect of Ronaldo returning to play at the highest level in Europe.