Sports
NFF Warns Sharks, Defends Denial Of Ticket CAF Confed Cup
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF has issued a thinly disguised threat to Sharks, as the Port Harcourt club continue to press their claims for a place in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Warri Wolves, who finished fourth in the League, were awarded the ticket at the expense of Federation Cup finalists Sharks, and the Garden City club are refusing to roll over.
Sharks and the Rivers State Football Association have argued, citing CAF Regulations and precedence that they should have been rightfully awarded the slot, but NFF Secretary General Bolaji Ojo-Oba disagrees and issued a subtle threat in the process.
“We are surprised at the attitude of the Rivers State Football Association and their agents, who have been employing inelegant language in their correspondence with the Nigeria Football Federation. The football world has order and structure; it is not an animal kingdom.
“While the fellows have been arguing that the CAF Confederation Cup regulation did not expressly make mention of a fourth–placed team in the League, they have also failed to show us where the regulation expressly made mention of a second–placed team in the Federation Cup.
“Their argument has been desperate and porous, their inferences have been poor and irrelevant, and the instances they have been drawing up do not match. We will not exchange gutter language with them, but they should be very careful at this stage,” Ojo-Oba was quoted as saying in a press statement released by the NFF Media Officer Ademola Olajire.
Ojo-Oba went on to argue that the decision by the Federation to award the 2010 CAF Confederation Cup second slot to Warri Wolves FC was in the best interest of the nation.
“If we didn’t pick the Cup winner, Enyimba FC, we would have had only one slot for the CAF Confederation Cup, meaning that we would have on our own forfeited one slot as a result of not entering the Cup winner.
“CAF made it clear that the Cup winner must have a slot in the Confederation Cup, and failing which any country which hitherto had two slots would only be able to register one team. What we have done is in the best interest of the nation and we have explained the position to all reasonable stakeholders.”
Former Nigeria international goalkeeper, Peterside Idah says next month’s Rivers International Marathon will be used to celebrate the one year anniversary of His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara as the Executive Governor of Rivers State. Idah, who is the race’s head of media and communications said the event could not have been better timed and organizers have keyed it into the one year celebration of Governor Fubara’s tenure. “We want to use this race to celebrate the one year anniversary of our Governor, Fubara who is the main reason Rivers State has been officially termed as the sports hub of the nation by John Enoh, the Minister of Sports Development,” Ida said. Continuing, Idah revealed that the Rivers International Marathon has received massive backing from Governor Fubara as well as corporate Nigeria. “Governor Fubara is the biggest supporter of the race and we are determined to organise a race befitting the status of Rivers state as the new destination of sort for sports in Nigeria,” Idah stated, adding two financial institutions have thrown their weight behind the race. “Globus and Zenith bank are backing us as partners and this shows that corporate Nigeria is appreciating the giant strides we have taken in terms of sports development and the many benefits that come with organizing a road race.
Nigeria’s representatives at the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL), Rivers Hoopers on Sunday landed in Kigali, Rwanda ahead of the competition which dunks off on May 24th .
The Tidesports source hinted: “The KingsMen have arrived in Kigali, Rwanda for the Playoffs. Dakar was good, Kigali be great.”
The KingsMen will face AS Douanes of Senegal in one of the four seeding games in the playoffs in Kigali on May 24th.
The two teams played against each other twice in the Sahara Conference that ended last week in Dakar, Senegal with each winning one game apiece.
The winner between Hoopers and AS Douanes (Game 40) will play against the winner between Petro de Luanda (Angola) and US Monastir of Tunisia (Game 39) in the semi-final, while the loser of the tie will square up against the loser of Game 39 in the quarter final.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s hip-hop star, Adekunle Kosoko aka Adekunle Gold and AG Baby, are among the list of top celebrities who will perform at the 2024 African Basketball League playoffs in Kigali.
The finals usually attract top celebrities from both the sports and music community And this time around, BAL 4 playoffs will feature performances by local and international acts, including the likes of Nigeria’s Adekunle Gold and Rwanda’s very own The Ben, Chris Eazy, Ish Kevin, Kevin Kade, Ariel Wayz, Kivumbi King, Bwiza, Ishami Talent, Inganzi Ngari cultural troupe and Kenny Sol.
The selected artists will perform during the halftime shows of the finals. Globally with special performances to spice up the halftime show atmosphere.
Golden Eaglets head coach, Manu Garba, is leaving no margin for errors in ensuring the team beat Togo today in their second Group B match of the WAFU Zone B U-17 Cup of Nations in Ghana.The record five-time world champions made a stuttering start to their campaign with a barren draw against Burkina Faso at the University of Ghana on Thursday, but boosted their title defence with a 1-0 win over Niger Republic on Sunday at same venue, with Raphael Adams’ 31st-minute strike separating both sides.
Nigeria are second in the group with four points, the same as Burkina Faso, who have their nose in front on a superior goal difference. Garba looks to finish at the top of the pile and has declared their last group game against the young Hawks another must-win.
“The Golden Eaglets will have to beat Togo on today. The Togo U-17 team is good, and Nigeria will not underrate them,” Garba saider Alleged N8bn Air Fraud, Food PricOthers
“We have trained the players on goal-scoring drills. Nigeria should have scored three goals against Niger. So, we hope that the players will convert more of their chances against Togo,” he added.
Niger are in the third position with three points from their 3-2 win over Togo, who, though rock bottom, are not pushovers but largely undone by errors.
The tournament, running from May 15 to 29, will see the top two teams from the group facing the best teams from Group A, which includes Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Benin Republic, in the semi-final.
The two countries that qualify for the final will represent the region at next year’s U-17 African Cup of Nations.
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