Sports
NFF To Name Super Eagles New Coach, Nov 8
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says the new head coach of the Super Eagles will be announced on Nov. 8 to enable him to resume work on Dec. 1.
Deji Tinubu, the spokesman for the Executive Committee of the NFF, said in Abuja on Wednesday that the committee took the decision at its second meeting at the federation’s Glass House secretariat.
He said the two coaches who had applied for the job would be interviewed on Nov. 4, and listed the applicants as Samson Siasia and Stephen Keshi, both former Super Eagles players.
“They will be interviewed by the Technical Committee which will itself be inaugurated on Nov. 2,” Tinubu said.
The Tidesports reports that action on the employment of a new Super Eagles head coach had been on hold since the lingering Nigerian football crisis heightened.
Former Super Eagles defender Augustine Eguavoen has been in charge in a caretaker capacity after the dismal outing of the team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The crisis had snowballed into court cases which made the Executive Committee not to perform, thus leading to FIFA’s suspension of Nigeria and later a provisional lifting of the ban.
The Executive Committee, which had just met following the withdrawal of a court case on Monday, also constituted four standing committees, including the Technical Committee headed by Chris Green, an Executive Committee member.
The 12-man Technical Committee also has former Green Eagles Captain Christian Chukwu, as well as former Super Eagles stars Garba Lawal, Victor Ikpeba and Austin Okocha as members.
Others are FIFA Technical Committee member Adegboye Onigbinde, CAF Media Committee member Paul Bassey, Garba Illa, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, who is the Vice-Chairman; Deji Tinubu and Austen Elumelu.
NFF’s Deputy General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme was named as the committee’s Secretary.
The football ruling body also set up the Referees Appointment Committee of seven members with Alhaji Muazu Suleiman as Chairman and Alhaji Ahmed Maude, the President of the Nigeria Referees Association, as Vice-Chairman.
“This will help the Nigerian Premier League of the 2010/2011 season to commence on Saturday, Nov. 6, as proposed by the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) Board,” Tinubu explained.
He also announced the setting up of the Appeals Committee with 13 members, headed by NFF Executive Chairman Aminu Maigari, as well as the Disciplinary Committee, headed by Olaleye Adepoju, with 12 other members serving on it.
“These committees were constituted to ensure that they begin to function immediately.
“The Executive Committee deferred the composition of the other committees to enable it to make wider consultations for qualified, credible and competent persons,” Tinubu said.
The NFF Executive Committee meeting was attended by eight of its members, alongside acting General Secretary Musa Amadu.
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”.