Sports
Friday Seals Slim Victory For Akwa United
Friday’s goal in the 30th minute was all it took Akwa United to continue their rich vein of form as they beat hard fighting Wikki Tourists 1-0 in a Nigeria Professional Football League encounter at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Wednesday.
A cagey encounter with no goalscoring opportunities created in the opening quarter came alive in the 30th minute as Etboy Akpan’s cross into the box was initially miscued by Akarandut Orok but fell nicely for Ubong Friday.
The winger beat his marker before picking his spot to shoot the ball to the far post beyond the reach of the goalkeeper for the opener. Akwa United head coach, Kennedy Boboye made only one change to the team that beat Jigawa Golden Stars 1-0 on Matchday 12 in Kano. Paul Obata took the place of Aniekeme Asuquo in the starting 11.
His counterpart Garba Ibrahim also made a change to his starting 11 that played out a 1-1 draw at home to Katsina United in the last matchday as Ajala Olushola got a starting place ahead Saidu Abdullahi who started the game on the bench.
After the opening 15 minutes Akwa took control of the game but met a resolute Wikki Tourist side that were very determined and organised at the back as they blocked every attack by Akwa. In the 19th minute, a good team build-up by the promise keepers found Orok and Ndifreke with sight at goal but their attempts were blocked. Two minutes later, Ubong Friday’s decision to shoot was the wrong choice as two players were well-positioned that would have scored.
Akarandut should have made it five goals in five consecutive games in the 33rd minute but he ballooned his effort over the bar when an inch-perfect cross from Etboy found him unmarked in the box. Obata also came close in the closing moments of the first half when he connected well with his head but his attempt was weak and bounced off a Wikki player.
He fumbled with the rebound as he was easily dispossessed.
The promise keepers went into the break their one-goal advantage. ALSO READ: Leicester City boss Rodgers issues Ndidi training ground injury update Akwa continued where they left peppering their opponents and almost doubled their lead in the 51st minute when Ubong wasted a very good opportunity as he controls the ball well with his first touch from a cross into the box but his left foot effort lets him down as it goes wide of its target.
With only a win in their last seven games and six points out of a possible 21 points, Wikki could see the game dragging away from them. coach Ibrahim made changes to his playing personnel and they pushed forward in search of something positive.
On the hour mark, Manu Garba forced Akwa goalkeeper Jean Efala to a point plank save after a brilliant team move. The rebound fell to Williams Ukeme but he fired over when it was easier to score. It was wave of attacks from Wikki and they ought to have equalized in the closing moments especially in the 87th minute when Adamu Mohammed was put through on goal and he came one on one with goalkeeper Jean Efala who was gunning for his fourth clean sheet in a row in the box but the onrushing goalkeeper pulled a brave save to keep scores in favour of his team.
Wikki fought hard but Akwa held on to take all three points on offer and climb up the league table to fourth spot with a five-match winning streak.
Court documents obtained by our correspondent reveal that Omo-Agege’s lawsuit, filed on Monday, names the National Sports Commission, International Olympic Committee, Nigeria Olympic Committee, Rtd. General Kenneth Minimah, Mr. Akinyele Oladapo, World Boxing, and the Board of Nigeria Boxing Federation as defendants in the case.
The legal action primarily challenges the controversial affiliation with World Boxing, which Omo-Agege claims was executed without proper consultation with stakeholders and board members.
In the nine-point suit, Omo-Agege seeks several declarations, including that “the inclusion of Nigeria Boxing Federation as a member of World Boxing by the defendants is illegal, void, and not in compliance with the Articles of Association of Nigeria Boxing Federation, and therefore Nigeria Boxing Federation still remains a member of International Boxing Association.”
The interim president also asked the court to declare that Minimah “is no longer the president of Nigeria Boxing Association, parading himself as the president of Nigeria Boxing Association after being suspended by the International Boxing Association and already completing his tenure.”
A key component of the lawsuit is Omo-Agege’s claim that the November 11, 2023 meeting that led to his suspension was “illegal, null and void and all decisions made in the said meeting are invalid and inconsequential.” He maintains that as the former vice president, he became the rightful interim president when Minimah’s tenure expired.
The plaintiff is seeking “an order of mandatory injunction restraining the 4th defendant (Minimah) from further parading himself as the President of Nigerian Boxing Federation” and “an order of perpetual injunction restraining World Boxing from further naming Nigeria Boxing Federation as one of its members.”
Additionally, the lawsuit asks the court to order all defendants to recognise Omo-Agege as the interim president of the federation.
The legal action comes just days after the African Boxing Confederation officially lifted Omo-Agege’s suspension in a formal letter dated April 26, signed by AFBC Interim Secretary General Yohannes Brehane.
“The African Boxing Confederation is writing to formally inform you that, during its Board of Directors meeting held on February 9, 2025, the matter of your suspension was reviewed and resolved. The Board has decided to lift your suspension with immediate effect,” the letter stated.
In the court documents, Omo-Agege alleges that the move to World Boxing “was as a result of the International Olympic Committee’s pressure through the NOC by the machination of World Boxing.”
He claims that a letter was written to all African federations “mandating all International Boxing Federations across the world, especially Africa, to withdraw their membership from the International Boxing Association and join World Boxing as members.”
The factional leadership has significantly affected Nigeria’s boxing performance, with athletes expressing concerns about preparation and administration.
The lawsuit also contains allegations of financial misconduct, claiming that “monies belonging to the NBF have been expended fraudulently” by Minimah and Oladapo, including partial payment of athletes’ allowances and diversion of funds to private accounts.
The case, which has been filed through the law firm of Karina Tunyan (SAN) & Co, is expected to further complicate matters for Nigerian boxing, which has already struggled with administrative challenges affecting athlete preparation and performance at international competitions.
Our correspondent gathered that the camp, situated at the Special School in Lafia, the state capital, had been recently declared open by the State’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Yakubu Kwanta.
Speaking about the preparation of the athletes for the forthcoming games in Lafia on Thursday, Kwanta expressed optimism that the athletes will win several medals for the state.
He urged them to remain dedicated, committed and disciplined throughout the training period for them to achieve the expected results during the NSF sporting activities in Ogun State.
He stressed that early preparation was essential to achieving glory in the various events Nasarawa State will be competing in, and appealed to the athletes to remain focused throughout the training.
He added, “The state government has made provisions for adequate logistics and funding to boost the morale of the athletes and enable optimal performance.
“I, therefore, encourage the young sportsmen and women to reciprocate the state government’s investment in talent development, especially with the forthcoming National Sports Festival, by displaying excellence in both character and performance.”
When contacted, the delegation leaders, Beauty Timothy and Bashir Bassi, described the move as unprecedented, commending the state government for initiating early preparations for the national sporting event.
They expressed confidence that the team is capable of securing gold medals for the state across all the events.
Our correspondent reports that the Nasarawa State contingents are expected to compete in several sports disciplines, including karate, athletics, and judo.
The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria on Saturday responded to reports concerning the withdrawal of Nigerian athletes from the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou, China, fingering the Athletics Federation of Nigeria for muddying the facts about the visa processing timelines, Tidesports source reports.
AFN announced Nigeria’s withdrawal from the World Championship-qualifying event on Friday, citing visa delays by Chinese authorities as the reason for their decision.
This marks the second time Team Nigeria will be affected by visa issues for a major championship this year. The country had only one athlete at the World Indoors which was also held in China in March.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the Chinese Embassy expressed regret over the athletes’ absence but maintained that it had acted promptly and efficiently upon receiving a request for assistance from the National Sports Commission.
“On April 24, the Embassy received a letter from the National Sports Commission of Nigeria (dated 22 April) requesting assistance in processing visas for Nigerian athletes to participate in the event in China.
“The Embassy immediately communicated with the Commission and guided it to prepare the relevant materials to expedite the visa application.
On May 6, the China Visa Application Centre received the relevant application materials submitted by the Nigerian athletes. The Embassy immediately activated the expedited procedure, provided the utmost assistance to the Nigerian applicants, and completed the visa issuance on May 8,” the statement said.
The AFN in their statement on Friday had accused the Chinese authorities of frustrating their visa applications, but the Embassy insisted that the athletics body was economical with the truth.
“The Embassy of China in Nigeria has always actively supported people-to-people and sports cooperation between the two countries, repeatedly expressed its welcome for Nigerian athletes to participate in events in China, and consistently assisted Nigerian citizens in visa applications in an efficient and professional manner.
“It should be noted as well that visa issuance is a matter of national sovereignty, and all foreign embassies require applicants to provide the corresponding documents and materials, as well as allow sufficient time for the application process.
“We regret that the Nigerian athletes were unable to participate in the event in China this time, but the statement issued by the AFN is clearly inconsistent with the facts.”
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