Sports
NPL, Broke, Shelves Midweek Matches
The Nigeria Premier League (NPL), has decided to shelve midweek games billed for Wednesday because they do not have the necessary funds.
Tunji Babalola, acting Executive Secretary of the league body, said that there was no money to pay the indemnities of match officials.
“We should have played the postponed Week Three matches this Wednesday but there is no money and we cannot subject the clubs to pay another match indemnity after paying the one for last week,” Babalola told Goal.com.
“This should have been the best time to play the last postponed games but there is nothing we can do except to try and see whether we can still play the games in no distant future,” he said.
The Nigeria Premier League enters Week Eight this weekend and there has been financial scandal in the league body, which forced all home teams to pay the match indemnities to referees on behalf of the NPL last weekend.
Babalola promised that the NPL would look for funds to pay the match officials this weekend.
“We hope to get some money to be able to pay the match indemnities this weekend. It is not good that clubs will pay the indemnities because we want to maintain sanity in the league.
“As much as possible, we want to make the clubs have less contact with match officials and one way we can do it is for the NPL to continue to pay the indemnities,” Babalola said.
Meanwhile, coaches of Sharks FC of Port Harcourt and Akwa United of Uyo have pleaded with the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to re-adjust the ongoing 2012 league match fixtures.
They made the appeal last Saturday in Port Harcourt after visiting Akwa United held their hosts to a goalless draw at the Sharks Stadium.
Sharks coach, John Obuh, said the current fixtures, which made clubs to play twice a week, were becoming strenuous.
Obuh said the development was affecting the fortunes of his team in the six-week-old competition.
“We planned to win this game but luck was not on our side today. It was a good game, in spite of the score line,’’ he said.
His Akwa United counterpart, Solomon Ogbeide, corroborated Obuh’s appeal, saying,“the fixtures are becoming strenuous on clubs.
“We appeal to the league organisers, the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), to make the fixtures lighter for clubs’’.
Ogbeide said his team was not ambitious to win the league because they were new comers to the Nigerian premiership.
He said, however, that if they eventually win the league, they would be happy.
The match was played behind closed doors because of the sanctions imposed on Sharks by the board of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL).
The order followed unruly behaviour by the club’s supporters during a match against Warri Wolves in week four.
Sports
Amusan places third in Diamond League opener
The Nigerian, who arrived in China fresh from winning gold at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Ghana earlier on Wednesday, clocked a season’s best of 12.41s behind Olympic champion Masai Russell and Bahamian star Devynne Charlton.
Russell produced a dominant display to win the race in a meeting record and world-leading time of 12.25s, improving on her previous world lead of 12.40s.
Charlton, the reigning world indoor champion, finished second in 12.38s in one of her strongest outdoor performances to date.
Amusan, whose world record of 12.12s remains the fastest time ever run in the event, improved significantly from her previous season’s best of 12.84s set during her victorious outing at the African Championships in Accra.
The 29-year-old was competing in a stacked field that included reigning world champion Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland, Jamaican pair Megan Simmonds and Ackera Nugent, China’s Wu Yanni and Americans Tonea Marshall and Danielle Williams.
Kambundji, who won the world title in Tokyo last year with a Swiss record 12.24s, finished fifth in 12.82s, while Jamaica’s Nugent placed sixth in 12.98s.
Marshall and Williams failed to finish the race.
Following Amusan’s victory in Accra, the three-time Diamond League final winner expressed gratitude to her supporters while insisting she remained determined to achieve more success this season.
“Beyond grateful to God, my team, supporters, and everyone who continues to believe in me through every season. Historic feeling. Still hungry for more. The mission continues,”
Sports
Falcons To Tackle Senegal in Pre-WAFCON friendly
The 10-time African champions are scheduled to take on the Teranga Lionesses on June 5 and 8 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, in what will form a key part of their build-up to July’s continental tournament.
The fixtures were confirmed on social media platform X by Super Falcons Show, which announced the details of the encounter and venue.
“Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will take on Senegal Women’s National Team in a double-header international friendly scheduled for June 5 and 8,” the post read.
“Both matches will be played in Ikenne, Nigeria.”
The friendlies come after Nigeria’s proposed training tour of the United Kingdom, which included a planned match against Jamaica, was cancelled due to scheduling complications linked to FIFA’s official women’s international window. The timing meant clubs would not have been obliged to release players.
With that tour shelved, the Senegal fixtures now offer a timely opportunity for coach Justine Madugu and his technical team to assess squad options, test tactical systems and strengthen team cohesion ahead of the WAFCON campaign and longer-term qualification targets for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Senegal are expected to provide a competitive regional test, with their physical style and disciplined organisation likely to offer Nigeria a different tactical challenge across both matches.
The Super Falcons, who have dominated African women’s football for decades, will be aiming to use the double-header to fine-tune preparations as they pursue another continental title in Morocco next year.
Sports
Okpekpe Road Race Unveils Partners, Appoints Dr. Bojuwoye
Dr Bojuwoye, a seasoned medical professional with extensive experience in road running events across Nigeria, is expected to bring added value to the race through his expertise.
As medical director, his responsibilities will include overseeing emergency medical response, coordinating first aid stations along the course, ensuring athlete safety, and supervising medical volunteers and paramedics.
His role is critical in safeguarding the health of both elite and recreational runners, as well as spectators.
In addition to unveiling its new medical director, the organisers also announced five corporate partners for the 2026 edition.
The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Petralon Energy, Razzl Drink, Dan Oil, and Carloha Motors have joined as sponsors, reflecting the race’s growing appeal across diverse sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The Okpekpe race, organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing Company, has steadily risen in prominence since becoming the first road race in Nigeria to earn World Athletics label status in 2015.
It has since advanced to Gold Label Race status, attracting elite athletes from around the world and cementing its reputation as one of Africa’s benchmark road-running competitions.
Edo State, under the leadership of Governor Monday Okpebolo, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the race, citing its role in promoting tourism, community pride, and international recognition for the region.
Race Director Zack Amodu noted that the new partnerships underscore the event’s stature and its impact beyond sport.
We are delighted to welcome DBN, Petralon, Razzl, and Carloha Motors as partners for the 11th edition. Their support, alongside the backing of Edo State, not only strengthens the race but also reinforces its role as a platform for promoting excellence, youth empowerment, and community development,’ Amodu said.
Beyond its sporting significance, the Okpekpe International 10km Road Race has become a catalyst for social, health, and economic benefits.
It encourages fitness and healthy lifestyles, fosters social cohesion by bringing communities together, and generates economic activity through tourism, hospitality, and local commerce.
The event also showcases Edo State’s cultural vibrancy while contributing to Nigeria’s growing reputation in global athletics.
The 11th edition is expected to draw elite athletes, local participants, and international attention, further consolidating Nigeria’s place on the global athletics calendar.
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