Sports

Falana Storms NFF Over Mba’s Ownership

Published

13 years ago

March 8, 2013

A lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has accompanied the management of Rangers International Football Club of Enugu to the secretariat of Nigeria Football Association (NFA) over the ownership of Super Eagles player Sunday Mba.

Warri Wolves FC and Rangers are claiming ownership of Mba, who displayed an outstanding performance in the 29th Africa Cup of Nations competition in South Africa from January to February.

Both clubs and Mba appeared before a-four-man NFA Judicial Panel of inquiry to state their cases.

The sitting was, however, adjourned to Thursday, March 7, for the committee’s final verdict.

Falana told newsmen after the sitting that he was at the Glasshouse to contribute his quota to the development of football in the country.

“I have come here to do my duty, not just as a lawyer, but as someone who is interested in the development of football in this country.

“If there is any inhibition, we have a duty to remove it and allow this player, who is a rising star to achieve and exploit his maximum talent and capability.

“That is why we need to speed up with this matter.

|I don’t go to court if am not sure of my case. It is not about money but as I did make clear to all the parties, we need to determine the fate of this player; we should not allow this case to hang on his head like a sword of Damocles.

“He should be able to move on and exploit his talent maximally in his own interest and in the interest of the country,” Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said.

He said he might seek legal action if it was the wish of his client, if the matter did not go in their favour.

The Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Amaju Pinnick, said that the commission was waiting for the committee’s verdict before taking the next step.

“The truth is that they do not know the enormity of damage they are doing to the player’s career because we have written that the full weight of the law should be applied here.

“Player, team and everybody that is culpable must be sanctioned and that is the truth.

“To me, there are no issues, we have submitted all the relevant letters to the panel.

“We tendered the letter Rangers wrote requesting for Mba. We also submitted Mba’s contract paper with us for two years; everything the committee requested from us was tendered.

“I believe the only document Rangers tendered was a document showing that Mba signed a six-year contract with them that ended in 2012.

“The issue is not about Sunday Mba, Rangers or Warri Wolves. It is all about redefining a focus for Nigerian football. It is about giving us a tomorrow.

“A situation where you see Rangers bringing a Senior Advocate of Nigeria leading four other lawyers does not speak well for football,” Pinnick said.

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.