Sports
Institute Tasks FG On Grassroots Sports Dev
The Head of Foot
ball, National Institute for Sports (NISports), Lagos, Ndaks Lawrence, has urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts towards developing sports at the grassroots.
Lawrence told newsmen in Lagos that the country would benefit immensely if a vigorous approach could be adopted by sports authorities.
He said the required resources should be put in place to tap the numerous talents which abound in different parts of the country.
“Lots of talents abound at the grassroots, and they are yet to be tapped. We need to go to the grassroots to fish them out.
“And that is why I always emphasise that we don’t just depend on scouting. We need to spread our tentacles.
“When we talk of sports development, it should start from the primary school level and extend to the secondary schools, up to the universities.
“In the past, there used to be that kind of a thing. Government needs to inject more funds into sports development to catch the talents young,” Lawrence said.
He appealed to corporate bodies and philanthropists to also lend their support by complementing government’s efforts to regenerate sports.
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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