Sports
Sports Fans Task Administrators On FIFA
Worried by frequent threats by the world football governing board, FIFA on Nigeria, sports fans in Port Harcourt have called on football administrators in Nigeria to close ranks.
The suspension on Nigeria last week which had nearly scuttled the Nigerian versus Guinea Nations Cup qualifier has been lifted temporarily but a lot of unresolved issues could still attract the ban.
According to sports fan, Ekhaisomi Osaro, Nigeria football administrators should use the grace window to settle their differences.
Osaro noted that Nigeria as a giant of African football could not claim to be ignorant of FIFA rules, especially as it frowns at government interference.
The football authorities must ensure that they play according to the rules to avoid further friction with FIFA.
“We all know that we must have all the administrative structures in place and settle any football dispute outside the court house. Teams must also be relegated at the end of season, not what sports minister Isa Bio tried to do.
“So my advise to the authorities is to end their quarrels to have a clear road map towards developing the game in the country,” he added.
On his part, a keen soccer follower, Emmanuel Uchis commended FIFA for temporarily lifting the ban.
He said most football fans in the country were not happy over the development, as they expected FIFA to have intervened and explored other options of resolving the crisis rather than suspend the country.
“The issue is that the new NFF board was taken to court by registered footballers for coming into offices in a crooked way.
“I think this should worry any well meaning Nigerian as we all know that some of the state FA chairmen tenure have expired,” he explained.
“I therefore think the ban was too hasty but thank God, it has been lifted,” Emmanuel said.
It would be recalled that FIFA had unbanned Nigeria till October 26, 2010 after suspending it for flaunting its regulations.
The statement lifting the suspension reads, “The FIFA Emergency Committee decided today, 8 October, to provisionally lift the suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The decision was taken after observing that the situation had taken a positive turn in recent days, with the claimant at the origin of the court actions publicity committing himself to withdrawing his claims, the acting general secretary of the NFF returning to his post on October 5, 2010 and the issue of the Nigeria League being left totally within the ambit of the NFF,” the statement read.
In the same vein, sport fans on Tuesday in Lagos faulted FIFA’s claim that the Federal Government was interfering in the football administration in Nigeria.
The fans, who came under the aegis of sports stakeholders, urged the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to inform the world body that there was no government interference in soccer administration in Nigeria.
Speaking with newsmen, Martins Osaile, a sports and boxing promoter, said sports should be run by knowledgeable persons and not the ‘mafias’ who have hijacked it.
“There are some mafias behind the scene who do not want sports to move forward in this country, these people should first be flushed out of the system in order to revive sports,” he said.
Akonte Samuel
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.
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