Away win excites Kpalukwu, congratulates RUFC

The General Manager of Rivers United FC, Chief Okey Kpalukwu has congratulated the club for Sunday's 1-0 win over Kwara United in Ilorin, codedreporter.blogspot.com.ng gathers.


Osita Chikere headed home a stoppage time winner in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clash to hand the 'Pride of Rivers' their first points on the road this season.


Chief Kpalukwu said the feat was commendable but also took the time to charge players and officials of the club not to rest on their laurels.

"It was a great performance in Ilorin and I congratulate the players and technical crew.

"The sponsors, supporters and fans must also be commended for standing by the team through thick and thin.

"However, we must realize that the league is a marathon and not a sprint so no one associated with Rivers United FC can afford to relent.

"We must work even harder because teams will now raise their game when they play against us.

"We cannot relent because the good people of Rivers State are always on the lookout for us to deliver positive results," he said.

Rivers United will next face FC Ifeanyiubah in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

Rivers United Media

Rohr moves to tackle goalkeeping concerns

Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr has dispatched one of the team’s goalkeeper trainers, Pionetti Enrico to Spain to do some work with young goalkeeper Francis Uzoho ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.



Enrico, who came into the Nigeria senior team’s mix ahead of the B squad’s 2018 African Nations Championship qualifying fixture against Benin Republic six months ago, arrived in Spain penultimate weekend.



Uzoho was reserve goalkeeper as Nigeria’s U17 boys won the FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2013, and won his first senior cap in a friendly against Argentina in Krasnodar in November last year. He obviously impressed Coach Rohr.



Ball fans are a bit concerned about Super Eagles’ goalkeeping duties at the FIFA World Cup in Russia, with Carl Ikeme (who was between the pipes for the qualifying matches against Swaziland and Zambia at the beginning of the race) still undergoing treatment for leukemia.



Uzoho has kept 10 clean sheets out of 14 matches for the Deportivo La Coruna B squad this term and showed tremendous confidence and agility in the Eagles’ come-from-behind defeat of reigning world vice champions Argentina.

NWFL TO HOLD FIRST CHAMPION SHIELD

The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has today announced March 4th 2018 to host first Champion Shield football match between the league winners Nasarawa Amazons and the winners of the Aiteo FA Cup winners Rivers Angels in Lagos, Goalkick.com reports.

Speaking at the media briefing,  the chairperson of NWFL Aisha Falode emphasized on the need to determine the Champion of champions via a shield match and also create awareness for the 2018 league season. 

Falode pointed out the collaborative efforts of the board members, various club administrators and stakeholders, the media and general public for the success of 2016/17 season and calls for more support in the journey ahead.

In her words, "I want to specially thank every member of the NWFL board,  clubs administrators and stakeholders,  vibrant men of the press and all the fans of women football in Nigeria for all your remarkable support all through 2016/17 season and even thank you for the support I stand sure to get in the journey ahead". Falode stated. 

Both teams expenses will borne by the hospitality mindset of the Lagos State government. 

The champion shield match will be held on the 4th of March 2018 at the Soccer Temple Stadium Agege Lagos State.

CCL: CAF Okays Agege Stadium

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the newly improved Agege Stadium as home ground of MFM FC for the 2018 continental assignment.


The community stadium which was upgraded by the Lagos State Government when the club qualified for the Champions League at the end of the 2017 league season finally got the nod of CAF 24 hours to MFM’s first continental game at home against AS Real Bamako.
The approval was announced by Martinez Gomez from Gambia who will preside over tomorrow’s game as the Match Commissioner.
Martinez commended the Lagos state Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode for fulfilling his promise of getting the Agege stadium ready on time in line with CAF directives when MFM qualified for the 2018 Champions League.


“This is a wonderful achievement and I am glad that to announce that this stadium has been approved by CAF to host continental matches starting with the game between MFM and AS Real Bamako tomorrow.”
According to inside sources, the idea to upgrade the stadium popularly known as the Soccer Temple as Lagos state support for MFM FC was sold to the Governor by former Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission and SA Sports, Late Deji Tinubu.


The project which was approved by the Lagos state Governor was directly supervised by an adhoc committee led by Senior Special Assistant to the Govenor on Sports Facilities, Bolaji Yussuf.
The upgraded stadium will boast of a state of the art VIP lounge, fully equipped dressing rooms for teams, match officials and dedicated offices for official purposes and post-match conferences.


For the Press Tribune, 50 specially designed seats and charging ports have also been installed to aid on the spot reports by the ever evolving members of the sporting press alongside a dedicated wi-fi internet connection which is first of its kind in West Africa.

Club Owners mourn late top footballer Chinedu Udoji

The Football Club owners Association of Nigeria (Club Owners) have described as tragic, devastating and unbelievable the sudden death of former Captain of Enyimba international FC and Kano pillars defender Late Chinedu Udoji.


Udoji died in an auto crash Sunday in Kano city, north west Nigeria while driving back home after he  played  a match day 9 NPFL encounter between his former club Enyimba and Kano pillars which ended 1-1


Club Owners said the late Udoji was one of the finest, committed  and most disciplined players in the top flight league in Nigeria, where his leadership role as former captain of Enyimba was worthy of emulation by other players.


The Association in a statement jointly signed by its chairman Barr. Isaac Danladi and the executive secretary Alloy Chukwuemeka commiserated with his immediate family, the Management of Kano pillars FC , his friends and the entire football fraternity in Nigeria over the tragic loss.


Club Owners prayed God to grant his soul eternal rest and to console his family and friends.


@ClubOwners

NPFL: Confluence Stadium, Umuahia Township Stadium two others under lock

The League Management Company of the Nigeria Professional Football League have sanctioned four clubs from hosting league games at their respective stadia for two weeks.

The Umuahia Township Stadium, 27th August Stadium, Confluence Stadium and Dan Anyiam Stadium of Heartland FC, Yobe Desert Stars, Niger Tornadoes and Heartland FC respectively are match venues suspended.

The NPFL sides will be temporarily halted from using their match venues, with effect from matchday 10, following recurrent reports from match officials, stating that the pitches are not in good condition.

The sanctioned clubs have been advised to work on the playing surface of their facilities and nominate an alternative venue for their home games in the NPFL.

The LMC also stated that a team of inspectors will visit the stadia, after the clubs must have upgraded them, to assess them

CALABAR LOSES NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL’S HOSTING RIGHTS

The 19th National Sports Festival which has lingered for four years without being realized has now been officially withdrawn from Calabar, Cross River State.

According to a press release from the Nigerian ministry of sports, the decision to withdraw the hosting rights was taken at the National Council on Sports meeting which ended on Thursday at the General Hassan Katsina House, Kaduna.

The National Sports Festival last held in Lagos in December 2012 with the next one due to hold in Calabar in 2014. But the biennial sports fiesta has passed over four years without materializing.

According to the press release on the events leading to the withdrawal of the hosting rights,  voting process was thrown open on the floor of the meeting by the Chairman of the meeting and Minister of Youth and Sports,  Solomon Dalung.

Present were the commissioners of sports, directors of sports, chairmen of state sports councils, sports policy facilitators and other representatives in the sports sector.

“Having postponed the 19th National Sports Festival for six years, the Council resolved that the continued delay of the hosting of the festival was detrimental to the growth of sports in Nigeria and therefore withdrew the hosting rights from Cross River State while the Federal Government will hold the festival this November in  Abuja.

The Council also approved the reduction of the age of athletes eligible to participate in the National Youth Games and adopted 15 years as upper limit of age for participants while over-aged athletes, their erring coaches and states will be disqualified and fined the sum of N250, 000 per disqualified athlete.

The council also adopted a presentation to National Council on Establishment on Lateral Conversion of Coaches to enable them to progress in their cadres

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports was also directed to embellish the draft Implementation Guidelines for the National Sports Policy and circulate to members for inputs while the revised National Sports Policy for 2018 was also approved by the National Council on Sports and will be reviewed every four years

NFF appoints coaches for various National Teams

The Nigeria Football Federation on Monday released the names of coaching crews of all the National Teams, bar those of the Senior Men Team (Super Eagles), U20 Women (Falconets) and U17 Women (Flamingos) whose contracts are running.



Chairman of the Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed ‘Fresh’ told thenff.com that the appointments are with immediate effect, and that his committee has done due diligence on all the names and approved the constitution.



Yusuf ‘Fresh,’ who is also vice chairman of the NFF Strategy Committee, said: “All the coaches will be unveiled at a later date, alongside the coaching crews of the U20 and U17 girls that were appointed earlier as a result of their World Cup qualifying campaigns.”



SUPER EAGLES B/OLYMPIC MEN TEAM: Salisu Yusuf (Head Coach); Imama Amapakabo; Kennedy Boboye; Fidelis Ilechukwu; Alloy Agu (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)



U20 MEN (FLYING EAGLES): Paul Aigbogun (Head Coach); Abdullahi Maikaba; Abubakar Bala; Hassan Abdallah (Scouting); Suleiman Shuaibu (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)



U17 BOYS TEAM (GOLDEN EAGLETS): Manu Garba (Head Coach); Nduka Ugbade; Jolomi Atune Ali; Bunmi Haruna (Scouting); Abideen Baruwa Olatunji (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)



U15 BOYS TEAM (FUTURE EAGLES): Alala Danladi Nasidi (Head Coach); Haruna Usman ‘Ilerika’; Ahmed Lawal Dankoli; Patrick Bassey (Scouting); Ernest Salolome (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)



U13 BOYS TEAM: Jolomi Atune Ali (Head Coach); Jude Agada; Abdullahi Umar Tyabo; Adewale Laloko (Scouting); Adeoye Onigbinde (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)

Nigerian Breweries signs 5-year agreement with NFF

The Nigeria Football Federation and Nigerian Breweries Plc on Friday exchanged an agreement that both parties happily called ‘a minimum five –year contract’ – a bold statement that the relationship would last much longer

At an impressive ceremony in the expansive grounds of the brewing giant in Lagos, laced with applaudable innovation and flowing remarks, and compered by Gbenga Adeyinka the 1st, NFF President Amaju Pinnick and NB Plc’s Managing Director/CEO Jordi Borrut Bel pledged the total commitment of their establishments to every letter of the contract.

A buoyant Pinnick restated his position that NB Plc is “an organization that has been a torch –bearer of excellence and corporate social responsibility for the several decades it has operated in Nigeria,” while Bel reiterated: “We are indeed delighted about this partnership between Nigerian Breweries plc and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). This relationship provides us an opportunity to celebrate the true Nigerian spirit that is fuelled by patriotism, passion and desire for victory, through the platform of Football.”

The agreement makes Star Lagerthe ‘Official Alcoholic Drink of the Super Eagles’ while Amstel Maltais now the ‘Official Malt Drink of the NFF and the National Teams,’ including Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup –bound Super Eagles.

Pinnick said: “There were other companies that were interested in these categories but once Nigerian Breweries landed, they landed with conviction, with panache and with finality. We are happy to be involved with them, and I must praise Pamodzi Sports Marketing chairman Mike Itemuagbor, as well as Mitchell Obi and Ejiro Omonode for the roles they played in actualizing this wonderful relationship.

“The NFF is delighted to be in this relationship, and we want to assure you that Nigerian Football will meet your expectations all round.”

With 10 former Nigeria captains watching and the crème de la crème of Nigerian Football administration seated, it was no surprise when NB Plc’s Marketing Director, Franco Maria Maggi declared: “We are not thinking of five years for this partnership. We are thinking of eternity. It is a dream that we have nursed for a long time. It is the ideal thing for Nigerian Breweries to partner with Nigerian Football. We are keen to win with Nigeria.”

Pinnick, alongside NFF 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi, 2ndVice President Shehu Dikko and Deputy General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme signed a Nigerian jersey which was handed over to Bel, while Bel, Maggi and NB Plc’s Corporate Affairs Adviser, Kufre Ekanem signed another which was handed to Pinnick. The NFF later presented customized jerseys to NB Plc’s triumvirate.

NB Plc is set to commit the sum of N450million to the relationship every year, but Itemuagbor, a sports marketing titan who had brokered several relationships for Nigerian Football over the decades, said: “The important thing is not just the amount of money being paid as rights fee; it is the activation of the contract, which Nigerians Breweries and ourselves as the Sponsorship Agency are committed to doing in a big way.”

Former Nigeria captains Olusegun Odegbami, Henry Nwosu, Peter Rufai, Augustine Eguavoen, Samson Siasia, Daniel Amokachi, Mutiu Adepoju, Garba Lawal and Ann Chiejine, as well as award –winning former Super Falcons’ forward Okunwa Igunbor witnessed the occasion.

Also at the event were NB Plc’s top hierarchy; sports marketing gurus Mitchell Obi (also AIPS Vice President/President for Africa), Ejiro Omonode and Taye Ige; Chairman of the Sokoto State Football Association, Mohammed Nasir Saidu; NFF Director of Communications Ademola Olajire; NFF’s Assistant Director (Finance) Sule Bako; NFF’s Head of Marketing Alizor Chuks; NFF Marketing and Sponsorship Committee member Colin Udoh and; frontline sports editors/managers led by Editors Guild president Tony Ubani.

There were also AIPS Africa 1stVice President Mourad Moutawaqil; Chris Mbaisi (President, Sports Journalists Association of Kenya/Vice President AIPS Africa); Rita Aligumah (Vice President, Ugandan Sports Press Association) and; celebrated photo –journalist Fliss Mohamed from Tunisia. STA Mobile’s Biodun Jagun and Tokunbo Awoyinka were also there.

NPFL: Sunshine Stars Get Partial Reprieve On New Players Restriction

The imposed order restricting Sunshine Stars FC from fielding its new players has been partially relaxed by the League Management Company (LMC) on Friday.



Last Sunday in Jos Sunshine Stars were forced to make do with an entire team of 11 old players in a league meeting with Plateau United as the LMC enforced its ruling over litigation issues bordering on the Club's alleged indebtedness to its former personnel.



However following renewed efforts made by the team's management and other stakeholders to address the issue the league body has agreed to lift the ban partially with only seven of the Club's new players now eligible for Sunday's match against Kano Pillars.



Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA) chairman and Club president, Otunba Tajudeen Akinyemi who confirmed the development to Sunshine Stars FC media revealed that for delays in response from some concerned parties the case would have been fully resolved by now.



 "Yes LMC only allow us to use seven (less than half) of our new players for our next match. The situation would have been fully resolved but their have been delays in response from some parties we are to reach agreement with.



 "Since we came on board we have been fulfilling our financial obligations to our personnel. The issue on ground has nothing to do with us but the past administrations but we have the will to address it. You know the system is continuous and the situation is already under control." Akinyemi assured.



The Sunshine Stars versus Kano Pillars Nigeria Professional Football League Match Day eight tie comes up at the Ondo Sports Complex, Akure.

NFF/ Nike unveil Nigeria World Cup kit

NFF and Nike have made public the 2018 World Cup kit to be worn by the Super Eagles at June’s Mundial in Russia.



The away kit, a neon and white retro design on the body, and dark green chevrons on a white background on the arms, received a more muted response.



Despite the mixed reaction, the kit’s similarity to the iconic shirts worn by the nation’s Golden Generation in their maiden World Cup campaign in the United States in 1994 should earn it major points for nostalgia among Super Eagles supporters.




Also unveiled is the camp wears of the Super Eagles, with report saying the kits will go on sale from April/May



Nigeria are using Nike as their kit manufacturer after having been fitted by Adidas for their last two World Cup campaigns – in 2010 and 2014.



They will wear the shirts for the first time on March 23 when they face Poland in a friendly in Warsaw.



Nigeria have been pitted against Croatia, Iceland and Argentina in World Cup Group D.

 

At last, I've been vindicated – Lulu

Former president of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Sani Lulu said he has been vindicated by the court after he was discharge and acquainted.

According to New Hunter, He made this claim yesterday when journalists stormed his residence where they came across other well-wishers who came to celebrate with him.

According to Lulu, “Well, this is a very good moment for me and my entire family. For eight years I have gone through herculean task of problems and I want to say I give glory to Almighty God, He has done it.

“God has vindicated me. The main person involved, which is the secretary general (Bolaji Ojo-Oba) has since been set free by the court because the secretariat is the one in charge of activities but because they want to get at me by all means they decided to turn the table against me but God has vindicated me.

“During my time as the president of the NFF, God exposed me to so many things in life and I thank God for the opportunity. I will always depend on God to tell me my next direction in life,” the chairman of Fosla Football Academy disclosed.

The quartet of Lulu, Uchegbulam, Ojo-Oba and Ogunjobi in the court room

Recall that Sani Lulu, Ojo-Oba, Ogunjobi and others were charged to court for various allegations including corruption after their tenures as president, secretary-general and board members respectively.

2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup: Nigeria Draws Argentina Again

The Women national basketball team, D’Tigress have been grouped alongside Turkey, Argentina and Australia for the 2018 FIBA women’s World Cup taking place in Tenerife, Spain.

At a brief ceremony held on Tuesday at the Teatro Leal, San Cristobal de la Laguna, Spain, Nigeria was drawn in group B for the biggest women basketball tournament coming up between 22nd and 30th of September, 2018.

The team will be hoping to surpass their 2006 outing where they lost all their group games against China, Russia and United States before suffering another defeat in the classification game against Senegal to finish 16th.

Reacting to the draws, Dallas Wings player and one of the most influential Nigerians in the WNBA, Evelyn Akhator said, “I think it will be a great outing for us being drawn alongside Australia, Turkey and Argentina. I have watched the Turkish national team play and I am confident that we will surmount them. On the other hand Australia and Argentina, we will give a good fight with all hopes of winning.”

These were the official drawings for the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup:

Group A: South Korea, Greece, Canada, France

Group B: Australia, Turkey, Argentina, Nigeria

Group C: Japan, Puerto Rico, Belgium, Spain

Group D: Latvia, USA, Senegal and China

Haggai introduce Osun Utd, Osun Babes 'Player of the Month Award'

Osun United Football Club and Osun Babes FC kit sponsor, Haggai Sportswear have introduced 'Player of the Month Award' to motivate their squad to do well in the 2018 Bet9ja National League and Nigeria Women Premier League season.




Chief Executive Officer, Haggai Sportswear, Paul Maduakor, revealed the ‘Player of the Month Award’ winners will walk away with award plaque, tracksuit, shirt, bag and his/her bill board will be raised for the month.





"We are determined to motivate Osun United and Osun Babes players in every way."




Winners of the monthly appraisal scheme for players will be determined by fans of the two clubs.




"The fans of the two teams will determine winners of the monthly award, with that the fans will be fully involved and we will know most popular fans player for every month.




“We have come up with this award that will see the winner walk away with award plaque, tracksuit, shirt, bag and his/her bill board will be raised for the month," *Maduakor told Osun United Media* .