The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • Hayatou ‘sole candidate’ for CAF job

    Hayatou ‘sole candidate’ for CAF job

    The Confederation of African Football said Issa Hayatou is the only official candidate for its presidential election in March, despite Jacques Anouma having tried to enter the race.

    Hayatou, a FIFA vice president from Cameroon who has led CAF since 1987, appears to have a clear run after engineering a change in election rules in September, SuperSport.com reports.

    The Ivory Coast Football Federation nominated Anouma, who also sits on FIFA’s executive committee, but he is barred by a rule which allows only voting members of the CAF board to stand.

    Liberian officials want to challenge Hayatou’s new rules at the Court of Arbitration for Sport but were told they must first exhaust CAF’s internal appeals process.

    The CAF election congress is scheduled for March 10 in Marrakech, Morocco.

     

     

     

  • NPL congress sacks Baribote

    NPL congress sacks Baribote

    …Picks February 16 for league kick-off

    The Nigeria Premier League congress has sacked the Victor Baribote-led board and proposed February 16 for the commencement of the new season.

    In place of the board, the secretariat headed by executive secretary Tunji Babalola will run the affairs of the league body, MTNFootball.com reports.

    The congress also said the traditional pre-season tournament, the Super Four, will be hosted by Kano and reversed the expulsion of ocean boys from the league.

    The congress of the Nigeria Football Federation taking place in Port Harcourt on Thursday is expected to ratify these decisions.

    The congress, which met with 19 of the 20 clubs represented, had NFF executive committee members Shehu Adamu, Yahaya Kwande and Emeka Inyama in attendance as observers.

    Niger Tornadoes were the only club not represented at the congress.

    The meeting of the league clubs was held under tight security at the Prixair Hotel in Zone 6, Abuja.

    This was a day after the NPL board announced that the congress will no longer take place.

    The board instead directed that Baribote step down as NPL chairman with vice-chairman Shehu Gusau to act as chairman, while a three-man committee will probe the crisis of confidence that has plagued the league body.

     

  • Suswam backs F/Eagles for World Cup

    Suswam backs F/Eagles for World Cup

    FORMER FLYING Eagles ace Terna Suswam has predicted the country’s U20 team will again qualify for the World Cup.

    Nigeria are drawn in Group B of next year’s African Youth Championship in Algeria along with Gabon, DR Congo and Mali with the top two teams advancing to the semi-finals and automatically bagging a ticket to the World Cup.

    “They will certainly qualify for the World Cup. I have no doubt what so ever about that. I watched some of their qualifying matches and with what I saw I am very confident they will be at the World Cup in Turkey,” he told MTNFootball.com.

    Nigeria crashed out to France in the quarter-finals of the 2011 FIFA U20 World Cup in Colombia. However, Suswam, who was part of the last U-20 team who won the AYC last year in South Africa, warned the present team not to underrate any team in Algeria.

    “They must approach every game like a cup final if they want to retain the cup because there are no minnows anymore in African football,” cautioned the Vitoria Setubal of Portugal defender.

    The AYC kicks off on March 16 in Algeria.

  • ALUKO MAY MISS AFCON 2013

    ALUKO MAY MISS AFCON 2013

    •Tiger’s ace out for 2-3 weeks 

    NIGERIA international, Sone Aluko may have his African Nations Cup in South Africa dream shattered following the news that he may be sidelined for between two and three weeks as the Tigers seek to put an end to his troublesome Achilles problem.

    Aluko has missed the last two games and has now had an injection to help clear up the problem, with manager Steve Bruce hoping a period of complete rest will aid the recovery process for City’s leading goalscorer.

    “Sone trained on Thursday and unfortunately was sore on Friday,” said Bruce.

    “He had an injection on Friday and we’re hoping that now he’s got five or six days off doing absolutely nothing, in two to three weeks it will have done the trick and we’ll see Sone back again.

    “We’ve played two games away from home without arguably our best player of the season and we’re hoping it’s not a bad one. The worry is that it’s the tendon, but the scan has revealed that there is no real damage. We’ve put an injection in to try and release it.”

  • NFF to honour Jaja, Omokhaye

    NFF to honour Jaja, Omokhaye

    THE NIGERIA Football Federation (NFF) has announced that it will honour former Member of the Board and Deputy Chairman of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and one-time Secretary General of then Nigeria Football Association, Pa Herbert Olanrewaju Omokhaye, at its 68th Annual General Assembly in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

    Jaja, a former President of the Nigeria Referees Association who was on the board, will be conferred with honourary membership of the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation.

    Omokhaye, also a former referee and administrator of repute, who turned 80 recently, will be honoured with an Award of Meritorious Service to Nigeria football.

    NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu said on Monday that all arrangements have been concluded for Thursday’s showpiece in the Rivers State capital.

    “The Executive Committee of the NFF decided it was time we start giving honour unto whom it is due. To this end, the Committee has pencilled down Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and Pa Omokhaye for honour this year,” Amadu said.

    “This will become a feature of the Annual General Assembly.”

    Officials also confirmed that about a dozen members of staff, who have spent 20 years and above in the service of the Federation, will be honoured.

    The Executive Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, CON will be chief host at Thursday’s event, at which the Honourable Minister/Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi will be the special guest of honour.

    Among other guests will be the Director-General of NSC, Patrick Ekeji, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Adamu Gumba, chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, past NFF Presidents John Obakpolor, Abdulmumini Aminu, Dominic Oneya, Ibrahim Galadima and Sani Lulu Abdullahi, past NFF Secretaries General Momodu Kadiri, Sani Ahmed Toro, Ahmed Tijjani Yusuf, Fanny Ikhayere Amun and Bolaji Ojo-Oba.

    The 15 members of the NFF Executive Committee, with President Aminu Maigari at the head and Board Secretary Musa Amadu behind, will lead the 88 delegates into the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt for the opening ceremony that starts at 10am. The delegates are: Chairmen of the Football Associations of 36 States and FCT; Secretaries of the Football Associations of 36 States and FCT and; Chairmen and Secretaries of the Leagues (Premier, National, Women and Nationwide), Players’ Union, Coaches Association and Referees Association.

  • ATLETICO DE PENAROL MOVE Uruguay will toughen me, says Kingsley Udoh

    ATLETICO DE PENAROL MOVE Uruguay will toughen me, says Kingsley Udoh

    FORMER Under-23 captain, Kingsley Udoh, has stated that his proposed move to Uruguay, a country in South America, is motivated by the encouraging pay and the opportunity to have himself toughened for a later career in Europe.

    Udoh, a member of the 2007 class of the Golden Eaglets, recently travelled to Uruguay where he is presently undergoing trials with the country’s league champions Atletico de Penarol.

    In a chat Udoh said that he would like to start his adventure outside Nigeria from the South American league from where he hopes to make a huge leap to Europe in the nearest future.

    The Akwa Ibom born Heartland defender stressed that he would be returning to Nigeria in time for the yuletide period but would go back to Uruguay before the end of January next year when the league season is expected to start in the country which has produced enterprising world beaters like Edison Cavani, Luis Suarez.

    “I am in Uruguay to get prepared and toughened for a later career in Europe. I am here for the money too because I learnt their pay is alright.

    “I am training with Atletico de Penarol and they are the Uruguayan’s champions. The league season ended last weekend which means I will come back to Nigeria briefly for the Christmas and New Year break and I will then go back before the start of the new season by January ending/ early February,” Udoh said.

     

  • NPL names Sport Editor of The Nation, Ojeikere in 3-man committee

    THE BOARD of the Nigeria Premier League rose on Monday from an emergency meeting in Abuja, calling off the proposed Annual General Meeting of the Board slated to hold in Abuja today as directed by the NFF, and also instructing the Chairman of the League Board Rumson Baribote to step aside pending when a three-man investigation panel they set up to look at the crisis that engulfed the League last week will submit its report.

    According to the communiqué the members of the Committee will include Leye Adepoju, an Executive Committee member of the NFF, Ade Ojeikere, Sports Editor, The Nation/SportingLife and a representative of the League clubs. The committee has three weeks to submit its report.

    The NPL said they have already sent in their technical report to the NFF Board, and has communicated the date of the kick-off of the 2012/2013 League season. They commended the NFF for their timely intervention in the crisis that erupted last week, and also appreciated the Minister of Sports and Chairman National Sports commission for ensuring that peace reigns in the League Board. They wished the NFF good luck in their Annual General Assembly holding in Port Harcourt this weekend.

  • Glo Golf Tour a huge success – Senate President, PGA

    Glo Golf Tour a huge success – Senate President, PGA

    •As Tour ends in style in Otukpo

    THE MAIDEN edition of Glo Golf Tour West Africa ended on Sunday night in Otukpo, Benue State with a big bang as Globacom doled out N20m cash, a brand new car, motorcycles, sewing machines and other prizes to pros and amateurs who won in the Grand Finale, including the Senate President, Senator David mark and his wife Helen.

    The Senate President, playing with handicap 12 won the veterans men event with a score of 176 gross in the 36-hole event on the Otukpo Golf and Country Club while his wife led the women’s field with a score of 251 gross.

    David Mark, Helen Mark,the Och’ Otukpo, Dr. John Eimonye, and over thirty other amateurs who won in several categories received different prizes from Globacom at the prize giving ceremony and Gala night which featured top-rated artistes including afro-calypso star, Lagbaja and comedian Okey Bakassi among others.

    Commenting during the event, Senator Mark said the Glo Golf Tour West Africa 2012 was a huge success not only because the highest ranked professional golfers in West Africa participated in the tournament but also because of the exceptional quality of organisation, the N62.5m unprecedented prize money and the glamorous closing ceremony.

    He said that by solely sponsoring the Glo Golf Tour 2012 with its scale and class, Globacom had done what he had always preached that the corporate sector should step in to support sports development in the country. He singled out the Globacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga whom he described as his friend and brother, for special commendation for his massive support for sports development in West Africa.

    He explained that no sports was elitist, contrary to the opinion of many that golf was. He pointed out that many of those who won prizes in the amateur categories were youths who were not very well to do. He said that every sport was capable of bringing glory to a nation.

    He announced that for the next five years, the Glo Golf Tour grand finale would be held in Otukpo and called on the pros to improve their game as the Otukpo Golf Course would be upgraded to be more challenging.

    “Once you play here (in Otukpo) after the upgrade, you can play on any course in the world and do well,” he said.

    Senator Mark also announced that next year, the West African Glo Golf Tour would be upgraded to an African Golf Tour, attracting top-most players from Africa and the rest of the world.

    Also during the grand finale witnessed by many dignitaries including Assistant Inspector General of Police , Mr. Ilesanmi Aguda, the winner of the hole-in-one car prize, Mohamed Liman collected his car prize while Ghana’s Emos Korblah, Vincent Torgah and Edet Umoh who came first second and third respectively in the professional competition also received their cheques.

    Twenty four winners in other categories including, the men’s category 2 handicap 6-12, men’s category 3 handicap 13-18 and Ladies Handicap 0-18 and Handicap 19-37 all received various prizes including motorcycles, refrigerators, microwave ovens, DVD players, Golf kits, clippers, dryers among others. Felix Pam of the IBB Golf and Country Club won the category one prize being the only surviving Category One player to advance with the pros in the 72-hole pro competition. The icing on the cake was when the Director of the Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria, Festus , emerged winner of N1million through a raffle draw for veterans only.

  • Flying Eagles confident of 2013 World Cup ticket

    Flying Eagles confident of 2013 World Cup ticket

    Defending African champions Nigeria have expressed confidence they will scale past their first round group to qualify for the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup.

    The Flying Eagles have been drawn against Mali and debutants Gabon and DR Congo in Group B at the 2013 African Youth Championship (AYC) to be hosted by Algeria from March 16 to 30.

    The Nigeria U20s eliminated Mali in the semi-finals of the 2011 AYC in South Africa on their way to emerging as champions at the expense of Cameroon.

    While both Gabon and DR Congo will only be making their debuts at the tournament proper in Algeria.

    Flying Eagles assistant coach Yakubu Maidajin described Sunday’s draw in Cairo as a favourable one, while maintaining this only means the team have to work a lot harder.

    “It’s a favourable draw and we ought to qualify from this group,” he offered.

    “A team like Ghana would have proved a difficult opponent but good enough we are not drawn against them in the group stage.

    “All the same, if we work hard this tournament would be a lot easier than when we won it last year because the teams in our group are most likely to have too much respect for us.”

    Flying Eagles goalkeeper coach Alloy Agu said the country’s chances of going past the first round are very bright.

    “It’s an interesting draw and our chances are very bright, but we cannot afford to underrate any of the teams especially Gabon and DR Congo who have been doing very well lately,” said Agu, who featured at the 1985 U20 World Cup in the former Soviet Union.

    “We will rise to the occasion so as to meet our targets, which is first to qualify for the World Cup and then successfully retain our championship.”

    The team’s joint leading scorer in the qualifying tournament with three goals Alhaji Gero equally expressed confidence Nigeria will advance to the World Cup to be hosted by Turkey in June.

    “We are in a good group but we still have to go out there, fight and prove we are the champions,” the big Enugu Rangers striker said.

    “We will qualify for the World Cup to begin with.”

    The Flying Eagles eliminated Tanzania and South Africa to qualify for the 2013 AYC.

  • Young, promising handballers to join national teams

    Young, promising handballers to join national teams

    The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) said on Sunday that it would invite outstanding talents that had been identified at the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) to join the national teams.

    Yusuf Dauda, President, HFN, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, that some budding talents had exhibited skills that the national teams could do with.

    “A number of the identified talents will join the present National Junior teams; their performances speak volumes about their latent skills and we want to follow them up immediately,’’ he said.

    Dauda told NAN that the players would be grouped according to their respective age categories, while the training schedules would commence in January.

    The HFN boss said that the comprehensive training programme would provide the antidote to develop their remarkable skills, adding that the various national teams would soon be a force to reckoned with.

    “My vision is to see Nigeria Handball Teams stand out among others in any international competition and with the calibre of players discovered, the dream will be realised,’’ he said.

    Dauda also advised state coaches to craft requisite training programmes that would sharpen the competitive edge of the players before the national camp opens in 2013.

    “Coaches should not go to sleep because they now have a bigger work load, which must be taken seriously, to make sure our talents are properly groomed,’’ he said.

    The HFN president also applauded the Lagos State Government and the Main Organising Committee (MOC), for its successful hosting of the festival.