The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Adepoju

  • N1.5m bribe allegation: It’s witch-hunt, says Adepoju

    The embattled former chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)’s Organising and Disciplinary Committee (O&D), Leye Adepoju, has finally broken his silence about the bribery allegation levelled against him.

    Adepoju, who aired his side of the story during a sports programme on a private radio station in Ibadan at the weekend, reportedly described the NFF as a body in a state of disarray.

    The Oyo Football Association boss while responding to questions denied having knowledge of a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the Federation’s board members met and took punitive actions against its former scribe, Taiwo Ogunjobi and Victor Rumson Baribote, and also resolved to set up a four-man committee to investigate an allegation of N1.5m bribery Adepoju was said to have collected from Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) on behalf of members of his O&D Committee.

    Adepoju said he could have attended the meeting if he had been notified that NFF executive members would be meeting there, but he was amazed to read from the dailies that he was absent from the meeting with apology.

    He, however, insisted that the said N1.5m was a fee for a job he’s doing for Ibadan darling team, 3SC and not a bribe as is been peddled.

    Adepoju linked the whole bickering to anxiety by leading members of the NFF towards the Glass House elections slated for early next year.

    “I have made my intention known not to support the continuation of this present people at NFF. All of these wranglings are to witch-hunt their perceived enemies prior to the NFF elections billed for early next year”, Adepoju noted.

    He added: “I and (NFF president Aminu) Maigari were very close before, but since I noticed that his leadership was deviating from the statutes guiding the game, I began to raise my voice against it, which seemed not to be satisfying to them.”

    Adepoju also noted that there is nothing like an ‘Organising and Disciplinary Committee’ or O&D Committee, but what he knows and was appointed to head is the Disciplinary Committee, while Mike Umeh is the chairman of the Organising Committee.

    He also expressed reservations about getting a fair judgment from the panel constituted by the NFF headed by a fellow lawyer, Chris Green as chairman with members including Emeka Inyama, Shehu Adamu, Muazu Kawu and Brig-General Emma Okaro (rtd), with Alizor Chuks as secretary.

    “I shall be there to present my case no matter how deafening the panel might be”.

  • Eagles were wasteful -Chukwu, Adepoju

    Eagles were wasteful -Chukwu, Adepoju

    Mutiu Adepoju, an ex-international, commended the Eagles 2-0 victory over the Flames of Malawi but rued over many of the chances missed by the Nigerian side.

    Adepoju told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Eagles lost a lot of goal-scoring chances, although they still dominated the match.

    “It was a nice match. The boys played fantastic football even though they were unable to utilise many of the chances that came their way,” he said.

    “They should be commended because they exerted themselves but showed they are a force to reckon with.”

    Adepoju, however, urged the team not to rest on their oars now as they had only qualified for the next stage. “The knock-out stages can be very testy.”

    According to him, he is still optimistic about the Eagles securing one of the five African slots for the Brazil World Cup.

    Christian Chukwu, a former Captain and Coach of the Eagles, hailed the performance of the team.

    “Eagles need to polish their finishing in the attacking sequence. I noticed a lot of blunders.

    “But it was a good game and I have to commended them.”

    Chkukwu advised the Eagles to remain focused and maintain their determination to the very end of the competition.

    Meanwhile Moshood Adebayo, the Football Coach of Team Kwara, said that he knew from the unset that Malawi were no threat to the Eagles.

    Adebayo, however, advised the Eagles to be cautious as they proceeded into the next level.

    The hotly contested match was staged at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar.

    In the match, played mainly under a drizzle, Emmanuel Emenike scored the curtain-raiser in the 45th minute while newly unveiled Liverpool of England player, Victor Moses scored the second, via a well-taken penalty in the 51st minute.

    Nigeria topped its group with 12 points while Malawi placed a distant second with 7 points.

  • Adepoju, Amiesimaka differ on LMC/club owners’ rift

    Adepoju, Amiesimaka differ on LMC/club owners’ rift

    A former official of the Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan on Thursday called on the League Management Company (LMC) and the club owners to resolve the crisis threatening to tear them apart.

    Mutiu Adepoju, the former General Manager of 3SC, who was reacting to a deadlocked recent meeting of the two parties, urged them to rather adopt dialogue in resolving the issues.

    He told the News Agency Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) could not achieve any visible development with the ongoing rift..

    “I think they need to come together and look for a way forward. They should seat in a round table to thrash out all these issues.

    “If truly they have the interest of the league at heart, we should not be having problems like this again. They should seat, dialogue and find a way forward,’’ Adepoju said.

    Adokiye Amiesimaka, an ex-Green Eagles star player, on the other hand, hailed plans by the LMC at running a credible league but noted that it was nevertheless an illegal body.

    He said the LMC, recently constituted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), was an illegal body and as such, would not be recognised in law.

    Amiesimaka explained that LMC’s illegality, stemmed from the fact that the NFF that gave it the mandate, was also an illegal body.

    According to him, it is rather the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), that is known in law as the body to run football in the country.

  • Lobi Stars’ CAF Confederation ouster shocking-Adepoju

    Lobi Stars’ CAF Confederation ouster shocking-Adepoju

    Former Nigerian international and former general manager of 3SC FC of Ibadan, Mutiu Adepoju, has described the ouster of Lobi Stars of Markurdi from the ongoing CAF Confederation Cup as shocking.

    Lobi Stars were defeated 7-1 in the return leg of the competition against Liga Muculmana of Mozambique on Friday in Maputo.

    Adepoju said the goal margin did not depict the quality of a club like Lobi Stars. Lobi Stars won 3-1 in the first leg played at the Markurdi Stadium a fortnight ago.

    “I am shocked at the goal margin; it’s not about losing or winning: but the score line is hard to believe for a club like Lobi, they are no pushovers in the league,” Adepoju said.

    “Something must have gone terribly bad because it will be wrong to make assumptions, but one thing that is certain is that the fault is either from the team or from the officiating. It is sad, but whatever must have happened in Maputo, they could not withstand it,” Adepoju said.

    Lobi is the first Nigerian club to be knocked out of the CAF Confederation Cup this season. The team is currently on the 12th position in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) with six points from four matches.

  • Adepoju backs Osaze, Martins snub

    Adepoju backs Osaze, Martins snub

     EX-NIGERIA international Mutiu Adepoju said he is in full support of Stephen Keshi’s list for the upcoming African Nations Cup in South Africa.

    Keshi on Friday released a list of 17 foreign-based professionals to add up to the 23 home-based colleagues ahead of the team’s second phase of camping billed to commence in Faro Portugal on December 27 and with a host of high-profile players like Peter Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins and Taye Taiwo not listed by the coach, the 1994 Nations Cup winning member said the coach’s list can’t be faulted.

    “He knows what he wants and he must have reasons for inviting those that are on the list and those that are not included. There will always be issue on the list but I know he means well for the team and Nigeria and he can’t be faulted for what he has done.”

    Adepoju said the list of players in the team are potential winners of the competition urging Nigerians to show support for the coach.

    “The list consists a mixture of experienced and ambitious players and with good preparations and support they will make Nigeria proud at the Nations Cup,” he said.

  • Adepoju: I left 3SC a sad man

    Adepoju: I left 3SC a sad man

    FORMER 3SC General Manager Mutiu Adepoju has stated that he was disappointed to have quit the four-time Nigerian champions declaring he left the club a sad man.

    Adepoju’s four-year reign as the supremo of the Oluyole Warriors experienced series of battles which reached a boiling point at a period when he was reportedly sacked only for news to resurface that he is back at the club which puts him on a win-and-get-paid condition.

    “I came to Shooting Stars with a big dream; to get the club to the top position which they are known for but so many things which i can not say on air hindered my plan. It was very painful and I have to leave the club in disappointment; I left there a sad man.”

    He however, backed the club to make an appreciable impact next season declaring that the club would have finished in a more respectable position were it not for the effect of the last-minute expulsion of Ocean Boys’ which scuttled the club’s outside chance of earning a continental ticket.