The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Danagogo

  • Jonathan unveils President’s teenagers’ cup

    Jonathan unveils President’s teenagers’ cup

    To discover football talents in Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday unveiled the President’s Cup to be competed for by teenagers in the country.

    The President unveiled the cup after he was decorated as the Grand Patron of the President’s Cup before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja

    The football competition was initiated by some ex-international and football stakeholders to promote youth soccer development in the country.

    Jonathan commended the initiative of the ex-internationals, whom he said brought pride and glory to Nigeria.

    According to him, football is one of the unifying factors among Nigerians, pledging that his administration would partner with the stakeholders and fully support the initiative.

    He said: “We remember how you put Nigerian name on footballing map, your names in soccer, you brought glory and pride to our nation. We are happy with you and of course these efforts to come up with a template, a flat form that you will use to build the younger ones so that you can groom them.

    “So on behalf of the government of the country we thank you for your sincere commitment in the quest to drive soccer to project football in our country, so that we will continue to be on top.”

    “One thing that all Nigerians know that brought unity to this country is the game of soccer. Whenever you people are playing, those of us who watch do not know the difference between a Muslim or a Christian, we don’t know the difference between a northerner and a southerner or an easterner or a westerner.”

    “We also see ourselves as Nigerian and that is the story, you have done very well for this country. We believe the younger ones will emulate you and also do what you have done. For today, I thank you for this, as I formally unveil the President’s Cup and of course the customized football for the purpose.”

    The Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo, who accompanied the ex-internationals, described the President’s Cup as a private sector contribution to football development which will hunts for teenage football talents through tournaments to nurture them for national teams and other clubs.

    Among the former players and officials in the delegation were – Kanu Nwankwo, Peter Rufai, Taribo West, Emmanuel Babayaro, Garba Lawal, Austin Eguaveon, Shuabu Amodu, James Peters, Kadiri Ikhana, Manu Garba, Patrick Pascal, Anthony Chinasa and Kashimawo Laloko.

  • Danagogo hails Jonathan’s intervention in NFF crisis

    Danagogo hails Jonathan’s intervention in NFF crisis

    Sports Minister and Chairman National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo has commended President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his timely intervention in the crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation which he said will be resolved before the expiration of the deadline given by FIFA to avoid its hammer falling on the country.

    The minister said during the beginning of the retreat for the President Cup which he declared open in Abuja yesterday that the interest of the president in the sport which unifies the country led to the invitation of the warring factions in the NFF for a truce meeting which would lead to true reconciliation of the parties.

    “I can assure you that Nigerians will heave a sigh of relief as the president, who is a strong supporter of our national teams met with the warring parties and everything to ensure that Nigeria is not banned by FIFA will be done”, Dr. Danagogo said to a resounding applause from the audience at the ceremony at the Media Centre of the Abuja National Stadium.

    On the President Cup which is aimed at scouting for young football talents in the country, the minister reaffirmed his call on the committee to do a painstaking job by combing all the nooks and crannies of the country to fish out the talents, as he commended all the ex internationals who are part of the committee for being part of the programme.

    Present at the ceremony were the representatives of the Minister of Youth Development and the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, the Director General of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, NSC Director of Grassroots DEvelopment, Mallam Alhassan Yakmut who is also Chairman of the President Cup Organising Committee as well as former Super Eagles players like Peter Rufai, Taribo West and Tijani Babaginda.

  • MATCH FIXING UPDATE: Ike Uche faces interogators Monday

    MATCH FIXING UPDATE: Ike Uche faces interogators Monday

    Out – of – favour Nigeria international Ikechukwu Uche  is one of the 20 players summoned by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in Spain to answer charges in a match fixing scandal involving Real Zaragoza, his former club, and Levante.

    Spanish sports daily El Mundo writes on its electronic edition that there are strong claims that the outcome of the meeting held on May 21, 2011 had been decided before the kick of a ball, or in other words, the game was fixed.

    The investigations have focused mainly on four cases involving Ikechukwu Uche, Leo Franco, Ponzio and Agapito Iglesias. The prosecutors will listen to testimonies from Levante and Real Zaragoza players on Thursday and Friday.

    Uche has been included in the Villarreal squad for their Europa League clash against Apollon on Thursday, meaning he won’t be able to appear before the Fiscalía Anticorrupción until next Monday.

    If the Nigerian is found guilty of influencing the outcome of  the match held three years ago, he would have to spend between six months to four years in prison. Also, the attacker could be disqualified from playing football for up to six years.

    In the encounter staged at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia more than three years ago, Ike Uche, then defending the colours of Zaragoza, tasted action for 55 minutes before he was replaced by Braulio Nóbrega.

  • Jos High Court summons Danagogo, Maigari, others

    Jos High Court summons Danagogo, Maigari, others

    The High Court of Jos has summoned the Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo and other defendants: former Nigeria Football Federation President Aminu Maigari, NFF Scribe Musa Amadu and all the 36 states FA chairmen to appear before it and also to explain before the court why they should not be thrown into jail for going against its order.

    A new order by the court in Form 49 released on Thursday by the Jos High court but was served at the Wuse Zone 7, Abuja Secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF)at exactly 3pm demanded that the other defendants in the case, Maigari, and his executive committee board members,  Amadu, Plateau states football federation and all the 36 states FA chairmen including the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) and the Minister of Sports must appear before the judge on the October 8 to adequately explain why they went against the order of the court which was released on September 19.

    The Jos High Court fresh order states that “Take Notice that the plaintiff will on Wednesday the 8th day of October, 2014 at the hour of 9 0.clock in the forenoon apply to this court for an order for your committal to prison for having disobeyed the Order of this Court made on the 19 day of September, 2014, enjoining and restraining you and severally from…”

  • NFF crisis a serious affair — Danagogo

    NFF crisis a serious affair — Danagogo

    The Sports Minister/Chairman National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo yesterday affirmed that the current  crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation is a serious affair for all football stakeholders in the country.

    According to Dr. Danagogo, the NSC is still studying the situation and “at the appropriate time we will say something about it in order for our football to move forward.”

    He added that “Already I have started calling the parties involved in the dispute to know their grievances and find a way out of the crisis because it is not healthy for the development of our football.”

    Meanwhile the minister has called on all parties involved in the crisis to put the interest of the country and the game before their personal interests as efforts are being made to ensure that peace returns to the football house.

  • Lack of Proactive plan, bane of development —Danagogo

    Lack of Proactive plan, bane of development —Danagogo

    The Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Tammy Danagogo has identified the lack of pro-activeness on our developmental plan as the bane of the nation’s accelerated development.

    The Minister made this assertion yesterday, 28th August, 2014 in his Abuja National Stadium office when he received in audience a delegation from the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) led by the Director-General, Mr. Benjamin Dikki.

    Commending the delegation for the visit which is a follow-up exercise to the earlier concession of the Lagos National Stadium and part of the Abuja National Stadium the Minister stated that the visit underscores the BPE’s commitment to truly reform and galvanize the Private sector in sports.

    Dr. Danagogo noted that it is a truism that Private sector is more involved in running businesses worldwide whilst government’s role is to regulate and draw up a policy framework.

    Speaking further, the Minister reinstated that this was the cardinal point of the President’s Sports Summit convocated in 2012.

    “What you are seeking to do is in tandem with Mr. President’s vision of involving every well meaning Nigerian by opening all these stadia to Private involvement” he said.

    Consequently, the Minister pledged the National Sports Commission’s commitment to work with the BPE to deliver this laudable goal of reforming the sports sector.

    Earlier in his remarks, Director-General of the BPE, Mr. Benjamin Dikki had said his Team was at the NSC to formally call upon the Minister to inaugurate the Project Advisory Team that will undertake a comprehensive analysis of sports development in Nigeria.

    He stated that it will be counter-productive to concession the stadia without a legal backing and the regulatory framework for sports the whole exercise may likely run into a hitch.

  • I’m always ready — Keshi

    I’m always ready — Keshi

    Stephen Keshi has confirmed that the Nigerian Sports Minister, Dr Tammy Danagogo made it possible for him to take charge of the two African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2015 qualifiers against Congo and South Africa.

    Keshi exclusively told supersport.com from his California home in the US,t hat “the Minister has asked me to come take charge of these matches while the NFF situation is sorted out. I am a Nigerian and love to contribute to anything that will help my fatherland always”.

    Keshi is keen to continue his work with the crop of players he made African Champions in South Africa in 2013 and took to the World Cup. The NFF on their part seem to have had a change of plans and started negotiating with the coach.

    “Yes, we have been discussing about a new contract” Keshi says. “The documents are with my lawyers and we are hopefully going to find a level playing ground so we can move on. In the meantime, we have to get through these qualifiers first”

    According to a source in the NFF, part of the contract talks with the coach includes “arrangements to get him to attend coaching courses in Europe regularly as part of us offering him the assistance he needs for the task of coaching the country”.

    On his assistants the source says “the new deal will see the NFF paying his assistants that the coach chooses and the former situation will not be allowed to rise again where Keshi paid them himself”

    Stephen Keshi informs that he drew up the list of players “yes, it was my list of players and I hope to be able to get the required results with them. Those not on the list have not been permanently excluded as I am always on the lookout for good Nigerian players all over the world.”

  • Eagles are jinxed , says Danagogo

    The Minister of Sports and Chairman of National Sports Commission(NSC), Tammy Danagogo is still sulking over the inability of the Super Eagles to go beyond the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup lamenting that the situation is a jinx.

    The minister declared this when he played host to members of the Club Owners Association in his office at the National stadium, Abuja.

    He said the solution to breaking the jinx lies in the hands of the club owners whom he said have the potentials of harvesting players who will match with their counterparts in the developed nations.

    Danagogo encouraged the club owners to work  together and overcome disputes among them. He charged them to learn to handle their problems privately rather than using the media to pass on their messages.

    He applauded the club owners stressing that the association is recognised by FIFA as the bedrock of any football in any country.

    Meanwhile, the association praised the Federal Government for the leadership role, intervention as well as contributions towards ensuring that the FIFA suspension was lifted.  They called on the Minister to help in urging all stakeholders to abide by the provisions of the statutes of football as sanctioned by FIFA.

  • Danagogo takes Keshi, Onazi, Babatunde to Jonathan

    Danagogo takes Keshi, Onazi, Babatunde to Jonathan

    Sports Minister Tammy Danagogo received the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi in his office yesterday and also requested that two injured players – Onazi Ogenyi and Michael Babatunde – should join him for a visit to sports loving President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

    SportingLife gathered from a reliable source that Onazi and Babatunde made the all-important visit to the Presidential Villa on the invitation of Mr. President who we learnt specially requested to see the injured players who had performed well in the ongoing 2014 World Cup before being ousted out by France.

    President Jonathan, who watched the Eagles matches on television SportingLife learnt was impressed with the performance of the two players at the World Cup and he wants to assure the players that during their trying period he is with them and the country is with them too.

    The Minister, SportingLife also learnt, took Keshi to the Villa yesterday so that President Jonathan may hear from him the reason why his contract was not renewed and made him to know the reason why he has to continue his job as the handler of the Super Eagles.

    Keshi had recently voiced it loud and clear after denying quitting the national team job that the Nigeria Football Federation must accept his terms if he is going to sign a new contract with the Football body that was sacked by a Jos, Plateau High Court on Thursday.