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  • Youths must believe in Nigeria – Ighodaro

    Youths must believe in Nigeria – Ighodaro

    Stakeholders at this year’s edition of Youth Pray For Nigeria (YPFN) organised by Power House Group have called on youths across the country to be diligent and honest in ensuring Nigeria as a country works again.

    Addressing participants yesterday, the convener, Pastor Festus Ighodaro, explained that the inspiration for the programme is divine.

    According to him, “This gathering is beyond praying for Nigeria alone, it is an opportunity to encourage the youths to believe in Nigeria and imbibe the spirit of diligence and honesty towards the country.”

    Nigeria is a great nation, we are proud of the country but we need to let the youths be positive about this country. We want Nigeria to work again, the youths are ready to lift the country and that is why we are organising this yearly programme to connect with God and educate youth positively about Nigeria and their personal life,” said Ighodaro.

    Ighodaro, while noting that the YPFN 2023 is an improvement on the last edition with over 40 school pupils and owners participating called for more support from various channels for the next edition of the programme in 2024.

    “We are glad and excited about the turn up from school owners in the state, it is an improvement of last edition where we had less than 10 schools in participation but when they saw what we did last year, we received massive responses from schools and that is why we are seeing over 40 schools and their owners and representatives in attendance and everybody is ready to lift Nigeria with prayer and diligence.

    “We are Nigerians, we believe in the country and we want our youth to advocate positively for the greatness of this country, hopefully by the next edition, we shall have bumper attendance and more support from various channels.”

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    One of the speakers at the event, the proprietor of Hopeful Private School, Pastor Babajide Isaka said the event has come to stay, pleading for more support for the next edition.

    “It is our responsibility to educate the youths, Nigeria must work again, this is a gathering of prosperity and success for our dear nation, this is a program that will enable the youths to believe in our country, we can’t fold our arms and allow our youth not to believe in Nigeria. The time is now, and Nigeria must work again. We are equally calling on the government to pursue an interest in what we are doing and give us maximum support.”

    The YPFN is a yearly gathering of Nigerian youths (Secondary and tertiary institutions students, young adults and others) to stir them up to become great citizens of our nation. The programme was anchored by seasoned professionals on the role of education in nation-building, Succeeding in Nigeria in spite of the challenges, advancing Nigeria through technology and digitization, making Nigeria work and general prayer sessions for Nigeria were held.

  • Rangers want Ighodaro recalled from Raja Casablanca

    Rangers want Ighodaro recalled from Raja Casablanca

    SL10.ng understands  that Enugu Rangers have reported Raja Casablanca to the Confederation of African Football, CAF, after the Moroccan club failed to credit their domiciliary account with the transfer fee of Osaguona Ighodaro.

    The Flying Antelopes agreed to shred the agreement binding them with the attacker in the January transfer window on the proviso that Raja Casablanca will pay 150,000 euros immediately to a nominated account at First Bank Uwani, Enugu.

    But more than two months after the transfer was consummated, Raja Casablanca have failed to liquidate the outstanding liability despite several demand notices sent to the CAF Champions League campaigners by the Enugu Rangers hierarchy.

    Before Osaguona’s International Transfer Certificate was sent to the Moroccan Federation, Raja Casablanca had written a letter of undertaking to Enugu Rangers, guaranteeing that the transfer fee will be remitted in three installments.

    However, they defaulted in paying the first installment of  €75,000 , which was supposed to have been honored not later than January 30, 2015, with the second and third installment of €37,500 each falling due on March 30 and June 30 respectively.

    Enugu Rangers have asked the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and CAF to withdraw Osaguona Ighodaro’s license. The Nigeria international has notched three goals in the Champions League so far.

  • Ighodaro happy to play for Rangers 24 hours after Eagles clash

    Ighodaro happy to play for Rangers 24 hours after Eagles clash

    Osaguona Ighodaro was a surprise inclusion in the Enugu Rangers squad that tackled Heartland in the Nigeria Professional Football League on Thursday afternoon, having represented the Super Eagles the day before.

    The 24-year-old proved that his loyalty to the Flying Antelopes was unquestionable after stepping onto the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium pitch less than two hours after arriving Enugu from Abuja. And he repaid coach John Obuh’s faith in him by scoring in the 38th minute, as Rangers secured all three points in the Oriental Derby.

    ”I left Abuja at 12:45 pm with an Arik Air flight. I had to play for Enugu Rangers, we have to play together as a team, it was a derby game.

    ”Yes I was tired but as a player you know what you are after, and you have to keep pushing for it,” Osaguona Ighodaro told SL10.ng on Friday morning.

    In the race for the top scorer award in Nigeria’s top division, the Enugu Rangers marksman is now two goals behind Enyimba’s  Mfon Udoh, after netting his 15th goal of the season against Heartland.

    Osaguona has pointed out that he would have added to his 15-goal haul if he had not been away on international duty with the Super Eagles.

     

  • No slip ups in Khartoum – Ighodaro

    No slip ups in Khartoum – Ighodaro

    Enugu Rangers striker Osaguona Ighodaro has stated that African champions Nigeria cannot afford anymore slip ups in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification phase.

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles face Sudan in Khartoum today in a game they must win to close the gap on Group A opponents Congo and South Africa in first and second place respectively in the standings.

    After taking just a point from their matches against Congo and South Africa, Ighodaro does not want the Super Eagles to trip up in Khartoum against Sudan’s Falcons of Jediane.

    “It has not been the best of starts for us but I believe this team has the character and the players to do well in these qualifiers. But we must be ready because we cannot afford another disappointing outing after failing to win in two games already.

    “There is no plan to lose or drop points in Sudan. The coach has made this clear to us and we know what is at stake for us in this game. A win will do a lot of good for us,” the former 3SC man told supersport.com.

    The Rangers man, who is joint-leading scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), is not expecting the Sudanese to sit back and be clobbered by the Super Eagles.

    He believes that the toga of being African champions will spur on the Sudanese to seek an upset despite losing their opening two games to South Africa and Congo.

    “No, it will not be an easy game. They might have lost to South Africa and to Congo too, but it does not mean they will make it easy for us because we are African champions,” he said.

    Ighodaro is now hoping to earn his second cap for Nigeria after making his debut as a substitute in the 0-0 draw against South Africa in Cape Town in October.

  • Ighodaro delighted with Eagles invitation

    Ighodaro delighted with Eagles invitation

    Osaguona Ighodaro has been rewarded for his imperious display this season after he was named in the provisional squad list for vital African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa in September.

    The Enugu Rangers striker has admitted that he was surprised by the call up, but has vowed to justify the confidence reposed in him by the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF).

    ”I am happy to be invited for these games. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting the call up. I learnt about the invitation like everyone else; I found out when the list was made public on Tuesday,” Ighodaro told SL10.ng.

    ”Though it came as a surprise, it would motivate me to work harder. Assuming I had been expecting an invitation, I would have been more relaxed. Getting this news is the highlight of my entire professional career which I started six years ago.”

    The Nigeria Professional Football League joint highest goalscorer is the only uncapped striker that has been named on the roster, but he is unfazed by that statistic.

    ”Experience is needed in football. A lot of professionals are coming for these games, so I am praying to have the opportunity to prove myself to the coaches. I believe they invited me because I am doing well and I thank God for this opportunity because when he says it’s your time, nobody can stop you,” he concluded.

    Osaguona Ighodaro has smashed 13 goals for Enugu Rangers so far this season.