Tag: Pinnick

NFF President Amaju Pinnick has again commended the League Management Company (LMC) and the clubs taking part in the Glo NPFL on their commitment and noble efforts in achieving a positive turn –around of the league.

The NFF boss was at the Warri City Stadium on Wednesday as Warri Wolves pounded FC IfeanyiUbah 3-0 and underscored the gulf in class between what used to be and what presently obtains.

“I can emphasize that things have changed for the better, but we shall not rest on our oars. Previously, people were unwilling to attend League matches because of several factors, along them lack of security, predictable results as a result of poor officiating and poor organization.

“It is a different ball game now. People now look forward to the matches. I was at the Warri City Stadium on Wednesday and I can testify that things are getting much better.”

Pinnick scored the first round of the season high and expressed delight that the second round has started on similar positive note.

“The LMC is doing excellently well and the NFF will continue to give it all the support, to ensure safety and security at all match venues. I congratulate the fans for coming out to support their teams in the first stanza and also encourage them to troop out even more to support their teams in this second round.”

The NFF president also empathized with Glo NPFL club Giwa FC, whose players and officials were attacked by armed robbers along Enugu-Okigwe-Umuahia expressway on Monday night, on the way to a Week 21 match against Abia Warriors.

“It is very unfortunate, and the NFF has sent a letter of empathy to the chairman of Giwa FC. However, we thank God that no life was lost in the incident. We also commend the Nigeria Police for their prompt response in arriving at the scene in good time.”

NFF President Amaju Pinnick has charged the Super Falcons and the U-23 boys to do the nation proud as both teams negotiate tough bends in the race to next year’s Olympics.

Pinnick was at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport early on Thursday to receive the Falcons as they arrived Lagos, on their way to Bata, where they clash with their Equatorial Guinean counterparts on Sunday.

“The whole country is proud of what you have done in the past, winning seven African Women Championship titles out of nine so far, and qualifying for the Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

“Your superiority on the African continent has never been in doubt. What is left is for us to take that capability to the global stage. The entire nation has faith in you to overcome in Equatorial Guinea and eventually qualify for the Olympics,” he told the players.

The Falcons have a battle on their hands, having only drawn the first leg at home 1-1 against the only other substantial rival they have on the African continent.

“On Sunday, Nigerians expect you to deliver as you have always done. A place in the final round of the qualifying race to the Olympics is certainly within your grasp.”

In his response, Coach Chris Danjuma assured that the Falcons will take Sunday’s match as a battle that must be won. “The way it is, we have no choice but to fight and fight, because we must score goals. I want to assure Nigerians that my team is up to the task.”

Pinnick also sent a message to the U-23 boys, who were led out of the country on Thursday afternoon by NFF 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi.

“We are fully aware of the fact that we are fighting two battles in one day. But they say that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Samson Siasia has been in this kind of situation several times and he has come out victorious. We believe in him and the team that he is taking to Pointe Noire.”

Siasia’s boys hold a thin 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Port Harcourt, and know they have to prepare to battle against not only the host team, but several other forces as well.

President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Melvin Pinnick has, once more, emphasised the strategic position of the media in projecting Nigeria football, nay sports, to the global audience in a positive manner, to engender development.

Delivering a paper on Globalising Nigerian Sports: The Challenge for the Nigerian Media at a seminar organised by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (Lagos State chapter) in Lagos on Wednesday, the NFF boss harped on the need for objective and balanced reporting by the media, as well as a conscious effort towards positive projection of individuals and institutions in the country to the outside world.

“I keep saying this at every opportunity I have: The media is key to the development of any institution or sector. Even the IOC and FIFA recognise that. At every sporting event, the media have more sections of the stadium than any other arm. There are the media tribune, media centre, main press centre, international broadcast centre, mixed zone, press conference room, et cetera.

“What the media puts out goes a long way in moulding opinion of the world about individuals and institutions. It is time for the Nigeria media to start to project our leading lights positively, in order for them to take up positions they are appropriately qualified for in international sports bodies. If you project me positively; it is not about Amaju Pinnick, it is about Nigeria.”

Tracing the history of Nigeria’s participation at global sporting events, especially the Olympic Games, since 1952, and noting the three gold, eight silver and 12 bronze medals, Pinnick reiterated that Nigeria has the potential to be a world beater in sports.

“As a country, we have come a long way. There are countries in the world who don’t have the resources that we have, and cannot present the kind of quality personnel that we are capable of. But they are in influential positions in world sports because their countries’ media projected them to high heavens.

“At all times, we welcome criticisms, but let them be constructive. Criticise fairly and offer solutions so that administrators can take you serious.”

Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC),  Alhassan Yakmut also delivered a paper at the seminar, which theme was The Future of Nigerian Sports.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick will return to the country on Tuesday after a four-week medical trip to the United Kingdom.

A domestic accident four years ago has compelled the Delta State –born administrator to undergo regular ear surgery and the recent exercise has been as successful as previous ones.

“I want to praise the 1st Vice President,  Seyi Akinwunmi, who has been acting in my stead, and other members of the NFF Executive Committee who have been working very hard, as well as the General Secretary,  Mohammed Sanusi, who has been brilliant as head of the Secretariat.

“I also want to commend the media for its wonderful support for the NFF administration and Nigeria football generally. I have always said that we cannot do it alone, and the support of the media and other stakeholders has been very important to whatever we have achieved in the past seven months.”

Pinnick’s passion and commitment to Nigeria football development meant that even while on medical visit, he maintained the tempo of meetings, consultations and development initiatives at a pace allowed by doctors’ advice.

“I am shocked that at this age and with the global awareness that sport plays a principal role in unity, co-operation and integration among nations, some persons could be wondering why I had to meet with the FIFA President and the Chairman of the The Football Association.

“I had a very useful meeting with the FIFA President and another with the Chairman of The FA, Mr Greg Dyke. The key points from both meetings have been well -reported. I have said several times that Nigeria is a very important nation and can no longer afford to be a silent player in international football. Similarly, we have a lot to learn from England and co-operation between our two National Associations is key to our capacity –enhancing programmes and desire to replicate the enviable football culture that obtains in England in our own country.”

Going to the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Pinnick had to travel all the way and back to London by train as medical advice forbade air travel.

“I was told by doctors that I must not, under any circumstances, travel by air within four weeks after the operation. That would have been risking permanent damage to my ears. It is not like I didn’t want to return to the country all along.

“In any event, we are in an e-world and nothing has been left undone by my medical trip. I was not in the United Kingdom for jamboree. We are on auto-pilot with our vision and mission and I have absolutely no doubt that we are on the right path with all our plans to take Nigeria football to heights never attained before.”

NFF President Amaju Pinnick has reiterated strongly that the Federation made no mistake in re-appointing Stephen Keshi as Super Eagles’ Head Coach.

Speaking on the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme, the NFF boss was categorical that Stephen Keshi with enhanced capacity, working together with a Technical Study Group headed by former Nigeria captain Jay –Jay Okocha and with the benefit of the world –renowned ProZone match preparation software would, in aggregate, be better than any foreign coach.

“We made no mistake in re-appointing Keshi. In his first term, Keshi did a lot to encourage the boys in the domestic League, and the boy who scored our winning goal at the Africa Cup of Nations, Sunday Mba, was playing in the domestic scene.

“We don’t live in the clouds. If we wanted a foreign coach, we would probably go for someone in the class of Jose Mourinho or Arsene Wenger. We don’t have that money presently and we don’t want to be owing our coach.”

Pinnick said the ProZone software, for which four NFF officials are currently in the United Kingdom for special training, will be of great help to the Nigeria national teams.

“In the past, we played matches blindly. We didn’t know enough about our opponents and we didn’t even know enough about our own players – their strengths and weaknesses. If we had the ProZone match preparation software before now, we probably would have beaten France and reached the quarter finals of last year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil.”

The NFF President also revealed that capacity –enhancing programmes have been lined up for  Keshi, who is the only man alive to have won the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and as a coach, and captained the Nigeria senior team for 11 years.

“Our vision is to see the Super Eagles reach the semi finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia. We are very positive and we will work hard towards that.”

A telephone call from the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Melvin Pinnick has ensured Super Eagles’ forward Emmanuel Emenike regain his groove following a gunman’s attack on his Turkish Super Lig club, Fenerbahce FC bus at the weekend.

The big Nigerian striker had told of the horror of himself and team -mates after a gunman fired shots at the team bus, injuring the driver, as the contingent headed to the Trabzon Airport after a 5-1 Super Lig win over fellow Super Eagles Godfrey Oboabona’s Rizespor FC.

“He was happy I called to extend the sympathy of the NFF and Nigeria football family to him, and to assure him that we are with him at this period and also monitoring the situation with keen interest.

“Such incidents are not good for football,” Pinnick said after speaking with Emenike on Monday, minutes after the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations top scorer arrived in Milan, Italy.

The Turkish Super Lig has been suspended for a week as a result of the incident.

It was the second psychological torment for the Eagles’ forward in weeks, as he was booed by his own fans during the first half of another Super Lig match against Besiktas FC and asked to be substituted.