The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sanusi Mohammed

  • No cabal in NFF, Pinnick declares

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick has debunked claims that the football glasshouse was being run by a ‘cabal’. According to him, no such thing exists.

    He said this in a monitored interview on television in Lagos last weekend. Pinnick noted that he always put Nigeria first in all he and everyone under his leadership does before any personal interest.

    In his words “I laugh a lot because Nigerians believe that everything is controlled by a cabal. If you look at my language, I use, “we”, not I and that we includes myself, Seyi Akinwumi, Shehu Dikko, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed, the General Secretary, members of the executive committee.

    If you want to carry people along, they say it is a cabal. If you want to do it alone, they say you don’t carry people along, but the word “cabal” does not exist in Nigerian football under my leadership. I always tell, not just the players, but the administrators, that we must always think of Nigeria first in anything we are doing. It is very key to whatever we want to achieve. You must have that in-built in you. That is what I say to all of them.”

    Read Also: Rewards coming, Pinnick hints Falcons

    Pinnick, who also doubles as the first Vice President of the Confederations of African Football (CAF), also said that it is important for football leaders to have a cordial relationship with his players, to get the best of them.

    It is important to have a build a very strong relationship with not just the players, but their family. I can tell you clearly that I have been touched with Victor Moses, because I have a very smooth relationship with him. We talk regularly.

    “When I travel to London, I can call Alex Iwobi and we hang out. It is a psychological thing. Don’t let them have the feeling of seeing you as a high and old President; make them feel you and you will get their best” he said.

     

     

  • Herbal medicine dealer docked for defrauding blind man of N1.5m

    A herbal medicine dealer, Sanusi Mohammed, who allegedly defrauded a blind man of N1.5 million, was on Monday charged before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    The accused, 60, is facing a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Omisakin, told the court that the accused committed the offences in 2015 at Okobaba Street, Ebute Meta in Lagos.

    He said that the accused fraudulently obtained the money from Lawal Aliyu, promising that he would introduce him into oil and gas business, a representation he knew was false.

    “When the accused failed to introduce him to the business, the complainant  asked for a refund of his money and the accused refused to give it to him,’’ he said.

    The offences contravened Sections 280 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Chief Magistrate A.T. Elias, granted the accused bail in the sum of N1 million with two responsible sureties in like sum.

    He said the sureties should show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The case was adjourned until June 1 for mention.

  • NFF pays tribute to late Eagles coach

    NFF pays tribute to late Eagles coach

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday paid glowing tributes to former Nigeria player and coach, Paul Hamilton, who passed on same day in Lagos after a protracted illness.

     

    Sanusi Mohammed, the NFF General Secretary, said: “We are in terrible shock at the news of his death.

     

    “Hamilton was a perfect gentleman in the real sense of the word, in spite of being a former international player for Nigeria and a Chief Coach of the senior national team.

     

    “He worked very hard and with his whole heart for Nigeria in all spheres, as a player, a coach and as an administrator. The Nigeria football family will miss him dearly.’’

     

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Hamilton died in the early hours of Thursday in Lagos.

     

    He was said to have been diagnosed of heart and kidney related health issues some months ago, and had his right leg amputated early this year.

     

    Hamilton played for the senior national team in the 1960s and early 1970s, including featuring in the football tournament at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.

     

    Nicknamed ‘Wonderboy’ for his delicate skills and on-field wizardry, Hamilton was at a few times head coach of the senior national team.

     

    He took the reins for the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying series, before Dutchman Clemens Westerhorf took over with only the last match of the campaign left in the series

  • Sierra Leone to play AFCON qualifiers in Nigeria

    Sierra Leone to play AFCON qualifiers in Nigeria

    The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed that Sierra Leone national team has been granted permission to play its 2017 African Nations Cup qualifiers in Nigeria.

    The Sierra Leoneans first match in Nigeria will therefore be on Sunday, September 6, against Cote d’Ivoire.

    NFF general secretary, Sanusi Mohammed, confirmed this to africanFootball.com on Wednesday.

    He said, “I can confirm to you that Sierra Leone football federation has requested to play the country’s national team’s AFCON qualifiers in our country.

    “And we have taken the request to the ministry of health who approved that the Leone Stars can  play in Nigeria.”

    Mohammed added that the NFF has offered the Leone Stars Lagos or Port Harcourt to use as a match venue.

    “We have offered the Sierra Leoneans Lagos or Port Harcourt to play their matches, so It’s up to them to choose where they would prefer,” Muhammed added.

     

  • South Africa is Nigeria’s hunting ground, says NFF

    South Africa is Nigeria’s hunting ground, says NFF

    The Director of Competitions, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Sanusi Mohammed, on Monday in Abuja said he was optimistic that South Africa would turn out another good hunting ground for Nigeria.

    Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Super Eagles were on course to win the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) on the strength of their performances so far.

    NAN reports that the Nigerian side, who are making their debut appearance at the competition which is for players in the continent’s domestic leagues, advanced to the quarter-finals on Sunday.

    They beat hosts South Africa 3-1 to finish second in Group A with six points from three matches, after two wins and a loss to Mali in their opening game.

    Mohammed told NAN he was optimistic because the Super Eagles have a psychological advantage to end up victorious at the tournament on the basis of history.

    “We have a psychological advantage because anytime we go to South Africa for a competition, we end up as champions. We normally win tournaments hosted by South Africa, the latest of which was the African Nations Cup in 2013.

    “So, featuring at CHAN for the first time does not mean anything to us because South Africa is a good ground for us because we have that psychological advantage and with our players’ ability to rise to the occasion,” he said.

    The NFF Director of Competitions commended the Super Eagles’ players for their determination which reflected in their matches as the tournament progresses.

    “We thank God we won on Sunday, because many people did not give the Super Eagles a chance to move to the next round. But the players were determined and they got the result, because we all saw significant improvement in them in all departments, especially the defence. The defenders were up and doing and the goalkeeper made brilliant saves,” he said.

    Mohammed however noted that there was a room for improvement in the defenceline of the team.

    “We need to be more serious in the area of defence because there seems to be poor communication between the defenders and the goalkeeper,” he said.

    Also, Erasmus Onuh, a former coach of ABS Football Club of Ilorin, praised the Eagles, telling NAN that the players exhibited the fighting spirit associated with Nigerian teams.

    “I was impressed with their performance because the fighting spirit usually associated with a Nigerian team was seen in the players. They really know what they wanted and they went for it and they have improved as the tournament progressed,” he said.

    Onuh added that the players’ improvement showed the ability of the team’s technical crew.

    “What makes a good team to stand out is the ability to improve with every game, and we saw that they played better than they did in the last two matches. This clearly shows that they have a good coach, because any team that fails to improve with each match doesn’t have a good coach,” he said.

    NAN recalls that the Nigerian team had started its campaign in the competition on a bad note by losing 1-2 to Mali on Jan. 11. It found its way back into the tournament by beating Mozambique 4-2 on Jan. 15.

    The Super Eagles will now face the Group B winners in the first quarter-final match at the Cape Town Stadium on Jan. 25.

  • Wolves, Rangers to agree on Mba

    Wolves, Rangers to agree on Mba

    The Nigeria Football Federation has asked Warri Wolves and Rangers to agree on the ownership of African Nations Cup star, Sunday Mba.

    Both Nigeria Professional Football League clubs claim the 24-year-old Nigeria international, who shone at the recent AFCON in South Africa, belongs to them, MTNFootball.com reports.

    After two days of deliberations, the Sanusi Mohammed-led committee charged both clubs to find a meeting point.

    “We have asked both clubs to go and resolve the issues surrounding the ownership of the player,” Sanusi said.

    “We have given them until next week to reach a gentleman agreement, but if they fail to sort it out the federation would make a pronouncement.”

    Rangers spokesman Foster Chime while confirming the directive of the NFF, noted, “Our lawyers and those of Warri Wolves are already meeting to find the best ways to resolve the issue.”

    Last week, the Nigeria league ruled that Mba belongs to Warri Wolves, but the player himself has declared he is a Rangers player when he was presented to the media at a brief ceremony in Enugu along with other Rangers new signings.