Nigerian Football
NFF Thanks Aiteo as 27 Coaches Get Paid
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has handed big kudos to its Official Optimum Partner, Aiteo Group, following the payment of the first batch of monies meant for the payment of salaries of Coaches of the National Teams in the N2.5billion, five-year partnership agreement with the foremost energy solution company.
The NFF 2nd Vice President/LMC chairman, Shehu Dikko, who is also Chairman of the NFF Sponsorship, Marketing and Television Advisory Committee, told thenff.com on Tuesday that from the first tranche of payment received from the energy solution company, about N100million has been used to offset all outstanding salaries of 27 coaches in all, including a number that had been owed for services rendered during the tenure of previous administrations.
The salaries of the Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Mr. Gernot Rohr, have also been settled up-to-date from the forex component of the transaction with Aiteo.
All the payments were made direct to the accounts of the beneficiaries through NFF’s Financial Consultants (Financial Derivatives Company), appointed to manage the funds from the sponsors upon verification of the processes by NFF external auditors, PWC and payment instructions from the NFF secretariat.
“We are very happy to announce that we have been able to pay a total of 27 coaches all the monies they were being owed, including some who worked with previous NFF Boards in what we termed ‘legacy payments’.
“It is our joy that the coaches can finally smile to the bank. A labourer deserves his wages, and that is why the present NFF administration worked assiduously hard to ensure the realization of this partnership. The NFF is grateful to Aiteo Group for this breakthrough in making our coaches happy.”
Following the signing of the partnership agreement on 26th April 2017, the NFF put in place a small panel headed by the Chairman of Technical and Development Committee, Barr. Chris Green to scrutinize and harmonize the claims of the coaches and arrive at the actual amounts owed each person.
A total of 27 coaches turned up for the two –day exercise at the NFF Secretariat, Abuja, and the payments began immediately after.
“The list cuts across all the national teams – from the coaches of the Super Eagles to the coaches of the Beach Soccer national team. Our joy is that each and every one of them who turned for the exercise is quite happy now,” Dikko affirmed.
Beneficiary coaches are: Salisu Yusuf, Alloy Agu, Fatai Amoo, David Ngodigha, Ann Chiejine, Bala Mohammed, Kabiru Baleria, Emeka Amadi, Peter Dedevbo, Toyin Ayinla, Wemimo Oni, Auwal Bashir, Manu Garba, Bala Nikyu, Lateef Yusuf, Nduka Ugbade, Jolomi Atunne Alli, Ernest Salolomo, Queen Dolyn Akpan, Adamu Audu Ejo, Godwin Okon, Justin Madugu, Gidado Usman, Florence Omagbemi, Perpetua Nkwocha, Emmanuel Amuneke, Christopher Danjuma
Nigerian Football
Behold! Nigeria Football’s October 8 Magic
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is 75 years since Nigeria’s national football team first played an international match. That was on 8 October 1949 when the first set of Nigeria’s assembly on their return voyage stopped over in Freetown and engaged Sierra Leone in an international football match. Nigeria won 2-0, setting a chain of positive results on 8 October.
The country never lost any competitive duel on that date. More significantly, the Super Eagles first qualified for the World Cup on an 8 October date.
That was in 1993 when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Algeria in the quest for USA ‘94 World Cup.
Nigeria became the first English-speaking African country to qualify for the World Cup. Another significance of the October 8 match at the July 5 Stadium, Algiers is that Nigeria were unbeaten for the first time by Algeria at home.
The only deviation from the 8 October Magic was in 2015 when Nigeria lost 2-0 to Congo in a friendly match.
Twenty-six years after Nigeria’s debut international match, one of Africa’s biggest football nations, Egypt fell to the October 8 magic, losing 4-0 to Nigeria in the last stage of the triangular World Cup qualifying series for Argentina ’78.
Up till October 15, 2013, when Ghana beat Egypt 6-1 in Kumasi, the October 8, 1977 duel with Nigeria remained Egypt’s biggest loss in a World Cup qualifying match.
Before the 1977 duel, Nigeria in 1963 played a friendly match with Liberia in Monrovia. The October 8 magic was active, even in an away match. Nigeria drew 2-2 in their very first encounter with Liberia. It was shortly after the team had, through a protest, upturned a victory by Guinea to pick Nigeria’s very first African Nations’ Cup ticket.
Little wonder then that when FIFA suspended Nigeria in 2010, the world governing body provisionally lifted the ban on October 8!
Nigeria on 8 October
- 1949 – Freetown (Friendly) Sierra Leone 0-2 Nigeria
- 1963 – Monrovia (Friendly) Liberia 2-2 Nigeria
- 1977 – Lagos (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
- 1993 – Algiers (World Cup qualifier) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria… qualify for USA ‘94.
- 2005 – Abuja (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe
- 2010 – FIFA, in apparent respect to the 8 October magic, provisionally lifted a ban imposed on Nigeria.
- 2011 – Abuja (African Nations Cup qualifier) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea. Although undefeated, Nigeria failed to make it to the 2012 African Nations Cup.
- 2015 – D.R. Congo beat Nigeria 2-0 in Visé, Belgium. The ‘October 8 Magic’ is finally broken.
Nigerian Football
Rivers flow to the top!
Rivers United have launched themselves to the top of the log at the end of the match day 5 of the Nigeria Premier League. The Port Harcourt side beat Akwa United 2-1 to go afloat after initial leaders, Remo Stars crumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Kwara United in Ilorin on Sunday.
It was Remo Stars’ first defeat in the season. Rivers United are now with 13 points. Stephen Mayo put Rivers United ahead after 31 minutes. But it turned a temporary lead as Akwa United bounced back almost at the blast of the referee’s whistle for the second half.
Friday Apollos levelled up for Akwa United before Ndifreke Effiong Udo scored the winner in the 85th minute.
Sunday Results
- Kwara United 1-0 Remo Stars
- Rangers International 1-0 Abia Warriors
- Heartland FC 2-0 Niger Tornadoes
- Kano Pillars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
- Plateau United 1-0 Ikorodu City
- Rivers United 2-1 Akwa United
- Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
- Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United
Nigerian Football
Enyimba’s duel with Katsina United plunges into darkness
Former Nigerian champions, Enyimba were coasting to a comfortable 3-0 lead before the game got enveloped by darkness.
The game could not be completed after 75 minutes when the floodlights of the arena suddenly went off.
According to a post on Enymba x-handle, the match will resume at 8.00 am on Monday “ as agreed by both teams and the match officials.”
Sunday Results
- Kwara United 1-0 Remo Stars
- Rangers International 1-0 Abia Warriors
- Heartland FC 2-0 Niger Tornadoes
- Kano Pillars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
- Plateau United 1-0 Ikorodu City
- Rivers United 1-1 Akwa United
- Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
- Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United
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